Match season is one of those moments that’s hard to explain unless you’ve lived it. It’s equal parts anticipation, pressure, and relief. And now that Match 2026 is behind us, we’re taking a moment to acknowledge what our students have achieved.
The Results
- 96.1% first-time residency attainment rate for 2025–2026 graduates
- 672 out of 738 (91.1%) of SJSM graduates who applied between 2018–2026 have matched
These numbers matter because they reflect something bigger than performance on paper. They reflect outcomes.
Where This Year Took Our Students
This cycle, SJSM students matched across the U.S. and Canada, in both community-based and university-affiliated programs.
A few highlights:
- California: Kaiser Permanente Modesto, Eisenhower Medical Center, Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital
- Florida: Ascension Sacred Heart, HCA Florida Lawnwood, Broward Medical Center
- Illinois: Rush University Medical Center, Insight Hospital & Medical Center
- Michigan: Henry Ford Health System programs, Western Michigan University
- Texas: UT Health San Antonio, Texas Health Presbyterian Dallas
- Canada: University of Ottawa, University of Calgary
And across specialties that form the backbone of patient care:
- Internal Medicine
- Family Medicine
- Emergency Medicine
- Psychiatry
- Pediatrics
- General Surgery
There’s no single “type” of placement here, and that’s the point. Our students are going where they want to go, into fields they’ve worked toward.
What Is “The Match,” Really?
If you’re new to this, “The Match” is the system that places medical graduates into residency programs.
Here’s the short version:
- Students apply to residency programs through ERAS
- They interview with programs
- Both students and programs submit ranked lists
- An algorithm pairs applicants with programs based on those rankings
It’s designed to be fair, but it’s still competitive. Not everyone matches on the first try. That’s why outcomes like these matter.
A Bit of Context
The Match system in the U.S. has been around since the 1950s, created to bring order to what used to be a chaotic hiring process. Today, it’s a standardized pathway into residency training.
For students, it’s the bridge between medical school and practicing medicine.
What These Results Actually Say
It’s easy to just look at percentages and move on. But what they represent is consistency.
- Students are getting through Basic Sciences prepared
- They’re performing in clinical rotations
- They’re securing interviews and converting them into matches
There’s no shortcut here. The Match reflects the full journey.
For Current and Future Students
If you’re already in the process, this is a reminder that the path works if you stay on it. If you’re considering it, this is what the outcome can look like.
And if you’ve just matched, this is where things really start. Because Match Day isn’t the finish line. It’s the handoff.