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On March 20, future physicians from the College of Osteopathic Medicine鈥檚 (NYITCOM) Class of 2026 convened at events on Long Island and in Arkansas to celebrate a key milestone in their medical education journey: Match Day.

The much-anticipated annual event takes place on the third Friday of March, with NYITCOM鈥檚 graduating class joining thousands of other future physicians across the country in discovering their residency placements, or 鈥渕atches.鈥� This year, celebrations were held at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, N.Y., and the Embassy Suites by Hilton Jonesboro Red Wolf Convention Center in Jonesboro, Ark.

After graduating from medical school, doctors are required to complete residency training to become licensed to practice medicine in the United States. These training programs generally last between three and seven years, depending on the chosen specialty. In their final year, students apply to and interview with residency programs. Afterward, they rank their top choices, while programs rank their preferred applicants. A computerized algorithm then pairs candidates with programs based on these rankings. The outcomes are kept strictly confidential from both the aspiring physicians and the participating hospitals until they are officially revealed.

This year鈥檚 class achieved an impressive 98 percent match rate, securing residencies at renowned institutions, including the Cleveland Clinic, among others. NYITCOM students also matched into competitive specialties, including psychiatry, neurology, anesthesiology, diagnostic radiology, and others. In addition, nine members matched into military residences with branches of the U.S. armed forces.

Among the 264 NYITCOM-Long Island students to match was Mereena Jolly, who will go on to complete a psychiatry residency program at Rutgers Trinitas Regional Medical Center, a full-service Catholic teaching hospital in Elizabeth, N.J. For Jolly, her residency match means an opportunity to both further her training and prepare for a career dedicated to advancing equity, understanding, and dignity in mental healthcare.

鈥淭his is especially meaningful to me because of my longstanding commitment to psychiatry and mental health,鈥� said Jolly. 鈥淕rowing up in India and later in a South Asian immigrant community in Staten Island, I witnessed the impact of mental health stigma and untreated addiction. These experiences shaped my perspective and motivated me to pursue psychiatry to advocate for vulnerable populations and address disparities in healthcare.鈥�

NYITCOM-Arkansas graduates will also play a vital role in helping to address care disparities, namely in the Mississippi Delta region, one of the country鈥檚 most medically underserved areas. This year, 17 students matched into residency programs in Arkansas; an additional nine will remain within 100 miles of the state border. Six students will perform their residencies in Jonesboro, including Jackson St. Pierre, who matched into an internal medicine residency at St. Bernards Medical Center.

鈥淢y family and I love this community so much, and to get to continue my training here is a dream come true,鈥� St. Pierre said.

The school also encourages students to pursue primary care specialties due to the region鈥檚 significant needs. This year, 57 percent of NYITCOM-Arkansas students matched into primary care positions, including 25 percent in family medicine, 20 percent in internal medicine, eight percent in general surgery, and four percent in pediatrics.

Here is a sample of the many impressive residencies earned by NYITCOM鈥檚 Class of 2026:

• Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist: Pathology
• Baylor College of Medicine: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
• Carilion Clinic/Virginia Tech Carilion: Neurosurgery
• Cleveland Clinic Foundation: Anesthesiology
• Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center: Internal Medicine
• Jefferson Health Northeast: Family Medicine
• NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center: Pediatrics
• Temple University Hospital: Internal Medicine
• University of Tennessee Health Science Center: Emergency Medicine

Casey Pearce contributed to this article.