Heritage College hosts first in-person Match Day celebration

At the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine’s first in-person Match Day celebration held in Athens, Cleveland and Dublin, graduating students learned where they would complete their residency training over the next several years.

Match Day is anxiously awaited each year by fourth-year medical students because until noon EDT that day, they are unsure of where they will be assigned. This year’s class had a preliminary 97% match rate with 57% matching in primary care. Of the matches, 70% will remain in Ohio.

“Without a doubt, this is an exciting and nerve-wracking experience,” said Beth Longenecker, D.O. (‘91), dean of the Heritage College, Athens. “But we are so happy to be able to celebrate in person and share this milestone with our students and their families and friends who have supported them on this journey.”

The Heritage College had planned for in-person Match Celebrations in 2020, but these events were canceled due to the pandemic. The 2021 celebration was virtual.

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“The Class of 2022 spent their last two years of medical school training in the midst of a pandemic and saw the effects COVID-19 has had across health care. They excelled despite the obstacles created by the pandemic, and I couldn’t be prouder of them,” said Isaac Kirstein, D.O., dean of the Heritage College, Cleveland.

Match Day is the culmination of four incredibly challenging and often grueling years. Students who are matched, first apply to and interview with programs in the specialties where they would like to practice. They rank their preferences, as do the institutions where they have applied. The National Resident Matching Program makes the matches and then on Match Day announces to students across the country where they have been accepted.

However, some students, including those matching into military residencies, followed a different timeline. Students graduating from our Transformative Care Continuum, an accelerated curriculum developed in partnership with Cleveland Clinic, are admitted directly into family medicine residency programs at Cleveland Clinic Akron General or Cleveland Clinic Lakewood Family Health Center upon graduation.

“This is a testament to the quality of our students and the quality of the education that they received at the Heritage College. As they continue their osteopathic journey, I am confident they will lead and succeed throughout Ohio and everywhere they have matched,” said Executive Dean Ken Johnson, D.O. “The matches were incredibly successful this year, especially as related to our mission focused on primary care and the state of Ohio. I am thrilled that we could celebrate such a momentous occasion in person.”

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Compared to 2021, preliminary numbers show an increase in the number of students who will remain in Ohio. As matches are finalized over the next several weeks, it is possible that the percentage of students who match will go higher.

“I am so proud of the class of 2022,” said William Burke, D.O. (‘88), dean of the Dublin campus. “Our students have shown they are strong, they are focused and they are caring and empathetic individuals who are ready and prepared to excel when they become resident physicians. I’m looking forward to hearing about their many accomplishments in the future.”