Is general surgery competitive? How important are the USMLEs, research, med school reputation, and AOA membership for matching into general surgery? Is general surgery IMG-friendly? And what is the DO match rate for general surgery programs?
In this article, you’ll learn everything about general surgery’s competitiveness in 2022. In the process, you’ll learn what to focus on – and what not to – to maximize your chances of matching into this desirable specialty.
Summary:
- General surgery Overall Competitiveness: Moderate
- Research Importance: Low
- USMLE Importance: Moderate
- Importance of Attending Top 40 Med School: Low
- Importance of Class Rank / Obtaining AOA (Med School Honors): Moderate
Table of Contents
Is General Surgery Competitive in 2022?
One way to assess the competitiveness of a specialty is to look at the match rate – the % of people who apply who end up matching into their preferred specialty.
Among US Seniors, the unmatched percentage was 18.4%, making it moderately competitive among US residencies. The match rate for general surgery is considerably better than the most competitive specialties like plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, or otolaryngology. However, general surgery is considerably more competitive than pediatrics, emergency medicine, child neurology, or even radiation oncology in the 2022 match.
For more on the most competitive US specialties, see this article.
General Surgery Match Rate
What is the general surgery match rate for US seniors, DO seniors, and IMGs? The “match rate” is the % of people who applied to a particular specialty as their preferred specialty who successfully matched into the specialty.
- US Senior General Surgery Match Rate (2022 Match): 81.6%
- DO Senior General Surgery Match Rate (2022 Match): 62%
- US IMG General Surgery Match Rate (2022 Match): 30%
- Non-US IMG General Surgery Match Rate (2022 Match): 26%
See below for more on matching into general surgery as a DO or IMG.
General Surgery Match Statistics 2022
In 2022, there were 1,622 general surgery positions available in the NRMP match. A total of 2,400 applicants listed it as their preferred specialty.
In the 2022 Match, general surgery ranked 7th for most total positions offered, behind:
- Internal medicine: 9,809 positions
- Family medicine: 4,926 positions
- Pediatrics: 3,016 positions
- Emergency medicine: 2,921 positions
- Psychiatry: 2,047 positions
- Anesthesiology: 1,969 positions
- General surgery: 1,622 positions
How Many Applicants Receive Interviews in General Surgery?
According to the 2021 Program Director survey, each general surgery program received 1,031 applications on average. Other data include:
- Applications received (General Surgery): 1,031
- Applications rejected based on standardized screen (General Surgery): 611
- Applications receiving holistic review (General Surgery): 484
- Interview invitations sent (General Surgery): 102
- Applicants interviewed (General Surgery): 89
- Applicants ranked (General Surgery): 79
Looking at the percentages, we can see that for the 2021 Match:
- 59% of general surgery applications were rejected via standardized screen,
- 47% of general surgery applications received a holistic review,
- 10% of general surgery applications received an interview invitation, and
- 8% of all general surgery applicants were ranked to match
General Surgery is Highly Reliant on Screens
General Surgery relies on standardized screens to weed out applicants. In the 2021 Program Director Survey, general surgery PD respondents reported that 59% of applications were rejected via standardized screen, making it at the upper end of all residencies.
USMLE Scores for General Surgery
Step 1 scores for general surgery for matched US seniors reflect its moderate competitiveness.
General Surgery Step 1 Scores (Matched Applicants in 2022 Match):
- 25%ile: 229
- Median: 238
- 75%ile: 248
Step 1 General Surgery Scores Are Middle of the Road (2022 Match)
Similarly, Step 2 CK scores for general surgery for matched US seniors reflect its moderate competitiveness.
General Surgery Step 2 CK Scores (Matched Applicants in 2022 Match):
- 25%ile: 242
- Median: 251
- 75%ile: 259
Step 2 CK General Surgery Scores Are Middle of the Road (2022 Match)
See this article for more on USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK percentiles for each specialty and the overall percentiles.
Matching into General Surgery as a DO
Matching into general surgery as a DO is moderately competitive, with a 62% match rate and 12% of spots filled by DO Seniors in the 2022 Match. In 2022, 325 DO seniors applied for general surgery; 200 matched.
General Surgery is Moderately DO-Friendly (2022 Match)
For more on the most DO-friendly specialties, see this article.
Is General Surgery IMG Friendly?
General Surgery is considered the least IMG-friendly, with just a 28% match rate and 9% of spots filled by IMGs in the 2022 Match. In 2022, 244 US IMGs and 291 non-US IMGs applied to general surgery; 74 US IMGs and 75 non-US IMGs matched.
General Surgery is among the least IMG-friendly specialties (2022 Match)
We can see that US IMGs had a slightly higher match rate (30%) than non-US IMGs (26%) in general surgery.
For general surgery, US IMGs had a slightly higher match rate (30%) than non-US IMGs (26%) in the 2022 Match
For more on the most IMG-friendly specialties, see this article.
General Surgery-Friendly IMG Residency Programs
For a list of the most IMG-friendly general surgery programs, see this article.
How Much Do General Surgeons Make Per Year? Per Hour?
General surgeons have an average annual salary of $402,000. This can vary dramatically based on practice setting, specialty training, and experience level.
General Surgeons make $402,000 per year on average
However, annual salaries can be misleading. Some specialties work much more than others. By considering the estimated hours worked per year for general surgeons, we get an estimated hourly salary of $141/hr.
General Surgeons make roughly $141/hr on average when taking in hours worked per year
See this article for more on physician’s annual salaries and estimated hourly wages by specialty.
How Important is AOA for General Surgery?
AOA – Alpha Omega Alpha – is the med school honors society. Each school may elect up to 20% of the graduating class of students.
Having an AOA membership confers a greater advantage to matching into some specialties more than others. Often this AOA advantage is greatest for the most competitive specialties.
AOA membership correlated with an 18% match rate advantage for general surgery in the 2022 Match
In the 2022 Match, the match rate for US seniors with AOA membership was 18% greater than that of US seniors without AOA membership. AOA membership provided a moderate advantage to matching into general surgery residency.
A number of schools do not have AOA chapters. Even in those schools, many of them rank students against each other. Regardless of AOA status, we can see that class rank is an important factor in successfully matching into general surgery.
For more on AOA medical schools and the importance of class rank for matching, see this article.
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 Match Into General Surgery?
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 when applying to general surgery. Specifically, the match rate for those with a PhD is 7% higher than for those without one when applying to general surgery.
Having a PhD correlated with a 7% match rate advantage for general surgery in the 2022 Match
Note that those with PhDs are relatively rare among general surgery residents. In fact, only 7% of matched applicants into general surgery had a PhD in 2022.
Should You Attend a Top Medical School to Match Into General Surgery?
Does attending a top medical school help with matching into general surgery? According to the program director survey results above, 52.4% of general surgery PDs consider medical school reputation when considering whom to interview. The mean importance score was 3.8.
Similarly, we can look at the advantages of attending a school in the top 40 by NIH funding. In 2022, there was an 11% advantage in match rate for those attending a school in the top 40 for NIH funding vs. those who did not.
Graduating from a medical school ranked in the top 40 by NIH funding correlated with an 11% match rate advantage for general surgery in the 2022 Match
Does an MPH or MBA Help Match Into General Surgery?
Medical training is long. Despite this, many consider – or complete – other degrees, like MPH’s or MBA’s.
But how much of an advantage – or disadvantage – does an MPH (Master of Public Health) or MBA (Master of Business Administration) confer when applying to general surgery? Not much, it turns out. The match rate for US seniors with other degrees was 12% lower than the rate for those with other degrees.
These statistics imply that having a second degree that isn’t a PhD doesn’t appear to help your chances of matching into general surgery, and may even hurt them.
Having another degree like an MBA or MPH correlated with a 12% match rate disadvantage for general surgery in the 2022 Match
What Are the Best General Surgery Programs?
While general surgery may be moderately competitive, the most desirable programs will always be extremely difficult to enter. So which are the best general surgery residency programs?
Opinions will vary. However, some of the most desirable general surgery residency programs would include:
- Duke University
- Johns Hopkins University
- University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
- Columbia University
- New York University (Grossman)
- Northwestern University (Feinberg)
Concluding Thoughts
So how competitive is general surgery in 2022? Based on the statistics, moderately so. It is not among the most competitive specialties like plastic surgery or orthopedic surgery. Nor does it require huge amounts of research or extra credentials like AOA membership or an Ivy League education to match.
That said, general surgery is still highly competitive, particularly for the most desirable programs. While it is true for all specialties, USMLE scores – and particularly Step 2 CK – will be emphasized moving forward, particularly given how reliant general surgery is on standardized screens to weed out applicants.
To learn more about how to master – not memorize – for impressive USMLE scores and higher class rankings, sign up for a free consultation. You can learn more about how Yousmle can help you to make the most of your time, to excel in your classes, Board exams, and the extracurriculars that are critical to matching.
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.
