DO’s in Surgical Specialties 2025

[DOVinciRobot]

It’s that annual day where hopes and dreams are either fulfilled or crushed. The biggest key to matching your desired specialty is knowing how to play the application game, and nothing prepares you better than cold, hard data. Surgical specialties are heavily inquired about on SDN/Reddit by future DO’s and some of the answers can be overly pessimistic or quite overly rosy, depending on the thread. I thought an updated post focusing on nothing but the hard data regarding matching surgical specialties as a DO will be helpful to future surgical hopefuls. Without further ado:

DO Seniors data:

General Surgery: 261/445 58.7%
i6 CT: 2/9 22.2%
i5 Vasc: 2/9 22.2%
Ortho: 131/295 44.4%
ENT: 24/38 63%
i6 Plastics: 2/14 14.2%
Neuro: 5/22 22.7%

Source: https://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Advance_Data_Tables_2025.pdf

Page 8

My interpretation, these numbers are brutal. The growth in DO applicants from school proliferation has made it more difficult to match surgical specialties in the last number of years. Match rates continue to drop, while the number of applicants to each specialty continues to rapidly rise. Even general surgery, which is not considered to be as competitive as the subs, is now squarely in the very competitive realm, with the same match rate that ortho had in 2021.

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[Dr. Pineal Gland]

It’s that annual day where hopes and dreams are either fulfilled or fulfilled. The biggest key to matching your desired specialty is knowing how to play the application game, and nothing prepares you better than cold, hard data. Surgical specialties are heavily inquired about on SDN/Reddit by future DO’s and some of the answers can be overly pessimistic or quite overly rosy, depending on the thread. I thought an updated post focusing on nothing but the hard data regarding matching surgical specialties as a DO will be helpful to future surgical hopefuls. Without further ado:

DO Seniors data:

General Surgery: 261/445 58.7%
i6 CT: 2/9 22.2%
i5 Vasc: 2/9 22.2%
Ortho: 131/295 44.4%
ENT: 24/38 63%
i6 Plastics: 2/14 14.2%
Neuro: 5/22 22.7%

Source: https://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Advance_Data_Tables_2025.pdf

Page 8

My interpretation, these numbers are brutal. The growth in DO applicants from school proliferation has made it more difficult to match surgical specialties in the last number of years. Match rates continue to drop, while the number of applicants to each specialty continues to rapidly rise. Even general surgery, which is not considered to be as competitive as the subs, is now squarely in the very competitive realm, with the same match rate that ortho had in 2021.

how fast did they release this? holy **** lol

 

[tansky]

It’s that annual day where hopes and dreams are either fulfilled or crushed. The biggest key to matching your desired specialty is knowing how to play the application game, and nothing prepares you better than cold, hard data. Surgical specialties are heavily inquired about on SDN/Reddit by future DO’s and some of the answers can be overly pessimistic or quite overly rosy, depending on the thread. I thought an updated post focusing on nothing but the hard data regarding matching surgical specialties as a DO will be helpful to future surgical hopefuls. Without further ado:

DO Seniors data:

General Surgery: 261/445 58.7%
i6 CT: 2/9 22.2%
i5 Vasc: 2/9 22.2%
Ortho: 131/295 44.4%
ENT: 24/38 63%
i6 Plastics: 2/14 14.2%
Neuro: 5/22 22.7%

Source: https://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Advance_Data_Tables_2025.pdf

Page 8

My interpretation, these numbers are brutal. The growth in DO applicants from school proliferation has made it more difficult to match surgical specialties in the last number of years. Match rates continue to drop, while the number of applicants to each specialty continues to rapidly rise. Even general surgery, which is not considered to be as competitive as the subs, is now squarely in the very competitive realm, with the same match rate that ortho had in 2021.

Id like to see the board scores and research output on matched vs unmatched for the subs. Gen surg and ortho are going down but how many of those unmatched had no business applying. Still brutal and I feel for them.

 

[Doctoscope]

Id like to see the board scores and research output on matched vs unmatched for the subs. Gen surg and ortho are going down but how many of those unmatched had no business applying. Still brutal and I feel for them.

Unfortunately we won't get board scores until next cycle (I don't think they stratify by score buckets unless it's charting outcomes right?).

This data doesn't include first choice though right? From what I understand if someone dual applied gen surg with another surg sub and they matched their first choice, then they'd appear as "unmatched" for this data set. I could be wrong though. The numbers for ortho, NSGY, and the integrated fields are probably first choice, because there's no way you're applying to these specialties as backups.

From the charting outcomes in 2022 and 2024, it looks like your chances of matching gen surg go up significantly if you break 250 on Step 2 (DO gen surg match seems to be between 60-70% the past 3 charting outcomes; 69% in 2020, 61% 2022, 68% 2024). Do you think this trend will continue to hold the next few cycles?

Thanks for your input.

(It says COMLEX Level 2, but it's step 2 scores. They give that little of a **** for us DOs I guess lol.)

 

[DOVinciRobot]

Id like to see the board scores and research output on matched vs unmatched for the subs. Gen surg and ortho are going down but how many of those unmatched had no business applying. Still brutal and I feel for them.

There are always a few who had no business applying, but the scores/quality of applications of the unmatched continue to increase. This is all available in the DO charting outcomes. Most recent are 2022 and 2024

General Surgery (matched in parentheses)
Level 2 unmatched 2022: 538 (626)
Step 2 unmatched: 234 (246)
Research output unmatched 2022: 3.9 (4.6)

Level 2 unmatched 2024: 527 (588)
Step 2 unmatched 2024: 237 (248)
Research output unmatched 2024: 5.1 (6.9)

Orthopedic surgery:
Level 2 2022: 616 (675)
Step 2 2022: 244 (250)
Research output: 3.3 (4.0)

Level 2 2024: 567 (623)
Step 2 2024: 241 (251)
Research 2024: 7.0 (11.2)

Yes there are people who have no business applying, but assuming the people that aren’t matching all fall into that bin is not born out by the data. The highest the match rate gets for ortho is 76% for people with > 260. For general surgery the match rate increases to 86% >241 Step 2.

The match rates will continue to go down. There were 100 more DO applicants to ortho this year from last year, and ~140 more general surgery applicants.

The rest of the subs have always been pretty self selecting, with match rates perpetually in the abysmal range.

Applicants need to make themselves as competitive as possible, and have a back up plan, no matter how good they are on paper. It’s simply the current reality.

 

[DOVinciRobot]

Unfortunately we won't get board scores until next cycle (I don't think they stratify by score buckets unless it's charting outcomes right?).

This data doesn't include first choice though right? From what I understand if someone dual applied gen surg with another surg sub and they matched their first choice, then they'd appear as "unmatched" for this data set. I could be wrong though. The numbers for ortho, NSGY, and the integrated fields are probably first choice, because there's no way you're applying to these specialties as backups.

From the charting outcomes in 2022 and 2024, it looks like your chances of matching gen surg go up significantly if you break 250 on Step 2 (DO gen surg match seems to be between 60-70% the past 3 charting outcomes; 69% in 2020, 61% 2022, 68% 2024). Do you think this trend will continue to hold the next few cycles?

Thanks for your input.

(It says COMLEX Level 2, but it's step 2 scores. They give that little of a **** for us DOs I guess lol.)

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This data set is for “first choice specialty,” which they determine by which specialty is the first choice on the rank list. So someone who ranks ortho 1, and GS 2, won’t show up in the GS data if they match their ortho program as it wasn’t their first choice specialty

 

[DOVinciRobot]

From the charting outcomes in 2022 and 2024, it looks like your chances of matching gen surg go up significantly if you break 250 on Step 2 (DO gen surg match seems to be between 60-70% the past 3 charting outcomes; 69% in 2020, 61% 2022, 68% 2024). Do you think this trend will continue to hold the next few cycles?

Yes I do think the higher scores will have decent match rates in general surgery if that’s what you’re asking.

I do also believe the trend of decreasing overall surgical match rates will continue to decrease. The rapid proliferation of schools on both sides has greatly inflated the applicant pool.

 

[Doctoscope]

Yes I do think the higher scores will have decent match rates in general surgery if that’s what you’re asking.

I do also believe the trend of decreasing overall surgical match rates will continue to decrease. The rapid proliferation of schools on both sides has greatly inflated the applicant pool.

It just seems like 250 is the "barrier " to break for GS, as the match rate differences in >250 vs. < 250 is quite large. Bc it seems match rates are consistently >80% in the 250-259 bucket (easier said than done).

Hopefully this stays true for the next few cycles as well.

 

[Doctoscope]

There are always a few who had no business applying, but the scores/quality of applications of the unmatched continue to increase. This is all available in the DO charting outcomes. Most recent are 2022 and 2024

General Surgery (matched in parentheses)
Level 2 unmatched 2022: 538 (626)
Step 2 unmatched: 234 (246)
Research output unmatched 2022: 3.9 (4.6)

Level 2 unmatched 2024: 527 (588)
Step 2 unmatched 2024: 237 (248)
Research output unmatched 2024: 5.1 (6.9)

Orthopedic surgery:
Level 2 2022: 616 (675)
Step 2 2022: 244 (250)
Research output: 3.3 (4.0)

Level 2 2024: 567 (623)
Step 2 2024: 241 (251)
Research 2024: 7.0 (11.2)

Yes there are people who have no business applying, but assuming the people that aren’t matching all fall into that bin is not born out by the data. The highest the match rate gets for ortho is 76% for people with > 260. For general surgery the match rate increases to 86% >241 Step 2.

The match rates will continue to go down. There were 100 more DO applicants to ortho this year from last year, and ~140 more general surgery applicants.

The rest of the subs have always been pretty self selecting, with match rates perpetually in the abysmal range.

Applicants need to make themselves as competitive as possible, and have a back up plan, no matter how good they are on paper. It’s simply the current reality.

What kind of research output is necessary for someone who is not gung ho on going to academic GS, and might even actually prefer community programs?

I have a friend (a real friend, not me lol) who has 2 posters in public health research (nothing too fancy, just local/state level conferences), and is having a lot of trouble getting published/getting put on projects. Since boards are coming up, I can't imagine they'll have the time to pump this summer. Do they just need to keep trying to publish as much as they can, and is finding research 3rd year realistic? What's a good place to be at in terms of GS?

You've always had great feedback on DO GS the past few years, so I appreciate your advice/help.

 

[DOVinciRobot]

What kind of research output is necessary for someone who is not gung ho on going to academic GS, and might even actually prefer community programs?

I have a friend (a real friend, not me lol) who has 2 posters in public health research (nothing too fancy, just local/state level conferences), and is having a lot of trouble getting published/getting put on projects. Since boards are coming up, I can't imagine they'll have the time to pump this summer. Do they just need to keep trying to publish as much as they can, and is finding research 3rd year realistic? What's a good place to be at in terms of GS?

You've always had great feedback on DO GS the past few years, so I appreciate your advice/help.

They should keep trying but wouldn’t sweat it too much if they apply broadly. As long as they have something that will be good enough, and the rest of their app is ok. Most of the DOs we interviewed this year were probably the strong applicants from their respective classes and very few of them had any actually real research. Most applicants in general just have some posters and stuff like that.

 

[DarkHorizon]

Jesus, I am glad I got in when I did. There’s no way I’d match now.

 

[DocWinter]

I'm a third year attending obgyn.
These numbers are pretty consistent with the average of about 60% match rate in my field for DOs.
COCA expansion has made a hard thing worse.
DOs will continue to be favored into primary fields, and competition will get stronger for surgical fields.

Good luck to all and congrats to those who matched. I wouldn't want to walk this path again.

 

[eyeeye_captain]

Since the ophtho data is through a different system that’s awful at reporting it (SF Match), here’s the breakdown.

Last year, the published match rate for DO seniors was 32%, but they only counted those who received an interview. If you include those who didn’t (presumably not as good applications), that number drops to 26%.

If you average the last 3 years, it’s 40% and 32%.

They haven’t released the data for this year, but the publicly shared spreadsheet has 20 matches which is basically the same as the prior years (19/22/22). Of the 20, 13 matched previously DO programs. I don’t know how many of those 20 were grads, as the prior years (6/3/4) would make that about 15 seniors matching. I suspect the stats will come out fairly similar to last year, maybe worse.

It doesn’t help that another DO program closed this year, so you’re down to 6 of the 15 from before the merger.

 

[pigsinacloth]

My class just matched yesterday and we got torched in Ortho. You basically had to know you wanted it from day 1 of school, have high scores, be a chill person and still a tough draw. I will say that gen surg sounded more forgiving in terms of research according to my class, but if you really want a good program you need to have the research.

Also sounds like half the battle is that the DO ortho programs let so many people rotate through that if you don't rotate there you wont get an interview for the most part. So it becomes a game of scheduling which makes it harder to break barriers at MD programs since you might not have time to rotate there and you only have so many signals and don't want to potentially miss out on a possible interview.

 

[DarkHorizon]

My class just matched yesterday and we got torched in Ortho. You basically had to know you wanted it from day 1 of school, have high scores, be a chill person and still a tough draw. I will say that gen surg sounded more forgiving in terms of research according to my class, but if you really want a good program you need to have the research.

Also sounds like half the battle is that the DO ortho programs let so many people rotate through that if you don't rotate there you wont get an interview for the most part. So it becomes a game of scheduling which makes it harder to break barriers at MD programs since you might not have time to rotate there and you only have so many signals and don't want to potentially miss out on a possible interview.

Ortho has always been this way. In the past, you didn’t even try to match at MD programs becsuse of having to forego the DO match.

Also, due to programs taking only rotators, many average students applied Ortho (and got accepted). Looks like the step scores have steadily increased for applicants who match.

 

[thehater1234]

Am I ready this correctly, anesthesia went to 64% while diagnostic radiology dropped to 18%, and PM&R dropped to 28%?

 

[DOVinciRobot]

Am I ready this correctly, anesthesia went to 64% while diagnostic radiology dropped to 18%, and PM&R dropped to 28%?

No, for those specialties you have to look at the second year spots on page 9. Because a lot of those programs are advanced positions

PMR: 40%
DR: 62%

 

[thehater1234]

is the anesthesia # correct?

 

[DOVinciRobot]

is the anesthesia # correct?

Anesthesia is likely ~73%. Assuming everyone who applied to advanced positions also applied to the categorical positions, thus making the 480 applicants that applied to categorical anesthesia the denominatorand the numerator being matchees to categorical + matchees to advanced.

 

[PandaBaer]

Yes I do think the higher scores will have decent match rates in general surgery if that’s what you’re asking.

I do also believe the trend of decreasing overall surgical match rates will continue to decrease. The rapid proliferation of schools on both sides has greatly inflated the applicant pool.

I agree, I think qualified applicants will match. Everyone I met on the trail who had the stats and a competitive application did fine.

The reality is, with more med students overall, imo a good thing, the competition will increase and given the average lower competitiveness of DO students, it's not surprising match rates for competitive specialities will keep going down. Until applicants self select, specialty match rate isn't as helpful of a metric. Overall match rate is essentially identical to MD, so those who were wise enough to dual apply found a spot. Applicants need to find better mentors/advisors who will give them a realistic evaluation of their chances.