Three female students hug after learning their residency matches

It’s a Match: 51ƷCOM Class of 2023 graduates match to residencies near and far

Story by
Alan Bennett •
Biddeford, Maine
•

The 51Ʒ College of Osteopathic Medicine (51ƷCOM) held its annual Match Day celebration on Friday, March 17, with an incredible 166 medical students matching to residencies across the state and nation.

Match Day is the date each year when participating fourth-year medical students learn where they will be completing their medical residencies, and in what specialties, following graduation. UNE’s event was part of Match Day celebrations across the nation, as students vying for slots in the National Residency Match Program found out their placements.

At noon exactly, students in the 51ƷCOM Class of 2023 opened envelopes containing their residency placements, surrounded by their closest friends and family. There were collective cheers of joy amid happy tears and toasts with champagne.

“For you, this has been a lot of years of hard work, sacrifice, and dedication,” Jane Carreiro, D.O., vice president for Health Affairs and dean of 51ƷCOM, told students in her opening remarks. “Ahead of you are great opportunities, many successes, lots of learning, and lots of growth. You folks have so many wonderful attributes, and your knowledge and your skills are incredible. The world is yours.”

51ƷCOM students hold up their residency match envelopes
Three female students hug after learning their residency matches
A student celebrates her match with a family member
A student celebrates her match as a friend films her reaction
Two male students pose in military colors representing their military matches

Maria Terzis (D.O., ’23) will be staying in Maine after graduation, completing a residency in pediatrics at Maine Medical Center. The Boston native said Match Day felt like a dream.

“The Match is bigger than graduation; it is a reflection of years of hard work and dedication to pediatrics,” she remarked. “I began this journey over 10 years ago. The road to becoming a physician was long and tough; however, this challenge has made me who I am. I have no doubt this is what I was always meant to do."

51Ʒboasts an exceptionally high match rate for its osteopathic medical graduates.

This year, 98.2% of students matched to residencies in 15 specialties, higher than the  for allopathic medical schools (93.7%) and other osteopathic medical schools (91.6%).

The College of Osteopathic Medicine is ranked in the Top 10 medical schools where graduates are most likely to match with their first-choice residency program and is ranked in the Top 20 medical schools nationwide for producing primary care residents. 51ƷCOM is also ranked 12th in the nation for graduates practicing in rural areas.

Maria Terzis (D.O., ’23) poses with a paper listing her residency match

Maria Terzis (D.O., ’23)

Watch the 2023 Match Day Ceremony

A total of 166 students in the College of Osteopathic Medicine Class of 2023 matched to residencies in 15 unique specialities. Watch the Match Day ceremony's opening remarks, and witness the exact moment our students learn where the next several years will take them.

Browse News Coverage

  • (Portland Press Herald)
  • (WGME CBS 13)
  • (Fox 23 Maine)

51Ʒ the 51Ʒ

The 51Ʒ is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.