Is obstetrics and gynecology competitive? How important are the USMLEs, research, med school reputation, and AOA membership for matching into obstetrics and gynecology? Is obstetrics and gynecology IMG-friendly? And what is the DO match rate for obstetrics and gynecology programs?
In this article, you’ll learn everything about obstetrics and gynecology’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:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology 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 Obstetric and Gynecology 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 16.1%, making it moderately competitive among US residencies. The match rate for obstetrics and gynecology is considerably better than the most competitive specialties like plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, or otolaryngology. However, obstetrics and gynecology is considerably more competitive than pediatrics, anesthesiology, physical medicine, or even radiation oncology in the 2022 match.
For more on the most competitive US specialties, see this article.
Obstetrics and Gynecology Match Rate
What is the Obstetrics and Gynecology 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 Obstetrics and Gynecology Match Rate (2022 Match): 83.9%
- DO Senior Obstetrics and Gynecology Match Rate (2022 Match): 65%
- US IMG Obstetrics and Gynecology Match Rate (2022 Match): 34%
- Non-US IMG Obstetrics and Gynecology Match Rate (2022 Match): 33%
See below for more on matching into obstetrics and gynecology as a DO or IMG.
Obstetrics and Gynecology Match Statistics 2022
In 2022, there were 1,503 obstetrics and gynecology positions available in the NRMP match. A total of 2,044 applicants listed it as their preferred specialty.
In the 2022 Match, obstetrics and gynecology ranked #8 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
- Obstetrics and Gynecology: 1,503
How Many Applicants Receive Interviews in Obstetrics and Gynecology?
According to the 2021 Program Director survey, each Obstetrics and Gynecology program received 652 applications on average. Other data include:
- Applications received (Obstetrics and Gynecology): 652
- Applications rejected based on standardized screen (Obstetrics and Gynecology): 300
- Applications receiving holistic review (Obstetrics and Gynecology): 375
- Interview invitations sent (Obstetrics and Gynecology): 91
- Applicants interviewed (Obstetrics and Gynecology): 81
- Applicants ranked (Obstetrics and Gynecology): 75
Looking at the percentages, we can see that for the 2021 Match:
- 46% of Obstetrics and Gynecology applications were rejected via standardized screen,
- Only 58% of Obstetrics and Gynecology applications received a holistic review,
- 14% of Obstetrics and Gynecology applications received an interview invitation, and
- 12% of all Obstetrics and Gynecology applicants were ranked to match
Obstetrics and Gynecology is Moderately Reliant on Screens
Obstetrics and Gynecology relies on standardized screens to weed out applicants. In the 2021 Program Director Survey, obstetrics and gynecology PDs respondents reported that 46% of applications were rejected via standardized screen. This ranked near the middle of residencies.
USMLE Scores for Obstetrics and Gynecology
Step 1 scores for obstetrics and gynecology for matched US seniors reflect its moderate competitiveness.
Obstetrics and Gynecology Step 1 Scores (Matched Applicants in 2022 Match):
- 25%ile: 224
- Median: 235
- 75%ile: 245
Step 1 Obstetrics and Gynecology Scores Are Middle of the Road (2022 Match)
Similarly, Step 2 CK scores for obstetrics and gynecology for matched US seniors reflect its moderate competitiveness.
Obstetrics and Gynecology Step 2 CK Scores (Matched Applicants in 2022 Match):
- 25%ile: 240
- Median: 249
- 75%ile: 258
Step 2 CK Obstetrics and Gynecology 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 Obstetrics and Gynecology as a DO
Matching into Obstetrics and Gynecology as a DO is moderately competitive, with a 65% match rate and 16% of spots filled by DO Seniors in the 2022 Match. In 2022, 371 DO seniors applied for Obstetrics and Gynecology; 241 matched.
Obstetrics and Gynecology is Moderately DO-Friendly (2022 Match)
For more on the most DO-friendly specialties, see this article.
Is Obstetrics and Gynecology IMG Friendly?
Obstetrics and Gynecology is moderately IMG-friendly, with an overall 33% match rate and 5% of spots filled by IMGs in the 2022 Match. In 2022, 125 US IMGs and 119 non-US IMGs applied to Obstetrics and Gynecology; 42 US IMGs and 39 non-US IMGs matched.
Obstetrics and Gynecology is Moderately IMG-Friendly (2022 Match)
We can see that US IMGs had a slightly higher match rate (34%) than non-US IMGs (33%) in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
For Obstetrics and Gynecology, US IMGs had a slightly higher match rate (34%) than non-US IMGs (33%) in the 2022 Match
For more on the most IMG-friendly specialties, see this article.
Obstetrics and Gynecology-Friendly IMG Residency Programs
For a list of the most IMG-friendly obstetrics and gynecology programs, see this article.
How Much Do Obstetrics and Gynecologists Make per Year? Per Hour?
Obstetrics and Gynecologists have an average annual salary of $336,000. This can vary dramatically based on practice setting, specialty training, and experience level.
Obstetrics and Gynecologists make $336,000 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 obstetrics and gynecologists, we get an estimated hourly salary of $123/hr.
Obstetrics and Gynecologist make roughly $123/hr on average when taking in hours worked per year
See this article for more on physician annual salaries and estimated hourly wage by specialty.
How Important is AOA for Obstetric and Gynecology?
AOA – Alpha Omega Alpha – is the med school honors society. Each school may elect up to 20% of the graduating class of students.
Having 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 a 16% match rate advantage for Obstetrics and Gynecology in the 2022 Match
In the 2022 Match, the match rate for US seniors with AOA membership was 16% greater than that of US seniors without AOA membership. AOA membership provided a moderate advantage to matching into obstetrics and gynecology 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 obstetrics and gynecology.
For more on AOA medical schools and the importance of class rank for matching, see this article.
How Many Publications for Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency in 2022
Research is an important characteristics for matching into many specialties, particularly the most competitive. So, how many publications do you need to match into an obstetrics and gynecology residency?
In 2022, the mean number of abstracts, presentations, and publications for US seniors who matched into obstetrics and gynecology was 6.8. The mean number of research experiences was 4.4.
Do I Need an MD-PhD to Match Into Obstetrics and Gynecology?
You may wonder how much an MD-PhD helps with matching into obstetrics and gynecology. It appears that having a PhD correlates with a modest advantage of 4% when applying into obstetrics and gynecology. Specifically, the match rate for those with a PhD is 4% higher than for those without one when applying into obstetrics and gynecology.
Having a PhD correlated with a 4% match rate advantage for Obstetrics and Gynecology in the 2022 Match
Note that those with PhDs are relatively rare among obstetrics and gynecology residents. In fact, only 1.5% of matched applicants into obstetrics and gynecology had a PhD in 2022.
1.5% of matched applicants to Obstetrics and Gynecology had an MD-PhD in 2022
Should You Attend a Top Medical School to Match Into Obstetrics and Gynecology?
Does attending a top medical school help with matching into Obstetrics and Gynecology? According to the program director survey results above, 31.5% of Obstetrics and Gynecology PDs consider medical school reputation when considering whom to interview. The mean importance score was 3.6.
Similarly, we can look at the advantage to attending a school in the top 40 by NIH funding. In 2022, there was a 4% advantage in match rate to 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 a 4% match rate advantage for Obstetrics and Gynecology in the 2022 Match
Does an MPH or MBA Help Match Into Obstetrics and Gynecology?
Medical training is long. Despite this, many consider – or complete – other degrees, like MPHs or MBAs.
But how much of an advantage – or disadvantage – does an MPH (Master of Public Health) or MBA (Master of Business Administration) confer when applying into obstetrics and gynecology? Not much, it turns out. The match rate for US seniors with other degrees was 5% higher than the rate for those with no other degrees.
These statistics imply that having a second degree modestly (5%) helps your chances of matching into obstetrics and gynecology.
Having another degree like an MBA or MPH correlated with a 5% match rate disadvantage for Obstetrics and Gynecology in the 2022 Match
What Are the Best Obstetrics and Gynecology Programs?
While obstetrics and gynecology may be moderately competitive, the most desirable programs will always be extremely difficult to enter. So which are the best obstetrics and gynecology residency programs?
Opinions will vary. However, some of the most desirable obstetrics and gynecology residency programs would include:
- University of California- San Francisco
- Northwestern University- Chicago
- Colombia University- New York
- University of Pennsylvania-Philadelphia
- Johns Hopkins University
- Duke University
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Concluding Thoughts
So how competitive is obstetrics and gynecology 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, obstetrics and gynecology 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 obstetrics and gynecology 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.
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Looking for an obstetrics and gynecology 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?
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