2024–25 Residency Application Data Show Calling to Ob-Gyn Field Remains Strong

Washington, D.C.-With this year's residency application deadline for obstetrics and gynecology now passed, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is releasing early data that demonstrate that despite the challenges faced by ob-gyns, interest in the field remains strong, with more than 2,400 medical students applying to ob-gyn residency programs for the 2024-25 application cycle-nearly 2,000 of whom were U.S. applicants.

The data were collected through ResidencyCAS, the ob-gyn-specific residency application platform, which ACOG hosted for the first time this year as an alternative to the Association of American Medical Colleges' ERAS platform. ACOG introduced ResidencyCAS to provide residency programs with a customizable platform to allow for holistic view of applicants, facilitate exceptional alignment between applicants and programs, and contribute to a diverse workforce well suited to addressing the critical needs of the profession and patients we serve. Remarkably, 100% of ob-gyn residency programs used ResidencyCAS as their application platform in this first year of availability.

"The field of obstetrics and gynecology has always been uniquely challenging and rewarding, and it's gratifying to see that despite the demands of the current environment in which we practice, tomorrow's physicians continue to feel the calling and are just as committed to joining our specialty," said Stella Dantas, MD, FACOG, president of ACOG. "Ours is a specialty that provides care throughout the course of a lifetime and includes everything from preventive care to surgery. Though we face increasing legislative, administrative, financial, and sustainability challenges, we are driven by a purpose that unites us all, across the stages of our careers."

This year's ob-gyn application cycle saw 99.8% of applicants use program signaling to communicate their strong interest to their top preferred programs, with 96% of applicants using all 18 of their allotted signals. Data have shown program signaling to be an effective tool for enhancing the quality of applicant-to-program matches while reducing the burden of applications. In line with that data, the number of applications submitted per applicant dropped from a peak of 75 for the 2022-23 to 64 in the fall for the 2024-25. The mean number of applications for U.S. applicants was 59, with a median of 52 for the 2024-25 cycle.

ResidencyCAS's emphasis on providing programs a holistic review of applicants will also allow them to better match their values and goals with those of the applicants as they undertake the enormous task of reviewing applications.

"Improving systems to ensure that each candidate's unique qualifications are highlighted and optimizing matching candidates with programs where they will thrive is a major step forward. With intention, innovation, and a commitment to advancing equity, ACOG is fostering development of a diverse community of tomorrow's ob-gyns poised to meet the emerging obstetrical and gynecological needs of patients and communities," said Sandra E. Brooks, MD, MBA, FACOG, chief executive officer of ACOG. "ACOG is unwavering in its dedication to cultivating and supporting the ob-gyn workforce of the future."