Below are comments about 2020 Match Day attributed to American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Senior Vice President for Education Clif Knight, MD:
“This is certainly not a traditional Match Day. With a global pandemic overshadowing everything, we want to take a moment to tell you how your efforts are shaping family medicine.
“A record number-4,335-matched to family medicine recently, continuing an 11-year trend of growth for the specialty and nine straight years of record-breaking results. These results reflect new residency growth and increasing student choice of family medicine from most sectors. A detailed analysis is available on the AAFP website, as well as AAFP News coverage of the 2020 Match.
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- More osteopathic students than ever matched to family medicine, even when compared with historical National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) and American Osteopathic Association Intern/Resident Registration Program (AOA Match) results.
- International medical students also maintained a steady input into the workforce.
- U.S. allopathic seniors continue to carry the largest number into family medicine but the lowest percentage, with only 8.6% matching to family medicine. The fill rate for U.S. allopathic seniors was also its lowest in a decade at 33.2% of the matched positions in family medicine.
- A total of 3,141 U.S. allopathic and osteopathic seniors and graduates matched in family medicine, representing 12.6% of all U.S. matches-half of our goal of 25% by the year 2030.
- The family medicine workforce is growing at a time when there is a great need.
“With Match celebrations canceled, we hope that doesn’t diminish the sense of accomplishment you and the medical students you train should be feeling.
“As you continue to care for your communities during this unprecedented time and train the next generation of family physicians, know that we will keep pushing hard to shift conditions across health care, education, and societal systems currently holding us back.
“On behalf of your patients, families, and communities, thank you and know that you are making a difference.”