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DO Match Rate by Specialty 2025

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by Alec Palmerton, MD in Residency
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Are you a DO who is looking to match for residency? Want to know the DO match rate by specialty to help you find the right specialty fit? Are you worried that as a DO you’ll be at a disadvantage relative to your MD colleagues? Are you curious about what specialties are actually the most – and least – DO-friendly? In this article, you’ll learn the DO match rate by specialty and which specialties have the highest DO representation. Note: Updated with new data for 2025: This article now includes the latest insights from the 2024 Main Residency Match and the Program Director Survey.

Summary:

  • DO match rates by specialty vary hugely
  • The specialties with the highest DO match rate include Pediatrics, Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Internal Medicine
  • The specialties with the lowest DO match rate include Neurological Surgery, Interventional Radiology, and Vascular Surgery
  • Based on % of spots filled by DOs
    • The most DO-friendly specialties in 2024 include Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Psychiatry
    • The least DO-friendly specialties include Neurological Surgery, Interventional Radiology, and Vascular Surgery

Table of Contents

What’s the Difference Between a DO and an MD?

Let’s start with some definitions.
DO: Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Licensed physicians trained in “whole body” wellness and treatment techniques in muscle and joint manipulation in addition to mainstream treatments.
Allopathy Vs. Osteopathy
In the US, there are two main branches of registered physicians:
  • Allopathy: In this path, doctors train in modern, sometimes referred to as “Western”, medicine to treat symptoms and diseases. Doctors who train in this branch are licensed as Doctors of Medicine (MD)
  • Osteopathy: These doctors have the same education and licensing exams as MDs but have additional training in muscle and joint manipulation. Doctors who train in Osteopathy are licensed as Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) and have the same residency training and choices as MDs.
COMLEX vs. USMLE
To begin practicing medicine, DOs and MDs must take specific licensing exams:
  • COMLEX-USA: This test assesses osteopathic medical knowledge in addition to allopathic medical knowledge in order to become licensed as a DO in the USA.
  • USMLE: This test assesses allopathic medical knowledge and is required to become licensed as an MD.
NRMP: “National Resident Matching Program®”
  • The organization that administers the “Match.” In the match, the NRMP pairs residency applicants with a residency program.
Note that prior to the 2020 Match, DOs had access to a “pool” of residencies reserved for which only they could match. The current system has merged DO and MD residencies so that every applicant has the same “chance” for matching in their chosen specialty. For more on how to maximize your match chances and how the “Merge” has changed residency applications, see THE MATCH: Everything You Need to Maximize Your Residency Chances

The Most Competitive Specialties for DOs (2024)

Here are the DO match rates by specialty for the 2024 Match: DO Seniors Who Applied and Matched + % Postions Filld by DO 2024 Match Here is the same data represented in a table:
Specialty % DO Unmatched% DO Matched% Positions Filled by DOTotal Positions OfferedTotal # All ApplicantsDO Senior MatchedDO Senior UnmatchedDO Senior Total
Pediatrics1%99%18%3,1392,9045703573
Family Medicine3%97%25%5,2134,7021,316381,354
Emergency Medicine4%96%32%3,0262,980981371,018
Internal Medicine5%95%15%10,68113,1431,638911,729
Vascular Surgery11%89%8%100139819
Neurology15%85%15%1,1261,47616630196
Child Neurology17%83%11%21221124529
Pathology17%83%14%6289428617103
Psychiatry19%81%22%2,2612,859487113600
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation27%73%34%57774019472266
General Surgery32%68%15%1,7172,529258121379
Obstetrics and Gynecology33%67%19%1,5392,034290140430
Internal Medicine/Pediatrics36%64%7%390488291645
Otolaryngology37%63%7%382496261541
Diagnostic Radiology35%65%12%1,1861,56614881229
Anesthesiology42%58%14%2,1352,933307220527
Orthopaedic Surgery52%48%13%9161,448117129246
Dermatology53%47%7%576916404585
Interventional Radiology56%44%8%190256162036
Neurological Surgery75%25%1%2414143912

The Most Competitive DO Specialties (>100 DO Applicants)

  • Orthopaedic Surgery (52% DO Unmatched, 246 total DO seniors)
  • Anesthesiology (42% DO Unmatched, 527 total DO seniors)
  • Diagnostic Radiology (35% DO Unmatched, 229 total DO seniors)
  • General Surgery (32% DO Unmatched, 379 total DO seniors)
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology (DO Unmatched, 430 total DO seniors)
  • Psychiatry (19% DO Unmatched, 600 total DO seniors)
  • Neurology (15% DO Unmatched, 196 total DO seniors)

The Least Competitive DO Specialties (>100 DO Applicants)

  • Pediatrics (99% DO Matched, 573 total DO seniors)
  • Family Medicine (97% DO Matched, 1,354 total DO seniors)
  • Emergency Medicine (96% DO Matched, 1,018 total DO seniors)
  • Internal Medicine (95%% DO Matched, 1,729 total DO seniors)
  • Vascular Surgery (89% DO Matched, 9 total DO seniors)
  • Neurology (85% DO Matched, 196 total DO seniors)
  • Psychiatry (81% DO Matched, 600 total DO seniors)

The Most (and Least) DO-Friendly Specialties in 2024

Looking at the % of spots filled by DOs in the 2024 Match, we can see huge variations in DO representation, with a few specialties missing out altogether. DO % Postions Filld by DO 2024 Match Here is the same data represented in a table:
Specialty% Positions Filled by DO% DO Unmatched% DO Applied that MatchedTotal Positions OfferedTotal # All ApplicantsDO Senior MatchedDO Senior UnmatchedDO Senior Total
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation34%27%73%57774019472266
Emergency Medicine32%4%96%3,0262,980981371,018
Family Medicine25%3%97%5,2134,7021,316381,354
Psychiatry22%19%81%2,2612,859487113600
Obstetrics and Gynecology19%33%67%1,5392,034290140430
Pediatrics18%1%99%3,1392,9045703573
Internal Medicine15%5%95%10,68113,1431,638911,729
Neurology15%15%85%1,1261,47616630196
General Surgery15%32%68%1,7172,529258121379
Anesthesiology14%42%58%2,1352,933307220527
Pathology14%17%83%6289428617103
Orthopaedic Surgery13%52%48%9161,448117129246
Diagnostic Radiology12%35%65%1,1861,56614881229
Child Neurology11%17%83%21221124529
Interventional Radiology8%56%44%190256162036
Vascular Surgery8%11%89%100139819
Dermatology7%53%47%576916404585
Otolaryngology7%37%63%382496261541
Internal Medicine/Pediatrics7%36%64%390488291645
Neurological Surgery1%75%25%2414143912
Note that some specialties may have lower DO match rates but higher overall representation from DOs. For example, we can see below that 34% of DOs went unmatched even in the most DO-friendly specialty (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation).
The Most DO-Friendly Specialties of the 2024 Match
The most DO-friendly specialties of the 2024 Match were:
  • Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (34% spots filled by DOs)
  • Emergency Medicine (32% spots filled by DOs)
  • Family Medicine (25%)
  • Psychiatry (22%)
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology (19%)
  • Pediatrics (18%)
  • Internal Medicine (15%)
The Least DO-Friendly Specialties of the 2024 Match
The least DO-friendly specialties of the 2024 Match were:
  • Neurological Surgery (1% spots filled by DOs)
  • Dermatology (7%)
  • Internal Medicine/Pediatrics (7%)
  • Otolaryngology (7%)
  • Interventional Radiology (8%)
  • Vascular Surgery (8%)

Is it Harder for DOs to Match than MDs?

The answer to this question appears to be changing as the NBOME has taken a hardened stance to educate residency program directors on the efficacy and equivalence of the COMLEX compared to the USMLE. In practice, a bias towards the USMLE may still exist, which is why many DOs take both tests, especially when applying to competitive residencies. We can see in the data above that friendly specialties do not necessarily mean less competitive, so keep this in mind as you plan your applications and always have a backup in mind in the changing landscape.

Concluding Thoughts

After the DO and MD residency merge, many DOs worried that their chances of matching in their dream residency would decrease. However, it is clear that competitive DOs can match in even the most competitive specialties. If you’re looking for ways to impress for the best chance to match your dream residency, be sure to check out the Yousmle Never Forget Course. Not only will you master – not memorize – for impressive USMLE scores, you’ll also build the foundation to impress attendings on rotations and observerships. If you’re interested in a trusted residency advisor, check out our residency advisory services.
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Cardiology is key for impressive USMLE scores. Master cardiology from a Harvard-trained anesthesiologist who scored USMLE 270 with these 130+ high-yield flash cards. You’ll be begging for cardio questions - even if vitals make you queasy.

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