"Match Day" delivers another blow to primary care

May 8, 2009

The number of family medicine residencies offered to U.S. medical school seniors and other applicants dropped to 2,535 this year, down from 2,636 in 2008.

Residencies in dermatology, neurological surgery, orthopedic surgery, and otolaryngology were the most competitive specialties, but accounted for only 1135 of the total 22,427 residencies offered.

"We were disappointed on Match Day," says Ted Epperly, MD, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. "At a time when we're trying to increase the number of primary care physicians in this country, the pipeline is not producing them."