After looking at that match list, I'd agree that UNC students can probably match in whatever they want, but I'm not sure I'd agree that they can all match wherever they want...
Diosa's right on target here, but I'd take it a bit farther and say that not all can match into whatever they want either. I don't disagree that there are some GREAT matches on the UNC match lists linked above, but it's enormously different from the Duke list, both in the percentage of subspecialty applicants and in the quality of the matches themselves. Sure there are some top programs there, but not nearly as many as the Duke list, and this makes a big difference later on when you're trying to find a job or join a practice. I was particularly surprised by the general surgery matches in 2008...there are some pretty obscure programs there, and I bet many of those applicants went rather far down their match lists, as gen surg has gotten extremely competitive in the last few years. Also, there are only 3 matches in radiology, and all staying at UNC...that's a red flag to me. Duke typically matches 6-12 into radiology, most at top tier programs such that you can land a job anywhere you want coming out of residency. The same goes for orthopedics. UNC matched 3, and two are staying there. Duke typically matches 4-8 or so, at top programs, despite how competitive of a field it is. There's also only one derm match in 2008 as well, and the person is staying at UNC. Duke typically matches several in derm, again at top programs.
Looking at the UNC match list, it's clear that there are many more applicants matching into medicine, med-peds, and family practice compared to Duke, with far fewer in radiology, derm, ENT, ophtho, plastics, and urology. There may be some self-selection here, as students interested in these fields may be less likely to choose a more primary-care directed institution, but it also makes you wonder if it's more difficult to match into those specialties coming from UNC as well, or if you don't get enough exposure to them to know if they're the right choice for you. And the "orthopedic surgery/research" match on the 2008 UNC list suggests to me that at least one person didn't match in ortho, and will be re-applying next year, or was offered a spot outside the match to begin the following year. This is not to say that people don't fail to match from Duke into ortho too...it's certainly happened before...but with a field so competitive from the start, why handicap yourself?
I'm not saying you can't match in a competitive subspecialty if you go to UNC, but you're certainly stacking the deck somewhat against you, such that you may have a difficult time matching into one of the aforementioned competitive fields if you're not one of the top students there. It's difficult for an applicant to glean these subtle differences when looking at a match list, but having been through the process now, I assure you they're VERY different. So again, if you're considering not doing primary care or internal medicine, you should strongly consider taking on a bit more debt to go to Duke. This is not to say that UNC isn't a phenomenal place, but there's enough of a difference between these two institutions that you really need to think about your future plans before deciding, because it will likely impact your match significantly if you apply into a competitive subspecialty.
