The number of U.S. medical school students who will enter family medicine residency positions rose 11% over 2010, the second year of increase of these positions in a row, according to the American Association of Medical Colleges.
In this year's National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), there are 2,708 family medicine residency slots and nearly half of those will be filled with U.S. medical school seniors.
Two other primary care specialties, pediatrics and internal medicine, were more in demand as well. U.S. seniors matched to 1,768 of 2,482 pediatric positions and filled 2,940 of 5,121 internal medicine positions. Those were a 3% and an 8% increase, respectively, over last year's students.
For the first time, the total number of positions in the Match exceeded 26,000. Overall, U.S. seniors’ participation in the Match also increased with 16,559 applicants—489 more than 2010.
The association said that this was the first year the number of successful matches for U.S. seniors exceeded 15,000.
"We were pleased that this year’s Match was able to offer more positions. There will no doubt be wonderful cause for celebration at the nation’s medical schools today and for all participants as they experience this defining moment in their careers as physicians,” said Mona M. Signer, executive director of the NRMP.
Emergency medicine, anesthesiology, and neurology positions filled by U.S. students also increased this year.
The number of U.S. seniors who attended international medical schools also increased, with 50% of the 3,760 registrants matching to positions, and the number of non-U.S. citizen international medical school graduates who registered declined, also for the second year in a row, by 587.
Other trends noted in this year 's match include the following:
• Competition was most intense for dermatology, orthopedic surgery, otolaryngology, plastic surgery, radiation oncology, thoracic and vascular surgery. At least 90% of those positions were filled by U.S. medical school seniors.
• Emergency medicine was a more desirable calling, increasing 7%, the sixth year of increase in interest.
• Anesthesiology offered 44 more positions and matched 45 more U.S. seniors who filled 671 of the 841 positions offered.
• There were more couples who entered the Match this year. These participants link to each other to make sure they match to programs in the same geographic area. The association said that 739 of the 809 applicant couples matched to their respective residency programs. These couples are any two applicants, regardless of their relationship, who identify themselves as partners.
• Other participants in the match include 2,178 students and graduates of D.O. (doctor of osteopathic medicine) schools, an increase of 133 over last year, and 3,769 U.S. citizens and students from international medical schools, 74 more than in 2010.
The number of applicants also increased slightly by 179, to 37,735.