Fourth-year MD Icahn School of Medicine students receiving their placements on Match Day, Friday, March 15, from left to right: Amina Avril, Claire Ufongene, Candida Damian, Yhan Colón Ibán, and Charlotte Pierce.
Match Day represents a milestone for fourth-year medical students across the country—it’s when they receive their placements for the residency programs they’ve applied to. On Friday, March 15, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai’s Class of 2024 congregated at the Guggenheim Pavilion for Match Day, and 133 students matched to 26 different specialties across the nation.
Michael Leitman, MD, Professor of Surgery, and Medical Education, at Icahn Mount Sinai, and Dean for Graduate Medical Education, observes Match Day closely because it reflects the physician pipeline. In several critical areas, he says, most notably the primary care specialties (internal medicine, general pediatrics, family medicine, and geriatrics) and psychiatry, the supply of new doctors entering these specialties is barely sufficient to meet demand.
“These are areas where we are seeing low match rates among students, and we suspect that students are gravitating towards careers in more lucrative specialties in part because they’re concerned about debt,” says Dr. Leitman.
According to the National Resident Matching Program, the organization conducting the Main Residency Match, for the Class of 2024 MD seniors, 87.8 percent of family medicine residency positions were filled, compared to most other programs, which were filled 100 percent—or close to. Pediatrics and psychiatry programs had unfilled positions in this year’s match too.
A 2021 report from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) forecasts a primary care physician shortage of 18,000 to 48,000 in 2034. The big problem this shortage creates is that primary care is where important screenings are done, such as hypertension.
Positions filled in specialties with high need: 2024 vs 2023
| Specialty | 2024 | 2023 |
| Family Medicine | 87.8% | 88.7% |
| Pediatrics | 91.8% | 97.1% |
| Psychiatry | 99.5% | 99.0% |
“In the areas that we serve at The Mount Sinai Hospital, which includes East Harlem, we have to think about the loss of family medicine doctors who will not be available to care for this population, which will only further reinforce the health care disparities we are working so hard to correct,” says Dr. Leitman.
“Although historically, students from Icahn Mount Sinai have matched to primary care fields at lower rates than other specialties, this year’s Match represented the highest number of students matching into primary care specialties,” says Tara K Cunningham, EdD, MS, Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Associate Professor of Medical Education, who leads the team responsible for career and residency advising at Icahn Mount Sinai. Last year, Dr. Cunningham says, two students entered pediatrics. “This year, a record-breaking 11 students are going into pediatrics.”
Icahn Mount Sinai’s Class of 2024 has more students placing into primary care and neurology than any other graduating class in school history. The most popular specialties for the class are internal medicine (28), pediatrics (11), anesthesiology (10), obstetrics (8), gynecology (8), neurology (7), ophthalmology (7), and psychiatry (7).
Two MD seniors entering residency programs in specialties with high need share their thoughts on their matches and what they hope to achieve in their respective fields.
Stephanie Ureña, Family Medicine program at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center
What are your thoughts on your match, and tell me about the programs you applied for?
I am very happy with my result because this was my top choice. I wanted to stay in New York City and work with an underserved, majority-Hispanic population. I mostly applied to programs in New York City and Philadelphia because these are both places where I had a community. I was born and raised in the Bronx and this is where most of my immediate family is. I went to school at the University of Pennsylvania so I also had some friends there and some family that had also moved there.
What do you know about the challenges of the specialty you’re entering, and how do you think you might be able to overcome them?
I am going into family medicine and given the current medical system, there is never enough time for visits. Additionally, patients’ health is connected to social determinants of health and there are often not enough resources to keep patients healthy.
I plan on learning to prioritize pressing health issues for quick visits given the time crunch. I also plan on immersing myself into the community that I practice in so that I can learn about community resources that address some of their social determinants of health.
What inspired you to go into medicine in the first place?
I had a really awesome pediatrician growing up who was my constant cheerleader. I remember looking forward to his visits because he just wanted to catch up on life and would always teach me ways to stay healthy. Then as I grew up, I realized how much I liked science and was fascinated by the human body so I decided to continue to pursue a path in medicine.
What impact do you hope to achieve in your specialty?
For family medicine, I hope to continue to provide patient-centered health care and expand on my knowledge of community resources. I would ideally like to have a system in which I refer my patients to community resources that address their social determinants of health. I would also like to create more pipeline programs that bring students from the local community into medical schools that are in their community. I envision myself joining a community board and advocating for the community needs.
Candida Damian, Pediatrics/Psychiatry/Child Psychiatry Triple Board program at Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital
What are your thoughts on your match, and tell me about the programs you applied for?
I am very excited. There are only 11 Triple Board programs in the country, so I am super grateful to have matched. Since there are limited triple board positions, I applied for categorical psychiatry positions as well. I wanted to match into a Triple Board program because I am deeply passionate about the intersection of pediatrics and psychiatry, and am drawn to the diversity of experiences and the unique skill set that Triple Board training offers.
What do you know about the challenges of the specialty you’re entering, and how do you think you might be able to overcome them?
Entering a Triple Board program presents the challenge of navigating multiple specialties and wearing different hats, requiring adaptability and flexibility. I plan to overcome this by really leaning into my training and always asking for help.
There is a huge need, especially, for child psychiatrists. Mental health in children is a public health crisis. Entering a field with a high, under-met need is both daunting and inspiring. It underscores the urgency and importance of my chosen path. I see it as an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on individuals and communities who are underserved and often marginalized. By entering these fields, I aim to contribute to closing the gap in access to quality health care and improving outcomes for those in need.
What inspired you to go into medicine in the first place?
It has been my childhood dream to become a doctor. However, due to many external factors, I had believed a profession in medicine was just too far out of my reach. The idea of attending college was daunting enough, not to speak of attending medical school. I was committed to providing compassionate care for patients, so I channeled my energy into going to nursing school.
I will never forget the day as a third-year nursing student that I met a 16-year-old patient who confided in me about the events that led up to her being admitted into the psychiatric hospital. She had dreams of going to college and becoming a marine biologist. However, the external hardships she faced made her doubtful that she could accomplish her goals. She told me, “You know more about me than the doctors here do. I feel like I can tell you anything.”
We could relate to each other, we had similar upbringings, and I learned that just my presence alone was able to give patients that feeling of safety they often lacked. I recognized that all of the reasons that led me to believe I could not become a physician were actually the reasons why I needed to become a physician.
That patient’s story and trust in me during my nursing rotation helped me believe, for the first time, that becoming a physician was attainable. My determination to make a difference outweighed the fear. That day, I Googled “How to get into medical school” and the rest was history.
What impact do you hope to achieve in your specialty?
In my specialty, I hope to provide compassionate and comprehensive care to vulnerable populations, especially children and families who have endured significant abuse and neglect. My aim is to intervene promptly and treat both their physical and mental health needs at each developmental milestone, while fostering trust, empowerment, and providing a safe environment for healing and growth. I am dedicated to raising awareness about the impact of trauma and I am on a mission to help break down the many barriers faced so that future generations have the opportunity to pursue their dreams despite external challenges.