Are you wondering how DO-friendly (or unfriendly) Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is as a US medical specialty? Do you want to know your chances of matching in this highly competitive field? Would you love to figure out what Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation programs a DO would stand the best chance?
This article will give you the most up-to-date information on DO-friendly Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation programs. Use this information to strategize on whether – and where – to apply to maximize your chances of matching as a DO in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Summary:
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is a competitive US medical specialty but there are DO-friendly residency programs
- Most residency programs accept at least some DOs, while others are DO favored
- Some Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation programs favor DOs with some filling all spots with DOs (Cleveland Clinic and Oklahoma State).
- See the full list of searchable residency programs to strategize where DOs have recently been the most welcome
- Be sure to bookmark this page – and sign up for the newsletter – to keep up with the latest residency and USMLE trends and maximize your chances of matching
Table of Contents
What’s the Difference Between a DO and an MD?
Let’s start with some definitions.
DO: Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
- Licensed physicians trained in “whole body” wellness and treatment techniques in muscle and joint manipulation in addition to mainstream treatments.
Allopathy Vs. Osteopathy
In the US, there are two main branches of registered physicians:
- Allopathy: In this path, doctors train in modern, sometimes referred to as “Western”, medicine to treat symptoms and diseases. Doctors who train in this branch are licensed as Doctors of Medicine (MD)
- Osteopathy: These doctors have the same education and licensing exams as MDs but have additional muscle and joint manipulation training. Doctors who train in Osteopathy are licensed as Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) and have the same residency training and choices as MDs.
COMLEX vs. USMLE
To begin practicing medicine, DOs and MDs must take specific licensing exams:
- COMLEX-USA: This test assesses osteopathic medical knowledge and allopathic medical knowledge to become licensed as a DO in the USA.
- USMLE: This test assesses allopathic medical knowledge and is required to become licensed as an MD.
NRMP: “National Resident Matching Program®”
- The organization that administers the “Match.” In the match, the NRMP pairs residency applicants with a residency program.
Note that before the 2020 Match, DOs had access to a “pool” of residencies reserved for which only they could match. The current system has merged DO and MD residencies so that every applicant has the same “chance” for matching in their chosen specialty.
For more on how to maximize your match chances and how the “Merge” has changed residency applications, see THE MATCH: Everything You Need to Maximize Your Residency Chances
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is Moderately DO-Friendly
Looking at the % of spots filled by DOs in the 2022 Match, we can see Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation was exceptionally DO-friendly and ranks at the top of all residencies with 33% of positions filled by DOs.
Moreover, the match rate for DOs in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (64%) shows the DOs have a moderate chance for acceptance in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in the 2022 Match:
Here are the same data represented in a table:
| % DO Applied that Matched | % DO Unmatched | % Positions Filled by DO | Total Positions Offered | Total # All Applicants | DO Senior Matched | DO Senior Unmatched | DO Senior Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Radiation Oncology | 0% | 100% | 0% | 185 | 162 | |||
| **Plastic Surgery | 0% | 100% | 0% | 194 | 340 | |||
| Vascular Surgery | 8% | 92% | 1% | 84 | 143 | 1 | 12 | 13 |
| Neurological Surgery | 43% | 57% | 4% | 240 | 379 | 9 | 12 | 21 |
| Dermatology | 50% | 50% | 7% | 544 | 834 | 38 | 38 | 76 |
| Orthopaedic Surgery | 56% | 44% | 13% | 875 | 1,435 | 111 | 86 | 197 |
| Interventional Radiology | 59% | 41% | 12% | 169 | 226 | 20 | 14 | 34 |
| Otolaryngology | 60% | 40% | 6% | 361 | 556 | 21 | 14 | 35 |
| General Surgery | 62% | 38% | 12% | 1,622 | 2,400 | 200 | 125 | 325 |
| Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation | 64% | 36% | 33% | 532 | 725 | 176 | 99 | 275 |
| Obstetrics and Gynecology | 65% | 35% | 16% | 1,503 | 2,044 | 241 | 130 | 371 |
| Anesthesiology | 66% | 34% | 16% | 1,969 | 2,560 | 313 | 161 | 474 |
| Diagnostic Radiology | 67% | 33% | 15% | 1,155 | 1,568 | 169 | 84 | 253 |
| Internal Medicine/Pediatrics | 74% | 26% | 9% | 392 | 458 | 37 | 13 | 50 |
| Psychiatry | 87% | 13% | 18% | 2,047 | 2,560 | 378 | 57 | 435 |
| Child Neurology | 89% | 11% | 9% | 188 | 182 | 17 | 2 | 19 |
| Neurology | 92% | 8% | 15% | 1,014 | 1,249 | 150 | 13 | 163 |
| Pathology | 93% | 7% | 12% | 631 | 827 | 75 | 6 | 81 |
| Internal Medicine | 94% | 6% | 15% | 9,809 | 11,598 | 1,503 | 93 | 1596 |
| Emergency Medicine | 95% | 5% | 25% | 2,921 | 2,813 | 736 | 38 | 774 |
| Family Medicine | 96% | 4% | 27% | 4,916 | 5,055 | 1,345 | 62 | 1407 |
| Pediatrics | 97% | 3% | 19% | 3,016 | 3,153 | 565 | 20 | 585 |
For more on the most competitive DO medical specialties, see this article.
The Most DO-Friendly Dermatology Residency Programs
While most Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation programs do accept some DOs, some programs favor are likely to fill most spots with DOs. For example, 9 Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation residencies in the most recent GME census had 50% or higher DO percentages. Five had DO rates of 60% or higher: Nassau (83% DO), Zucker (67%), North Carolina (62%), MetroHealth (62%), and Grossman (61%).
Here is a list of the most (and least) competitive Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation programs for DOs. It includes data from the most recent National GME Census Survey. Percentages are of all residents in the program in 2020.
| ACGME residency program code | Physical Medicine and Rehab residency program name | City | State | % residents US DO graduates | % residents US MD graduates | Osteopathic Recognition | # applications submitted (2021 NRMP Main Match) | % applicants interviewed (2020 NRMP Main Match) | # categorical positions offered (2021 NRMP Main Match) | # categorical positions filled (2021 NRMP Main Match) | # advanced positions offered (2021 NRMP Main Match) | # advanced positions filled by (2021 NRMP Main Match) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3403511037 | Nassau University Medical Center Program | East Meadow | NY | 83 | 8 | No | 363 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| 3403521042 | Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell Program | Manhasset | NY | 67 | 33 | No | 319 | 17.4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 3403621104 | University of North Carolina Hospitals Program | Chapel Hill | NC | 62 | 38 | No | 503 | 10.4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 3403831053 | The MetroHealth System/Case Western Reserve University Program | Cleveland | OH | 62 | 38 | No | 522 | 15 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 3403521046 | NYU Grossman School of Medicine Program | New York | NY | 61 | 39 | No | 417 | 23.3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| 3403521048 | SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University Program | Brooklyn | NY | 59 | 36 | No | 387 | 28.7 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| 3404100089 | Penn State Milton S Hershey Medical Center Program | Hershey | PA | 55 | 36 | No | 393 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 3404821067 | University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio Joe and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine Program | San Antonio | TX | 53 | 47 | No | 442 | 18.1 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 3403521044 | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Program | New York | NY | 50 | 46 | No | 475 | 13.7 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| 3403621091 | Vidant Medical Center/East Carolina University Program | Greenville | NC | 45 | 30 | No | 399 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 3403521093 | SUNY Upstate Medical University Program | Syracuse | NY | 39 | 28 | No | 309 | 28.9 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| 3400121002 | University of Alabama Medical Center Program | Birmingham | AL | 33 | 67 | No | 301 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | |
| 3404921068 | University of Utah Health Program | Salt Lake City | UT | 33 | 67 | No | 416 | 15.6 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 3404121056 | Temple University Hospital Program | Philadelphia | PA | 32 | 64 | No | 459 | 19.9 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 8 |
| 3403500105 | Burke Rehabilitation Hospital Program | White Plains | NY | 31 | 38 | No | 365 | 17.9 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| 3403521043 | Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine Program | Bronx | NY | 31 | 31 | No | 431 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| 3404821065 | University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Program | Dallas | TX | 29 | 68 | No | 514 | 17.6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| 3403521039 | New York Presbyterian Hospital (Columbia and Cornell Campus) Program | New York | NY | 25 | 71 | No | 425 | 20.1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| 3404821066 | Baylor College of Medicine Program | Houston | TX | 25 | 63 | No | 482 | 19.3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| 3404121057 | Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University/TJUH Program | Philadelphia | PA | 23 | 77 | No | 492 | 18.9 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| 3405621071 | Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals Program | Milwaukee | WI | 22 | 78 | No | 345 | 21.3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| 3405121089 | University of Virginia Medical Center Program | Charlottesville | VA | 21 | 79 | No | 476 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 3403621095 | Carolinas Medical Center Program | Charlotte | NC | 19 | 81 | No | 444 | 18.6 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| 3404700100 | Vanderbilt University Medical Center Program | Nashville | TN | 19 | 81 | No | 520 | 9.1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 3404121058 | University of Pennsylvania Health System Program | Philadelphia | PA | 18 | 82 | No | 538 | 18.9 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 3405121069 | Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Program | Richmond | VA | 18 | 76 | No | 442 | 13.1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| 3403521051 | University of Rochester Program | Rochester | NY | 15 | 77 | No | 394 | 17.8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 3404121075 | UPMC Medical Education Program | Pittsburgh | PA | 13 | 88 | No | 531 | 16.9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| 3404821101 | University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Program | Houston | TX | 13 | 56 | No | 512 | 14.5 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 3403821054 | Ohio State University Hospital Program | Columbus | OH | 12 | 88 | No | 469 | 17.7 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| 3405421070 | University of Washington Program | Seattle | WA | 10 | 79 | No | 466 | 19.2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| 3403522041 | One Brooklyn Health System/Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center Program | Brooklyn | NY | 0 | 0 | No | 332 | 18.3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| 3404231063 | VA Caribbean Healthcare System Program | San Juan | PR | 0 | 92 | No | 100 | 14.5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 3403500106 | Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center/Mercy Medical Center Program | Rockville Centre | NY | No | 302 | 18.1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | ||
| 3403500108 | Rochester Regional Health/Unity Hospital Program | Rochester | NY | No | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | |||
| 3403521035 | Albany Medical Center Program | Albany | NY | No | 353 | 12.3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 3403521045 | New York Medical College (Metropolitan) Program | New York | NY | No | 382 | 34.1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 3403521103 | Stony Brook Medicine/University Hospital Program | Port Jefferson | NY | No | 351 | 11.8 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | ||
| 3403800087 | Cleveland Clinic Foundation Program | Cleveland | OH | No | 443 | 11.6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 3403800088 | University Hospitals Community Consortium Program | Richmond Heights | OH | Yes | 243 | 22.4 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 3403821080 | University of Toledo Program | Toledo | OH | No | 319 | 10.8 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | ||
| 3403821086 | University of Cincinnati Medical Center/College of Medicine Program | Cincinnati | OH | No | 444 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 3404100001 | Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Program | Scranton | PA | No | 0 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | |||
| 3404100090 | Geisinger Health System Program | Bloomsburg | PA | No | 378 | 12.2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 3404100091 | Tower Health Program | Wyomissing | PA | No | 0 | 34.1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 3404100092 | Albert Einstein Healthcare Network/MossRehab Program Program | Philadelphia | PA | No | 0 | 32.3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 | ||
| 3404231062 | University of Puerto Rico Program | San Juan | PR | No | 80 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 3404800109 | University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School Program | Austin | TX | No | 431 | 11.4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 3404831064 | Baylor University Medical Center Program | Dallas | TX | No | 418 | 12.1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | ||
| 3405121081 | Eastern Virginia Medical School Program | Norfolk | VA | No | 336 | 9.4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | ||
| 3405400001 | Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center Program | Spokane | WA | No | 0 | 30.2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | ||
| 3405621072 | University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Program | Madison | WI | No | 337 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
Concluding Thoughts
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is a competitive specialty for DOs. That said, there are still places for DOs with over 90 residency programs accepting at least one DO. However, DOs hoping to match in some of the most prestigious programs will find it more competitive with only a few programs accepting any DOs (eg., Harvard-MGH and Johns Hopkins).
Are you despairing at your chances of matching into Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation as a DO? Then, check out Never Forget, where you can learn how to master – not memorize – for the impressive USMLE scores to match at your dream residency. And if you’re looking for a residency advisor, look at our residency advisory services.
