Residency bottleneck

[deleted634258]

Dear forum members,

I'm sorry if this question has already been asked and answered, but I have read that there are constantly less students getting residency spots now and that last year was very low at like 93% or something for MD's. Is it because they also take into account foreign students or are there just too many doctors and not enough residency spots? Is applying to many spots throughout the entire country a viable option or are there just not enough spots?

I have read many pieces all saying different things that kind of contradict each other.

Thanks for your time!

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[Goro]

You read wrong. There are still more residency slots than there are bodies to fill them. Even if ten new med schools opened right now with ~150 students each, there still would be more seats than bodies.

How things will shake out in tend years remains to be seen. All those Baby Boom docs will be retiring, and some one has to replace them!

Dear forum members,

I'm sorry if this question has already been asked and answered, but I have read that there are constantly less students getting residency spots now and that last year was very low at like 93% or something for MD's. Is it because they also take into account foreign students or are there just too many doctors and not enough residency spots? Is applying to many spots throughout the entire country a viable option or are there just not enough spots?

I have read many pieces all saying different things that kind of contradict each other.

Thanks for your time!

 

[hallowmann]

Dear forum members,

I'm sorry if this question has already been asked and answered, but I have read that there are constantly less students getting residency spots now and that last year was very low at like 93% or something for MD's. Is it because they also take into account foreign students or are there just too many doctors and not enough residency spots? Is applying to many spots throughout the entire country a viable option or are there just not enough spots?

I have read many pieces all saying different things that kind of contradict each other.

Thanks for your time!

What you're describing is match rate, not placement rate. Match rate is the percentage of applicants that match in the NRMP main residency match (or other matching service). If someone doesn't match, it doesn't necessarily mean that there aren't positions for them, it just means that the applicants and programs that didn't match didn't get together in the process. Placement rate refers to the percentage that actually place into a residency position. That number is ~100% for both US MDs and DOs. If we're talking all applicants, there are thousands of IMGs that apply but don't place into a program every year.

Currently and in the near future (at least through 2024), assuming things remain at the pace they're going, there will still be more residency positions than US MD and DO applicants to fill them, however the surplus will likely reduce. Its unclear what will happen beyond that as there's too many things that can change between now and then.