Quality Over Quantity? Family Medicine Residency Applications in the Postpandemic Era.

Abstract

Introduction: Over the last three match cycles (2023, 2024, and 2025), a coordinated effort has led family medicine residency applicants to apply to fewer programs, resulting, on average, in 21% fewer US applications for programs to review. Whether this decline is a cause for celebration or concern is unclear. How has the reduction affected the number of applicants programs considered desirable?

Methods: For the past 3 years, the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Family Medicine Residency Program (FMRP) has consistently used a two-faculty review process to decide which applicants are invited to interview. We conducted a χ² test of independence to assess the relationship between the application year and the percentage of applicants invited to interview in the first round.

Results: Using 2023 as a baseline, the OHSU FMRP received 15.2% and 33.7% fewer applicants in the 2024 and 2025 match cycles, respectively. Concurrently, 33.7% of applicants in 2024 and 36.4% of applicants in the 2025 match were offered an interview in the first wave of interviews, which is higher than in 2023.

Conclusions: These data indicate that although the number of applicants decreased over the last three match cycles, applicant quality has remained consistent. A broader analysis is needed to understand the impact on programs and the factors influencing applicants' choice of programs in the era of virtual interviews and program signaling.