AMA Series

Preparing for Match Day & beyond

Figure looking at a winding road

AMA Road to Residency Guide
Figure stands near a sign with multiple directions, question mark above head

Picking a residency
FREIDA logo

FREIDA™, the AMA Residency & Fellowship Database®
Cartoon image of a smartphone with an email notification on it.

AMA medical student membership, discounts & benefits
Clear Search
Pair of socks
·
5 Min Read

10 keys to help 4th-year medical students thrive in residency

Always have a fresh pair of socks handy, and nine other hard-won bits of advice from the AMA’s top physician expert on graduate medical education.

series
Prep for Residency
The Road to Residency
2026 Match: Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine reception
·
5 Min Read

Largest Match Day on record: Dive into the 2026 numbers

More than 53,000 residency applicants participated in the Match this year. Data from the NRMP reveals more about specialty trends, fill rates and more.

series
Prep for Residency
The Road to Residency
UPDATED
·
3 Min Read

AMA guide to Match Day and Match Week

After months of research, applications, interviews and ranking, here's what to expect as applicants are matched into residency programs. 

series
Prep for Residency
The Road to Residency
Stethoscope with a target
·
4 Min Read

The 5 skills residency program directors expect on day one

Start physician residency strong by grasping what is expected of you from the very first day of your graduate medical education training. 

series
Prep for Residency
The Road to Residency
Rating satisfaction chart
·
6 Min Read

Do you have to match at your first choice to be happy?

Learn what research shows about the connection between residents’ satisfaction and how highly they ranked the residency programs where they matched. 

series
Prep for Residency
The Road to Residency
Figure stands in front of diverging paths
·
6 Min Read

What to know about SOAP's last-minute Match options

The Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program can be a vehicle through which unmatched medical students find a home for residency. Here’s how. 

series
Prep for Residency
The Road to Residency
Figure looking at a winding road
·
2 Min Read

The AMA Road to Residency Guide

The Match process can be filled with twists and turns. Find resources to successfully navigate the process of selecting and applying to residency programs. 

series
Prep for Residency
The Road to Residency
Signpost with three blank signs on sky backgrounds
·
13 Min Read

Match Week FAQ: How to move forward when you don’t match

Residency applicants who fail to find a home on Match Day are filled with questions. The AMA gathered experts to offer practical answers.

series
Prep for Residency
The Road to Residency
Cartoon of undecided man
·
3 Min Read

Match: Which specialties place most residents through SOAP

Nearly 830 programs took part in the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP) last year. Take a deeper dive into the numbers. 

series
Prep for Residency
The Road to Residency