CNU Medical School graduates earn residency positions above national placement rates

Elk Grove, Calif.-based California Northstate University College of Medicine announced that 87 of its 88 students in its 2020 graduation class have been matched with a residency at hospitals nationwide. CNU's rate of attainment of 98.9-percent is higher than that national average, which this year is 94.6-percent.

Of the recent graduates, over 40-percent matched into specialties, including family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics. Also, graduates were placed with 14 emergency medicine programs, including UC Davis Medical Center, and programs in New York City, Cleveland, Dallas, San Diego, and other cities.

“At a time when the spreading coronavirus pandemic is straining the healthcare system and exacerbating the nation’s doctor shortage, it is gratifying to see so many of our highly qualified graduates choosing careers in emergency medicine and primary care,” Dr. Alvin Cheung, CEO and President of CNU said. “We are proud of them, and all of our new doctors, who now will go to the next level as residents in top programs nationwide.”

Students were also placed in several more competitive specialties, including anesthesiology, dermatology, radiology, otolaryngology, neurology, psychiatry, OB/GYN, pathology, surgery, and orthopedic surgery. Of the graduating class, 62-percent will be doing their residency training in California at institutions including  Stanford, Harbor-UCLA, UC Davis, UCSF Fresno, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, Loma Linda, Scripps Clinic, with the balance at institutions included Yale, Louisiana State University, Creighton University (Omaha), University of Colorado, University of Texas Southwestern, Baylor Scott and White, University of Illinois, and University of Arizona.

Medical students at schools like NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Boston University, and the University of Illinois have been allowed to graduate early to assist with COVID19 cases and other medical needs. Cheung said CNU would not graduate their students ahead of schedule.    

“We have no plans to change our Class of 2020 College of Medicine graduation requirements," Cheung said. "We want students to complete their training so they can be best equipped to contribute and make a difference in going forward with their careers and delivering quality medical care.”

The College of Medicine at CNU is their second graduating class since its founding in 2014. CNU is currently pursuing approvals for the construction of a $900 million teaching hospital that, at its completion, will have 400 beds.