Medical school welcomes more than 70 resident physicians and fellows to Kalamazoo and Battle Creek

More than 70 resident physicians and fellows have arrived in Kalamazoo and Battle Creek to further their medical training.
More than 70 resident physicians and fellows have arrived in Kalamazoo and Battle Creek to further their medical training.

More than 70 resident physicians and fellows began their training July 1 as the medical school welcomed its newest cohort to Kalamazoo and Battle Creek.

The medical school filled every available training slot in its 10 residency programs. In addition to Family Medicine, General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry, the medical school has residency training programs in Emergency Medicine, Medicine-Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Orthopaedic Surgery, as well as fellowships in Emergency Medical Services, Forensic Pathology, Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Simulation, and Sports Medicine.

In all, seven fellows have joined WMed in specialties that include EMS, Forensic Pathology, Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Simulation, and Sports Medicine.

More than 70 resident physicians and fellows have arrived in Kalamazoo and Battle Creek to further their medical training.
More than 70 resident physicians and fellows have arrived in Kalamazoo and Battle Creek to further their medical training.

WMed’s newest residents and fellows spent time getting to know others in the WMed community and exploring Southwest Michigan before their official start date. Some programs hosted backyard barbecues, got together for family pool parties, while other residents explored Kalamazoo coffee shops and restaurants.

“Welcoming new residents is an exciting time for all involved,” Cindy Shattuck, the medical school’s director of Resident Affairs, said. “These first few weeks in particular are filled with a buzz of energy. New town, new colleagues, new routines – it all marks the beginning of dedicated training in their specialty of choice. We are thrilled to welcome these new learners to the WMed residency family.”

The group of new resident physicians includes four students from WMed’s Class of 2022. The students were part of a class that saw 98 percent of its students enter into a residency program in specialties ranging from General Surgery and Internal Medicine to Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics.

WMed’s latest cohort includes six residents who are participating in MI Docs, a program from the state of Michigan which expands residency training positions in select specialties. MI Docs residents go on to practice in underserved areas of Michigan in exchange for loan repayment. The newest MI Docs residents coming to WMed will join our Family Medicine, General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry residency programs.

Across the nation, 47,675 registered applicants took place in the 2022 Main Residency Match in March, according to the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP). A total of 39,205 resident physician positions were filled.

Residents spend three or more years practicing medicine in a clinical setting under the supervision of fully licensed physicians.