Match Offers Opportunity to Expand Surge in Medical Student Interest

Increasingly, medical students get it. A growing number of them realize that the future is family medicine when it comes to practicing the way they want to practice, including by providing a patient-centered medical home, improving the health of their communities, and alleviating health disparities among ethnic and racial minority groups.

The proof is in the results of this year's National Resident Matching Program. Family medicine experienced what may be the best fill rate ever: 90.6 percent of positions offered through the Match were filled. This compares with 88.2 percent filled last year -- a 2.4 percent increase. That's even with more positions to fill this year than last.

The percentage of U.S. seniors opting for family medicine went up as well; 2008 marks the first time in more than a decade that more U.S. seniors matched into family medicine compared with the previous year.

What caused the improved Match results in 2008? A convergence of factors surely has helped, such as a new federal law designed to reduce student educational debt; North Carolina's use of the patient-centered medical home to slash costs while improving care, which other states are emulating; and the continued high demand for family physicians reported by a leading physician search firm.

The AAFP, in collaboration with other family medicine organizations, points out positive developments like these to medical students as part of its current evidence-based student interest initiative. The initiative began planting seeds among medical students four years ago; 2008 marks the first graduating class to benefit from that approach.

The challenge now is to nurture the rising tide in student interest revealed in the 2008 Match until it becomes a flood. Some ways you can help:

If you're short on experience in making presentations, don't worry. Turn to the AAFP for a host of free resources, including audience handouts, Powerpoint presentation templates and background information to help you flesh out your presentation. To request the materials, contact the AAFP Division of Medical Education.

Your involvement with students is critical to the specialty's future.