Match Day 2024: A Look at Statistics on the Dermatology Match

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The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) recently commemorated Match Day for its 2024 Main Residency Match and revealed insights into the numbers and statistics associated with the match--which included a record high application participation.¹

“The NRMP is proud to deliver the results of another successful Main Residency Match, and we congratulate all future physicians and training programs on this momentous occasion,” said NRMP President and CEO, Donna Lamb, DHSc, MBA, BSN, in a news release.¹ "We are especially proud of applicants this year, many of whom began medical school the fall before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and had to quickly adapt to and thrive in a radically changed academic and training landscape. Their experiences and success speak to a remarkable resilience and dedication they will carry with them into practice.”

Record High Applicant Participation

The 2024 Main Residency Match witnessed an unprecedented surge in applicant participation, with a total of 50,413 individuals registering—a 4.7% increase over the previous year. This rise was fueled by a substantial influx of non-US citizen international medical graduates (IMGs) and osteopathic (DO) seniors. Among these registrants, 44,853 certified a rank order list, marking a 4.4% increase from the previous year. Of these, 35,984 secured post-graduate year 1 (PGY-1) positions, reflecting an 80.2% match rate.

Applicant Match Rates Remained Steady

Match rates among the 4 main applicant types remained consistent compared to the 2023 Main Residency Match. US DO seniors achieved a record-high match rate of 92.3%, while US MD seniors maintained a 93.5% match rate, staying within the historic range observed since 1982. However, match rates for US citizen IMGs and non-US citizen IMGs experienced slight declines.

Increased Program and Position Participation

A total of 6,395 certified programs offered 41,503 PGY-1 and PGY-2 training positions—the largest number in NRMP's 72-year history. The expansion represents a 2.8% increase from the previous year.

The competitiveness of specialties, as evidenced by fill rates, varied across disciplines. Internal medicine/emergency medicine, thoracic surgery, and otolaryngology emerged as highly competitive specialties for US MD and DO seniors, while internal medicine, pathology, and family medicine showcased strong representation from IMGs.

Dermatology Comparisons

In 2022, dermatology had 834 applicants competing for 544 spots, resulting in 1.53 applicants per position. Among US MD seniors, 169 did not match out of 595 applicants. For osteopathic students, 58 applied with 41 matching, yielding a 70.69% match rate. Regarding IMGs, the ratio of US MD applicants to program spots was 1.09.²

For successful US applicants, the average included 9.4 volunteer experiences, 3.7 work experiences, 5.8 research experiences, and 19 abstracts, presentations, or publications. The mean USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK scores for matched applicants were 248 and 257, respectively.²

In 2023, 141 dermatology residency programs were open for applications, offering a total of 499 positions. Out of 578 medical school senior applicants, 384 successfully matched. However, only 34 out of 79 senior applicants from osteopathic medical schools matched, as reported by the National Resident Matching Program.³

References

1. NRMP celebrates Match Day for the 2024 main residency match, releases results for over 44,000 applicants and almost 6,400 residency programs. News release. National Resident Matching Program. March 15, 2024. Accessed March 25, 2024. https://www.nrmp.org/about/news/2024/03/nrmp-celebrates-match-day-for-the-2024-main-residency-match-releases-results-for-over-44000-applicants-and-almost-6400-residency-programs/
2. How competitive is a dermatology residency? Prospective Doctor. 2023. Accessed March 25, 2024. https://www.prospectivedoctor.com/how-competitive-is-a-dermatology-residency/#:~:text=Statistics%20on%20the%20Dermatology%20Match,applied%2C%20169%20did%20not%20match.
3. Advance data tables 2023 main residency match. National Resident Matching Program. 2023. Accessed March 25, 2024. https://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Advance-Data-Tables-2023_FINAL-2.pdf