Match Results Amplify Enthusiasm for EM

A record number of medical students matched into emergency medicine, according to results released Friday by the National Resident Matching Program.

More than 3,000 applicants matched into the specialty.

Out of 3,068 positions, just 65 positions went unfilled, a 97.9 percent fill rate. The number of available positions increased by 42 from 2024.

Emergency Medicine continues to rebound from a decline in 2023, which saw an 81.8 percent fill rate. That rate went up to 95.5 percent last year. This year’s rate returns EM back to rates before the Covid pandemic, typically in the 98-99 percent range. The NRMP statistics show 3,003 applicants matched to the specialty, up from 2,456 applicants obtaining PGY-1 positions in 2023.

“Interest in emergency medicine is at an all-time high for good reason, said Alison Haddock, MD, FACEP, president of ACEP.

“As demand soars, students and trainees increasingly see emergency physicians at the center of solutions to health care’s biggest challenges," she said. "There’s no doubt, it is a challenging and deeply rewarding time to be an emergency physician. Congratulations and welcome to the new generation - the future of emergency medicine is bright.”

ACEP, the Emergency Medicine Residents Association, and the Council of EM Residency Directors has scheduled a meeting with the EM Match Task Force to discuss the results and offer a joint statement about what these results mean for the specialty.