Rheumatology Match Day Follows Same Pattern as Previous Years

Rheumatology joined six other Medicine specialties that filled more than 95% of fellowship positions in 2022.

The National Resident Matching Program in its 2022 Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match reported that rheumatology filled 123 of 127 certified programs (96.9%) along with 265 certified positions (97.8%).

Matched applicants for adult rheumatology programs included 40 U.S. foreign applicants (15.1%), 123 MD graduates (46.4%), 66 foreign (24.9%), and 36 DO graduates (13.6%).

A total of 352 applicants showed a preference for this specialty, and 75% matched to the specialty. Another 23% did not match to any program.

2022 was the first year that NRMP combined medical specialties, pediatric specialties, and adolescent medicine fellowship matches into the "Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match."

"We engaged the leadership of both pediatrics and internal medicine organizations to work with the NRMP to brainstorm solutions and were successful in combining pediatrics and internal medicine into one fellowship match," said Jill Fussell, MD, immediate past chair of the Council of Pediatric Subspecialties in a statement. "It was an incredibly rewarding experience to work across pediatrics and internal medicine on behalf of resident well-being to make this collaborative change happen."

Similar to 2021, pediatric rheumatology didn't do as well as adult programs, filling just 18 of 32 certified programs (56.3%) and 27 out of 43 certified positions (62.8%). More than 66% of the applicants represented MD graduates. Eight were foreign, and one was a DO graduate.

The 2022 match was the largest on record, comprising 39 subspecialties in internal medicine, pediatrics, addiction, and multidisciplinary specialties. A total of 3,361 programs filled 7,648 (87.7%) of 8,724 positions in 2022. Three specialties — cardiovascular disease, interventional pulmonology, and oncology — filled all their positions offered in the match.

In addition to rheumatology, six other specialties filled 95% or more of their positions. This included clinical cardiac electrophysiology, critical care medicine, endocrinology, gastroenterology, hematology/oncology, and pulmonary/critical care medicine. Allergy and immunology, which accepts applicants from either internal medicine or pediatrics, also filled more than 95% of positions offered.

Matched applicants will start fellowship training in July 2023.

This story originally appeared on MDedge.com, part of the Medscape Professional Network.

Medscape Medical News © 2022 

Cite this: Rheumatology Match Day Follows Same Pattern as Previous Years - Medscape - Dec 09, 2022.