Graduate Degree Holders in the U.S. Residency Match: Trends and Outcomes (2016-2024)

This study assessed the association between holding an additional graduate degree beyond a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) and residency match outcomes. Specifically, the authors examined graduate degree attainment trends among residency applicants and evaluated whether graduate degree holders experience lower match rates than non-holders.

A retrospective, observational analysis was conducted using publicly available data from the National Resident Matching Program's Charting Outcomes in the Match reports (2016-2024). The 10 specialties with the highest applicant volumes were analyzed, encompassing 80 136 matched and 6820 unmatched U.S. MD and DO senior applicants. Trends in graduate degree attainment were evaluated using linear regression models. Match rates were stratified by graduate degree status and compared using two-proportion z-tests based on aggregated matched and unmatched counts for each specialty and overall.

From 2016 to 2024, the proportion of graduate degree holders entering the match increased significantly for MD (15.77% to 18.29%, P = .0008) and DO (19.93% to 23.31%, P = .0151) applicants. Across all 10 specialties, graduate degree holders matched at lower rates than non-holders. Among MD applicants, graduate degree holders matched at 92.57% compared with 94.12% for non-graduates (P < .0001), with specialty-specific differences ranging from 0.22% in Psychiatry to 4.61% in Anesthesiology; five specialties demonstrated statistically significant disparities. Among DO applicants, graduate degree holders matched at 84.54% compared with 88.64% for non-graduates (P < .0001), with specialty-specific differences ranging from 1.44% in Family Medicine to 10.48% in Obstetrics and Gynecology; five specialties also reached statistical significance.

The proportion of graduate degree holders in the residency match is increasing, and these applicants experience lower match rates than non-holders. These findings challenge the assumption that additional graduate education provides a competitive advantage and underscore the need for further research into the applicant-level factors contributing to these disparities.