Louis Binder MD 1997 NRMP Match in Emergency Medicine
University of Illinois Chicago
On March 19, the results of the 1997 NRMP spring match were announced, Emergency Medicine residency programs offered a total of 1065 entry level positions in the 1997 match (4.8% of total positions in all specialties). The following numbers are taken from the 1997 NRMP program results book and the 1997 NRMP data book, and include information from all programs that entered the 1997 match:
1995 1996 1997 Total # NRMP positions 22,830 22,588 22,396 Overall % positions unfilled 16% 16% 12% Number of EM programs listed 104 (86 PGI, 18 PGII) 128 (110 PGI, 18 PGI 1) 140 (114 PGl, 26 PGII) Total # PGI/PGIl entry positions 913 (784 PGI, 129 PGII) 1030 (862 PGI, 168 PGII) 1065 (903 PGl, 162 PGII) EM positions/total NRMP positons 4.0% 4.6% 4.8% #EM programs with PGI vacancies 4/86(5%) 4/110(4%) 8/114(7%) # unmatched EM PGI posiltions 27/784 (3%) 11/862(1%) 20/903 (2%) #EM programs with PGII vacancies 1/18(6%) 2/18 (11%) 2/16(12%) # unmatched EM PGII positions 1/129(1%) 2/168(1%) 4/162 (2%) Total #EM programs with vacancies 5/104(5%) 6/128(5%) 10/130(8%) Total # unmatched EM positions 28/913(3%) 13/1030 (1%) 24/1065 (2%)
Applicant Pool data
Applicants who ranked only EM programs:
1996 788 US graduates 346 independent applicants 1134 total applicants
1997 728 US graduates 360 independent 1088 total applicahts
Applicants listing at least I EM program:
1996 1091 US graduates 515 independent applicants 1606 total applicants
1997 955 US graduates 543 independent applicants 1498 total applicants
1996 1997 US seniors applying only to
EM programs who went unmatched102/788 (13%) 53/728 (7.3%) Independent applicants applying
only to EM programs
who went unmatched183/346 (53%) 355/543 (66%)
Breakdown of filled EM positions by type of applicant
1996: 862 PGI EM positions: 705 filled by US graduates (82%) 146 filled by independent applicants 851 filled total (99%)
1997: 903 PGI EM apsitlons: 699 filled by US graduates (77%) 184 filled by independent applicants 883 filled total (98%)
1996: 168 PGII EM positions: 149 filled by US graduates (83%) 17 filled by independent applicants 166 filled total (99%)
1997:162 PGII EM positions: 130 filled by US graduates (80%) 28 filled by independent applicants 158 filled total (98%)
1996: 1030 total EM positions: 864 filled by US graduates (83%) 163 filled by independent applicants 1017 filled total (99%)
1997: 1065 total EM positions: 829 filled by US graduates (78%) 212 filled by independent applicants 1041 filled total (98%)
From these data, a number of conclusions are evident:
1. Emergency Medicine exhibited slight growth in its academic base, with a small increase of 35 entry level positions (PGI and PGII entry) from 1996 to 1997 in the match, This represents a 3.4% increase in EM entry level positions.
2. The percentage of total unfilled positions in Emergency Medicine stayed essentially the same form 1996 to 1997. The US graduate applicant pool contracted by approximately 10%, while the independent applicant pool grow by approximately 5%, yielding an overall contraction of the EM applicant pool of 5 to 6%. Still, the 98% fill rate of EM training positions is higher than the rational average for all specialties (88%).
3. US seniors filed 78% of EM entry level positions, and the unmatched rate for US seniors attempting to enter the field was 7%. The percent of applicants attempting to enter the field in excess of the training base ranged from 22% to 39% (depending on how the parameters of the applicant pool are determined).
The overall impression from these data is of a slight growth in the EM training base coupled with a leveling off of the applicant pool and a contraction of the US graduate applicant base. The unmatched rate for US seniors applying to Emergency Medicine was 7%, suggesting a reasonable possibility remains for most US seniors and other qualified applicants to match into an Emergency Medicine residency position. It is unclear if these data reflect a temporary pause in the more rapid rates of growth for both the training and applicant bases in recent years, versus a plateau of training base growth coupled with stabilization of the applicant pool.
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This page last modified on 3-28-98 JMC.
Copyright 1998 USA College of Medicine.