Are you wondering how to match into general surgery? Or how many general surgery residency programs are there? Do you want to know everything there is about general surgery residency interviews? Need to know how many interviews to match in general surgery?
In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to match into general surgery.
Summary:
- General Surgery is highly competitive, in part due to having a relatively high % of unmatched US seniors
- In part due to the volume of applications, general surgery residency programs use standardized screens to “weed out” applicants
- The most successful applicants won’t fail any USMLE, have good USMLE scores, a stellar MSPE, and high grades in required clerkships
- Historically, most general surgery interview invites occur before October 31, and the vast majority before December 31
Table of Contents
How Competitive is it to Match into General Surgery?
How competitive is it to match into general surgery in the US? Here we have the unmatched % for US seniors by specialty. The “Unmatched %” means the % of US seniors who applied into general surgery who did not match during the given year.
This is one measure of specialty competitiveness – perhaps the most relevant if you want to match into general surgery.
For more on the competitiveness of general surgery relative to other medical specialties, see this article.
How Many General Surgery Residency Programs Are There?
Categorical vs. Preliminary
General Surgery has two different kinds of residency programs applicants can potentially enter: categorical and preliminary.
The preliminary program includes one year of surgical training. It is filled by residents who only need a year of surgical training before matching into a sub-specialty field like urology or by residents who failed to match into a categorical position but are willing to re-apply in the following year’s Match.
Categorical programs includes 5-year general surgical training offering residents eligibility for board certification by the American Board of Surgery.
How Many General Surgery Residency Programs and Positions Are There?
In the 2022 NRMP Match, there were:
- 342 General Surgery programs offering 1,622 PGY-1 (categorical) positions,
- 251 General Surgery programs offering 1,150 Preliminary (PGY-1 only) positions
There were at least 342 General Surgery programs in 2022. However, it is unclear how many more than that there were since many of the residency programs that offer preliminary positions also offer categorical ones.
See the 2022 Main Residency Match Results and Data for more information on general surgery match statistics.
How to Match into General Surgery: Impressing Program Directors
To match into general surgery, you must first be invited to interview. According to the most recent program director (PD) survey from 2021, PDs shared what they look for in candidates they hope to interview.
For general surgery, the top five most important characteristics for receiving an interview, according to program directors, were:
- USMLE Step 1 Score
- MSPE
- USMLE Step 2 CK Score
- Grades in Required Clerkships
- Any Failed USMLE Attempt
The same data are presented more fully in a table. Here you will see the % of program director respondents who cited a factor as important for granting an interview, as well as the mean importance score (out of 5).
To balance the breadth of program directors citing each factor with the importance given to each factor, a “composite score” was created. This composite score takes the average of the % respondents citing a factor with the importance score scaled to 100%. For example, if 80% of PDs cited a given factor, with a mean importance score of 5.0 (out of 5), the composite score would be 90%. (The average of 80% of PDs citing with 5/5 – or 100% – for the mean importance, for a composite score of 90%).
| Surgery General: Characteristics Considered in Deciding Whom to INTERVIEW (% of Respondents Endorsing) | Surgery General: Characteristics Considered in Deciding Whom to INTERVIEW (Mean Importance / 5) | Surgery General: Characteristics Considered for Interview Composite Score (Average of % Respondents Endorsing and Mean Importance / 5) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| USMLE Step 1 Score | 96.1% | 4 | 89.7% |
| MSPE | 85.5% | 3.9 | 88.5% |
| USMLE Step 2 CK Score | 84.2% | 4 | 88.1% |
| Grades in Required Clerkships | 76.3% | 4 | 85.8% |
| Any Failed USMLE Attempt | 71.1% | 4.8 | 83.6% |
| Class Ranking/Quartile | 69.7% | 3.9 | 82.1% |
| Grades in Clerkship in Preferred Specialty | 75.0% | 4.3 | 81.8% |
| Any Failed COMLEX-USA Attempt | 42.1% | 4.8 | 81.8% |
| Consistency of Grades | 63.2% | 3.9 | 80.5% |
| COMLEX-USA Level 1 score | 44.7% | 4 | 80.2% |
| Awards/Honors in Clinical Clerkships | 69.7% | 3.6 | 80.1% |
| COMLEX-USA Level 2 CE Score | 39.5% | 4 | 78.2% |
| AOA Membership | 65.8% | 3.6 | 78.2% |
| GHHS Membership | 56.6% | 3.7 | 76.5% |
| Passing USMLE Step 2 CS | 39.5% | 3.7 | 74.6% |
| Awards/Honors, Clerkship in Preferred Specialty | 61.8% | 3.7 | 73.9% |
| Continuous Medical Education w/o Gaps | 32.9% | 3.8 | 71.9% |
| Medical School Accreditation Status | 42.1% | 4.1 | 70.9% |
| Medical School Reputation | 44.7% | 3.6 | 70.6% |
| Passing COMLEX-USA Level 2 PE | 22.4% | 3.9 | 70.6% |
| Awards/Honors in Basic Sciences | 30.3% | 3.1 | 70.6% |
| Sigma Sigma Phi Membership | 19.7% | 3.6 | 69.1% |
| USMLE Step 3 Score | 7.9% | 3 | 68.9% |
| COMLEX-USA Level 3 Score | 7.9% | 3.2 | 67.9% |
| How Medical School Handled Virtual Rotations | 1.3% | 3 | 65.3% |
| Letters of Recommendation in Specialty | 93.4% | 4.3 | 62.4% |
| Personal Statement (Overall) | 84.2% | 3.8 | 62.2% |
| Diversity Characteristics | 81.6% | 4.1 | 62.1% |
| Perceived Commitment to Specialty | 72.4% | 4.4 | 60.5% |
| Having Overcome Significant Obstacles | 75.0% | 3.9 | 59.8% |
| Professionalism and Ethics | 82.9% | 4.7 | 58.4% |
| Perceived Interest in Program | 72.4% | 4.2 | 58.2% |
| Leadership Qualities | 81.6% | 4.5 | 56.8% |
| Volunteer/Extracurricular Experience | 63.2% | 3.9 | 56.5% |
| Personal Prior Knowledge of Applicant | 71.1% | 3.9 | 56.1% |
| Other Life Experience | 65.8% | 3.9 | 54.5% |
| Audition Elective/Rotation in PD's Dept | 32.9% | 4 | 50.2% |
| Involvement and Interest in Research | 63.2% | 3.9 | 46.2% |
| Ability to Work Legally w/o Visa | 32.9% | 4.4 | 45.9% |
| Visa Status | 34.2% | 3.9 | 45.2% |
| Fluency in Language of Pt Population | 18.4% | 3.6 | 44.6% |
| NRMP Flag for Match Violation | 26.3% | 4.9 | 36.0% |
| Interest in Academic Career | 30.3% | 4.3 | 34.0% |
| Away Rotation in Specialty Elsewhere | 13.2% | 3.8 | 30.7% |
Here are the composite scores for the criteria general surgery program directors use for grading interviews.
What Do General Surgery Program Directors Look for When Ranking Applicants?
Getting an interview is only part of the process of matching into general surgery. Program directors also rank the most important factors for creating their rank order list.
In the 2021 Program Director Survey, general surgery PDs rated these criteria as most important for deciding whom to rank:
- USMLE Step 1 Score
- MSPE
- USMLE Step 2 CK Score
- Class Ranking/Quartile
- Any Failed USMLE Attempt
We can see the full list here:
| Surgery General: Characteristics Considered in Deciding Whom to RANK (% of Respondents Endorsing) | Surgery General: Characteristics Considered in Deciding Whom to RANK (Mean Importance / 5) | Surgery General: Characteristics Considered for Rank Composite Score (Average of % Respondents Endorsing and Mean Importance / 5) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| USMLE Step 1 Score | 67.1% | 4 | 93.8% |
| MSPE | 53.9% | 3.9 | 92.8% |
| USMLE Step 2 CK Score | 65.8% | 4 | 90.1% |
| Class Ranking/Quartile | 50.0% | 3.9 | 89.1% |
| Any Failed USMLE Attempt | 36.8% | 4.7 | 83.5% |
| Grades in Required Clerkships | 43.4% | 3.9 | 80.9% |
| COMLEX-USA Level 2 CE Score | 32.9% | 4 | 80.8% |
| COMLEX-USA Level 1 score | 34.2% | 4.1 | 79.2% |
| Any Failed COMLEX-USA Attempt | 22.4% | 4.8 | 77.9% |
| Grades in Clerkship in Preferred Specialty | 42.1% | 4.2 | 77.6% |
| Consistency of Grades | 35.5% | 3.9 | 75.2% |
| AOA Membership | 39.5% | 3.6 | 73.6% |
| GHHS Membership | 28.9% | 3.7 | 72.9% |
| Continuous Medical Education w/o Gaps | 23.7% | 3.8 | 70.7% |
| Passing USMLE Step 2 CS | 22.4% | 4.2 | 66.0% |
| Awards/Honors, Clerkship in Preferred Specialty | 31.6% | 3.9 | 66.0% |
| Awards/Honors in Clinical Clerkships | 26.3% | 3.9 | 65.4% |
| Medical School Reputation | 21.1% | 3.9 | 64.0% |
| Medical School Accreditation Status | 17.1% | 4.2 | 63.1% |
| Passing COMLEX-USA Level 2 PE | 13.2% | 4 | 62.1% |
| Sigma Sigma Phi Membership | 10.5% | 3.9 | 61.4% |
| Awards/Honors in Basic Sciences | 11.8% | 3.6 | 60.7% |
| USMLE Step 3 Score | 2.6% | 3.5 | 59.2% |
| COMLEX-USA Level 3 Score | 1.3% | 5 | 59.1% |
| How Medical School Handled Virtual Rotations | 2.6% | 3 | 58.8% |
| Interpersonal Skills | 89.5% | 4.9 | 58.1% |
| Interactions with Faculty During Interview/Visit | 89.5% | 4.8 | 57.6% |
| Feedback from Current Residents | 84.2% | 4.7 | 57.5% |
| Interactions with House Staff During Interview/Visit | 84.2% | 4.8 | 56.8% |
| Diversity Characteristics | 71.1% | 4.2 | 56.5% |
| Perceived Commitment to Specialty | 68.4% | 4.5 | 55.8% |
| Letters of Recommendation in Specialty | 77.6% | 4.2 | 54.8% |
| Perceived Interest in Program | 69.7% | 4.3 | 53.2% |
| Personal Statement | 57.9% | 3.7 | 52.5% |
| Professionalism and Ethics | 69.7% | 4.6 | 52.2% |
| Leadership Qualities | 75.0% | 4.6 | 51.5% |
| Having Overcome Significant Obstacles | 68.4% | 4.1 | 50.7% |
| Personal Prior Knowledge of Applicant | 55.3% | 4.3 | 50.6% |
| Other Life Experience | 46.1% | 3.9 | 49.9% |
| Volunteer/Extracurricular Experience | 44.7% | 3.9 | 49.9% |
| Audition Elective/Rotation in PD's Dept | 25.0% | 4 | 49.6% |
| Involvement and Interest in Research | 38.2% | 4 | 46.6% |
| Fluency in Language of Patient Population | 9.2% | 3.9 | 45.9% |
| Ability to Work Legally w/o Visa | 28.9% | 4.3 | 44.3% |
| Other Post-Interview Contact | 23.7% | 3.8 | 44.3% |
| Interest in Academic Career | 27.6% | 4.5 | 43.6% |
| NRMP Flag for Match Violation | 17.1% | 4.9 | 41.9% |
| Visa Status | 19.7% | 3.6 | 36.3% |
| Applicant Facility with Meeting Platform Tech | 14.5% | 3.7 | 36.3% |
| Away Rotation in Specialty Elsewhere | 2.6% | 3.5 | 34.6% |
| Second Interview/Visit | 9.2% | 3 | 31.3% |
Finally, we can see the composite scores for criteria used to rank general surgery applicants.
What Characteristics Do Successful General Surgery Applicants Share?
Here are the characteristics of matched vs. unmatched US seniors applying to general surgery.
| Matched | Unmatched | |
|---|---|---|
| Mean number of contiguous ranks, US Senior | 14.2 | 7 |
| Mean number of distinct specialties ranked, US Senior | 1 | 1.1 |
| Step 1, US Senior | 237 | 225 |
| Step 2, US Senior | 250 | 238 |
| Mean number of research experiences, US Senior | 4.7 | 4 |
| Mean number of abstracts, presentations, and publications, US Senior | 8.6 | 5.3 |
| Mean number of work experiences, US Senior | 3.8 | 3.7 |
| Mean number of volunteer experiences, US Senior | 8.9 | 7.8 |
| Percentage who are AOA members, US Senior | 19.7 | 2.3 |
| Percentage who graduated from one of the 40 U.S. medical schools with the highest NIH funding, US Senior | 33.1 | 16.4 |
| Percentage who have Ph.D. degree, US Senior | 2.3 | 1.3 |
| Percentage who have another graduate degree, US Senior | 24.3 | 23.7 |
Match Into General Surgery: Pass the Screens with High USMLEs
General Surgery highly relies on standardized screens to weed out applicants. In the 2021 Program Director Survey, general surgery PDs respondents reported that 59% of applications were rejected via standardized screen. This ranked at the top of residencies.
What Are the Step 1 and Step 2 CK Cut-Offs for Interviews in General Surgery?
As mentioned above, general surgery ranks at the top of programs using standardized screens to eliminate applications. Many general surgery programs screen out applicants with failed USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK (see below). In addition, PDs use Step 1 and Step 2 CK score cut-offs to weed out applicants.
For Step 1, general surgery program directors reported Step 1 score cut-offs between 219 and 229 as 25% and 75%ile marks to screen out applicants.
Similarly, general surgery program directors reported Step 2 CK scores between 219 and 230 as 25% and 75%ile cut-offs.
For more on the USMLE cut-off scores for granting interviews – or weeding out applicants – see this article.
If I Fail Step 1, Can I Still Match Into General Surgery?
If you failed Step 1, you might wonder if you can still match into general surgery. In the most recent program director survey addressing this question, we can see that general surgery programs are relatively unforgiving if you’ve failed Step 1.
In 2020, general surgery 44% of PDs reported they “never” consider applicants who fail Step 1, while 56% would “seldom” consider it. That said 0% of general surgery programs “often” consider someone with a Step 1 fail.
Did you fail Step 1 and are wondering what you can do to recover? Read this article and consider scheduling a consultation.
If I Fail Step 2 CK, Can I Still Match Into General Surgery?
Similarly, you may wonder what your chances of matching into general surgery are if you fail Step 2 CK. Just like with Step 1, general surgery PDs are unforgiving for not passing Step 2 CK.
In 2020, general surgery 54% of PDs reported they “never” consider applicants who fail Step 2 CK, while 46% would “seldom” consider it. That said, 0% of general surgery programs “often” consider someone with a Step 2 CK fail.
Did you fail Step 2 CK and wonder what you can do to recover? Read this article and consider scheduling a consultation.
How Many Publications for General Surgery Residency in 2022
Research is an important characteristic for matching into many specialties, particularly the most competitive. So, how many publications do you need to match into a general surgery residency?
In 2022, the mean number of abstracts, presentations, and publications for US seniors who matched into general surgery was 8.6. The mean number of research experiences was 4.7.
Do I Need an MD-PhD to Become a General Surgeon?
You may wonder how much an MD-PhD helps with matching into general surgery. It appears that having a PhD correlates with a modest advantage of 7% when applying into general surgery. Specifically, the match rate for those with a PhD is 7% higher than for those without one when applying into general surgery.
Note that those with PhDs are relatively rare among general surgery residents. In fact, only 2.3% of matched applicants into general surgery had a PhD in 2022.
General Surgery Residency Interviews
When you apply to general surgery, you may be wondering what the chances of getting an interview are. Here we present the outcomes of applicants per the 2021 NRMP Program Director Survey.
Note that general surgery uses standardized screens to reduce the number of applicants. Roughly 59% of applicants that year were eliminated via a screen (e.g., Step 2 CK scores, visa status, failed a USMLE in the past, etc.).
When Are General Surgery Residency Interview Invites Sent vs. Conducted?
When you apply to residency, you’ll be doing a lot of waiting. Specifically, you’ll be waiting to hear whether – and when – you will be able to interview.
Want to know when you might expect to hear from general surgery programs re: your residency application? Here are when programs typically extend and conduct interviews. Note that the most recent data are from 2020.
Here are the same data presented differently. Note that due to rounding, sometimes the percentages can add up to more than 100%.
How Many Interviews to Match in General Surgery?
How many interviews to match in general surgery with confidence? For US Seniors, the magic number of interviews needed to match into general surgery is 9-13. In 2022, having 9 interviews (and ranking them all on their match list) led to a 75% chance of matching. For even greater safety, though, having 13+ interviews led to a ≥91% chance of matching into general surgery for US seniors.
How Many Interviews to Match in General Surgery as a DO?
For DO seniors, considerably more interviews were necessary to match into general surgery comfortably. To get to the 75% threshold, ≥ 10 interviews were needed. To reach the ≥ 90% threshold, 12+ interviews were needed in 2022.
How Many Interviews to Match in General Surgery as an IMG?
Similar to DOs, more interviews were necessary for IMGs to comfortably match into general surgery. To reach the 75% threshold, ≥8-9 interviews were necessary. Note that because of so few candidates with ≥ 9 interviews, the numbers become considerably “noisier,” and can’t be interpreted with much confidence.
Concluding Thoughts
Matching into general surgery is a challenging proposition. The challenge may feel more daunting if we have perceived weaknesses in our application, or if we want to match in a top program, a desirable location, and/or couples match.
The good news? How to match into general surgery depends largely on things you can control – your USMLEs, your clinical performance/MSPEs, and whether you fail Step 1 or Step 2 CK.
Looking for a General Surgery Residency Advisor?
Looking for a general surgery residency advisor? Want help writing your personal statement? Need effective strategies for interviewing? Do you have things on your application – e.g., low USMLE scores, failed USMLEs, no research, IMG status, or others – you need help overcoming?
Be sure to check out our Residency Advisor service.
