More than 80 resident physicians and fellows began their training at WMed in July 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. WMed boasts residency training programs in Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Medicine-Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Orthopaedic Surgery, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry, as well as fellowships in Emergency Medical Services, Forensic Pathology, Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Simulation, and Sports Medicine.
In all, five fellows joined WMed in specialties that include EMS, Forensic Pathology, Hospice and Palliative Medicine, and Sports Medicine.
WMed’s newest residents and fellows spent time getting to know the WMed community and exploring Southwest Michigan before their official start date. Some programs hosted backyard barbecues and got together for family pool parties, while other residents explored Kalamazoo coffee shops and restaurants.
“You can’t beat the energy of June,” said Cindy Shattuck, the medical school’s director of Resident Affairs. “I’ve been helping to welcome new residents to Kalamazoo for 18 years, and every year is just as exciting as the last. As our senior residents and fellows prepare for graduation, our newest residents and fellows are just beginning dedicated training in the specialty of their choice. We couldn’t be happier to welcome them all into the WMed family.”
The group of new resident physicians includes five students from WMed’s Class of 2023. The students were part of a class that saw 99 percent of its students enter into a residency program in specialties ranging from Family Medicine and General Surgery to Internal Medicine and Neurology.
WMed’s latest cohort includes nine residents who are participating in MIDOCs, a program from the state of Michigan which expands residency training positions in select specialties. MIDOCs residents go on to practice in underserved areas of Michigan in exchange for loan repayment. The newest MIDOCs residents coming to WMed will join our Family Medicine-Kalamazoo, General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry residency programs.
Across the nation, 48,165 registered applicants took part in the 2023 Main Residency Match in March, according to the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP). A total of 40,375 resident physician positions were filled.
Residents spend three or more years practicing medicine in a clinical setting under the supervision of fully licensed physicians.