Hi all-

I've seen some posts stating the # applicants for a given specialty has increased/decreased this year. Just wondering where you can find this information- is it on a website out there? Also, anyone know about the # of applicants + # positions available this year for fields like pathology, anesthesiology, ENT, ortho?

Thanks.

I don't think that it is actually posted anywhere. I know the program directors have access to the information. At one of my interviews, the PD actually whipped out the list and showed a bunch of us. I'm going into OB, so I didn't really look at anything else. For OB, though, there are more spots than there are US applicants. Total applications are down this year compared to last year. If you factor in FMGs, there was something like 600 more applicants than positions.

On FREIDA, they would have the numbers applying from the last year; however, this year, they've been removed. I wrote to the AMA, and, incredibly, got a real letter - not one of those abusive NRMP form letters. This person said that the numbers of applicants were reported by the programs, so that, in some cases, were inflated to look more competitive. So, I don't have any accurate numbers.

Last year, the only source I had was from a member of the RRC.