Roughly 95 percent of U.S. medical school seniors matched for PGY-1 residency positions in 2018. However, the competition for several specialties proved higher than most, according to data cited by the American Medical Association.
The National Resident Matching Program considers the most competitive specialties those that match with the highest percentage of U.S. medical school graduates. In 2018, the organization found seven specialties with at least 25 positions offered that were filled with at least 85 percent of U.S. medical school graduates applying for residency.
Here are the seven most competitive medical specialties in 2018:
- Integrated interventional radiology
- Orthopedic surgery
- Integrated plastic surgery
- Neurological surgery
- Otolaryngology
- Dermatology
- Thoracic surgery
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