AAMC Reporter: April 2007

A Quiet Match Day? It Depends on Whom You Ask

Baylor College of Medicine graduate Sumiko Armstead (center) matched into the internal medicine residency program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

The emotions of Match Day were out in full force again this year, as newly minted doctors waited anxiously on March 15 to discover where they would spend the next three to five years of their lives as resident physicians. Statistically speaking, the 2007 Match—the largest ever—produced no major turmoil, with percentages from previous years more or less remaining constant.

"We have more positions than ever, and more matches than ever" said Mona Signer, executive director of the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), which administers the Match. "But there were not a lot of changes in the data from last year to this year."

More than 93 percent of the 15,206 U.S. medical school seniors matched with a first-year residency program, about the same percentage as in 2006. Signer partly attributed the record-high numbers of applicants and positions to the fact that all neurology resident slots were matched through NRMP this year for the first time, which accounted for 539 new positions. Altogether, 24,685 residency positions were available on Match Day 2007.

Another reason for the overall increase in this year's Match was the rise in international medical school graduates (IMGs), which climbed by 550 to 6,992 to continue an upward trend in this area. Signer speculated that IMG residency applications are rebounding after a decline following the 1998 Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates requirement that IMGs pass a clinical skills assessment.

Specialties that have fared well in recent Match Days continued to enjoy popularity. Dermatology, plastic surgery, emergency medicine, general surgery, orthopedic surgery, and diagnostic radiology all filled in excess of 99 percent of their slots. Obstetrics-gynecology also filled more than 99 percent of its slots, compared with only 91 percent one year ago. Anesthesiology remained at 97.6 percent, potentially indicating a "stabilization" of popularity in that field, Signer said. Following the closing of some family medicine residency programs, that specialty offered 108 fewer slots this year than last.

Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University students Sarah Spraitzar (left) and Rohini Kumar after learning they matched to programs at Walter Reed Medical Center and Temple University Hospital, respectively

But while the numbers held steady, few potential residents can say the same for themselves. For thousands, March 15 was a day of jittery nerves, elation, and even heartbreak.

"For me, Match Day was not entirely positive," said Robert Stenger, M.D., who is in his first year of family practice residency. "Not because I didn't get my first choice, but because the fact is, there are people around you who are not happy with their choices. It can be painful and anxiety-provoking. You feel a tremendous loss of control. But in the end, it tends to work out OK."

Six months into his residency and a year after his own Match Day experience, Stenger said he felt a greater appreciation for the advice he received as he began to research different programs.

"All the clichés about finding the right fit make a lot more sense now," he said. "I feel like the soul-searching I did for what I wanted to do, and taking a hard look at all the programs, really paid off. Where I am is a good fit in terms of how I want to train."

Stenger suggested all students should try to find a good match in terms of social and work environment, and not just a position's instructional content or location. "Make sure you're not just looking at what the program looks like on paper but what the real experience is like, which is not always easy to figure out."

"Hopefully, you have finally encountered that 'gut feeling' everyone told you about," added Kathleen Morrell, M.D., who is also in her first year of residency. "You like one program more than others, but you can't quite put into words for other people exactly why. Go with your gut.Make a decision and stick with it. Order them by which ones you liked, not by which ones liked you." Morrell also advised students to keep things in perspective.

"The worst-case scenario is you get the bottom one on your list—would that be so bad? Just try not to worry, have fun, and enjoy the last few months of a flexible schedule."

—By Scott Harris

For more information on Match Day, please see the AAMC press release: Record Number of U.S. Medical School Seniors Apply to Residency Programs.

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