7,700 Resident Physicians Placed into Fellowship Training Positions through the NRMP’s Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match

The 2023 Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match saw only a small increase in the number of applicants despite an increase in the number of available training positions

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP®) has released results for the 2023 Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match, its largest fellowship Match encompassing 38 subspecialties. The 2023 Match featured an all-time high of 3,482 programs that certified a rank order list, marking a 3.6 percent increase in the number of programs over 2022. These programs collectively offered 9,068 positions, a 3.9 percent increase with 344 more positions than the previous year. Of these positions, 7,723 (85.2 percent) were filled when the matching algorithm was processed. While both the number of programs and positions increased by over three percent, the number of applicants certifying a rank order list for the Match saw a modest rise of only 35 applicants or 0.4 percent.

“We’re excited to see continued growth in the number of programs and positions participating in the Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match,” said Donna L. Lamb, DHSc, MBA, BSN, NRMP President and CEO. “The growth of fellowship programs and positions in the Match reflect training opportunities and the future workforce trends of medical subspecialties. While the increase in applicant numbers did not keep pace with the increase in positions this year, the Match rate for applicants remains strong at 82 percent.”

Highlights for Specialties

Internal Medicine specialties offered 6,001 certified positions, filling 5,304 positions (88.4 percent). Notably, Interventional Pulmonology and Oncology continue to achieve a 100 percent position fill rate. Medicine specialties filling over ninety-five percent of their positions include Cardiovascular Disease, Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology, Critical Care Medicine, Gastroenterology, Hematology and Oncology, Pulmonary/Critical Care, and Rheumatology.

Pediatric specialties offered 1,878 certified positions, filling 1,487 positions (79.2 percent), a decrease of 5.5 percent compared to last year. Pediatric specialties filling over ninety-five percent of their positions include Pediatric Cardiology and Pediatric Hospital Medicine.

Allergy and Immunology, which accepts applicants from either Internal Medicine or Pediatrics, achieved a 99.4 percent position fill rate, an increase of 1.3 percent over the previous Match year.

Highlights for Applicants

In this year’s Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match, 9,422 applicants certified a rank order list, with 7,723 (82.0 percent) successfully matching to a position, a 0.5 percent increase in the applicant match rate from last year. The number and percentage of each of the primary applicant types who matched are as follows:

3,965 (91 percent) graduates of MD medical schools, 73 more than last year.1,076 (79 percent) graduates of DO medical schools, 17 fewer than last year.950 (67 percent) U.S. citizen international medical graduates, 15 more than last year.1,719 (76 percent) non-U.S. citizen international medical graduates, 4 more than last year.

Additionally, 13 Canadian applicants successfully matched. There were 139 couples who participated in the Match, which was an increase of 12 couples from last year’s Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match. Of the 139 couples, 117 couples fully matched meaning both partners matched to a position, 19 couples were partially matched meaning one of the partners matched to a position, and three couples were fully unmatched meaning both partners were unmatched.  

Notable Trends 

Geriatric Medicine. Despite the U.S. having an aging population with complex medical conditions, the position fill rate for Geriatric Medicine declined to 41.5 percent in 2023, down from 43.1 percent in 2022. The position fill rate has ranged between 43.1 – 52 percent since the 2019 Match. This year, the specialty offered 419 certified positions (both Internal Medicine and Family Medicine-based programs) and 174 positions filled. Factors such as the complexity of geriatric patients, limited exposure to the specialty during training, and the reimbursement structure may impact applicant interest in the specialty.

Infectious Disease. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been discussion about a decrease in program fill rates leading to concerns about applicant interest in the subspecialty. Adult Infectious Disease offered 450 certified positions; however, the position fill rate decreased again this year to 67.3 percent, a 7.1 percentage point decrease from last year. Historically, the position fill rate has ranged between 74.4 – 87.7 percent since the 2019 Match. In this year’s Match, 305 applicants preferred the specialty, meaning they listed the specialty first on their rank order list and 303 applicants matched to a position. Pediatric Infectious Disease offered 77 certified positions and filled 48.1 percent (37) of its positions, a 1.3 percentage point decrease from last year. The position fill rate has ranged between 49.4 – 63 percent since the 2019 Match. The length of training, compensation, and public perception of Infectious Disease following the pandemic may have impacted applicant interest in the specialties.

The complete 2023 Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match Results Report, providing additional information and data for each participating specialty is available for review on the NRMP website.

About the Match

The 2023 Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match included sixteen Internal Medicine subspecialties, seventeen Pediatric subspecialties, as well as three multidisciplinary, and two Addiction specialties. This marks the second year that the former “Medical Specialties Matching Program” and “Pediatric Specialties Match” have combined into the “Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match”. Combining these matches allow applicants to rank both medicine and pediatric programs on the same rank order list for combined training and allow applicant partners in different specialties to participate in the Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match as a couple.

About NRMP
The National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP®) is a private, non-profit organization established in 1953 to oversee The Match®. The Match was established at the request of medical students to provide an orderly and fair mechanism for matching the preferences of applicants for U.S. residency positions with the preferences of residency program directors. In addition to the annual Main Residency Match® for more than 47,000 registrants, the NRMP also conducts Fellowship Matches for more than 70 subspecialties through its Specialties Matching Service® (SMS®).

To schedule an interview with NRMP President and CEO Donna L. Lamb, DHSc, contact [email protected].

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SOURCE National Resident Matching Program