LSU Health is Producing Highly Competitive Physicians while Strengthening Louisiana’s Healthcare Pipeline

Across Louisiana, 336 LSU Health medical students from both New Orleans and Shreveport marked a major milestone on Match Day, learning where they will continue their training as resident physicians. Results from the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) reveal that nearly half of LSU Health graduates will remain in Louisiana.

“We are proud to play a key role in keeping talent in Louisiana as these students begin their residency training,” said Dr. David Guzick, senior vice chancellor at LSU Health New Orleans. 

It is especially important for Louisiana to retain these doctors, due to the state’s growing physician shortage. According to the American Medical Association, the state is projected to have the third-worst physician shortage in the country by 2030, with an estimated deficit of 100 doctors per 100,000 residents. LSU is not only successfully training its medical students, they are actively working to keep these doctors in Louisiana. 

At LSU Health New Orleans, 194 graduating students gathered at the Audubon Tea Room to open their Match Day results. 49% of those students will remain in Louisiana for residency training, of those, 84% will continue their education within LSU Health residency programs. 
Likewise, 142 students from LSU Health Shreveport participated in Match Day, with 43.5% choosing to stay in Louisiana. Of those remaining in-state, 76.7% will train at LSU-affiliated academic medical centers, including 23.2% who will continue their residency training directly at LSU Health Shreveport.

“LSU Health Shreveport is honored to have so many of our students continuing their medical education at our university hospitals, which is vital to meeting the healthcare needs of our citizens,” said Lester. W. Johnson, Interim Dean of LSUHS and Senior Vice Chancellor, LSU Health Shreveport.

Photos from LSU Health Shreveport and LSU Health New Orleans

Beyond retention, LSU Health students demonstrated strong national competitiveness. At LSU Health Shreveport, 97.8% of applicants matched, including those who were selected for research fellowships, with 95.1% of the School of Medicine’s applicants matching into clinical residencies. 

At LSU Health New Orleans, 51% of students matched in residency programs at some of the most prestigious out-of-state programs, including Johns Hopkins, Stanford, Cornell, Dartmouth, Vanderbilt, Emory, UC San Diego, and UC San Francisco. 

LSU Health New Orleans continues to serve as a training pipeline for the state, offering 74 accredited residency and fellowship programs. These programs received more than 15,000 applications this year alone. Of those, 33 programs participated in the NRMP Match. These residency programs, based in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and Bogalusa welcomed 225 new residents.

“Match Day is the pinnacle of medical school for our students,” said Dr. Richard DiCarlo, dean of LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine. “It is a celebration of their hard work, a validation of the education we provide, and a reflection of the opportunities ahead as they enter the next phase of their careers.” 

These new physicians will begin their residency training this summer at hospitals and partner institutions across Louisiana, including LCMC Health's University Medical Center New Orleans and Manning Family Children's, Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport Academic Medical Center, St. Mary Medical Center, Monroe Medical Center, and Rapides Regional Medical Center.

As Match Day marks the transition from medical school to actively practicing, LSU Health’s Class of 2026 now moves forward as the next generation of physicians. With this great achievement comes the opportunity to make an impact both within Louisiana and across the nation.