Internal, family medicine see record high residency match

The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) has matched record numbers of graduating medical students with residency programs in internal and family medicine.

According to a news release from the American College of Physicians (ACP), 8,632 categorical positions (95.7 percent) and 437 primary care positions (99.1 percent) were filled in the 2021 match. Of those, 58 percent of categorical positions and 67 percent of primary care positions were filled by U.S. medical school senior.

“Internists remain on the front lines of infection control, diagnosis, and treatment battling COVID-19 in hospitals and ambulatory settings across the U.S. during the national public health emergency, and leading our country’s response to the pandemic,” ACP's Vice President of Membership and Global Engagement, Philip A. Masters, MD, FACP, says in the release.“Internists have the expertise necessary to investigate new symptoms, make an accurate diagnosis, propose a patient-centered management plan, partner with patients and their caregivers, provide complex care for hospitalized patients, and coordinate interprofessional team care across our complex health care system.”

A separate news release from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) touts the 12th year in a row of growth for residents matching into the specialty. This year 4,493 participants matched into family medicine, an increase of 158 from last year. The number is expected to exceed 4,800 when a supplemental match process is counted.

“We congratulate each of the students who matched into family medicine, a specialty that is essential to the health of our nation,” Ada Stewart, MD, president of the AAFP, says in the release. “Each of them has chosen this profession, and we commend them for their dedication to primary care. Family physicians care for patients of all ages and genders, and we are passionate advocates for the health and well-being of our patients and communities.”