The results are in! 🎉 After Match Day 2026 on Friday, March 20th, the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) has released this year’s data by specialty, degree, and more. This data offers a glimpse into the evolving landscape of medical education and residency recruitment, and is especially helpful for future residency applicants when considering the trends in their preferred specialty!
We took a look at the NRMP report so you don’t have to! In this post, we’ll analyze key trends from this year’s Match, explore the factors influencing this year’s results, and provide actionable takeaways for future applicants.
Are you a US MD student looking to participate in the Match next cycle? Find out if you’re “Match-ready” with our free Residency Probability Calculator crafted by Blueprint residency counselors! Calculate your approximate chances of landing an interview in your preferred specialty based on USMLE scores, research, and other data.
What is Match Day?
Match Day is the pivotal moment when years of medical school training culminate in the next phase of your career: residency. It determines where you’ll train and take the next step toward becoming an attending physician.
The cycle begins in September when applicants submit their residency applications. Interviews then take place throughout the late fall and winter. In early spring, applicants and programs submit rank lists, and finally in March, Match Day reveals whether and where they’ve matched into residency.
Why This Data Matters
Every year, the Match brings unexpected shifts. Match data fluctuates annually due to evolving applicant and program preferences, workforce needs, and changes in medical education policies. Factors such as application volume, program expansion, and new specialty trends can all influence the Match landscape.
…to the Future of Medicine
Match data provides insights into the future of the physician workforce, including specialty shortages, competitiveness shifts, and broader trends in medical education. For those interested in healthcare policy and workforce planning, this data is invaluable.
…to Residency Applicants
For those preparing to apply, this data helps answer critical questions:
- How competitive is my specialty of choice?
- Should I consider additional specialties as backups or apply to more programs?
- What can I do to strengthen my application based on this year’s trends?
…to Residency Programs
Programs use this data to refine their selection process, adjust interview strategies, and ensure they’re attracting the best candidates. Understanding applicant behavior can also help programs improve their recruitment efforts.
Lessons from Match Day 2026
This year’s Match data highlights the following for future applicants:
- Understanding specialty competitiveness can help applicants make informed decisions about which programs to target.
- Interviews (virtual or in-person) play a significant role in getting a spot, so applicants should refine their interview skills.
- The number of applications submitted should be strategic rather than excessive, focusing on quality over quantity, especially as signaling and geographic preferences come into play.
Key Statistics and Trends from Match Day 2026
Overall Match Rates
Match rates serve as a fundamental indicator of applicant competitiveness across different categories.
Overall, there were a total of 48,050 certified applicants, which was a 1.8% increase from 2025. They vied for 44,344 total positions, a 2.6% increase from the previous year.
93.2% of those PGY-1 positions were filled, a slight decrease from the previous year.
This year’s data from NRMP highlights the following trends:
- US MD seniors had a 93.5% match rate, which was unchanged from the previous year.
- US DO seniors had a 93.2 % match rate, a 0.6% increase from the previous year.
- US citizen IMGs* had a 70.0 % match rate, a 2.2% increase from previous year.
- Non US citizen IMGs had a 56.4% match rate, a 1.6% decrease from previous year.
*(IMG = international medical graduate)
As always, this data is indicative of a competitive match cycle. Both applicants and positions increased , but there are still more applicants (~48k) than spots (~44k), meaning not everyone can match. The position fill rate is down slightly, though it remains high (93.2%).
This small dip suggests more mismatch between applicant preferences and available spots, such as more unfilled positions in less competitive specialties/locations etc. This most recent cycle proves that there is continued DO competitiveness, as US DOs match very well overall compared to US MDs.
The trend continues to improve for US based IMGs, likely due to better application strategies, USCE, and stronger profiles, while non-US IMGs saw a slight decline and are still the most vulnerable group, possibly due to visa issues and increasing competition, among other factors.
Overall, there were more PGY1 positions this year, and the large majority of increased slots were in primary care.
Specialty Trends
Neurosurgery, orthopedic and plastic surgery, dermatology, and otolaryngology remain the most competitive specialties this cycle, requiring high board scores and significant research, with ortho and neurosurgery boasting 100% fill rates.
Emergency medicine continues to thrive. In the aftermath of COVID, EM match rates dropped significantly to the 80s. However, in the last two cycles, fill rates for emergency medicine slots have rebounded toward pre-pandemic levels as the specialty has a 97.9% fill rate in 2025 and a 95.6% fill rate in 2026. A total of 3,058 applicants matched into emergency medicine programs in 2026, representing a 1.8% increase in total matched applicants to the specialty.
Primary Care
With the nation’s ongoing physician shortage, especially in primary care in underserved or rural areas, residency slots in family medicine, internal medicine, internal medicine-pediatrics, and pediatrics continue to expand, now totaling 20,712 spots, about 400 more than the previous cycle.
The breakdown:
- Internal medicine had 11,632 open positions and 95.2% were filled.
- Family medicine slots increased to up to 5,491 spots and the fill rate was 83.6%.
- Pediatrics actually had a slight decrease in open spots, now with 3,185 positions with a 94.4% fill rate.
Overall, primary care specialties had slightly decreased fill rates, but overall more total applicants matching into the specialty. One reason for the slow growth may be due to the decreased IMG match, given more stringent visa restrictions, etc.
A Note on IMGs in Primary care
IMGs have continued to match best into primary care fields such as internal medicine, pediatrics, and family medicine, as well as subspecialties such as geriatrics and neurology. They continue to have some struggles matching into competitive specialties such as dermatology and the surgical subspecialties (i.e.,orthopedics, plastics, and neurosurgery).
In 2026, approximately 9,700 IMGs matched into PGY-1 positions in the US. Of the total 9,682 IMGs, 2,949 are US based IMGs and 6,733 are non US based IMGs. About one-third are US citizens while the remaining two-thirds are noncitizens. The match rates for both US and foreign IMGs had little variance compared to previous years. IMGs filled approximately 42% of all first-year IM programs which represents a significant amount.
Specialty of Interest: Psychiatry
Psych, like many specialties, had an increase of residency spots totaling 2,516 positions in 2026, an increase of 128 positions. The psychiatry fill rate was 97.4%, which is a strong showing. This may be due to the fact that psychiatry offers great telehealth jobs with competitive salaries and flexibility, more so than other specialties.
SOAP
SOAP data has yet to be released, so we’ll hold off on discussing it too much for now. However, SOAP is for applicants who did not match to a residency position. This year, there was an increase of 389 unfilled positions compared to 2025. Of the applicants this year, 9,696 were unmatched—that’s up by 155 applicants over 2025.
Factors Influencing Match Day 2026 Results
Impact of Virtual Interviews & Program Preferences
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual interviews have become a standard practice. The 2026 Match continued this trend, but many programs (including many surgical subspecialties) returned to in-person residency interviews or offered a hybrid approach.
The impact virtual interviewing had during the last cycle is unclear. Did virtual interviews impact applicants’ ability to make strong impressions, or turn applicants away from certain programs? Perhaps. Though virtual interviews are unlikely to go away and if you are a rising MS4, you can expect them for the next ERAS cycle.
ERAS & Application Volume
As we noted at the beginning, more people overall are applying for residency. The trend of increasing application numbers has been a persistent challenge for programs. They have attempted to adapt to increasing application volumes in several ways, including:
1. Stricter Application Screening
Many programs use filters such as USMLE/COMLEX scores, medical school accreditation, visa status, geographic preference, and signaling to efficiently review applications.
2. Preference Signaling & Holistic Review
Some specialties now use program signaling, allowing applicants to indicate strong interest in specific programs. Programs also emphasize holistic review, and consider leadership, experiences, and letters of recommendation alongside board scores.
3. Virtual Interviewing
As noted, virtual interviews remain common. They allow programs to interview more candidates while reducing costs and scheduling constraints.
4. Program Expansion
In response to workforce needs, some programs have increased residency spots, particularly in primary care and underserved specialties. These programs will also likely be looking into the newer visa sponsorship requirements.
Final Thoughts
The 2026 Match provides invaluable data for future applicants and residency programs alike. As the landscape of medical education continues to evolve, staying informed on trends is critical for making data-driven decisions.
For those preparing for the 2027 Match, now is the time to reflect on this data and refine your application strategy!
Good luck with your residency search, and be sure to check out our residency consulting services to get expert advice and maximize your chance of success!
