Me too. Getting into any residency is a challenging ordeal. That being said, some specialties are more competitive and harder to get into than others. I understand the pride involved, but whether or not your specialty is considered competitive does not make you a good or bad doctor. It simply says which specialties are hardest to get into.
And knowing which specialties are hardest to get into can be very useful information for pre-meds and medical students. This is simply the data. You can find the data links in the description. I urge you to view the spreadsheet and play with the data to see for yourself. I used data for U. I looked beyond just the match rate, as that would be a terribly inaccurate marker of competitiveness. If it has a low match rate, then it must be more competitive, right? Not exactly. Specialties are self-selecting.
I recently saw a video by someone who went only off of match rates, and in doing so, they suggested that general surgery and psychiatry were the third most competitive specialties. General surgery is tremendously broad and diverse, leaves options open to subspecialize after, and is the least competitive of the surgical specialties.
Hence the high number of applicants and the low match rate. This is not a judgment against general surgery.
This is simply an explanation for the low match rate in general surgery. These specialties rank highly with respect to lifestyle: they come with a great salary, while often being less demanding than many other fields. ROAD specialties were designated because of their generally acceptable work-life balance after training. The intensity of the residency programs can vary within each of these specialties, but for the most part, upon graduation and entry into practice, each of these specialties has more manageable schedules than other specialties with similar reimbursements.
Radiology is typically broken up into shifts, with the ability to work from home if working for a reading center. Ophthalmology and Dermatology have relatively few emergencies and generally work a typical workday with some elective surgeries. Anesthesia is known for having a difficult residency, but upon graduation, many can proceed to fellowships in interventional pain management, or recruit the assistance of C-RNAs in the OR, which makes life more manageable.
All of this makes ROAD specialties some of the most desirable and competitive fields in medicine. Keep in mind that less demanding does not mean that these specialties are not challenging.
It can mean, however, that you have fewer on-call, overnight, weekend, or holiday shifts and a more set schedule with regular hours of work. Lifestyle is only one consideration when deciding which specialty to enter, as most physicians are happiest in a field where they love the work and are able to achieve a work-life balance. Check out our blog for International Medical Graduates , which outlines the eligibility criteria for IMGs in Canada and the United States, how to prepare your residency application, tips for writing your personal statement, and recommendations for how to prepare for a coveted residency interview.
A more competitive residency is not more prestigious. All physicians are highly trained and respected professionals. This is why more primary-care spots are available as these are required at least occasionally by almost everyone and there are fewer spots in specialties like surgery or dermatology not everyone sees a dermatologist in their lives. Keep in mind that competitiveness and prestige do not necessarily equate with a good fit.
It is important to pursue the specialty that most interests you and is what you will be most happy doing, rather than perceived prestige, as most people outside of medicine will not really understand the differences.
Even a community dermatology program will be highly desired, and there may be many applicants trying for one position, while another specialty may have open spots even long after the match. It looks like fewer DO students match to competitive specialties, but do not get discouraged if you are a DO vs MD student! What matters is what you accomplished during medical school, not which medical school you attended or whether it is an MD or DO school.
Receive mentorship from physicians in your desired field, seek away rotations, and ensure you have great experiences like research, volunteering, and leadership to highlight on your personal statement and CV. These steps will show your initiative and interest and you will be well on your way to matching to whichever specialty you wish!
Absolutely not! In fact, unless you have already had a lot of clinical experience, you can count on changing your mind about which specialty to pursue. Typically, most students do not shadow during the first or second year of medical school, as preclinical coursework can be very heavy.
However, if you're interested in competitive programs, it's a good idea to look for research during this time so you can have your work published by the time you apply to a residency program.
Core rotations in your 3rd year of medical school will also help in deciding which specialty you wish to pursue. It is normal to have narrowed this down to two or three areas by your 3rd year and to keep refining your thoughts during your 3rd year.
By the time you get to 4th year, you will know for sure which specialty is your passion. Yes, you can apply to multiple specialties. On average, students apply to 1. What you must ensure, though, is that your application is equally strong for each specialty.
For example, some students think that they will just apply to internal medicine because there are more spots, but their genuine desire is to be a dermatologist.
If you apply to a specialty for which your application is not strong, it does not matter if there are more spots available; you will not receive an interview and you will not get in. You must show that you have experiences, mentors, and genuine interest in the specialty if you are applying. In helping thousands of students each year match at their top-choice residency programs, students often ask what the most competitive or least competitive programs are. The lists within this blog are based purely on numbers: the higher the fill-rate, or percentage of positions filled by senior students in medical schools, the more competitive the residency.
Competitiveness is only one factor to consider when applying to residency programs; be sure to take into account your passion for the specialty, potential for burnout, and the type of work-life balance you see for yourself in the future. That being said, matching at any residency program is a long and challenging process and we will be here to support you every step of the way!
Lastly, in addition to the information within this blog, be sure to do your own research to ensure you are applying to residency programs that are a good fit for you and that will ultimately allow you to have a successful and fulfilling career.
Anything we didn't cover? Have a question? Skip to content. By Kevin Jubbal, M. June 14, Medical Student Lifestyle , Specialty. Share on facebook Facebook. Share on twitter Twitter. Share on linkedin LinkedIn. Share on email Email. The 6 least competitive medical specialties are: Family Medicine Pediatrics Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Psychiatry Anesthesiology Emergency Medicine Getting into any residency program, regardless of the specialty, is no easy task. Kevin Jubbal, M.
He has authored more than 60 publications, abstracts, and presentations in the field of plastic surgery. Through these and other projects, he seeks to empower future generations of physicians, redefine medical education, and improve patient care through interdisciplinary collaboration. Prev Previous Regrets of a October 23, September 25, Leave a Reply Cancel reply Comment. Enter your name or username to comment.
Enter your email address to comment. Enter your website URL optional. Search Search this website. They complement patient care with lectures and interactive discussions. Johns Hopkins is one of the best hospitals that offer outstanding residency training programs. Its high board passing rates make it one of the most competitive. They have a variety of specialty areas that focus on innovation and excellence.
They aim to produce well-rounded doctors that specialize in evidenced-based patient care and public health servants. If you are curious about how it is to become a new doctor in residency, you may check out my post here. Now that you have an idea of what residency program that suits your preference, the next challenge is how would you be able to stand out to grab the golden opportunity to get accepted on your first choice.
You would then pattern other strategies according to their standards. Also, they assess letters of recommendation and personal statements. If it came from a prominent professor or clinical expert, then you might just add significant points to your slot. You may refer to this article as guide on writing a personal statement for residency applications. Here are some tips you could follow to get accepted into the most competitive residencies.
By having an away rotation, you can impress a faculty by seeing you in duty. This is beneficial as you could have a chance to convince the attending physician and house staff of your abilities, knowledge, and work ethics which would make you a perfect match for the program. It would serve as a courtesy and reminder of your burning interest in the program. Keep in mind that not every specialty needs an away rotation.
Ask your program advisor if they recommend that you do one! Medicine is leaning towards the research trend. Try to have at least a peer-reviewed presentation or publication. This is a good impression of how diverse you could be.
Program Directors consider research as one of the main factors in selecting individuals for interviews. Check out more bonus tips on doing research in medical school here.
Program Directors seek to produce doctors who could be leaders in various settings. When they know that you are a leader, it gives the impression that you have great initiative and uphold a sense of responsibility and commitment. A few great examples would be working as a lead coordinator for a free dermatology clinic if you were interested in derm. Make sure any extracurricular activities are related to your goals or at least enjoyable.
Healthcare is multidimensional. If you are interested in the broad aspects of it, you may try enrolling in a dual degree in business administration or public health.
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