A Milestone Match Day for RFU Students in Medicine, Podiatric Medicine and Clinical Psychology

Rosalind Franklin University marked Match Day 2026 on March 20 with strong residency and internship placements across its health professions programs, as students from Chicago Medical School (CMS) and Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine (SCPM), and the Clinical Psychology PhD program took the next step in their professional journeys.

For these soon-to-be graduates, the annual, nationwide match is both a milestone and a turning point — revealing where they will train, serve patients and continue their professional growth and transformation. Across all three programs, the results reflect both individual achievement and RFU’s continued strength in preparing future clinicians.

Proud Moment for CMS

The CMS Class of 2026 achieved a match rate of 96%.

Dean Archana Chatterjee, MD, PhD, expressed gratification for the school’s continued strong match outcomes.

“Our fourth-year students are close to completing the first step in fulfilling their calling — a lifelong commitment to learning and service to their patients and communities,” she said.

“Starting medical school during the pandemic, they had to adapt to virtual learning and occasional disruptions to their clinical rotations,” Dr. Chatterjee added. “They met and overcame these challenges with grace and aplomb. Their resolute spirit, hard work and focus have brought them to Match Day and will help them adapt to the next phase of their medical education through residency training. We are truly proud of our students and grateful to have been part of their journey to become doctors. We are super excited for our students!”

Behind the match rate are individual stories of persistence, discovery and purpose. Match Day is about where graduating students will train but also why they chose their path.

Finding Meaning in Medicine

Nancy Shrestha, CMS ’26, who matched into a psychiatry residency at one of her top choices, Kaiser Permanente, Fontana, California, didn’t always plan on becoming a physician.

She was 8 years old when her family immigrated from Nepal to the United States. “My parents made many sacrifices to give me opportunities,“ she said. “They always told me, ‘We just want you to be free and to learn what you want to do.’ That opened my eyes to a lot of possibilities.”

It wasn’t until after college, through work and volunteering, that she discovered medicine. “I thought to myself, ‘This is a really rewarding field — I can find meaning in this,’” she said.

At CMS, she initially envisioned a future in orthopedics or emergency medicine. That changed during her third-year psychiatry rotation, where time on inpatient units and in child adolescent psychiatry revealed the depth of connection the field requires.

“You’re meeting people during very vulnerable moments of their lives,” she said. “They’re sharing things they may not even tell family or friends. When someone opens up like that, you have to hold it with care and grace.”

Mrs. Shrestha hopes to build a career that blends inpatient and outpatient care, treating patients across a broad spectrum — from those with severe psychiatric illness to individuals navigating anxiety, depression or everyday stress.

As she prepares for residency, she carries with her a perspective shaped by both gratitude and intention.

“On the path of medicine, whatever stage you’re in, happiness is what you make of it,” she said. ‘You have to find time to appreciate both the hard parts and the good ones.”

Scholl College Extends its Streak of Excellence

Scholl College continued its remarkable run, achieving a ninth consecutive 100% match rate for eligible students.

“We are immensely proud of our students’ success,” said SCPM Dean Stephane Wu, DPM, MSc, FACFAS. “The numbers speak to the caliber of our outstanding students, and are a reflection of our exceptional faculty and staff who are committed to our students’ success. We often receive emails and thank you notes from grateful patients singing our students praises. I hear from residency directors that our students perform at a very high level and are poised to become excellent resident physicians. Our students are among the best of the best and we are definitely Scholl Proud.”

For Scholl College students, Match Day reflects years of rigorous clinical preparation and a clear sense of purpose as they enter podiatric medical and surgical residencies.

Set Up to Succeed

Nicholas Quasarano, SCPM ’26, who matched at Henry Ford Health-Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital in Michigan, approached Match Day with a mix of anticipation and gratitude.

“I’m excited for all my friends who matched — to see their success — because they were a big part of my journey,” he said.

During his time at Scholl College, Mr. Quasarano built a strong foundation of leadership and clinical experience that shaped his path to residency. As president of Future Physicians for Wound Care, he expanded hands-on learning opportunities for students across disciplines. He was also an active member of the Pi Delta Honor Society, focusing on professional growth alongside peers.

Early clinical exposures proved especially impactful.

“Scholl sends students into clinical rotations earlier than many other programs, and that helped me build confidence quickly,” he said. “It really set me up to succeed — not just in rotations, but in interviews as well.”

Looking ahead, Mr. Quasarano hopes to continue developing as a clinician while taking on leadership roles during residency and beyond.

“I’d like to become chief resident and eventually work in an academic hospital where I can teach,” he said. “Long term, I’d love to be a residency director.”

Reflecting on his class, he emphasized both their preparation and potential.

“Everyone is incredibly qualified and ready for this next step,” he said.

Clinical Psychology, PhD

The Clinical Psychology PhD Program completed Phase I of the internship match with an 86% match rate. Full results will be released on March 25 following the completion of Phase II. The rate exceeds national trends, where 81% of all applicants (83% of clinical psychology PhD applicants) matched in Phase I. The rate is particularly noteworthy, according to Alissa Haedt-Matt, PhD, the program’s director of clinical training, in the context of an increase in the number of applicants and a decrease in the number of positions available, creating a larger gap this year relative to recent matches.

Students matched to top choices and highly competitive sites, such as Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Durham VA Medical Center, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, and University of Rochester - Psychiatry.

”We are so proud of our clinical psychology PhD students,” said College of Health Professions Dean Lisa Dutton, PT ’93, PhD. “Their excellent match results are a testament to their hard work and the excellent teaching, clinical training and research mentoring they receive from our faculty. We are excited to see all that they will accomplish in this next phase of training.“

Matching into Leading Programs Across the Country

CMS students matched into top residencies at university health systems, medical centers and hospitals across the country, including: Tulane University School of Medicine, LA; Boston University Medical Center; ISMSS Mount Sinai Morningside-West, NY; Rush University Medical Center, Chicago; Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, MA; Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education, MN; Cook County Health and Hospital System, Chicago; Cleveland Clinic Foundation Medical Center, OH; Rutgers New Jersey Medical Center; University of Chicago Medical Center; Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee; Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, NH; University of Alabama Hospital-Birmingham; Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, MD; Brown University Rhode Island Hospital; UC Davis and UC Irvine medical centers; and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, CA.

Scholl College students will complete medical and surgical training at programs, including Inova Fairfax Medical Campus, VA; Yale-New Haven Hospital, CT; Intermountain Medical Center, Murray, UT; Advocate Christ Medical Center, Oak Lawn, IL; HCA Florida Northwest Hospital, Margate, FL; Sanford Medical Center-Fargo, ND; Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Salem, NC; Henry Ford Warren Hospital, MI; MedStar Health Georgetown University, Washington DC; and Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, North Chicago, IL.