SPRINGFIELD – Medical students at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine (SIU) received pivotal news regarding their future careers on March 21, 2025, as they participated in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) to determine their residency placements.
A total of 71 students from the Class of 2025 successfully matched into residency programs, contributing to a national total of 43,237 positions filled across the country.
Edwardsville, Granite City, O’Fallon, Belleville and Collinsville students were on the SIU Med residency match list.
The area students were as follows:
Maia Cain of Granite City (Obstetrics-Gynecology) has matched with the University of Missouri-KC Programs. Kiri Evans of Belleville (Emergency Management) has matched with John Peter Smith Hospital-Texas. Kaitlyn Frick, Edwardsville (Psychiatry) has matched with Emory University SOM-GA., Sydney Nyquist, Highland (Psychiatry) SIUE SOM Affil Hosps-IL., Jay Patel, Collinsville, (Emergency Medicine) SSM Health/St Louis Univ SOM-MO, Garrett Sweatt, Edwardsville (Vascular Surgery) SIU SOME & Affil Hosps-IL, Grace Thompson, Edwardsville, (Psychiatry) Barnes Jewish Hosp St. Louis, Mo., and Avani Yaganti, O’Fallon, (Internal Medicine) U Iowa Hospitals & Clinics.
Drew Ratliff, from Wood River and a Roxana School District graduate, was also matched into Internal Medicine at the University of Louisville.
The event took place at the Edward J. Curtis Memorial Learning Center in Springfield, where students gathered with family, friends, and faculty to celebrate this significant milestone. Among the graduates, 12 students (17%) matched in emergency medicine, while 11 (15%) were placed in internal medicine. Other specialties included family medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, anesthesiology, and obstetrics-gynecology, among others.
Dean and Provost Jerry Kruse addressed the students, reflecting on his own Match Day experience and offering congratulations. “Your enthusiasm and curiosity have made us a better organization,” Kruse stated. “I’m sure you will continue to grow and learn and improve the lives of others at each stage of your careers.”
Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Admissions Haneme Idrizi emphasized the importance of the day, encouraging students to recognize the hard work that brought them to this point. “You are well-prepared and your contribution will help to shape the future of medicine,” Idrizi said.
In addition to the individual matches, 19 students (27%) will begin their residency training at SIU-affiliated programs, with 30 students (42%) remaining in Illinois for their training. The commencement ceremony for the Class of 2025 is scheduled for May 17 at the UIS Performing Arts Center in Springfield, with residency training set to commence in July.
Match results were also announced for SIU’s residency programs at Springfield Memorial Hospital and HSHS St. John’s Hospital, where 82 first-year positions were filled. This includes 16 positions in general internal medicine and 10 in family medicine, among others. Careyana Brenham, MD, associate dean for graduate medical education, expressed enthusiasm for the match outcomes, stating, “Our residents help advance the mission of SIU and enrich our community while providing amazing care to patients through our hospital partnerships.”
The SIU School of Medicine, established in 1970, aims to enhance the health of the central and southern Illinois population through education, patient care, research, and community service. The school has produced over 6,000 new physicians and residents since its inception. For further details on the residency match results, visit siumed.edu.
