Do Trinity Graduates Typically Match in the Same State as Their Clinical Rotations?

Key Takeaways:

• Your clinical rotation location can influence your residency path, but it does not determine where you can apply or ultimately match.
• Trinity graduates participate in the NRMP Match alongside other eligible international medical graduates and can pursue residency programs across the U.S.
• Clinical rotations can help you build relationships with physicians and residents who may support your residency application through recommendations, interviews, or professional connections.
• Trinity graduates matched across 29 U.S. states in 2025 and 28 states in 2026, demonstrating opportunities well beyond the school’s clinical rotation regions.
• If you have a preferred residency location, researching programs early and building your application strategy around that goal can help you pursue opportunities in that region.

When you are comparing Caribbean medical schools, there is a lot to keep straight about what happens after the classroom portion of your education. Clinical rotations and residency can be easy to conflate because both involve training in hospitals and other healthcare settings; however, these represent very different aspects of your training as a physician. Clinical rotations take place while you are still in medical school, while residency is the postgraduate training you begin after earning your MD.

Clinical rotation placement can sometimes influence where Caribbean medical school graduates match for residency. Rotations may give you opportunities to build relationships with physicians, gain exposure to residency programs, and strengthen your application. However, the two locations are not directly tied together.

As a Trinity School of Medicine student, you can apply to programs in any region within the U.S. where you would like to continue your training. You should not assume that attending a medical school with clinical rotations in one part of the country will limit you to residency programs in that same area.

How the Residency Match Works

Most residency positions in the U.S. are filled through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). During the Match process, you apply to residency programs, complete interviews, and then submit a ranked list of the programs where you would most like to train. Residency programs also rank the applicants they interviewed, and the NRMP uses an algorithm to match applicants and programs based on those preferences.

Where you complete your clinical rotations may influence where you decide to apply, but it does not determine where you can apply. You can pursue residency programs in different parts of the country based on your goals and preferences.

Is the NRMP Match Different for Caribbean Medical Graduates and Other IMGs?

Eligible international medical graduates, including graduates of Caribbean medical schools like Trinity, participate in the NRMP Match alongside other eligible residency applicants. The ranking and matching process works the same way, although individual residency programs may have their own eligibility requirements for IMG applicants. This makes it important to research programs carefully as you decide where to apply. 

Do Clinical Rotations Influence Where You Match?

Clinical rotations can influence where you ultimately match for residency, but they do not determine it. Trinity students can—and do—apply and match outside the states where they completed their rotations. You may want to return closer to family, move back to an area where you previously lived, pursue a particular specialty, or target residency programs that better align with your long-term career or fellowship goals.

At the same time, it is common for students to consider residency programs in the hospital systems or geographic areas where they have already trained. Clinical rotations give you firsthand experience with physicians, residents, healthcare systems, and sometimes residency programs themselves. That familiarity can shape both where you want to apply and the professional relationships you bring into the residency application process.

Clinical Rotations Give You Time to Build Professional Relationships

One of the most important connections between clinical rotations and residency is the opportunity to develop relationships with physicians and residents who have worked with you directly. Over the course of a rotation, they can see how you interact with patients and colleagues, respond to feedback, apply your medical knowledge, and grow in a clinical environment.

Those relationships can become valuable when you begin applying for residency. Trinity students have benefited from connections developed during their rotations, including:

• Interviews at programs where they previously rotated: Some Trinity students have received interview opportunities from rotation sites, and students have also matched at programs where they previously rotated. 
• Letters of recommendation from physicians who know their work: A physician who has supervised you clinically may be able to speak specifically about your abilities, professionalism, and preparation for residency.
• Advocacy beyond the original rotation site: Residents and faculty members may have professional relationships with physicians at other institutions and, in some cases, have contacted colleagues or provided recommendations to support Trinity students applying elsewhere.

Trinity’s clinical rotation model can provide additional continuity for building these relationships. Rather than relocating from one part of the country to another for each core rotation, you can complete most of your core rotations within one primary clinical region. This gives you more time to become familiar with the local healthcare community and develop professional relationships over an extended period.

That does not mean completing rotations in a particular area guarantees interviews or a residency position there. It does mean that your clinical training can give you opportunities to establish connections that may become useful as you prepare for the Match.

Rotations Can Also Help You Decide What You Want From Residency

Spending time in a healthcare system can also give you a clearer sense of what residency training may look like and what you want from a future program. As you work alongside residents and attending physicians, you can gain firsthand insight into:

• The pace and expectations of residency training, including how residents manage patient care, responsibilities, and long hours.
• The culture of a hospital or residency program, including how residents, attending physicians, and other members of the care team work together.
• The patient populations and clinical settings you prefer, which can help you identify the types of programs that may be the best fit for your interests.
• Opportunities for future specialization or fellowship training, which may influence the residency programs you choose to pursue.

Even if you ultimately apply or match elsewhere, these experiences can help you evaluate residency programs more thoughtfully and make more informed decisions about where you apply and how you rank your options.

What Trinity's Match Results Reveal 

Trinity’s recent Match results clearly show that Caribbean medical school graduates can pursue residency opportunities well beyond the areas where their school offers core clinical rotations. At the same time, graduates continue to match in states such as Georgia, Maryland, Virginia, Texas, and California, which overlap with Trinity’s clinical training regions.

2025 Match Results

In 2025, Trinity graduates matched into residency programs across 29 U.S. states, along with placements in Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and Canada. The results included numerous programs in Georgia, as well as placements in Maryland, Virginia, Texas, and California.

But the geographic reach extended much farther. Trinity graduates also matched in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Oregon, Washington, North Dakota, and other states across the country. Florida was also particularly well represented, despite not being one of Trinity’s core clinical rotation regions.

2026 Match Results

The 2026 Match showed similarly broad geographic distribution, with Trinity graduates matching across 28 U.S. states as well as into residency programs in Canada. Placements again included states with Trinity clinical hubs, including Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, Texas, and California.

Graduates also matched throughout other parts of the country, with placements in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nevada, Arizona, Washington, and several other states. The 2026 results reflected a 98% Match rate.

Taken together, the 2025 and 2026 results show that residency placement for Caribbean medical school graduates is not necessarily tied to where they complete their clinical rotations. Some graduates do choose to continue their training in states where Trinity has a clinical presence, while many others move elsewhere for residency. 

If You Have a Geographic Preference for Residency, Here Is What to Consider

If you already know that you would like to complete residency near family, return to a city where you previously lived, or build your career in a particular region, you can take that preference into account as you prepare for the Match.

Research Programs in Your Preferred Region

It is worth learning about the residency programs available in the area where you hope to train. Not every program approaches international medical graduates in the same way, so reviewing individual program requirements can help you identify realistic opportunities.

As you research programs in your preferred region, consider:

• Whether the program accepts applications from international medical graduates
• Whether current or previous residents include IMGs
• Any program-specific eligibility or application requirements
• Whether the program aligns with your specialty interests and long-term career goals

If you have opportunities to gain additional clinical experience or build professional connections in your preferred region, those experiences may also help you become more familiar with the local medical community before you apply.

Build Your Residency Strategy Around Where You Want to Practice

Residency programs consider many aspects of your application, and your clinical rotation location is only one part of the larger picture. As you prepare to apply, factors that can influence your opportunities include:

• Your performance in medical school and during clinical rotations
• Your USMLE performance
• Strong letters of recommendation from physicians who know your work
• The residency programs you choose to apply to
• The clinical experiences and professional relationships you develop
• How thoughtfully you build your application strategy around your preferred region

If you know that location is especially important to you, keeping that goal in mind early can help you make more intentional decisions about the programs and opportunities you pursue.

Use Residency Advising to Plan Ahead

You do not have to develop your residency strategy on your own. As you move closer to the application process, Trinity’s advising resources can help you think through where to apply, which programs align with your goals, and how your geographic preferences fit into your broader Match strategy.

If being in a particular state or region matters to you, bringing that goal into the conversation early can help you approach residency planning more intentionally. Your core rotation location may influence your experiences and professional relationships, but it does not define where you can pursue residency.

An MD From Trinity Opens Doors Across the U.S.

Where you complete your clinical rotations can shape your experiences, relationships, and even some of the opportunities you encounter during the Match. But it is only one part of a much larger process. Trinity’s recent Match results show graduates continuing their training across a wide range of states and regions, including many outside Trinity’s core clinical rotation regions. 

Reach out to an admissions counselor today to learn more about Trinity’s clinical training model, recent Match outcomes, and the paths graduates have taken into residency.