Ochsner Health is the leading nonprofit healthcare provider in the Gulf South. Ochsner inspires healthier lives and stronger communities through our mission to serve, heal, lead, educate and innovate.
The University of Queensland Medical School-Ochsner Health and Ochsner Graduate Medical Education celebrate high Match Day rates
NEW ORLEANS – The University of Queensland Medical School – Ochsner Health (UQ-Ochsner MD Program) and Ochsner Graduate Medical Education today celebrated Match Day 2026 – a rite of passage for medical residency applicants from around the world to learn who has been selected for which United States residency program to start their next chapter of medical training.
This year, the UQ-Ochsner MD Program achieved a 95% match rate through the National Residency Match Program – outperforming the average national match rate of 94% for U.S. medical schools. It was the largest Match Day in the organization's history, with over 53,000 applicants registered and more than 44,000 residency positions offered. Results were announced March 20.
“Our outstanding Match Day results this year underscore our steadfast dedication to academic excellence and the strength of our collaborative partnerships,” said Leonardo Seoane, MD, FACP, executive vice president and chief academic officer, Ochsner Health. “These achievements reflect our ongoing commitment to shape the future of healthcare through innovation and education.”
The University of Queensland
This marks the fourteenth consecutive year that the UQ-Ochsner MD Program’s match rate has been 90% or above. Overall, more than 66%of the medical school’s graduates matched with their top three choices for residency, with 46% of our medical students placing with their first choice.
This year, 80 medical students from the UQ-Ochsner MD Program Class of 2025 participated in the National Residency Match Program. Students were matched into residency training programs from Twenty-eight states at many prestigious institutions across the country, including Johns Hopkins, Brown University, UC Davis, Baylor College of Medicine, Hennepin County Medical Center, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson and Ochsner Health.
Matched students start their residency programs in July 2026. UQ-Ochsner MD Program students matched in a variety of specialties including anesthesia, dermatology, emergency medicine, ENT, internal medicine, general surgery, neurology, OB/GYN, orthopedic surgery, pathology, pediatrics, and vascular surgery.
“We are proud to celebrate our graduates as they embark on their journeys with esteemed residency programs nationwide,” Carl Tholen, vice president of medical education for Ochsner Health. “We extend our gratitude to The University of Queensland Medical School - Ochsner Health faculty and staff for providing a unique transcontinental learning experience, equipping our future healthcare leaders with exceptional skills and a global perspective, as well as our graduate medical education leaders throughout our regions at Ochsner.”
Of the UQ-Ochsner MD Program students matched this year:
36% will remain in the Gulf South states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Texas for their residency. In all, 22% are staying in the state of Louisiana
14% are staying within Ochsner Health residency programs
To match with a residency program, UQ-Ochsner MD Program students enter the National Residency Match Program during their final months of medical school. Students apply and interview throughout the fall semester.
The UQ-Ochsner MD Program is a unique four-year training, academic and clinical experience that takes place across two continents. The first two years of medical school curriculum occur at The University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, recognized as one of the top medical schools in the world. The final two years of clinical study are completed in New Orleans with Ochsner Health, a leading academic medical center.
“Ochsner has established itself as a leader in medical education by consistently achieving a remarkable rate that reflects the quality of our programs,” said Ronald Amedee, MD, medical director the UQ-Ochsner MD Program.
Ochsner Graduate Medical Education
The Ochsner Department of Graduate Medical Education based out of New Orleans filled 100% of its 98 positions in the Core Residency Match.
The Ochsner Department of Graduate Medical Education offers 37 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited residency and fellowship programs in a variety of specialties, including anesthesiology, emergency medicine and internal medicine in New Orleans and family medicine at in St. Tammany. Additionally, the Podiatric Medicine and Surgery residency program accredited by the Council on Podiatric Medicine Education (CPME) successfully matched 100% of the positions offered in the Central Application Service and Matching Program for Podiatric Residencies (CASPR). GME provides programs that emphasize personal, clinical, and professional development for more than 400 residents and fellows at our campuses.
Graduate Medical Education at Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center filled 100% of its positions in their third year in the Core Residency Match. The new sponsoring institution began a General Surgery residency program in 2024 and continues to match exceptional candidates from the Gulf South.
"We are thrilled to welcome a new class of talented residents and fellows from top medical schools across the nation to our GME programs in New Orleans, St. Tammany Health System, and Lafayette," said Rajiv Gala, MD, designated institutional official (DIO) of Ochsner GME programs. "Together, we will continue to set the standard for expert care and medical innovation in our communities."
For more information on the UQ Ochsner MD Program, visit ochsner.uq.edu.au/
For more information on Ochsner’s Graduate Medical Education, visit education.ochsner.org/gme. For more information about the National Residency Match Program, visit www.nrmp.org.
About Ochsner Health
Ochsner Health is the leading nonprofit healthcare provider in Louisiana, Mississippi and across the Gulf South, delivering expert care at its 47 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers. Ochsner is nationally recognized for inspiring healthier lives and stronger communities through expertise, quality and digital connectivity. In 2025, more than 40,000 dedicated team members and 5,000 employed and affiliated physicians at Ochsner cared for more than 1.6 million people from every state in the nation and 65 countries. To learn more about how Ochsner empowers people to get well and stay well, visit www.ochsner.org.
