Soon-to-be graduates of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine were among thousands of senior medical students nationwide who learned during simultaneous ceremonies March 20 where they will soon begin their residencies.
The UAMS Class of 2026 includes 164 students who will graduate with Doctor of Medicine degrees in May — 146 from the main campus in Little Rock and 18 from the Northwest Regional Campus in Fayetteville.
Like most senior medical students across the globe preparing for the next step in their medical careers — including graduates of foreign medical schools and those seeking to be a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine — most UAMS graduates participate in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). The service uses a mathematical algorithm to compare applicants ranked choices against each program’s ranked list of applicants, to match the seniors to a limited number of graduate medical education programs.
However, graduates who are seeking residencies in ophthalmology, urology, or the military use separate, earlier match programs to determine where they will continue their medical education. Among the students set to graduate from the UAMS College of Medicine in May, just 12 of them participated in one of the earlier match programs.
Becky Latch, MD, associate dean of student affairs for the UAMS College of Medicine, said 99% of UAMS seniors who participated in the NRMP found a match, as did every UAMS senior whose specialty led them to participate in an earlier match program.
Match said that 74 UAMS seniors, or 45%, matched to residency programs in Arkansas, while 88 matched to residencies in other states.