SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University Celebrates Match Day 2025: Reinforcing Commitment to Underserved Communities
Mar 21, 2025
Brooklyn, NY – SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University (Downstate) proudly celebrated Match Day 2025, where 170 of our graduating medical students discovered their residency placements, marking the transition from medical school to residency training. This year’s Match Day underscores Downstate’s enduring commitment to serving underserved communities throughout New York State.
Approximately 79 percent of our graduating class will remain in New York State for their residency training, with over half choosing to serve in New York City. Notably, 33 graduates will continue their training at Downstate, highlighting its continued dedication to caring for underserved communities, especially throughout New York State.
“Downstate has a longstanding tradition of preparing physicians dedicated to addressing healthcare disparities,” said Downstate president Wayne J. Riley, M.D., MPH, MBA, MACP. “Our students’ choices reflect a deep and personal dedication to serving medically underserved areas, aligning directly with our institution’s core values of ensuring vulnerable populations receive the care they need.”
“Our graduates are exceptionally prepared to embark on their medical careers and to meet the challenges of today’s healthcare landscape,” said College of Medicine dean F. Charles Brunicardi, M.D., FACS. “Their dedication to underserved communities exemplifies Downstate’s commitment to addressing the diverse healthcare needs of urban populations.”
The Class of 2025 will pursue residencies across 24 specialties, with top choices in Internal Medicine: 19 percent; Psychiatry: 13 percent; Anesthesiology: 12 percent; Emergency Medicine: 7 percent; General Surgery: 6 percent; Neurology: 5 percent; Ophthalmology: 4 percent; Dermatology: 4 percent; Diagnostic Radiology: 4 percent, and Family Medicine: 4 percent.
Downstate graduates will join esteemed institutions that share our commitment to community health, including Northwell Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Montefiore Health System, New York Presbyterian Hospital – Columbia/Cornell, Maimonides Medical Center, and Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, ensuring that underserved populations receive essential healthcare services while allowing Downstate graduates to train in diverse, high-impact clinical settings.
This year’s match outcomes align closely with trends across the Northeast region, as reported in the Regional Breakdown of Positions Filled 2025. With Internal Medicine and Family Medicine representing 19 percent and 4 percent of Downstate matches, respectively, students have taken advantage of the region’s continued demand for primary care, which saw over 3,200 PGY-1 positions offered across both specialties. Strong interest in Psychiatry (13 percent) and Pediatrics (also in high demand across the Northeast) highlights students’ commitment to holistic, long-term patient care.
The increase in available Emergency Medicine positions—38 unfilled in the region—likely benefited the 7 percent of Downstate graduates entering the field. Meanwhile, the small number of unfilled positions in highly competitive specialties like Surgery (6 percent of Downstate matches), OB/GYN, and Radiology underscore the caliber of students who successfully matched into these fields. These trends further affirm Downstate’s rigorous academic and clinical preparation, especially in urban and community-based healthcare.
As they transition into residencies, graduates will apply their training, advancing Downstate’s mission of improving health outcomes in vulnerable communities. Their dedication to service, reinforced by Downstate’s emphasis on public health and clinical excellence, will continue to drive lasting change in the communities that need it most.
For more information on Match Day 2025, please visit our Match Day page.
About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system. The only SUNY AMC in New York City, Downstate is dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.
UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.
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