If a fellowship match is in your future, this new NRMP report may help

DOs considering participating in a fellowship match can learn details about the successful candidates who came before them in a new report from the National Resident Matching Program. The report, which shares info on more than 10,000 applicants and fellowship matches in 87 subspecialties, was published this month for the first time in five years.

Basic highlights on the report are available in an NRMP statement published by WBOC news.

The report’s highlights include:

Among fellowship programs who participated in a match, the most competitive subspecialties include gastroenterology, cardiovascular disease, hematology/oncology, and rheumatology. The least competitive subspecialties include geriatric medicine, nephrology, child/adolescent psychiatry, and neuroradiology.

Graduates of U.S. medical schools were more likely to successfully match; applicants who ranked more programs in their preferred specialty were also more likely to successfully match.

Tips for applicants

Mona M. Signer, NRMP president and CEO, shared in a statement the following tips for participants in fellowship matches:

• “Rank all the programs you really want without regard to your estimate of your chances with those programs.”
• “Include a mix of both highly competitive and less competitive programs within your preferred subspecialty.”
• “Include all your qualifications in your application.”

For more info, see the full report.