Are you wondering how to match into obstetrics and gynecology? Or how many obstetrics and gynecology residency programs are there? Do you want to know everything there is about OB/GYN residency interviews? Need to know how many interviews to match in OB/GYN?
In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to match into obstetrics and gynecology.
Summary:
- Obstetrics and gynecology is moderately competitive, in part due to having so many programs and positions available.
- In part due to the volume of applications, OB/GYN residency programs use standardized screens to “weed out” applicants.
- The most successful applicants will have a diversity of characteristics, have good USMLE scores, a stellar MSPE, and have letters of recommendation.
- Historically, most OB/GYN interview invites occur before October 31, and the vast majority before November 31
Table of Contents
How Competitive is it to Match into Obstetrics and Gynecology?
How competitive is it to match into OB/GYN in the US? Here we have the unmatched % for US seniors by specialty. The “Unmatched %” means the % of US seniors who applied into OB/GYN 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 OB/GYN.
For more on the competitiveness of OB/GYN relative to other medical specialties, see this article.
How Many Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Programs Are There?
Before we discuss how many OB/GYN residency programs there are in the US, let’s review some terminology. For many specialized residency programs (e.g., anesthesiology, dermatology, radiology, radiation oncology, etc.), the specialty training begins during their second year of residency. This second year is also known as the PGY-2 (post-graduate year 2, for the second year after graduating from medical school).
Categorical vs. Advanced vs. Physician Obstetrics and Gynecology Programs
Many specialties have three different kinds of residency programs applicants can potentially enter: categorical, advanced, and physician (R).
Programs that include the PGY-1 “intern” year are known as “categorical” programs. OB/GYN programs only offer this categorical option.
Others specialties, however, require applicants to match separately into an intern year. These programs, which begin in the PGY-2 years, are referred to as “advanced” positions.
Finally, for others who have already completed at least a year of residency training, they may be eligible for a “physician” position. These positions allow applicants to move directly into the PGY-2 specialty training and skip the PGY-1 year. This arrangement may be ideal for those who want to complete residency sooner and not have to repeat their intern year.
How Many OB/GYN Residency Programs and Positions Are There?
In the 2022 NRMP Match, there were:
- 288 obstetrics and gynecology offering 1,503 PGY-1 (categorical) positions,
- No programs offering PGY-2 (advanced) positions, and
- No programs offering Physician (R) positions
Thus, the total number of OB/GYN residency positions in 2022 was 1,503. There were at least 288 OB/GYN programs in 2022.
See the 2022 Main Residency Match Results and Data for more information on OB/GYN match statistics.
How to Match into Obstetrics and Gynecology: Impressing Program Directors
To match into OB/GYN, 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 OB/GYN, the top five most important characteristics for receiving an interview, according to program directors, were:
- Diversity Characteristics
- Letters of Recommendation in Specialty
- MSPE
- Leadership Qualities
- Professionalism and Ethics
The same data are presented more fully in a table. Here you will see the percentage 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%).
| Obstetrics and Gynecology: Characteristics Considered in Deciding Whom to INTERVIEW (% of Respondents Endorsing) | Obstetrics and Gynecology: Characteristics Considered in Deciding Whom to INTERVIEW (Mean Importance / 5) | Obstetrics and Gynecology: Characteristics Considered for Interview Composite Score (Average of % Respondents Endorsing and Mean Importance / 5) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diversity Characteristics | 88.8% | 4.2 | 86.4% |
| Letters of Recommendation in Specialty | 88.8% | 4 | 84.4% |
| MSPE | 84.3% | 4.1 | 83.2% |
| Leadership Qualities | 79.8% | 4.3 | 82.9% |
| Professionalism and Ethics | 73.0% | 4.6 | 82.5% |
| Having Overcome Significant Obstacles | 78.7% | 4.3 | 82.4% |
| Personal Statement (Overall) | 84.3% | 4 | 82.2% |
| Perceived Commitment to Specialty | 76.4% | 4.3 | 81.2% |
| Any Failed USMLE Attempt | 71.9% | 4.5 | 81.0% |
| Perceived Interest in Program | 78.7% | 4 | 79.4% |
| Grades in Required Clerkships | 79.8% | 3.9 | 78.9% |
| Volunteer/Extracurricular Experience | 77.5% | 4 | 78.8% |
| Grades in Clerkship in Preferred Specialty | 76.4% | 4 | 78.2% |
| USMLE Step 1 Score | 84.3% | 3.6 | 78.2% |
| Other Life Experience | 69.7% | 4.2 | 76.9% |
| USMLE Step 2 CK Score | 78.7% | 3.7 | 76.4% |
| Class Ranking/Quartile | 71.9% | 3.8 | 74.0% |
| Personal Prior Knowledge of Applicant | 66.3% | 4 | 73.2% |
| Consistency of Grades | 56.2% | 4.1 | 69.1% |
| GHHS Membership | 64.0% | 3.7 | 69.0% |
| Any Failed COMLEX-USA Attempt | 50.6% | 4.3 | 68.3% |
| Involvement and Interest in Research | 57.3% | 3.6 | 64.7% |
| Audition Elective/Rotation in PD's Dept | 46.1% | 4.1 | 64.1% |
| AOA Membership | 53.9% | 3.6 | 63.0% |
| Awards/Honors, Clerkship in Preferred Specialty | 55.1% | 3.5 | 62.6% |
| Awards/Honors in Clinical Clerkships | 53.9% | 3.5 | 62.0% |
| Passing USMLE Step 2 CS | 53.9% | 3.5 | 62.0% |
| NRMP Flag for Match Violation | 31.5% | 4.6 | 61.8% |
| Medical School Accreditation Status | 42.7% | 4 | 61.4% |
| Fluency in Language of Pt Population | 52.8% | 3.3 | 59.4% |
| COMLEX-USA Level 1 score | 43.8% | 3.7 | 58.9% |
| COMLEX-USA Level 2 CE Score | 43.8% | 3.7 | 58.9% |
| Continuous Medical Education w/o Gaps | 33.7% | 4 | 56.9% |
| Visa Status | 32.6% | 3.9 | 55.3% |
| Ability to Work Legally w/o Visa | 25.8% | 4.2 | 54.9% |
| Interest in Academic Career | 22.5% | 4.1 | 52.3% |
| Medical School Reputation | 31.5% | 3.6 | 51.8% |
| Passing COMLEX-USA Level 2 PE | 29.2% | 3.5 | 49.6% |
| Awards/Honors in Basic Sciences | 28.1% | 3.2 | 46.1% |
| Away Rotation in Specialty Elsewhere | 14.6% | 3.4 | 41.3% |
| USMLE Step 3 Score | 11.2% | 3.5 | 40.6% |
| COMLEX-USA Level 3 Score | 7.9% | 3.6 | 40.0% |
| Sigma Sigma Phi Membership | 21.3% | 2.9 | 39.7% |
| How Medical School Handled Virtual Rotations | 4.5% | 2 | 22.3% |
Here are the composite scores for the criteria OB/GYN program directors use for grading interviews.
What Do Obstetrics and Gynecology Program Directors Look for When Ranking Applicants?
Getting an interview is only part of the process of matching into OB/GYN. Program directors also rank the most important factors for creating their rank order list.
In the 2021 Program Director Survey, OB/GYN PDs rated these criteria as most important for deciding whom to rank:
- Feedback from Current Residents
- Interpersonal Skills
- Interactions with Faculty During Interview/Visit
- Interactions with House Staff During Interview/Visit
- Diversity Characteristics
We can see the full list here:
| Obstetrics and Gynecology: Characteristics Considered in Deciding Whom to RANK (% of Respondents Endorsing) | Obstetrics and Gynecology: Characteristics Considered in Deciding Whom to RANK (Mean Importance / 5) | Obstetrics and Gynecology: Characteristics Considered for Rank Composite Score (Average of % Respondents Endorsing and Mean Importance / 5) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feedback from Current Residents | 86.5% | 4.8 | 91.3% |
| Interpersonal Skills | 82.0% | 4.9 | 90.0% |
| Interactions with Faculty During Interview/Visit | 80.9% | 4.8 | 88.5% |
| Interactions with House Staff During Interview/Visit | 78.7% | 4.9 | 88.4% |
| Diversity Characteristics | 75.3% | 4.5 | 82.7% |
| Professionalism and Ethics | 65.2% | 4.7 | 79.6% |
| Having Overcome Significant Obstacles | 65.2% | 4.2 | 74.6% |
| Leadership Qualities | 64.0% | 4.2 | 74.0% |
| Perceived Commitment to Specialty | 60.7% | 4.3 | 73.4% |
| Perceived Interest in Program | 62.9% | 4.1 | 72.5% |
| Other Life Experience | 53.9% | 4.1 | 68.0% |
| Letters of Recommendation in Specialty | 55.1% | 4 | 67.6% |
| Personal Statement | 56.2% | 3.7 | 65.1% |
| Personal Prior Knowledge of Applicant | 41.6% | 4.2 | 62.8% |
| MSPE | 49.4% | 3.8 | 62.7% |
| Any Failed USMLE Attempt | 29.2% | 4.7 | 61.6% |
| Volunteer/Extracurricular Experience | 39.3% | 4.1 | 60.7% |
| USMLE Step 2 CK Score | 42.7% | 3.8 | 59.4% |
| Audition Elective/Rotation in PD's Dept | 32.6% | 4.3 | 59.3% |
| USMLE Step 1 Score | 39.3% | 3.8 | 57.7% |
| Any Failed COMLEX-USA Attempt | 20.2% | 4.7 | 57.1% |
| Grades in Required Clerkships | 36.0% | 3.9 | 57.0% |
| Grades in Clerkship in Preferred Specialty | 32.6% | 4 | 56.3% |
| NRMP Flag for Match Violation | 14.6% | 4.8 | 55.3% |
| Class Ranking/Quartile | 36.0% | 3.7 | 55.0% |
| Passing USMLE Step 2 CS | 20.2% | 4.4 | 54.1% |
| Consistency of Grades | 28.1% | 3.9 | 53.1% |
| Involvement and Interest in Research | 31.5% | 3.6 | 51.8% |
| GHHS Membership | 27.0% | 3.8 | 51.5% |
| Medical School Accreditation Status | 16.9% | 4.3 | 51.5% |
| Awards/Honors, Clerkship in Preferred Specialty | 22.5% | 3.9 | 50.3% |
| Continuous Medical Education w/o Gaps | 15.7% | 4.2 | 49.9% |
| COMLEX-USA Level 1 score | 23.6% | 3.8 | 49.8% |
| Passing COMLEX-USA Level 2 PE | 11.2% | 4.4 | 49.6% |
| COMLEX-USA Level 2 CE Score | 24.7% | 3.7 | 49.4% |
| Interest in Academic Career | 19.1% | 3.9 | 48.6% |
| AOA Membership | 27.0% | 3.5 | 48.5% |
| Fluency in Language of Patient Population | 27.0% | 3.5 | 48.5% |
| Ability to Work Legally w/o Visa | 10.1% | 4.3 | 48.1% |
| Awards/Honors in Clinical Clerkships | 19.1% | 3.8 | 47.6% |
| COMLEX-USA Level 3 Score | 4.5% | 4.5 | 47.3% |
| Visa Status | 15.7% | 3.9 | 46.9% |
| Other Post-Interview Contact | 21.3% | 3.5 | 45.7% |
| Medical School Reputation | 7.0% | 3.9 | 42.5% |
| Awards/Honors in Basic Sciences | 13.5% | 3.5 | 41.8% |
| Applicant Facility with Meeting Platform Tech | 9.0% | 3.6 | 40.5% |
| USMLE Step 3 Score | 6.7% | 3.7 | 40.4% |
| Away Rotation in Specialty Elsewhere | 5.6% | 3.6 | 38.8% |
| Second Interview/Visit | 3.4% | 3.7 | 38.7% |
| Sigma Sigma Phi Membership | 9.0% | 3.4 | 38.5% |
| How Medical School Handled Virtual Rotations | 2.2% | 2.5 | 26.1% |
Finally, we can see the composite scores for criteria used to rank OB/GYN applicants.
What Characteristics Do Successful Obstetrics and Gynecology Applicants Share?
Here are the characteristics of matched vs. unmatched US seniors applying to OB/GYN.
| Matched | Unmatched | |
|---|---|---|
| Mean number of contiguous ranks, US Senior | 12.7 | 6.8 |
| Mean number of distinct specialties ranked, US Senior | 1 | 1.3 |
| Step 1, US Senior | 234 | 225 |
| Step 2, US Senior | 249 | 240 |
| Mean number of research experiences, US Senior | 4.4 | 3.6 |
| Mean number of abstracts, presentations, and publications, US Senior | 6.8 | 5 |
| Mean number of work experiences, US Senior | 3.8 | 3.6 |
| Mean number of volunteer experiences, US Senior | 10.2 | 9.1 |
| Percentage who are AOA members, US Senior | 22 | 4.9 |
| Percentage who graduated from one of the 40 U.S. medical schools with the highest NIH funding, US Senior | 29.5 | 22.8 |
| Percentage who have Ph.D. degree, US Senior | 1.5 | 1.1 |
| Percentage who have another graduate degree, US Senior | 20.3 | 14.5 |
Match Into Obstetrics and Gynecology: Pass the Screens with High USMLEs
OB/GYN relies on standardized screens to weed out applicants. In the 2021 Program Director Survey, OB/GYN PDs respondents reported that 46% of applications were rejected via standardized screen. This ranked near the middle of residencies.
What Are the Step 1 and Step 2 CK Cut-Offs for Interviews in Obstetrics and Gynecology?
As mentioned above, OB/GYN ranks near the middle of programs using standardized screens to eliminate applications. Many OB/GYN 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, OB/GYN program directors reported Step 1 score cut-offs between 207 and 219 as 25% and 75%ile marks to screen out applicants.
Similarly, OB/GYN program directors reported Step 2 CK scores between 212 and 220 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 Obstetrics and Gynecology?
If you failed Step 1, you might wonder if you can still match into OB/GYN. In the most recent program director survey addressing this question, we can see that OB/GYN programs are relatively unforgiving if you’ve failed Step 1.
In 2020, 33% of OB/GYN PDs reported they “never” consider applicants who fail Step 1, while 61% would “seldom” consider it. Only 5% of OB/GYN 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 OB/GYN?
Similarly, you may wonder what your chances of matching into OB/GYN are if you fail Step 2 CK. Just like with Step 1, OB/GYN PDs are unforgiving for not passing Step 2 CK.
In 2020, 50% of OB/GYN PDs reported they “never” consider applicants who fail Step 2 CK, while 50% would “seldom” consider it.
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 Obstetrics and Gynecology 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 an OB/GYN residency?
In 2022, the mean number of abstracts, presentations, and publications for US seniors who matched into OB/GYN was 6.8. The mean number of research experiences was 4.4.
Do I Need an MD-PhD to Become an Obstetrics and Gynecology Physician?
You may wonder how much an MD-PhD helps with matching into OB/GYN. It appears that having a PhD correlates with a modest advantage of 4% when applying into OB/GYN. Specifically, the match rate for those with a PhD is 4% higher than for those without one when applying into OB/GYN.
Note that those with PhDs are relatively rare among OB/GYN residents. In fact, only 1.5% of matched applicants into OB/GYN had a PhD in 2022.
Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Interviews
When you apply to OB/GYN, 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 OB/GYN uses standardized screens to reduce the number of applicants. Roughly 46% 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 Obstetrics and Gynecology 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 OB/GYN programs regarding your residency application? Here are when programs typically extend and conduct interviews. Note that the most recent data are from 2020. Most interview invitations are extended during October and most interviews are then conducted during November.
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 Obstetrics and Gynecology?
After applying to a program, applicants often wait anxiously to know whether they’ve received an interview invitation. Receiving – and attending – an interview allows applicants to “rank” that program on their match list. In other words, the more interviews you have, the more chances you have of matching into a given specialty.
So how many interviews to match in OB/GYN with confidence?
For US Seniors, the magic number of interviews needed to match into OB/GYN is between 7 to 10. In 2022, having 7 interviews (and ranking them all on their match list) led to a 83% chance of matching. For even greater safety, though, having 10+ interviews led to more than a 92% chance of matching into OB/GYN for US seniors.
How Many Interviews to Match in Obstetrics and Gynecology as a DO?
For DO seniors, more interviews were necessary to match into OB/GYN comfortably. To get to the 70% threshold, 8 or more interviews were needed. To reach the above the 90% threshold, 12 or more interviews were needed in 2022.
How Many Interviews to Match in Obstetrics and Gynecology as an IMG?
Similar to DOs, more interviews were necessary for IMGs to comfortably match in OB/GYN. To reach the 75% threshold, non-US IMGs needed four or more interviews. US IMGs needed 11 or more interviews to reach the 75% threshold. Note that because of so few candidates had 11 or more interviews, the numbers become considerably “noisier,” and can’t be interpreted with much confidence.
Concluding Thoughts
Matching into obstetrics and gynecology 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 OB/GYN depends largely on things you can control – your USMLEs, your clinical performance/MSPEs, whether you fail Step 1 or Step 2 CK, and letters of recommendation.
Looking for an Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Advisor?
Looking for an OB/GYN 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.
