Analysis of supply and demand for sports medicine fellowship training: 2012-2022

The recruitment of high-quality applicants is critical to the vitality of the sports medicine physician workforce.

To analyze changes in the total number of available training positions, applicants, and unfilled training positions in the Sports Medicine Match from 2012 to 2022.

This was a retrospective cohort study of sports medicine fellowship applicants.

Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited sports medicine fellowship training programs.

A total of 3763 individuals applying for sports medicine fellowship training from 2012 to 2022.

Not applicable.

Annual number of applicants, training positions, and number of unfilled training positions.

From 2012 to 2022, the annual number of training positions in sports medicine increased from 177 to 353 (99% increase, p < .001) while the annual number of applicants increased from 256 to 428 (67% increase, p < .001). The annual applicant-to-training position ratio decreased (1.4 to 1.2, p < .001). Annual match rates increased for both U.S. MD graduates (64% to 86%, p < .001) and non-U.S. MD graduates (64% to 77%, p < .001). U.S. MD graduates had higher match rates than non-U.S. MD graduates in 2021 (79% vs 70%, p < .05) and 2022 (86% vs 77%, p < .05). The percentage of applicants who matched at their first (36%-36%, p > .05), second (14%-15%, p > .05), and third (9%-8%, p > .05) ranked programs did not change. The percentage of applicants who did not match decreased (33%-19%, p < .001). The percentage of available fellowship training positions that went unfilled decreased (8%-2%, p < .001).

Interest in sports medicine fellowship training is increasing as evidenced by an increasing number of applications and decreasing rate of unfilled training positions. Continued monitoring of future match cycles is important given projected shortages in the physician workforce.