Primary care specialties account for 54% of matches in the 2017 AOA Match, with emergency medicine leading specialty placements.
Primary Care Specialties Account for 54% of Matches, with Emergency Medicine Leading Specialty Placements
CHICAGO—Feb. 6, 2017—More than 2,200 osteopathic medical students and graduates today matched into osteopathic residencies in 25 specialties, according to the American Osteopathic Association.
Over 3,000 graduating students and new osteopathic physicians (DOs) participated in this year's AOA match, with 73 percent successfully matching into residency programs.
Those participating in the DO Match historically pursue careers in primary care as evidenced by today’s results. The top specialties by number of matches are:
| Specialty | Number matched | 2017 percentage | Increase/Decrease from 2016 |
| Family Medicine | 610 | 28% | 3% |
| Internal Medicine | 527 | 24% | 4% |
| Emergency Medicine | 306 | 14% | 1% |
| General Surgery | 148 | 7% | -1% |
| Orthopedic Surgery | 119 | 5% | 1% |
In all 1,026 positions were filled in non-primary care specialties and 895 residencies were not filled through the initial match process. Historically many of these positions are filled after today's match announcement.
While new DOs and MDs work and train together, DOs currently may choose between multiple systems for their post-graduate education, and some osteopathic residencies are now open to MDs.
"It is clear that osteopathic-focused clinical training is very important to a large number of our graduating DOs," said Boyd R. Buser, DO, president of the American Osteopathic Association. "The values of osteopathic medicine, such as whole-person care and a tradition of serving patients in areas with physician shortages, matter deeply to our newest physicians, who have an unprecedented number of choices for their specialty training."
Most physicians practice where they train, so ensuring that high-quality residencies are not concentrated in already well-served urban areas is critical to providing access to care, Dr. Buser added.
The American Osteopathic Association and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education will be entering the third of a five year transition to a single accreditation system for graduate medical education.
During the transition, graduating DOs may choose to participate in either match and MD graduates may apply to ACGME programs that have received osteopathic recognition. By July 2020, most DO and MD residents will join in a unified match, in which all participants can choose residency programs with an osteopathic focus.
About the AOA
The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) represents more than 129,000 osteopathic physicians (DOs) and osteopathic medical students; promotes public health; encourages scientific research; serves as the primary certifying body for DOs; and is the accrediting agency for osteopathic medical schools. More information on DOs/osteopathic medicine can be found at www.DoctorsThatDO.org.
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Media Contacts:
Jeff Brennan
(312) 202-8161
jbrennan@osteopathic.org
Jessica Bardoulas
(312) 202-8038
jbardoulas@osteopathic.org