New specialty data from the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) reveals that the 2014 appointment year was the largest in the history of the Specialty Matching Service (SMS), which matches advanced residency and fellowship positions.
More than 9,000 applicants participated in at least one of the fellowship Matches, with nearly 78 percent obtaining a position. More than 3,500 programs within 55 specialties offered about 8,200 positions; of these positions, nearly 88 percent were filled.
Seven new specialties were added for the 2014 appointment year: child abuse, geriatric medicine, medical toxicology, minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, pain medicine, psychosomatic medicine and surgical oncology.
The number of U.S. allopathic medical school graduates participating in the SMS fellowship Match increased by about 11 percent from 2013. At the same time, the number of non-U.S. citizen graduates of international medical schools applying for positions declined for the second year in a row.
Specialty matches occur throughout the year, and fellowship positions generally begin in July. The main residency Match is taking place this week, and medical students will find out where they’ve matched on Friday. AMA Wire™ will provide more coverage of the Match in the coming days.
