Bottlenecking Americas Next Generation of Healthcare Providers

The bottleneck of providers in the US with limited residency match programs is a significant issue in the healthcare industry. Residency programs are the next step in medical education after students complete medical school, and they provide hands-on training and experience in a clinical setting. These programs are essential for the development of new healthcare providers and for ensuring that patients have access to quality care.

Just because you complete medical school, doesn't mean that you automatically get to practice in the field you want, which sounds completely ridiculous. Imagine spending all that time and hard work getting to and through medical school, and you don't match to a residency program. There is a limited number of residency positions in the US, which can create a bottleneck for students who have completed medical school and are looking to begin their residency. According to the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), there were 38,106 applicants for 35,194 positions in the 2021 Main Residency Match, which resulted in 1633 unfilled positions

This bottleneck has a number of implications for the healthcare industry. First, it limits the number of healthcare providers who can enter the workforce each year, which can exacerbate existing shortages in certain specialties or geographic areas. This can result in longer waiting periods for patients seeking care and can make it more difficult to receive specialized care.

The bottleneck also can impact the career path of medical students. Students who are not matched to a residency program may have to delay their careers or pursue other opportunities, which can impact their earning potential and overall career trajectory.

They say the first step to solving a problem is to acknowledge it, and thankfully efforts are being made to address the bottleneck of residency programs in the US. These efforts include increased funding for residency programs, the development of new residency programs in underserved areas, and the expansion of telemedicine and other technology-enabled care delivery models that can help address workforce shortages. 

In 2020 the Consolidated Appropriations Act was signed into law, which included funding for an additional 1,000 Medicare-funded graduate medical education (GME) positions for the next 5 years, starting in 2023. This increase in GME funding is expected to result in the creation of new residency positions in areas where there are workforce shortages and to increase the number of providers entering the healthcare workforce. In addition to this funding the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has also made changes to the way residency programs are funded. The CMS now allows for an increase in the number of residency positions that can be funded by hospitals, which has led to the creation of new residency programs in areas where there is a shortage of providers.

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has also been advocating for an increase in the number of residency positions. In their report, "The Complexities of Physician Supply and Demand: Projections from 2019 to 2034" the AAMC recommends that the US increase the number of residency positions by at least 3,000 per year for the next 15 years, in order to address the provider shortage and to meet the countries growing healthcare needs.

At the end of the day, the bottleneck of providers in the US with limited residency match programs remains a significant challenge for the healthcare industry. Addressing this issue will require ongoing collaboration and innovation across the industry to ensure that patients have access to quality care and that medical students have the training and resources they need to become successful and contributing members of the healthcare team.


Sources: AAMC, NRMP, US Congress, CMS

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