5 Game Day Highlights in 2023

According to a press release dated March 17, 2023 was the largest year in the entire 70-year history of the National Resident Matching Program with 42,952 applications.

Candidate match rates have increased in almost all categories, but there has also been some decline in the number of match days – in particular, the number of elderly people from Maryland USA registered for the match has decreased.

Here are five additional key takeaways from other Match Day statistics:

1. This year, the number of certified vacancies has increased by 3 percent – by another 1,170 people. This totaled 40,375 certified positions, the most in Match Day history.
2. Amid a shortage of primary care physicians across the country, the number of primary care positions increased by 571 compared to 2022 this year. This year, primary health care positions were filled at 94.2 per cent.
3. Specialties that have filled all available positions for 2023 include orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery, radiodiagnostic and thoracic surgery.

4. The specialties with the largest increase in positions filled by senior U.S. M.D.s registered for the match were Anesthesiology, Pediatric Neurology, Interventional Radiology, Neurology, Pathology, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Plastic Surgery, Psychiatry, X-ray Diagnostics, Transition Year, and Vascular Surgery.
5. 2685 vacancies remained unfilled, which is 18.7% more than in 2022. The NRMP stated that this may be “driven in part by a decrease in the number of senior M.D.s and the US Department of Defense applying for a specialty, which may reflect a change in applicant. interests or projections of post-residency employment opportunities.”