Medical students at the Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine gathered with loved ones across the state on March 20 to celebrate Match Day, a major milestone on their path to filling a critical need for more physicians in Washington and beyond.
Each year, a competitive national matching process pairs medical students with residency programs in their chosen specialty, the next step in their training to become independently practicing physicians. Match results are released on the third Friday of March.
The College of Medicine celebrated the MD Class of 2026’s matches, which will take them to residencies across the country, and welcomed WSU’s newest resident physicians and fellows, who will join the college in Washington this summer.
MD program: Medical students meet their match
The MD program marked another successful match season this year, with 97% of graduating students matching into residency programs on or before Match Day. Seventy-four students matched, the program’s largest match class yet.
Among this year’s class, 30% will remain in Washington for residency, reflecting their commitment to serving the state as physicians. Doctors are more likely to practice medicine in the area they complete their residency training.
Many students who matched out of state won’t be gone for long. WSU’s MD program admits applicants with ties to Washington who demonstrate an interest in serving the state’s rural and underserved communities. This process has shown success, as most graduates who have entered practice are now practicing in Washington.
This year, 51% of the class chose primary care specialties, including family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, and OB/GYN. They hope to make an impact by helping to address an acute shortage of primary care physicians locally and nationwide.
“Family medicine feels like where I was always supposed to be,” said fourth-year medical student Leah Kooiman, who matched into residency at Adventist Health Ukiah Valley in a medically underserved region of California. “I’m excited to get to satisfy my desire for variety and breadth of scope, see patients of all ages, and build long-term relationships with patients.”
In orthopedics, I found a blend of craft and collaboration, technical skill, creativity, and the privilege of helping patients with a tangible, immediate impact.
Julia Todderud, medical student
Washington State University
Other members of the Class of 2026 hope to make a difference by improving access to specialist care, from anesthesiology to orthopedic surgery.
“In orthopedics, I found a blend of craft and collaboration, technical skill, creativity, and the privilege of helping patients with a tangible, immediate impact,” said Julia Todderud, who matched into an orthopedic surgery residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She will be the college’s first female orthopedic surgeon.
Many soon-to-be graduates are also looking forward to making an impact through medical research and advocacy.
After completing an internal medicine residency at the University of Washington, Zachary Gottschalk plans to pursue subspecialty training in hematology and oncology. He’s excited about new frontiers in cancer treatment like immunotherapy.
“I want to contribute meaningfully to our collective body of medical knowledge, helping refine future care for generations to come,” he said.
Graduate medical education: Welcoming new doctors to Washington
Match Day also means welcoming new faces from across the country and globe to WSU. The College of Medicine’s residency and fellowship programs will bring 28 talented physicians to train and provide care in communities across Washington, where they are likely to stay to practice as fully licensed physicians. They will begin their training on July 1.
WSU’s largest and longest running residency, the Internal Medicine Residency Program–Everett, matched with 18 new residents. The program currently has 46 residents serving thousands of patients at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett and a variety of clinical care settings in Puget Sound.
In eastern Washington, the Family Medicine Residency Program–Pullman welcomed three new residents who will serve at Pullman Regional Hospital and in other rural communities on the Palouse. The program will celebrate another milestone this year when its first class of fully trained family medicine physicians graduates in June.
In the Lilac City, the Pediatric Residency Program–Spokane matched with five new residents, filling all cohorts of the three-year program. Residents serve at Providence Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital and other local hospitals and clinics, helping to fill a critical need for more pediatricians.
After residency, some physicians complete a fellowship for additional subspecialty training. WSU’s newly launched Critical Care Medicine Fellowship–Everett matched with its first class on Dec. 3, following a specialty-specific match. The two inaugural fellows will join the college this summer to gain specialized training in caring for the sickest patients.
