Students in Arizona and Rochester celebrated with classmates and loved ones at a drive-in style ceremony, in keeping with COVID-19 protocols. Students were invited to arrive with loved ones in their vehicles, listen to presentations from Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine leaders and distinguished alumni, and sit socially distanced with masks on. The students were called to a stage outdoors to receive their envelopes. Once all the students had their envelopes, they opened them at the same moment and returned to their vehicles to celebrate with their loved ones.

"Incredible opportunities, accomplishments and education waits for you in the next chapter," Fredric Meyer, M.D., Waugh Executive Dean for Education, told the graduating medical students. "Regardless of where you matched, you have the chance to make the most of your residency. Seek out faculty, look for mentors and make sure to bring the Mayo values to the next several years as you practice medicine."

This was the first year Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine celebrated Match Day with students in Arizona. The medical school expanded to become a national school with the opening of the school in Arizona in 2017 and in Florida in 2019.

The class of 2021 was the first class to write letters to themselves on the first day of medical school. Those letters were included in gift baskets from the Mayo Clinic Alumni Association, which sponsors the Match Day event. The letters offered the students an opportunity to document their thoughts and feelings as they began their medical school experience and to be able to reflect on them later.

About Match Day

Every year, fourth-year medical students across the country participate in The Match program through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).

During this process, students finalize which specialty of medicine they’d like to pursue and participate in residency interviews with a variety of residency programs. They then create a rank order listing of where they’d like to complete their graduate medical education and each residency program does the same with their residency openings. From there, the NRMP combines all the ranked lists and using a highly sophisticated process, "matches" applicants to program openings.

Nationally, the 2021 Main Residency Match was the largest in NRMP history. There were 38,106 total positions offered.

For the students, Match Day is a culmination of the hard work and sacrifices they have made during their four years of medical school.

Congratulations to all of our students!

By the numbers: 2021 Match Day

Arizona

There were a total of 38 matches for the Arizona campus. Of those, 42% matched within Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education, with 10 students staying at Mayo Clinic in Arizona and six students going to Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

The future physicians will take their knowledge and Mayo values across the country:

48% will be staying in the West.
32% will be going to the Midwest.
18% will be flying to the Northeast.
3% will be going to the Southeast.

Top specialty choices include:

• Internal Medicine: 27%
• Surgical Specialties: 24%, including:
  • Ear, Nose and Throat: 8%
  • Orthopedics: 5%
  • General Surgery, Ophthalmology, Neurosurgery, Urology: 3% each
• Family Medicine: 11%
• Psychiatry: 11%
• Anesthesia: 8%
• Dermatology: 5%
• Radiology: 5%
• Pediatrics: 3%
• Physical Medical and Rehabilitation: 3%
• Emergency Medicine: 3%

Rochester

There were a total of 56 matches for the Rochester campus. Of those, 23% matched in total within Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education, with 21% in Minnesota and 2% in Arizona.

This is break-down of where the students are headed for their residency training programs:

• 23% will remain in Minnesota.
• 50% will stay in the Midwest.
• 20% will be heading to the West.
• 30% will be flying to the Northeast.
• 11% will be warming up in the South.

Top specialty choices include:

• Surgical Specialties: 29%, including:
  • Orthopedics: 9%
  • OB-GYN: 7%
  • General Surgery, Ear, Nose and Throat, Ophthalmology: 4% each
  • Neurosurgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Plastic Surgery: 2% each
• Internal Medicine: 18%
• Pediatrics: 7%
• Medical Pediatrics: 2%
• Anesthesia: 11%
• Dermatology: 7%
• Radiology and Emergency Medicine: 5%
• Neurology and Radiation Oncology: 4%
• Pathology, Psychiatry, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: 2%