WVU School of Medicine set to graduate first MATTER track students

Three West Virginia University medical students will graduate with less debt and an early spot in their residency training program as the Mountaineer Accelerated Track to Enter Residency program graduates its inaugural class.

The program, known as MATTER, was created by the WVU School of Medicine to attract talented students who are looking for efficiency and expediency into residency without sacrificing academic quality.

Students in the program commit to a core residency program at WVU and can graduate in just three years and seamlessly enter their residency program. Those programs include family medicine, internal medicine, neurology, obstetrics and gynecology or pediatrics.

“You don’t have the stress of worrying about applications and interviews. You know where you’re going to be,” said Erin White, one of the medical students in the track set to graduate. “I’m currently doing my family medicine sub-internship right now, and I realized this was the perfect decision – it’s a great fit for me.”

The other students graduating along with White are Zach Greathouse, who is entering the combined internal medicine/pediatrics program and Levi Snedegar who is entering family medicine.

Typically, in the final year of medical school, students apply to the residency training programs and specialties of their choice. Following interviews at programs across the country, applicants and program directors rank each other in order of preference and submit those lists to the National Resident Matching Program, which processes them using a computerized mathematical algorithm to “match” them.

According to the students, it removes the anxiety and uncertainty that can sometimes accompany the residency match process – students don’t know where they match until results are released at a set time on a set day in March. Scott Cottrell, Ed.D., associate dean for Student Services and Curriculum, echoed the students’ sentiment.

“The residency application process can be stressful for students. MATTER presents an efficient pathway for students to secure a residency spot here, at home. They build relationships with educators and residents, their future colleagues. The transition from medical school to residency education is much easier to negotiate.” he explained. “We feel it’s a win-win.  We recruit students to further their education and they help serve our citizens and our state.”

While the program is forward thinking, Norman Ferrari, M.D., chief academic officer for medical education, assured the students still meet the same graduation requirements and obtain the same knowledge, skills and attributes as traditional pathway students.

“Admission into the program is competitive, and selected track students must acquire and demonstrate proficiency of all of the WVU School of Medicine Outcomes for the Competent and Reflective Physician – they don’t miss out on any core academics,” he said. “We want to ultimately give career options for students who want to train at one of our three clinical campuses and serve the people of their communities.”

For more information about the MATTER program, visit the program’s website.