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Students from Midwestern University’s Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM) learned where they would begin the next phase of their medical careers on March 20, 2026. Later that day, they gathered at The Dalcy in Chicago with classmates, family, and friends to celebrate the moment together.

As part of the (NRMP®), students received their residency placements at hospitals, clinics, and healthcare systems across the country. Earlier in the week, students learned they had successfully matched; on Friday, they discovered where they would train.

It was another standout year for CCOM, with 97 percent of students matching into one of their preferred residency programs. The NRMP® uses a computerized system to align students and residency programs based on mutual rankings. This process, known as the Match, determines where medical students will train and in which specialties for the next several years.

Nationwide, 7,928 osteopathic medical students and 318 graduates secured residency placements, continuing a steady upward trend. The overall rate increased by 0.6 percentage points from 2025 and has risen two percentage points over the past five years.

CCOM Matches by the Numbers

• Total matched students: 196 (97% placement)
• Illinois matches: 96
• Students remaining in Illinois: 49%
• Top specialties: Internal Medicine (59), Family Medicine (29), Emergency Medicine (18)
• Military matches: 6
• Top health systems: Advocate Health Care (31), Franciscan Health (10), University of Illinois System (8), University of Chicago/NorthShore (8), Medical College of Wisconsin (8)
• Top states (30 total): Illinois (96), Michigan (20), Wisconsin (15), California (8), Florida (8), Ohio (8)

Students Reflect on the Match and CCOM Education

We spoke with two students about their Match experiences and how CCOM prepared them for the next step in their training.

Name: Dani Sychowski
Hometown: Lindenhurst, IL
Match: Emergency Medicine, Resurrection Medical Center, Chicago

Describe your reaction when you found out you matched:
After finding out on Monday that I matched and would be an emergency medicine doctor, it felt like a weight was lifted off me. At the same time, I was nervous about what Friday would bring. I am getting married in early May and was worried about the possibility of moving across the country from my partner immediately after our wedding. I was truly speechless for a few moments after seeing the email on Friday. Resurrection was my #1. All the emotions hit me at once, from gratitude to excitement to the realization that all the hard work has paid off.

How did your education at Midwestern University prepare you for this opportunity?
It's funny, I actually gave a similar answer in a previous spotlight post, but I owe so much to the breadth and depth of opportunities that were available to me at MWU/CCOM. Not only was I able to be very involved on campus, but there were also incredible clinical preceptors and rotation sites in the Chicagoland area that allowed me to see a wide variety of patients and pathology. I am really grateful for that, especially going into emergency medicine.

What do you look forward to in this upcoming experience?
I'm so excited to train at the program that felt like home during my audition rotations. Several of my CCOM classmates will be part of my residency class, as well as in other programs at the hospital, so it will be great to have familiar faces while also getting to meet and bond with the rest of my co-residents. As of now, I hope to practice at a community emergency medicine site in the future, so it is even more meaningful to train at Resurrection since I have lived in the area for the last two years.

Name: McKimmon Engelhardt
Hometown: Sugar Grove, IL
Match: Advocate Health Care, General Surgery

Describe your reaction when you found out you matched:
I was beyond thankful. I couples matched with my partner, Lisa Lemajeur (CCOM ’26), who applied in OB-GYN. Both being from Chicago and matching into our number one choices as DOs in competitive specialties, thankful was all there was to feel in the moment. We ranked 300 combinations and ended up at number one.

How did your education at Midwestern University prepare you for this opportunity?
Midwestern allowed me to rotate with some of the best surgeons in Chicago, who fanned the flame of my interest starting in my first year of medical school. We trained at a wide variety of community and academic hospitals, with high-volume Chicago trauma and every subspecialty in between. I was ready for each rotation and ready to adapt to new workflows and expectations.

What do you look forward to in this upcoming experience?
Chicago offers unique patient populations and a high volume of severe and challenging cases. I am excited to be surrounded by a motivated and talented group of residents as I grow into the surgeon I want to be.