Neurology helped to make the 2018 Main Residency Match the largest ever as the specialty offered and filled over 12% more residency slots than in 2017, according to the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).
The third consecutive year with a double-digit increase in PGY-1 positions enabled neurology to bring 552 slots to the Match Day party this year: 50.7% were filled with U.S. graduates and the overall fill rate was 97.6%. For all specialties, U.S. graduates filled 58.7% of the record-high 30,232 available spots, and the overall fill rate was 96.1%, the NRMP said in its 2018 Main Residency Match report.
The total number of child neurology PGY-1 positions offered rose to 134, of which 96.3% were filled (75.4% by U.S. graduates). Another seven of eight PGY-2 child neurology positions were filled. Of 26 PGY-2 physician positions offered for child neurology, 12 were filled.
Resident Match Day 2017: Record number of applicants and matches
The 2018 Match also set new highs for total positions offered (up 4.4% over last year), total (up 4.7%) and PGY-1 positions (up 4.9%) filled, and total applicants (up 1.7%). “The results of the Match are closely watched because they can be predictors of future physician workforce supply. There also is significant interest in the competitiveness of specialties, as measured by the percentage of positions filled overall and the percentage filled by senior students in U.S. allopathic medical schools,” the NRMP said.