International medical graduates (IMGs) matched to a total of 9,682 first-year residency positions in the 2026 Main Residency Match® (The Match®), according to results released by the National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP®). IMGs accounted for approximately 23.6% of all matched applicants, filling critical roles across high-need specialties and underserved communities throughout the United States.
Of the 9,682 total IMG matches, 2,949 are U.S. citizens and 6,733 are non-U.S. citizens. U.S. IMGs achieved a match rate of 70.0%, the highest recorded for this group in at least five years, even as their overall applicant pool declined. Non-U.S. IMGs reached a record absolute high of 6,733 matches despite a slightly lower match rate of 56.4% compared to the match rate in 2025, reflecting the substantial growth in internationally educated physicians seeking U.S. training. An infographic detailing IMG outcomes in the 2026 Match is available here.
These outcomes reflect far more than statistics. IMGs filled approximately 42% of all first-year Categorical Internal Medicine positions, along with significant representation in Categorical Pediatrics (30.4%), Pathology (34.7%), and Neurology (22.4%). Many of these physicians will train, and potentially practice, in rural and underserved communities that depend heavily on internationally educated doctors to meet local health care needs.
The 2026 Match saw 44,344 total positions offered, a record, alongside 53,373 registered applicants, also a record. As the physician workforce pipeline continues to grow, IMGs remain an essential and irreplaceable component. Persistent physician shortages in primary care and rural medicine underscore the urgency of maintaining robust pathways for qualified IMGs to enter and complete U.S. graduate medical education.
“This year’s Match results affirm what we see every day: IMGs are an essential component to U.S. health care and the physician workforce,” said Eric S. Holmboe, MD, President and CEO of Intealth. “The high number of IMG matches in 2026, combined with the rising match rate for U.S. IMGs, reflects both the quality of preparation these physicians bring and the confidence that residency programs place in them. Each match represents a physician ready to step forward and serve patients in communities that need them most.”
Intealth® remains committed to supporting IMGs throughout their journey into U.S. graduate medical education. Through rigorous certification, primary-source credential verification, assessments, and educational initiatives offered by its divisions, ECFMG® and FAIMER®, Intealth works to uphold quality and integrity in the training of internationally educated physicians, helping ensure that patients benefit from well-prepared, highly qualified physicians at every stage of care.
Intealth will continue to monitor trends in IMG residency participation, certification outcomes, and residency placement, and will work alongside graduate medical education stakeholders to inform policies that expand access for qualified IMGs and strengthen health care delivery across the United States.
About Intealth
Intealth is the nonprofit organization that brings together ECFMG and FAIMER. Through certification, research, and global education programs, Intealth promotes quality in international medical education and supports the entry of qualified IMGs into U.S. graduate medical education. For more information, visit www.intealth.org.
About the 2026 Main Residency Match
The Main Residency Match® is conducted annually by the National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP®). In 2026, 44,344 positions were offered across accredited U.S. graduate medical education programs, with 53,373 applicants registered and 38,354 matched to first-year (PGY-1) positions. All data cited in this release are drawn from the NRMP’s 2026 Match by the Numbers and Advance Data Tables, released March 20, 2026.
