If you are an International Medical Graduate (IMG), picking which medical specialties to apply to starts with learning about the top IMG friendly fields. Using the information provided by NRMP®’s Results and Data 2022 Main Residency Match, we’ve determined which medical specialties had the highest percentage of US and Non-US IMGs in the positions filled for the 2022 Match. First, however, let’s review some general match statistics to understand the big picture.

Match 2022 General Statistics

34,064  PGY-1 Positions Filled

18,486 US MD Senior (92.9% Match Rate)

6,666 US DO Senior (91.3% Match Rate)

859 US MD Graduate (50.5% Match Rate)

383 US DO Graduate (53.6% Match Rate)

3,099 US IMG (61.4% Match Rate)

4,571 Non-US IMG (58.1% Match Rate)

Top IMG Friendly Specialties of 2022 by Ratio 

PGY-1	IMG %	Filled Positions	US IMG	Non-US IMG	MD Senior	MD Grad	DO Senior	DO Grad
Pathology	44.3%	619	62	212	231	29	76	9
Internal Medicine (Categorical)	40%	8915	1133	2435	3491	164	1602	85
General Surgery (Preliminary)	37.2%	632	68	167	304	26	56	10
OB/GYN (Preliminary)	33.3%	9	1	2	4	1	1	0
Neurology	29.8%	761	64	163	393	6	132	3
Family Medicine	27.7%	4451	777	457	1541	87	1494	94
Pediatrics	20.1%	2861	224	350	1661	36	580	10
Child Neurology	20%	150	8	22	102	1	15	1
Psychiatry	15.8%	2030	188	133	1253	45	387	24
Internal Medicine (Preliminary)	11.8%	1624	63	128	1261	15	151	6
General Surgery (Categorical)	9.9%	1619	80	81	1059	156	212	30
Radiology – Diagnostic	9.8%	132	3	10	73	3	41	2
Pediatrics (Preliminary)	9.5%	21	0	2	16	0	3	0
PM&R	8.9%	180	8	8	104	4	55	1
Transitional Year	8.8%	1404	73	51	920	17	338	5
Emergency Medicine	8.2%	2702	176	45	1593	75	753	59
Anesthesiology	7.8%	1508	57	61	1054	53	263	20
Neurosurgery	7.5%	240	2	16	202	11	9	0
OBGYN	5.5%	1499	42	40	1106	56	242	12
Internal Med-Peds	4.8%	392	9	10	332	2	39	0
Dermatology	3.6%	28	0	1	24	0	3	0
Orthopedic Surgery	2.2%	875	8	11	705	36	111	4

Top IMG Friendly Specialties by Number of IMGs

Internal Medicine (Categorical)	3568
Family Medicine	1234
Pediatrics	574
Psychiatry	321
Pathology	274
General Surgery (Preliminary)	235
Neurology	227
Emergency Medicine	221
Internal Medicine (Preliminary)	191
General Surgery (Categorical)	161
Transitional Year	124
Anesthesiology	118
OBGYN	82
Child Neurology	30
Internal Med-Peds	19
Neurosurgery	18
PM&R	16
Radiology	13
Dermatology	1

According to the NRMP:

The top five IMG friendly specialties for US IMGs were:

Internal Medicine (categorical) (1,162)

Family Medicine (777)

Pediatrics (categorical) (231)

Psychiatry (188)

Emergency Medicine (176)

The top five IMG friendly specialties for Non-US IMGs were:

Internal Medicine (categorical) (2,545)

Family Medicine (457)

Pediatrics (categorical) (375)

Pathology (212)

Neurology (200)

Other IMG Friendly Factors

Beyond statistics, there are other factors IMG residency candidates should consider when choosing medical specialties:

• Specialty-wide USMLE score expectations – Some specialties are more competitive and have higher expectations of residency candidates. For example, General Surgery programs typically require higher USMLE scores than Psychiatry.
• Previous work and clinical experiences – All specialties like to see some evidence of commitment and deep interest in the specialty. Specialties such as Family Medicine highly prefer to see some history of Family Medicine experience to prove your dedication.
• Supporting documents – Another way to prove your interest and dedication to a specialty is having specialty-specific supporting documents. You should work hard to obtain specialty-specific Letters of Recommendation and a Personal Statement for each specialty you plan on applying to. Learn more at Residency Experts.
• Finances –  Applying to residency can be expensive. The suggested minimum applications for IMG candidates is 100 programs per specialty, which adds up to thousands of dollars. Make sure you assess your specialty decision carefully to make the best use of your resources.
• Program choices and opportunities – Your choice may depend on how large the specialty you choose is and the number of programs you qualify to apply to, based on your professional credentials and each program’s application requirements. If you pick too narrow a specialty, you may need to prepare a backup specialty.

Choosing a specialty will take time, care, and consideration. While some specialties are less competitive than others, no one specialty is a guaranteed “in”. No matter which specialty you pick, you will still have to put lots of hard work into your MyERAS Application materials, program research, and more.

Visit Match A Resident to see how our Customized Program Lists can help you prepare for a successful Match season!

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