Results of the 2011 National Resident Matching Program: family medicine

The results of the 2011 National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) reflect another small but promising increased level of student interest in family medicine residency training in the United States. Compared with the 2010 Match, family medicine residency programs filled 172 more positions (with 133 more US seniors) through the NRMP in 2011. In other primary care fields, 26 more primary care internal medicine positions filled (10 more US seniors), one more position in pediatrics-primary care (two fewer US seniors), and seven more positions in internal medicine-pediatrics programs (10 more US seniors). The 2011 NRMP results suggest a small increase in choosing primary care careers for the second year in a row; however, students continue to show an overall preference for subspecialty careers. Multiple forces continue to influence medical student career choices. Despite matching the highest number of US seniors into family medicine residencies since 2002, the production of family physicians remains insufficient to meet the current and anticipated need to support the nation's primary care infrastructure.