IMG Performance in the 2013 Match
For the eleventh consecutive year, the number of first-year (PGY-1) residency positions offered through the National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP®) Main Residency Match® increased. A total of 26,392 first-year positions were offered in the 2013 Match. This represents an increase of 2,358 positions compared to last year and an increase of nearly 5,800 positions since 2002.
The number of IMGs who matched to first-year positions increased by 1,425 compared to 2012. Of the 12,683 IMGs who participated in the 2013 Match, 6,311 (49.8%) matched. In the 2012 Match, 4,886 (43.9%) IMGs were matched to first-year positions. (These data include a small number of Fifth Pathway applicants who participated in the 2013 and 2012 Matches.)
Of the 7,568 IMG participants who were not U.S. citizens, 3,601 (47.6%) obtained first-year positions. The number of non-U.S. citizen IMGs who obtained positions in 2013 increased for the second year in a row, this year by 826.
Of the 5,095 U.S. citizen IMG participants, 2,706 (53.1%) were matched to first-year positions, an increase of 604 over last year. This is the tenth consecutive year that there has been an increase in the number of U.S. citizen IMGs matching to first-year positions.
The total number of IMGs who will fill PGY-1 positions for the 2013-2014 academic year may be higher than the number obtaining positions through the 2013 Match. Although the majority of PGY-1 positions in the United States are filled through the Match, in past years a significant number of IMG applicants obtained positions outside of the Match. For example, while 4,626 IMGs obtained PGY-1 positions through the 2011 Match, 6,754 IMGs entered PGY-1 for the 2011-2012 academic year.
For the 2013 Match, the NRMP introduced an “All-In” policy. This policy requires that, to participate in the Match, programs must register and attempt to fill all of their residency positions through the Main Residency Match, or through another national matching plan. Programs must place all positions in the Match or no positions in the Match. This policy is a factor in the higher numbers, compared to last year, of both positions offered through the 2013 Match (up 2,358 or 9.8%) and the number of IMGs participating in the 2013 Match (up 1,549 or 13.9%). It also, presumably, reduced the number of positions available outside of the 2013 Match. For more on the NRMP’s new All-In policy, visit the NRMP website and Ask the Experts: The NRMP’s New “All-In” Policy, a resource of the ECFMG Certificate Holders Office (ECHO).
About the Match
The annual NRMP Match is the system by which applicants are matched with available residency positions in U.S. graduate medical education (GME) programs. Participants submit to the NRMP a list of residency programs, in order of preference. Ranked lists of preferred residency candidates are likewise submitted by U.S. GME programs with available positions. The matching of applicants to available positions is performed by computer algorithm. The Match results announced in March of each year are for GME programs that typically begin the following July.
Additional Resources on the Match and Match Results
The preceding data are taken from the Advance Data Tables for the 2013 Main Residency Match compiled by the NRMP. These tables provide detailed information on the positions offered and filled by the Match in 2013 and prior years. To access these tables, or to obtain further information on the NRMP, visit www.nrmp.org.
The June issue of Academic Medicine, the journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges, usually offers an analysis of Match results from the preceding March. For more information, visit your medical school’s library or www.academicmedicine.org.
Late each year, JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association traditionally publishes an in-depth analysis of graduate medical education in the United States. This analysis includes the number of IMGs entering and continuing in U.S. GME programs and a breakdown of IMG resident physicians by specialty and subspecialty. Visit your medical school’s library or http://jama.ama-assn.org.
ECFMG Selected as a Top Workplace by Philly.com
The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG®) has been named one of the 100 Top Workplaces in Philadelphia for 2013 by Philly.com. Organizations included in the list are not just better places to work, they are more likely to be successful than peer organizations.
Recognition as a Top Workplace is determined solely by employee feedback obtained through a survey conducted by WorkplaceDynamics, LLP, a leading research firm on organizational health and employee engagement. WorkplaceDynamics conducts national and regional workplace surveys on the principle that “The most successful companies are the ones that employees believe in.”
Read the press release.
Now Available: New ECHO Resources for ECFMG-certified Physicians
March 8, 2013
Filed under: ECHO
Filed under: ECHO
Each month, the ECFMG Certificate Holders Office (ECHO) publishes free resources for ECFMG-certified physicians, and those about to be certified, who are planning their careers.
ECHO is pleased to announce that the following are now available.
- A Preview of ECFMG’s EPICSM: ECFMG is about to launch a new service, the Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials (EPIC). EPIC is a powerful career development tool for the world’s physicians, allowing them to build a web-based portfolio of their primary-source verified medical credentials and to request that their credentials, and reports verifying the credentials’ authenticity, be sent electronically to any organization, anywhere in the world. EPIC launches in April, but we want you to know about it now, since EPIC offers special benefits for ECFMG-certified physicians. Visit Introducing EPIC to learn more.
- Focus on Trends in Medical Education: Are you following trends in the dynamic field of medical education? Have you thought about how these trends may affect your medical career? We’ve selected some peer-reviewed research publications on: funding for graduate medical education, medical workforce issues, and international medical education to help you stay up-to-date on these essential topics. Learn more about them in Published Research on Trends in Medical Education.
In addition to providing valuable resources, ECHO offers certified physicians ways to stay connected with ECFMG and its expertise. Through ECHO, certified physicians can also connect with information from other organizations and experts, and each other. ECHO also offers new ways for certified physicians to communicate with ECFMG, for example, by participating in ECHO’s monthly surveys and sending feedback to ECHO.
For more information, visit the ECHO section of the ECFMG website at www.ecfmg.org/echo.
2012 and 2013 Schedules for Reporting Step 2 CS Results
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Step 2 CS 2012 Reporting Schedule |
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Testing Period |
Reporting Period |
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For examinees who test |
Reporting start date |
Reporting close date |
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Jan 1 through Jan 28 |
Feb 29 |
Mar 28 |
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Jan 29 through Mar 24 |
Apr 25 |
May 23 |
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Mar 25 through May 19 |
Jun 20 |
Jul 18 |
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All test centers closed. |
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Jun 17 through Aug 25 |
Oct 10 |
Oct 31 |
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Aug 26 through Nov 3 |
Dec 5 |
Jan 2, 2013 |
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Nov 4 through Dec 31 |
Jan 30, 2013 |
Feb 20, 2013 |
For each “Testing Period” in the above schedule, Step 2 CS scores are released every Wednesday over a corresponding four- to five-week “Reporting Period.” It is expected that results for the vast majority of examinees who take the exam during the testing period will be reported on the first Wednesday of the Reporting Period. Results for 98%-99% of examinees who take the exam during the testing period are reported by the third Wednesday in a Reporting Period. For a small percentage of examinees (1%-2%), scoring and quality assurance may be not completed in time for these examinees to be reported by the first three reporting dates; these will typically be examinees who took the exam in the latter part of the testing period or who tested during the first administration after the May 20 through June 16 shutdown. Results for these examinees will be reported each week throughout the reporting period, and should be reported no later than the last day of the score reporting period.
This schedule allows USMLE staff to enhance the quality assurance and data collection/scoring procedures performed prior to score reporting. Additionally, it provides examinees, as well as others who rely on Step 2 CS results, with guidelines regarding when a result will be reported for a given exam date. These guidelines allow examinees to plan their exam registration and scheduling in order to have their results in time to meet specific deadlines, such as those related to graduation or participation in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), or “the Match.”
Changes to the assessment of communication skills and patient note were made in mid-2012. In order to introduce these changes to the examination, no Step 2 CS examinations were administered from May 20 through June 16, 2012. Please note the following information regarding the testing schedule in the second half of 2012:
- Additional testing sessions—including evening and weekend sessions—have been added to the calendar before and after the May/June shutdown.
- The reporting schedule for examinees testing from June 17, 2012 through November 3, 2012 will be 2-4 weeks longer than for examinees testing during other periods.
- Individuals who tested on or after June 17, 2012 will see less detailed feedback on their graphical performance profiles than has been provided to examinees in the past. The performance profiles are provided as an assessment tool for the examinee’s benefit and are not reported or verified to any third party. The profiles summarize relative areas of strength and weakness to aid in self assessment.
- Examinees who test on or before December 31, 2012 will have results reported in time for the 2013 “Match.”
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Step 2 CS 2013 Reporting Schedule |
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Testing Period |
Reporting Period |
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For examinees who test |
Reporting start date |
Reporting close date |
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Jan 1 through Jan 26 |
Feb 27 |
Mar 20 |
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Jan 27 through Mar 23 |
Apr 24 |
May 22 |
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Mar 24 through May 18 |
Jun 12 |
Jul 10 |
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All test centers closed. |
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Jun 1 through Jul 13 |
Aug 14 |
Sep 11 |
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Jul 14 through Sep 7 |
Oct 9 |
Nov 6 |
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Sep 8 through Nov 2 |
Dec 4 |
Jan 1, 2014 |
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Nov 3 through Dec 31 |
Jan 29, 2014 |
Feb 19, 2014 |
For each “Testing Period” in the above schedule, Step 2 CS scores are released every Wednesday over a corresponding four-to five-week “Reporting Period.” It is expected that results for the vast majority of examinees who take the exam during the testing period will be reported on the first Wednesday of the Reporting Period. Results for 98%-99% of examinees who take the exam during the testing period are reported by the third Wednesday in a Reporting Period. For a small percentage of examinees (1%-2%), scoring and quality assurance may be not completed in time for these examinees to be reported by the first three reporting dates; these will typically be examinees who took the exam in the latter part of the testing period.
Results for these examinees will be reported each week throughout the reporting period, and should be reported no later than the last day of the score reporting period. This schedule allows USMLE staff to enhance the quality assurance and data collection/scoring procedures performed prior to score reporting. Additionally, it provides examinees, as well as others who rely on Step 2 CS results, with guidelines regarding when a result will be reported for a given exam date. These guidelines allow examinees to plan their exam registration and scheduling in order to have their results in time to meet specific deadlines, such as those related to graduation or participation in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), or “the Match.”
(posted June 4, 2008; updated June 27, 2008, June 16, 2009, May 26, 2010, July 19, 2011, September 29, 2011, March 30, 2012, June 22, 2012, February 26, 2013)
Paper Supporting Documents Will Not Be Accepted for ERAS 2014
Effective with the ERAS 2014 application season, ERAS Support Services at ECFMG will no longer accept paper documents in support of ERAS residency applications. All supporting documents must be submitted electronically using one of the available methods.
Read the full announcement.
Now Available: ECHO’s January Resources for ECFMG-certified Physicians
Each month, the ECFMG Certificate Holders Office (ECHO) publishes free resources for ECFMG-certified physicians, and those about to be certified, who are planning their careers.
ECHO is pleased to announce the following new resources for January.
- Match Week is quickly approaching, and it is time to put the potential training programs you interviewed with in order and then submit your rank order list to the NRMP®. Besides reflecting on your interviews with these programs and where you would most like to train, there is much to consider, such as deadlines, policies, and procedures. Visit our new resource NRMP Rank Order Lists: Some Important Considerations to find out more about this process.
- Do you know what to do if you find out you are unmatched for 2013? We asked the executive director of the National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP) to explain the organization’s Supplemental Offer and Acceptance ProgramSM (SOAP SM) that was put into place to help unmatched applicants find unfilled positions during Match week. Read all about it in Ask the Experts: NRMP’s Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP).
In addition to providing valuable resources, ECHO offers certified physicians ways to stay connected with ECFMG and its expertise. Through ECHO, certified physicians can also connect with information from other organizations and experts, and each other. ECHO offers new ways for certified physicians to communicate with ECFMG, for example, by participating in ECHO’s monthly surveys and sending feedback to ECHO.
For more information, visit the ECHO section of the ECFMG website at www.ecfmg.org/echo.
ECFMG On-line Services Unavailable February 1-2
Due to scheduled maintenance, ECFMG’s on-line services will be unavailable from approximately 4:00 p.m. on February 1, 2013 through approximately 2:00 p.m. on February 2, 2013. All times are calculated using Eastern Time in the United States.
During this maintenance period, you will not be able to access any of ECFMG’s on-line services. For more information on the services that will be unavailable during this maintenance period, visit the On-line Services Overview page.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work to maintain high-quality on-line services.
Clarification on Completing the Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) Patient Note
Changes were introduced to the Step 2 CS examination program in mid-June 2012. These included changes to the patient note that examinees must complete after each standardized patient encounter.
As described in the Step 2 CS Content Description and General Information booklet, examinees should record pertinent medical history and physical examination findings obtained during the encounter, as well as initial differential diagnoses (maximum of three). The diagnoses should be listed in order of likelihood, most likely to least likely. Examinees should also indicate the pertinent positive and negative findings obtained from the history and physical examination to support each potential diagnosis.
To clarify previous language about USMLE expectations for examinees completing the patient note: while it is acknowledged that it is important for a physician to be able to recognize the findings that rule out certain diagnoses, the task for Step 2 CS examinees at this time is to record only the most likely diagnoses along with findings (positive and negative), that support them.
Additional information about the Step 2 CS examination, and about all USMLE examinations, is available in the USMLE Bulletin of Information.
Instructions for completing the patient note, as well as a simulation program for practicing the note, and sample patient notes, are available in the Practice Materials section of the USMLE website.
Change in the Performance Standard of the Step 2 CS Examination that Will Affect Examinees Testing on or after January 1, 2013
December 21, 2012
Filed under: Step 2 CS
Filed under: Step 2 CS
As stated in the USMLE Bulletin of Information and as explained in a previous posting to the USMLE website, the level of proficiency required to meet the recommended minimum passing level for each USMLE Step examination is reviewed periodically and may be adjusted at any time. Notice of such review and any adjustments are posted on the USMLE website.
At its December 2012 meeting, the Step 2 Committee conducted such a review for USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS). During the meeting, the Step 2 Committee considered information from multiple sources, including:
- Recommendations from independent groups of physicians who participated in content-based standard-setting activities in 2012;
- Results of surveys of various groups (e.g., state licensing representatives, medical school faculty, examinees) concerning the appropriateness of current pass/fail standards for the Step 2 CS examinations;
- Data on trends in examinee performance;
- Data on precision of pass/fail classifications.
The results of the review are described below. Because numerical scores are not reported for Step 2 CS, the decisions of the Step 2 Committee are reflected in terms of potential impact on examinees using data from recent administrations.
The Step 2 Committee decided to increase the performance levels required to receive a passing outcome on two of the three Step 2 CS subcomponents: Communication and Interpersonal Skills (CIS) and Integrated Clinical Encounter (ICE). There will be no change to minimum passing requirements for the Spoken English Proficiency (SEP) subcomponent of Step 2 CS at this time.
These changes will be applied to Step 2 CS examinees testing on or after January 1, 2013.
Because of the changes that were made to the design and content of the ICE and CIS subcomponents earlier this year, as announced, the ability to use historical trends to predict the impact of the changes in minimum passing requirements is limited. If the new minimum passing requirements were applied to the group of first-time examinees who recently tested under the new examination structure, the overall passing rate for examinees from U.S. medical schools would be approximately three percent lower and the overall passing rate for examinees from international medical schools would be approximately eighteen percent lower.
The impact of these changes on future examinees will depend on the examinees’ performance. The overall impact will be reviewed by the Step 2 Committee when more examinees have tested under these new requirements.
ECFMG Developing New Service to Facilitate and Promote International Exchange in Medical Education
ECFMG is collaborating with members of the international medical education community to develop the Global Education in Medicine Exchange (GEMx), an exciting new service to facilitate and promote international exchange in medical education. GEMx will allow medical schools to promote their electives to students around the world, and to establish strong relationships with other schools to provide students with a wide range of high-quality international educational opportunities.
Read the press release.