NRMP and NBME Publish Report on Program Ranking Patterns

In collaboration with NBME, the National Resident Matching Program^® (NRMP^®) has released a new report, Characteristics of Applicants Included on Residency Program Rank Order Lists by Specialty: Main Residency Match 2022-2025. This report examines specialty-level program ranking behaviors by analyzing the characteristics of applicants ranked overall and in the top vs lower three quartiles of program rank order lists (ROLs). While NRMP and NBME have previously presented and published on select preliminary results based on these analyses, this report encapsulates comprehensive findings covering a multitude of applicant characteristics, including applicant type, demographic characteristics, and USMLE performance, across 21 different specialties that participate in the Main Residency Match^®.

The report details findings for all applicant characteristics that were examined across the 21 specialties that met study inclusion criteria. While results show that differences in program ranking behaviors across specialties are most pronounced with respect to applicant type, sex, and USMLE performance, results also demonstrate considerable within-specialty variability in ranking behaviors across applicant characteristics.

Interpretation of ranking outcomes should be contextualized. Applicant characteristics represented on rank order lists reflect multiple, interconnected factors across the application process—including where applicants choose to apply, which applicants programs invite to interview, and which interviews applicants accept and attend. Because the study does not capture applicants who applied but were not ranked, findings should be interpreted as describing applicants who appeared on rank order lists, not the full applicant pool or the reasons applicants ultimately appeared on those lists.

The NRMP and NBME are both committed to supporting an equitable transition from undergraduate to graduate medical education. As part of this, our organizations are committed to advancing transparency in the residency selection process. The results in this report are one step towards providing information that can better inform applicant and program decision making. We hope the findings in this report can be used by advisors and prospective residency applicants to assess their likelihood of being ranked or ranked competitively by programs in a given specialty. Moreover, we hope that specialty leaders and program directors can utilize these findings to reflect on whether their current ranking behaviors align with their mission and aims.