The Path to U.S. Neurosurgical Residency for Foreign Medical Graduates: Trends from a Decade 2007-2017

The increasing competitiveness of the neurosurgical residency match has made it progressively difficult for foreign medical graduates (FMGs) to match in neurosurgery. We compared FMG to U.S. medical graduate (USMG) match rates in neurosurgery and identified factors associated with match outcomes for FMGs in neurosurgery.

Retrospective review of American Association of Neurological Surgeons membership data and Association of American Medical Colleges Charting the Outcomes match reports (2007-2017).

Across 1857 neurosurgical residents (USMG: 91.1%, FMG: 8.9%), average FMG match rates were 24% (range, 15%-35%) versus 83% (range, 75%-94%; P < 0.001) for USMG. FMGs were more male (89.5% vs. 82.0%, P = 0.016), older (33.9 vs. 31.8 years, P = 0.008), and more likely to take research year(s) before matching (95.8% vs. 78.5%, P < 0.001). FMGs had greater publications (5 vs. 2, P < 0.001) and H-indices (3 vs. 1, P < 0.001). The number of matched USMGs increased by 3.3 annually, whereas that of matched FMGs remained unchanged (β = 0.07). Compared with USMGs, FMGs were less likely to match to National Institutes of Health (NIH) Top 40 (32.7% vs. 47.5%, P < 0.001) and Doximity Top 20 (20.0% vs. 29.0%, P = 0.014) programs. FMGs with prior U.S. neurosurgery program affiliation were more likely to match at NIH and Doximity Top 20 programs (P < 0.05). For NIH programs, FMGs were older (35.3 vs. 32.0, P = 0.011), had higher H-indices (5 vs. 2, P < 0.001), publications (7 vs. 2, P < 0.001), and were more likely to take research year(s) (94.4% vs. 76.0%, P = 0.002) than USMGs. FMGs had similar patterns for matching into Doximity Top 20 programs.

Although FMGs have lower match rates into U.S. neurosurgery residencies than USMGs, several demographic, professional, and academic factors could increase the chances of successful FMG neurosurgical match.