Bethesda, MD, March 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) today celebrates a record residency match and the largest class of osteopathic medical (DO) students to ever participate in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP)’s Match Week. According to the NRMP, the percentage of matching DO seniors rose to 92.3 percent, the highest ever during the single match era. In addition, the number of U.S. DO seniors participating was a record high 8033, an increase of 8.0 percent over 2023. Of those, 7412 matched to first-year residency positions, an 8.8 percent increase from last year, also a new record high.
“We are extremely proud of our graduating seniors and their incredible achievements in this year’s Match,” said Robert Cain, DO, AACOM president and CEO. “This group entered medical school as a historic pandemic was changing the world, and the way medical education could be delivered. These students persevered through all the twists and turns and proved resolute in their determination and commitment. The entire osteopathic community can be proud of this continued growth and success.”
DO students found success despite facing a systemic disadvantage when going through the Match. According to the 2022 National Residency Matching Program survey, seven percent of residency program directors said they never interview DO seniors, and an additional 25 percent said they seldom do. Furthermore, of the residency directors that do interview DOs, 56 percent require them to take the United States Medical Licensing Examination, the MD exam. This forces many DO students to study and pay for a second exam, even though the DO exam, the COMLEX-USA, is accepted by every state’s licensing board. That’s double the stress for DO students and often more than double the expense.
AACOM continues to work with its peer organizations in the medical education community to end unfair practices that place unnecessary requirements on DO students. There is also bipartisan legislation, the Fair Access in Residency (FAIR) Act, introduced and being debated in the U.S. House of Representatives to increase residency fairness for DOs.
This was the fifth match to take place since the transition to the single graduate medical education accreditation system was fully implemented. Final placement numbers, which include students who participated in the NRMP’s Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program and those who place after Match Week, will be available in the coming weeks.
About AACOM
Founded in 1898, the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) is the leading voice for the education and training of physicians who practice osteopathic medicine in settings across the medical spectrum—from primary care to the full range of medical specialties. We support our member colleges of osteopathic medicine in their efforts to attract and train individuals who are fueled by a desire to make a difference in our healthcare system by treating the whole person and building a future emphasizing health and wellness for all people. Today, more than 35,000 future physicians—25 percent of all U.S. medical students—are being educated at one of our 41 accredited colleges of osteopathic medicine, encompassing 66 teaching locations in 35 states. To learn more about AACOM, please visit our website.
Contacts
Joseph Shapiro
AACOM Director of Media Relations
(240) 938-0746
jshapiro@aacom.org
Christine DeCarlo
AACOM Media and Public Affairs Senior Manager
(202) 603-1026
cdecarlo@aacom.org
