Is pathology competitive? How important are the USMLEs, research, med school reputation, and AOA membership for matching into pathology? Is pathology IMG-friendly? And what is the DO match rate for pathology programs?
In this article, you’ll learn everything about pathology’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:
- Pathology Overall Competitiveness: Low
- Research Importance: Low
- USMLE Importance: Moderate
- Importance of Attending Top 40 Med School: Low
- Importance of Class Rank / Obtaining AOA (Med School Honors): Low
Table of Contents
Is Pathology 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 2.6%, making it less competitive among US residencies. The match rate for pathology is better than the most competitive specialties like plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, or otolaryngology. It ranked 5th as the least competitive speciality in the 2022 match.
For more on the most competitive US specialties, see this article.
Pathology Match Rate
What is the Pathology 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 Pathology Match Rate (2022 Match): 97.4%
- DO Senior Pathology Match Rate (2022 Match): 93%
- US IMG Pathology Match Rate (2022 Match): 45%
- Non-US IMG Pathology Match Rate (2022 Match): 59%
See below for more on matching into Pathology as a DO or IMG.
Pathology Match Statistics 2022
In 2022, there were 631 pathology positions available in the NRMP match. A total of 827 applicants listed it as their preferred specialty.
In the 2022 Match, pathology ranked #13 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
- Diagnostic Radiology: 1,155
- Orthopedic Surgery: 875
- Neurology: 1,014
- Dermatology: 544
- Pathology: 631
How Many Applicants Receive Interviews in Pathology?
According to the 2021 Program Director survey, each Pathology program received 504 applications on average. Other data include:
- Applications received (Pathology): 504
- Applications rejected based on standardized screen (Pathology): 251
- Applications receiving holistic review (Pathology): 248
- Interview invitations sent (Pathology): 68
- Applicants interviewed (Pathology): 59
- Applicants ranked (Pathology): 48
Looking at the percentages, we can see that for the 2021 Match:
- 50% of Pathology applications were rejected via standardized screen,
- Only 49% of Pathology applications received a holistic review,
- 13% of Pathology applications received an interview invitation, and
- 10% of all Pathology applicants were ranked to match
Pathology is Reliant on Screens
Pathology relies on standardized screens to weed out applicants. In the 2021 Program Director Survey, pathology PDs respondents reported that 50% of applications were rejected via standardized screen. This ranked above the middle of residencies.
USMLE Scores for Pathology
Step 1 scores for pathology for matched US seniors reflect its moderate competitiveness.
Pathology Step 1 Scores (Matched Applicants in 2022 Match):
- 25%ile: 221
- Median: 234
- 75%ile: 246
Pathology Scores Are Middle of the Road (2022 Match)
Similarly, Step 2 CK scores for pathology for matched US seniors reflect its moderate competitiveness.
Pathology Step 2 CK Scores (Matched Applicants in 2022 Match):
- 25%ile: 234
- Median: 247
- 75%ile: 256
Step 2 CK Pathology 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 Pathology as a DO
Matching into Pathology as a DO is moderately competitive, with a 93% match rate and 12% of spots filled by DO Seniors in the 2022 Match. In 2022, 81 DO seniors applied for Pathology; 75 matched.
Pathology is Moderately DO-Friendly (2022 Match)
For more on the most DO-friendly specialties, see this article.
Is Pathology IMG Friendly?
Pathology is moderately IMG-friendly, with an overall 55% match rate and 41% of spots filled by IMGs in the 2022 Match. In 2022, 134 US IMGs and 335 non-US IMGs applied to Pathology; 60 US IMGs and 198 non-US IMGs matched.
Pathology is Moderately IMG-Friendly (2022 Match)
We can see that US IMGs had a slightly lower match rate (45%) than non-US IMGs (59%) in Pathology.
For Pathology, US IMGs had a slightly lower match rate (45%) than non-US IMGs (59%) in the 2022 Match
For more on the most IMG-friendly specialties, see this article.
Pathology-Friendly IMG Residency Programs
For a list of the most IMG-friendly pathology programs, see this article.
How Much Do Pathologists Make per Year? Per Hour?
Pathologists have an average annual salary of $334,000. This can vary dramatically based on practice setting, specialty training, and experience level.
Pathologists make $334,000 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 pathologists, we get an estimated hourly salary of $147/hr.
Pathologists make roughly $147/hr on average when taking in hours worked per year
See this article for more on physician annual salaries and estimated hourly wages by specialty.
How Important is AOA for Pathology?
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 2% match rate advantage for Pathology in the 2022 Match
In the 2022 Match, the match rate for US seniors with AOA membership was 2% greater than that of US seniors without AOA membership. AOA membership provided a modest advantage to matching into pathology 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 pathology.
For more on AOA medical schools and the importance of class rank for matching, see this article.
How Many Publications for Pathology 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 pathology residency?
In 2022, the mean number of abstracts, presentations, and publications for US seniors who matched into pathology was 8.5. The mean number of research experiences was 3.4.
Do I Need an MD-PhD to Match Into Pathology?
You may wonder how much an MD-PhD helps with matching into pathology. It appears that having a PhD correlates with a slight advantage of 2% when applying into pathology. Specifically, the match rate for those with a PhD is 2% higher than for those without one when applying into pathology.
Having a PhD correlated with a 2% match rate advantage for Pathology in the 2022 Match
Note that those with PhDs are relatively high among pathology residents compared to other residencies. That said 22.3% of matched applicants into pathology had a PhD in 2022.
22.3% of matched applicants to Pathology had an MD-PhD in 2022
Should You Attend a Top Medical School to Match Into Pathology?
Does attending a top medical school help with matching into pathology? According to the program director survey results above, 36.4%% of pathology PDs consider medical school reputation when considering whom to interview. The mean importance score was 3.8.
Similarly, we can look at the advantage to attending a school in the top 40 by NIH funding. In 2022, there was a 2% 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 2% match rate advantage for Pathology in the 2022 Match
Does an MPH or MBA Help Match Into Pathology?
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 pathology? Not much, it turns out. In fact, the match rate for US seniors with other degrees was 2% lower than the rate for those with no 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 pathology, and may even hurt them (slightly).
Having another degree like an MBA or MPH correlated with a -2% match rate disadvantage for Pathology in the 2022 Match
What Are the Best Pathology Programs?
While pathology may be less competitive, the most desirable programs will always be extremely difficult to enter. So which are the best pathology residency programs?
Opinions will vary. However, some of the most desirable pathology residency programs would include:
- Duke University
- Colombia University – New York
- University of California – San Diego
- Brown University
- University of Washington
- University of Wisconsin – Madison
Concluding Thoughts
So how competitive is pathology in 2022? Based on the statistics, low competitiveness. 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, pathology 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 pathology 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 Pathology Residency Advisor?
Looking for a pathology 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.
