A good match for the Class of '99

CMAJ 1999;160:1281

© 1999 Canadian Medical Association

McMaster students enjoyed the greatest success, with 63.7% of the Class of '99 matching to their first-ranked program (discipline and location). They were followed by students from the University of Toronto (63.6%) and Memorial University (60%). There were more out-of-town matches than in previous years, with only 42% of students matching to their home school. As in past years, graduates applied to an average of about 13 programs in 2 disciplines.

Oversubscribed specialties — those in which the number of first choices exceeded the quota — were dermatology, diagnostic radiology, emergency medicine, ophthalmology, orthopedic surgery, otolaryngology, pediatrics, plastic surgery, thoracic surgery and urology. Fewer students registered in the couples match in 1999 (25) than in 1998 (32), and all couples but one matched in the first iteration.

The Department of National Defence sponsored only 8 supernumerary positions in the match in 1999, compared with 22 in 1996.

The 1999 CaRMS match Medical school Applicants   First choice % Memorial   55  33 60.0 Dalhousie   78  44 56.4 Laval, Montreal, Sherbrooke   17    8 47.1 McGill   78  45 57.7 Ottawa   80  40 50.0 Queen's   71  33 46.5 Toronto  171 107 62.6 McMaster   91  58 63.7 Western   97  57 58.8 Manitoba   67  40 59.7 Saskatchewan   50  25 50.0 Alberta  106  55 51.9 Calgary   69  36 52.2 British Columbia  119  71 59.7 Total 1149 652 56.7

This column was written by Lynda Buske, Chief, Physician Resources Information Planning, CMA. Readers may send potential research topics to Patrick Sullivan (sullip@cma.ca; 613 731-8610 or 800 663-7336 x2126; fax 613 565-2382).

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