I know this gets asked a lot and the answers are bound to change over time (even though I'm sure they won't change too drastically), but I wonder if there's such a list out there? Preferrably from an official source?
When some local Kaplan reps did a presentation on US residency at my med school on last Feb 2011, they gave us this list:
Most competitive:
1. Plastic surgery
2. Orthopedic surgery
3. Otolaryngology
4. Ophthalmology
5. Radiology
6. Radiation oncology
7. Neurosurgery
Competitive:
1. Emergency medicine
2. Urology
3. Dermatology
4. General surgery
5. Anesthesiology
6. Pediatrics
7. Obs/gyn
Less competitive:
1. Psychiatry
2. Pathology
3. Physical medicine & rehab
4. Internal medicine
5. Neurology
6. Family medicine
Now I don't know where this list came from, or what it is based on... Salary, maybe? Or percentage of AMG-filled spots? And do you think this still holds true now? I heard primary practice is getting more preferred recently.
Hey thanks! So pediatrics is like... way down the list??
This is very interesting for me because the above list is almost the complete opposite with the situation in my country People get looked down when they say they take radiology, for example. So yeah, I'd like to hear what it's like in the US.
Also:
What about unique specialties like aerospace medicine? Sports medicine?
I think Radiology is the most competitive speciality now adays
Not in US only, but all over the world
Radiology is the future, everyday there's something new in radiology
from memory, this is fairly similar to the order at the beginning of FA for step 1, 2009.
Things that studies have shown make a difference in competition ratios are factors such as average attending/private practice pay, call hours, perceived prestige.
Sorry I can't reference any of the above, but emedicine is a good place to look, as of course is pubmed if you're really interested.
IM should be put in place of pediatric as it is really competitive even more than anesthesia i think
Neurology is competitive for sure more than IM
Pediatric, psychiatry should be on the bottom as i hear in forums
Dermatology in highly competitive also
Specialty Rankings Based on Unmatched Rates for U.S. Seniors (Source: National Resident Matching Program; San Francisco Matching Program; American Urological Association.)
(unmatched rate %)
I suppose it's more competitive than some others because there's a good competition among "low-tier applicants" (i.e. low USMLE scores, no USCE, etc.) whereas they don't bother looking at other specialties (plastic surgery, radiology, etc.).
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