What percent of med school graduates get into residency?

Most U.S. medical school graduates secure residency positions, with recent match rates around 93-94% for U.S. MD seniors and 92-93% for U.S. DO seniors, though rates vary slightly year to year and by specialty, with near-universal placement after the initial Match through programs like SOAP. International Medical Graduates (IMGs) generally have lower match rates (around 59-67% in 2024).

What percent of med school students get into residency?

Nearly 70 percent of the future doctors graduating from UC schools of medicine will move on to residencies in California, where they'll provide medical care – like primary care, psychiatry and OB/GYN services – throughout the state.

What percentage of doctors make it through residency?

Historically, about three in four medical students who complete their residency in California also stay and practice in the state. California leads the nation in retention of medical school graduates, and current data from Association of American Medical Colleges show that 77 percent of residents who completed their ...

What are the odds of matching top 3?

In 2024, for instance, 73.6% of matched MD seniors and 73.5% of matched DO seniors matched to one of their top-three ranked programs. While not matching is uncommon, it can happen. Typically around 5-7% of U.S. seniors don't match when the algorithm is processed.

What's the easiest residency to get into?

The easiest residencies to get into are generally Family Medicine, Internal Medicine (especially community programs), Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Pathology, due to higher demand, more available spots, and less stringent score requirements compared to surgical fields, though "easiest" is relative and depends on your profile. Family Medicine and Pediatrics consistently rank as the least competitive, offering broad training and often better work-life balance with regular hours. 

NRMP Match Algorithm Explained (Residency Application Process)

What doctor makes $500,000 a year?

Doctors in surgical and high-demand procedural specialties frequently earn over $500,000 annually, with top earners often being Neurosurgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Cardiology, and Thoracic Surgery, driven by complex skills, high demand (especially with aging populations), and lucrative elective procedures or emergency needs. Other fields like Radiology, Gastroenterology, Urology, and Anesthesiology also see average incomes exceeding this threshold.
 

What's the hardest residency to match into?

The hardest residencies to match into consistently include Dermatology, Neurosurgery, Plastic Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, and Otolaryngology (ENT), often followed closely by specialties like Radiation Oncology, Interventional Radiology, and Vascular Surgery, due to high demand, limited spots, prestige, lifestyle appeal, and high applicant qualifications (USMLE scores, research). These specialties see low match rates for U.S. seniors, with Dermatology often having the lowest match rates in recent years, as noted in this MedSchoolCoach article.
 

Which medical school has the highest residency match?

Top medical schools with excellent residency match rates (often 92-98%+) include UCSF, Northwestern (Feinberg), Mayo Clinic, Emory, NYU, Weill Cornell, Mount Sinai, Pitt, Baylor, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, University of Michigan, and USC (Keck), known for strong placements in competitive specialties and major academic centers, though rates vary by specialty and year, with some osteopathic (DO) schools like MSUCOM and TCOM also showing strong outcomes. Match success depends heavily on the type of residency (e.g., Dermatology vs. Family Med), so look for schools strong in your desired field. 

How many people didn't match residency in 2025?

More fast facts about the 2025 Residency Match

79.8% of certified applicants matched to PGY-1 positions. 94.1% of PGY-1 positions were filled.

What is considered a good resident salary?

Key Takeaways

The average resident salary is around $64,000 per year. Residents earn significantly less than licensed primary care physicians ($243,000) and specialists ($346,000). Resident salaries rise each year of training, with an additional $2,000-$5,000 for each subsequent year.

What is the 32 hour rule in medical school?

The "32-hour rule" in medical school admissions refers to a policy where some medical schools focus on an applicant's GPA from their most recent 32 credit hours, often in science courses, instead of their entire undergraduate GPA, benefiting students with a strong upward trend or a solid post-baccalaureate performance. Schools like Wayne State University and LSU Health New Orleans use variations of this to give more weight to recent academic efforts, allowing strong performance in later coursework or post-bacc programs to shine. 

What doctor has the shortest residency?

The shortest medical residencies are typically 3 years long, shared by primary care fields like Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Pediatrics, along with Preventive Medicine, allowing physicians to start practicing sooner. Emergency Medicine is also short, often 3-4 years, while other fields like Dermatology, Psychiatry, and Ob/Gyn are 4 years, and surgical specialties take 5+ years.
 

What is the #1 pre-med school in the US?

There's no single "number one" pre-med school, but Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Duke University, and the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) consistently rank at the top for pre-med programs due to exceptional advising, research, clinical access, and high medical school acceptance rates. Harvard often leads in general rankings, while JHU excels in research, Duke offers strong balance, and UPenn leverages its medical school connections.
 

What happens if I don't match into residency?

You'll need some time to speak with your advisor, who may suggest that you get updated letters of recommendation, update your personal statement, or consider new specialties to apply for. You'll also need some time to plan for and participate in SOAP.

How rare is a 525 mcat?

A 525 MCAT score is extremely rare and exceptional, placing you in the 100th percentile, meaning you scored better than 100% of test-takers in recent years (2022-2024) and are just 3 points shy of a perfect score (528). This score is considered a top-tier score for the most selective medical schools, putting you in a statistically tiny fraction of applicants, as scores above 520 represent the top 1-3%. 

What is the easiest residency to match into?

The easiest residencies to match into are generally Family Medicine, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry, often followed by Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Pathology, due to higher availability of spots and less intense competition compared to surgical specialties, with International Medical Graduates (IMGs) often finding success in these primary care and certain other fields like IM and Psych due to more openings. 

What is the hardest med school to get into?

Stanford University School of Medicine

With an astonishingly low acceptance rate of about 1.4%, Stanford is the country's hardest medical school to get into.

What is the highest paid residency?

The highest-paying medical residencies are typically in surgical and procedural specialties like Orthopedic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Plastic Surgery, Cardiology, and Radiology, often paying over $60k-$65k+ annually during residency and leading to much higher physician salaries post-residency, though resident pay varies significantly by PGY year and location. While actual resident salaries rise with training level (PGY), these fields promise the greatest long-term earning potential, with some surgeon roles averaging $650k+ after training.
 

What is the hardest residency to get into?

The hardest medical residencies to get into consistently include Dermatology, Neurosurgery, Plastic Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Otolaryngology (ENT), Radiation Oncology, Interventional Radiology, and Cardiothoracic Surgery, due to high demand, limited spots, intense competition, high USMLE scores required, and prestigious work-life balance/income potential, with Neurosurgery often cited as the most demanding due to complex, high-stakes training.
 

What percentage of med students actually become doctors?

Around 65% to 93% of medical school students become doctors.

Is applying to 40 med schools too many?

On the high end, we recommend you don't exceed 40 schools. However, it's not merely the size of your medical school list that matters, but also the specific programs. If your medical school list is too aggressive based on your stats, you'll want to apply to more schools to achieve the right balance.

What is the least competitive doctor specialty?

With that in mind, the five least competitive medical specialties are:

• Family medicine.
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation.
• Anesthesiology.
• Pediatrics.
• Psychiatry.

Which doctor specialty is in highest demand?

The specialties taking the top 10 spots in most “absolute demand” were, in order:

• Endocrinology.
• Cardiology.
• Radiology.
• Urology.
• Rheumatology.
• Anesthesiology.
• Neurology.
• Otolaryngology and family medicine—tied.

Which is the toughest doctor to become?

What is the Most Difficult Doctor Specialty?

• Plastic Surgery. Instead of working with bones as orthopedic surgeons do, plastic surgeons concentrate on soft tissue, such as skin, muscle, and fat. ...
• Neurosurgery. ...
• Radiation oncology. ...
• ENT. ...
• Orthopedic Surgery.