Entry of US medical school graduates into family medicine residencies: 2009--2010 and 3-year summary

Abstract

This is the 29th report prepared by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) on the percentage of each US medical school's graduates entering family medicine residency programs. Approximately 7.5% of the 16,617 graduates of US medical schools between July 2008 and June 2009 were first-year family medicine residents in 2009, compared with 8.2% in 2008 and 8.3% in 2007. Medical school graduates from publicly funded medical schools were more likely to be first-year family medicine residents in October 2009 than were residents from privately funded schools, 8.8% compared with 5.3%. The Mountain and West North Central regions reported the highest percentage of medical school graduates who were first-year residents in family medicine programs in October 2009 at 13.4% and 11.0%, respectively; the New England and Middle Atlantic regions reported the lowest percentages at 7.0% and 4.4%, respectively. Nearly half of the medical school graduates (48.3%) entering a family medicine residency program as first-year residents in October 2009 entered a program in the same state where they graduated from medical school. The percentages for each medical school have varied substantially from year to year since the AAFP began reporting this information. This article reports the average percentage for each medical school for the last 3 years. Also reported are the number and percentage of graduates from colleges of osteopathic medicine who entered Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited family medicine residency programs, based on estimates provided by the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. These numbers are retrospective analyses based on numbers reported to the AAFP from medical schools and family medicine residency programs.