Graduating students from the three University of Kansas School of Medicine campuses, including the Salina Campus, celebrated a significant event on Friday, Match Day. The event in the medical education journey is where graduating medical students are matched with residency programs.

According to the school, this year KU students matched in 23 specialties, running the gamut from pediatrics to neurological surgery. Of the 196 matched students, 64 will stay in Kansas for the next phase of their training, and the remainder will fan out to more than 30 other states from coast to coast.

Following graduation from medical school, completing a residency under the supervision of a senior physician — typically three to seven years depending on the specialty — is required to become a licensed, independently practicing doctor.

During their final year of medical school, students apply and interview with residency programs of their choice. Applicants and residency programs make confidential lists of their preferences. A nonprofit organization called the National Resident Matching Program then uses a computerized algorithm to match applicants to residencies. With more than 43,000 students nationwide matched, 2025 set a record for the largest match in the organization’s 73-year history.

Most of the seven matched medical students from KU School of Medicine-Salina will continue serving their home state during their residencies.

That’s exactly what Dawson Clark was hoping to do. He matched with the Smoky Hill Family Medicine Residency Program in Salina, his top choice. Clark, a Great Bend native, said he participated in KU’s Scholars in Rural Health program and hopes to return to Great Bend, to give back to the community that raised him.

The Match Day event was emotional, in a good way, Clark said. “We had a moment to appreciate all the work that we’ve put in and all the help that we’ve had to get to where we are. It was really something special.”

Allie Peters also hails from rural Kansas and wants to practice there. Peters was thrilled to match with the KU School of Medicine-Wichita OB-GYN Residency Program.

Peters grew up in Little River — population 472, according to the most recent census — and was inspired by family members in the medical field.

“I got to see the impact those physicians had on the community, and I want to do the same thing,” she said. “I definitely want to go back to my rural roots and serve communities that may not have as many resources. To be able to come home to this area is very exciting.”

Here is the complete list of Salina students, and where they are headed:

• Dawson Clark – Smoky Hill Family Medicine Residency in Salina
• Alexandra Corns – Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Residency Program at Fort Cavazos, TX
• Faith Ericson – Smoky Hill Family Medicine Residency in Salina
• Vanessa Loomis – KU Family Residency Program in Wichita
• Allie Peters – KU Obstetrician-Gynecologist Residency Program in Wichita
• Kacie Rohlman – Smoky Hill Family Medicine Residency in Salina
• Troy Strickleman – Creighton University Rural Family Medicine residency in Omaha, NE

The University of Kansas School of Medicine campus in Salina was created to address the critical shortage of physicians in Kansas. This innovative medical education program is aimed at students with a strong desire to practice in rural areas.

With eight students admitted each year, the Salina campus is the smallest four-year medical education site in the country. University leaders believe it can serve as a model for the nation.

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TOP PHOTO VIA UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS