Challenging Assumptions: WAUSM Students and Residency Match Outcomes

Caribbean medical students are often evaluated through a narrow lens:

• Whether they will match
• Which specialties are realistically available
• How competitive their outcomes can be

Western Atlantic University School of Medicine (WAUSM) is proving those assumptions wrong – decisively.

In its first-ever residency Match cycle, 100% of WAUSM’s participating students matched. All 17 secured residency positions. And they didn’t just match – they matched into highly competitive specialties in both the US and Canadian healthcare systems.

National Match Rates vs WAUSM

According to the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP®), which oversees the US residency matching process, the 2026 Main Residency Match was the largest in history and competition was intense for international medical graduates (IMGs).

In its March 20, 2026 statement, the NRMP reported the following Postgraduate Year 1 (PGY‑1) match rates:

US Citizen IMGs

• National match rate: 70%
• WAUSM match rate: 100%

NRMP reported that US citizen IMGs achieved a 70% PGY‑1 match rate in the 2026 Main Residency Match – the highest on record, yet still meaning nearly one in three US IMGs did not match nationally.

Non‑US Citizen IMGs

• National match rate: 56.4%
• WAUSM match rate: 100%

The NRMP reported a 56.4% PGY‑1 match rate for non‑US citizen IMGs in the 2026 Match, a five‑year low. WAUSM had one non‑US citizen IMG participate in this match cycle, and that graduate successfully matched, highlighting the strength of WAUSM’s outcomes even in a highly competitive environment.

Where WAUSM Graduates Matched

WAUSM’s graduates not only achieved a 100% match rate but did so across two national matching systems and multiple citizenship pathways – a rare accomplishment for a first match cohort.

• 16 students matched through the US NRMP
• 1 student matched through Canada’s CaRMS system
• 1 Bahamian student matched through NRMP, participating in the same Match process and standards as US citizen applicants
• Of the 16 who matched through the NRMP, 2 “couples matched,” meaning they linked their applications so they could be matched at the same time to residency programs in the same geographic area, allowing them to continue their training together.

Although often grouped together under the “international” label, non‑US, non‑Canadian citizens who enter the NRMP face the same application structure, ranking process, and program competitiveness as US IMGs, while often navigating additional logistical and visa‑related considerations. WAUSM’s Bahamian graduate matched successfully alongside US peers, reinforcing that citizenship status did not limit readiness or outcomes.

Similarly, WAUSM’s Canadian‑bound graduate succeeded within the CaRMS system, which operates independently from NRMP and follows a two‑round national selection process. While national CaRMS data will not be finalized until the second round concludes on April 21, 2026, WAUSM achieved a 100% success rate in Round 1.

Together, these results show that WAUSM students are competitive not only within a single system, but across borders, match frameworks, and residency pipelines.

Breaking Another Myth: Caribbean Students Do Match Into Competitive Specialties

A common misconception is that Caribbean graduates are limited to a narrow set of “IMG‑friendly” specialties.

WAUSM’s first Match tells a very different story.

Specialties WAUSM Graduates Matched Into:

• Child Neurology
• Emergency Medicine
• Emergency Medicine / Internal Medicine
• Family Medicine
• General Surgery
• Internal Medicine
• Internal Medicine / Pediatrics
• Pediatrics
• Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R)
• Surgery – Preliminary

According to NRMP’s Charting Outcomes in the Match reports, specialties such as Child Neurology, General Surgery, and combined residency programs consistently show higher competitiveness, shorter rank lists, and lower IMG match probabilities compared to primary care alone.

Matching into these specialties, especially in a medical school’s first match cycle, is rare and speaks directly to preparation, advising, and institutional support.

Personal Milestones

Outcomes matter, but they are most meaningful when considered alongside the individual journeys that brought our students to this point. Here’s what some of them had to say:

WAUSM student Victorya Perkins said, “It means everything. It’s everything we’ve been working toward our entire careers – our entire lives. It’s a dream come true – an experience that hasn’t fully set in. I’m super excited but at the same time, once I get there on July 1, that’s when it’s really going to hit me.”

Fellow student Milena Ghiday had this to say: “The Match to me is a dream come true. Ultimately, it is bigger than me. It is something that I’ve wanted for a long time, and I’ve worked really hard to get here. It is a blessing not only for me, but also for my family.”

Jackie Mon noted, “Part of me wants to say it’s the finish line of medical school, but another part of me thinks it’s the starting line to the rest of my life – matching into the specialty I’ve always dreamt about. This is the beginning of my future.”

And Johnathan Dallas summed it up this way: “I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting, and I have come a long way. People are saying, ‘I’m so proud of you.’ Up until this point, I was like, ‘I haven’t done anything yet.’ Now I’m starting to get the point. I’ve actually finished med school! That’s crazy.”

Why WAUSM’s Results Stand Out

NRMP data makes one thing clear: matching as an international medical graduate is never guaranteed. Outcomes are shaped by preparation, guidance, and early decision‑making.

At WAUSM, residency planning begins on day one. Career advising is built into the medical school experience from the start, with early discussions around specialty interests, competitiveness, and long‑term goals that evolve as students progress academically and clinically.

WAUSM’s 100% match rate reflects:

• Career advisement that starts early and continues throughout medical school
• Structured clinical readiness that prepares students to perform in clerkships
• Individualized residency advising, not last‑minute application coaching
• Early specialty alignment and application strategy
• United States Medical Licensing Examination preparation grounded in clinical performance
• Institutional expectations focused on preparation, accountability, and student success

These results do not suggest that matching is automatic. They suggest that early, sustained guidance, combined with academic and clinical preparation, can meaningfully influence outcomes in a competitive match environment.