With pomp and the tear of an envelope, Dell Medical School’s graduating students unveil where their professional careers — and specialized training — begin.
They join Dell Med’s newest residents in shaping the future physician workforce, serving patients in Central Texas and across the country.
From bated breath to celebration: Graduates from Dell Med’s Class of 2025 learned where they will attend residency training — a milestone in their medical careers.
Alongside friends and family, 44 soon-to-be graduates opened envelopes symbolizing the beginning of their medical careers. They joined peers nationwide in learning where they will receive specialized training and care for patients as resident physicians.
For 170 future physician leaders, that journey will bring them right here to Dell Med.
A professional and academic milestone, Match Day marks the transition from medical student to physician in training. The nationwide event is part of the National Resident Matching Program, which places fourth-year medical students into residency programs through an algorithm that aligns their preferences.
Today’s match resulted in placement for every student in Dell Med’s Class of 2025, along with pairing of students from across the U.S. to every available residency at Dell Med — a 100% match. The day also continued the school’s history of placing graduates into top programs, developing the physician workforce in Texas and supporting the need for more primary care physicians as more than 40% of the workforce will reach retirement age in the coming decade.
“These rising physicians will lead the future of health,” said Dean and UT Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs Claudia Lucchinetti, M.D. “Today brings a moment to celebrate their incredible accomplishments. It’s also a time to look ahead with great optimism, as we anticipate these creative, innovative, collaborative, motivated students’ impact on the health ecosystem — and the patients who are at the heart of our calling.
The Big Picture
Defining the Future of Health
The arrival of 170 resident physicians, including 9 graduating students in Dell Med’s Class of 2025, comes at a time where Austin remains one of the fastest-growing cities in the country.
As part of their specialized training, offered in 40-plus programs in partnership with Ascension Seton, these trainees will join Dell Med’s continuing residents and fellows in giving essential care to Austinites and Central Texans.
In the last academic year, Dell Med’s trainees provided nearly 900,000 hours of care at 90-plus clinics and hospitals. In the year ahead, Dell Med will be home to 490-plus physicians in training.
Dell Med’s newest trainees join the school as the University builds a world-class, integrated academic medical center in the heart of Austin. They’ll advance collaborative, team-based health care through interprofessional education, train alongside the University’s faculty experts and top clinicians, and graduate with the skills and knowledge to effectively use emerging digital tools, technologies and advanced analytics.
“Our partnership with Dell Medical School brings members of the next generation of medical leaders to train here in Central Texas and provide high-quality compassionate care to those who need it most,” said Andy Davis, president and CEO of Ascension Texas. “An enormous congratulations goes out to our newest residents and fellows on this major step in their career journeys.”
Building the Physician Workforce
Training in Texas, Staying in Texas
Today’s match saw 63 out-of-state trainees match to Dell Med. Data from the Association of American Medical Colleges shows that, on average, 54% of doctors who complete residency in a state will go on to practice there — and in Texas, that average rises to 66%.
Of the 578 graduates of Dell Med residency and fellowship programs who have immediately entered practice since 2015, more than two-thirds — 69% — have stayed in Texas.
Dell Med Grads Ready for Residency
For 44 members of Dell Med’s Class of 2025, Match Day marked their readiness for rigorous training in specialties such as pediatrics, internal medicine, and obstetrics and gynecology.
And for the Dell Med graduates embarking on journeys outside Austin, they’ll train in prestigious programs at medical centers including Stanford, Vanderbilt and Mayo Clinic, extending the values and knowledge instilled in them at Dell Med and making an impact nationwide.
“We couldn’t be more excited to celebrate our outstanding Class of 2025 graduates matching to cities across the U.S.,” said James R. Korndorffer Jr., M.D., Dell Med’s vice dean of education. “These physician leaders have demonstrated years of discipline, passion and servant leadership. I am excited to see them apply the skills they developed here at Dell Med to lead transformational change in health care.”
Providing Access to Essential Care
Seventeen Dell Med graduates matched into primary care specialties, including family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, and obstetrics and gynecology.
The concentration of Dell Med graduates specializing in primary care comes at a time when the primary care physician shortage is projected to grow to 86,000 by 2036, according to the AAMC.
Dell Med Grads Matching to Texas
Data shows that residents tend to stay and practice where they train. Of Dell Med’s Class of 2025, 45% matched to programs in Texas, with 20% matching to Dell Med.
More About Match Day
Yes. Resident and fellow physicians have received their M.D. or D.O. (doctor of osteopathic medicine). Residencies and fellowships provide training within a specific specialty or subspecialty.
In their fourth year of medical school, students apply to and interview with residency programs. After interviews conclude, students rank their top three programs. At the same time, programs rank interviewees. If both a program and student rank each other — it’s a match! Learn more about the process from the National Residency Matching Program.
A medical degree. An undergraduate medical education learner is a medical student yet to receive their medical degree. A graduate medical education trainee is a physician with an M.D. or D.O. who is continuing their training to become an attending physician.
Residents have completed medical school and are continuing their medical training in a specialty program, like emergency medicine or psychiatry. Fellows have completed their residencies and are pursuing further training in a subspecialty, like pediatric emergency medicine or addiction psychiatry.