Just 63% of available pediatric rheumatology slots filled for Match Day 2023
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Just 62.8% of available pediatric rheumatology program slots were filled for the 2023 appointment year as part of the National Residents Matching Program, according to the American College of Rheumatology.
Meanwhile, adult rheumatology programs filled 97.8% of their available slots during the most recent Match Day. In all, 75% of applicants for adult rheumatology, and 96% of applicants for pediatric fellowships, successfully matched into programs for the 2023 appointment year, the ACR said in a press release.
“Unfortunately, we continue to see limited numbers of applications for pediatric rheumatology fellowship positions, with 27 applicants filling only 26 of a possible 43 total positions,” Beth Marston, MD, chair of the ACR’s Committee on Training and Workforce Issues, said in the release. “Other pediatric specialties such as pediatric pulmonology, nephrology, infectious disease, and endocrinology also had a significant number of unfilled positions.
”In contrast, the relatively new field of pediatric hospital medicine filled nearly all open positions, which may hint at the goals and training interests of current pediatric applicants,” Marston added. “Many potential barriers have been suggested, including inadequate exposure and mentorship within these specialties, long periods of required training, and lower ultimate compensation for pediatric specialists, which might be targets for future work to improve our pediatric specialty workforce.”
Although the number of adult fellowship matches has seen a steady increase over the past 5 years, interest from candidates has continued to exceed the number of available positions, suggesting ongoing opportunity to expand fellowship training opportunities, according to the ACR. Rheumatology as a specialty — and especially pediatric rheumatology — is facing an workforce shortage based on findings from the ACR’s 2015 workforce study.
“The adult rheumatology workforce also remains threatened, with ongoing national efforts by the ACR’s Workforce Solutions Committee to increase fellowships and fellowship positions, particularly in geographically underserved areas,” Marston said in the release. “Because a substantial number of applicants have remained unmatched over the last several years, any increase in the number of available fellowship positions is likely to continue to directly affect the future physician workforce within rheumatology.”
The ACR stated it intends to continue promoting growth of rheumatology fellowship positions for physicians interested in treating adults and children. Additionally, the ACR is working to introduce trainees to the specialty at an earlier stage of training and support leaders in rheumatology as the regulatory landscape shifts.
“This year was the first time that the adult and pediatric fellowship match dates aligned, allowing participants the opportunity to apply to and rank both adult and pediatric training programs in a single rank list by a dual-trained applicant or by a couple,” Marston said. “This change has been welcome, as it facilitates the application process for a number of candidates.”
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