Pediatrics saw modest gains in residency slots and matches in what was the largest Match Day on record, according to the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).
Available pediatric PGY-1 slots rose 1.1% to 2,768 for 2018, and total slots filled were up just 0.7% to 2,711 – those totals ranked third among all specialties in each category. The fill rate for U.S. graduates dropped for the third year in a row to 63.1%, and the overall fill rate was 97.9%. 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 reported.
The 2018 Match also set new highs for total positions offered (up 4.4% over last year), total positions and PGY-1 positions filled (up 4.7% and 4.9%, respectively), 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.
