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For the past year (or longer), the administration at our medical school has hammered home the idea that this year’s NRMP Match will be the most competitive ever, on a greater scale than previously seen.  It’s been a trend of the past few years that more and more programs are filling in the match with progressively fewer spots available in the scramble.  This year, however, the possibility exists for a greater jump in this trend.  Our class is the first to see the enrollment increase first recommended by the AAMC.  At our school, it was a 10% increase over the previous class size.  As my esteemed co-author already pointed out in a previous post, this increase in graduating medical students has not been met by a coinciding increase in residency spots.

There are many theories as to just how this is going to play out.  Will American or International medical graduates feel the squeeze?  Both are possible, some programs are traditionally IMG heavy, if AMGs are not applying to those programs, they will feel it worse.  However, it is believed that residency programs favor AMGs given an equal appearance on paper.  In that case, IMGs would feel the squeeze.  In the end, there will likely be a mix of the two outcomes.

Hit the jump for commentary on Internal Medicine, specifically.

In what could just be an anomaly this year, and I am basing this solely on anecdotal evidence, Internal Medicine could potentially be more competitive than usual.  Several programs I interviewed at mentioned an increase in the number of applications received and interviews conducted.  Speaking only for our school, there seems to be about a 30-40% increase in the number of students applying to Internal Medicine.

The increase in applications being seen by programs could be due to one of three things: more students applying to Internal Medicine, students applying to (and interviewing at) more programs, or students applying to other specialties also applying to Internal Medicine as a back-up. I’m a big fan of Occam’s Razor, so there’s probably an element of all three at work this year.

It remains to be seen just what the case will be, but there is one thing that can be said for sure.  The next milestone will be achieved in just a week.  Our neurotic, type-A personalities will be quieted as ROLs are certified and unchangeable.

29 days to Match Day.

For more thoughts on Match Day and making your ROL, see the blog FutureDocs.

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