September 30, 2025
Written By
Michael Minh Le
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Every fall, thousands of med students hit “submit” on their residency applications, hoping their years of work will land them a match. And every spring, some of them don’t.
If you're premed, that statistic should rattle you. Because where you go to medical school plays a massive role in your chances of matching. But barely anyone talks about that before you apply.
In this post, we’ll break down what residency match rates actually mean, compare MD vs DO match data, highlight the schools with the highest and lowest match success, and walk through the hidden variables behind those numbers. We’ll also crush a few myths that could quietly derail your entire strategy.
Before you worry about residency, you need to get into the right med school. The best way to understand what a successful med school application actually looks like? Study the real thing. At Premed Catalyst, our Application Database gives you access to 8 full AMCAS applications that earned acceptances at top-tier programs like UCLA and UCI. Use this free access to create your own competitive application.
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If you’re diving into residency match rates for the first time, you’re going to see a lot of numbers, and they won’t always agree with each other. So before we start comparing med schools, let’s get on the same page about what these terms actually mean.
At its simplest, the Match Rate is the percentage of applicants who land a residency position through the Main Residency Match, which is run by the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) for MDs and most DOs. It's a measure of how many students matched into a training program out of those who applied.
But here’s where it gets tricky: not all “match rates” are created equal. Some schools report a 100% placement rate, but that doesn’t necessarily mean every student matched on Match Day.
A school saying they have a “100% placement rate” may be quietly including students who scrambled into a last-minute position in SOAP, found a spot months later, or went international.
Now layer in the fact that MD, DO, and IMG (international medical graduate) students all have slightly different playing fields. DOs historically had their own match, but most now go through the NRMP too. IMGs face a tougher hill with lower match rates, fewer interviews, and more hoops.
So, when you see a stat like “94% match rate,” ask:
Think of SOAP as a backup parachute when your primary chute fails. It's a chaotic, fast-paced, last-minute process where unmatched students apply to unfilled programs. Some land solid spots. Others take what's left just to stay in the game.
SOAP isn't a failure, but it’s also not the goal. Most students would rather match the first time than scramble through SOAP, where you often have hours, not months, to make career-shaping decisions.
When we talk about match rates for MD programs, we typically refer to how many U.S. MD seniors (or recent MD grads) successfully match through the NRMP Main Residency Match.
Below is a breakdown of some of the top residency match rates by medical school:
DO schools’ publicly reported match data is even less uniformly disclosed than MD schools. That makes it hard to get the best picture of what you can expect.
The good news? There are some DO schools that do publish credible match numbers, so we can at least anchor our expectations in fact.
For instance, Ohio University’s Heritage College has publicly reported a 99% match rate for its Class of 2024, and in earlier years, 98% for its Class of 2023.
And nationally, DO graduating seniors achieved a 92.6% match rate in the 2025 NRMP Match, which is a record high. Compare that to 94% for MD graduating seniors, and you can see that DO students are matching into residencies at very strong rates, even close to their MD counterparts.
So, how much should you really care about a school’s match rate when you’re deciding where to go to med school?
The answer: it depends.
If you’re choosing between two schools, and everything else is equal (tuition, location, support, culture), then go with the one that has a better, verifiable match record. That’s the school more likely to help you walk across the stage on Match Day holding a letter you actually wanted.
Match rates are also more important if:
A consistently high match rate usually signals a few things: solid advising, decent clinical rotations, and a student body that’s being set up to succeed.
Two schools can report the same 95% match rate, but the paths their students took to get there might look completely different. That’s because match stats are only half the story.
The other half is made of X-factors like specialty choice, school support, strategy, and even geography. Ignore those, and you risk misreading the whole picture.
Let’s be real: matching into dermatology is nothing like matching into family medicine. One has a ~60% match rate. The other is closer to 100%.
That means a school full of future primary care docs will look like it has a stellar match rate because it probably does. But if you're chasing ortho, ENT, or plastic surgery? Those numbers start to drop fast.
Your personal risk of going unmatched goes up the more competitive your specialty is. So does the importance of strong advising, research, letters, and networking.
Where your school is and who it's connected to matters.
Some med schools have strong in-house advising, dedicated match mentors, and guaranteed home rotations in competitive specialties. Others leave you to hustle for your own letters and electives.
Look for:
All of those boost your match odds, especially in specialties where connections count.
Here’s what most premeds don’t know: there are schools that quietly produce unmatched grads year after year, and still market themselves as “great options.” If you’re not careful, you could have the same fate.
So, let’s talk about the red flags. The stuff that rarely makes it into the viewbook, but absolutely should factor into your decision.
Some schools have consistently low match rates. We're talking below 85%, sometimes even 70–75%. That’s a flashing red light. And no, it’s not always about student quality.
Here’s what often drives those numbers:
If a school’s match rate is low and you can’t find clear, year-by-year breakdowns on their website, then walk away.
Every school was “new” once. But being new without a proven system is different from being new with a vision, funding, and strong leadership.
Here’s what newer programs usually don’t have:
Until a school has proven that it can get people across the finish line, you are the experiment. That’s not always a dealbreaker, but it is a risk.
By contrast, established schools with decades of match data and built-in hospital systems? They’ve already worked out the kinks. You’re less likely to fall through the cracks when it comes to residency matches.
If a med school has been put on LCME probation, has gone through multiple deans in five years, or just rolled out a “totally redesigned curriculum,” be sure to ask why.
Here’s what those red flags might actually mean:
Any of these can directly affect your experience. Fewer rotation options, canceled programs, unclear advising, poor match prep.
The residency match is one of the most high-stakes transitions in your medical journey, and it's riddled with assumptions that can quietly sabotage your strategy.
Let’s break down the three myths that trip people up the most.
Reality: High match rates don’t always mean high-quality training.
A school can match 99% of its students and still give you zero help, terrible clinical rotations, or no prep for the specialty you actually want.
Why?
Because match rate alone doesn’t tell you:
A school full of students applying to family med will look amazing on Match Day. But that same school might leave derm or ortho applicants totally unsupported. A high match rate is only impressive if it matches your goals.
Reality: Sometimes it’s the student body, not the curriculum.
Some schools take on students with lower MCATs or weaker academic profiles, and that’s not a bad thing. But it does mean they have more uphill battles to fight. The education might be excellent, the faculty committed, the curriculum strong, but if students aren’t supported through the application process or pick unrealistic targets, match rates will suffer.
Don’t judge a program solely by its outcomes. Ask why the match rate is what it is.
Reality: The match is rigged and in favor of people who plan early.
You’re not at the mercy of a computer. You’re at the mercy of your own preparation.
If you:
Then the match becomes a puzzle, not a gamble. The only people who are “surprised” on Match Day are the ones who waited too long to face the truth about where they stood.
Forget the polished match stats and marketing fluff. When it comes down to it, matching into residency comes down to you. Not your school name. Not your Instagram study aesthetic.
Here’s what actually moves the needle.
Love them or hate them, your board scores are still one of the strongest filters programs use, especially for competitive specialties. Step 1 might be pass/fail now, but Step 2 CK (for MDs) and Level 2 CE (for DOs) still matter. A lot.
They tell programs you can survive the didactic grind and handle clinical reasoning under pressure. They’re not the full story, but a strong score can open doors. A weak one? You’ll need the rest of your app to carry extra weight.
Not all letters of recommendation are equal. A glowing letter from a department chair, program director, or someone known in the field? That’s gold.
But if your letter says, “They showed up, were professional, and completed all tasks,” that’s just white noise.
You want letters that sound like the writer would trust you with their own family’s care, and that only comes from real relationships, strong rotations, and asking the right people at the right time.
The personal statement isn’t your resume. It’s your experiences, values, and goals.
It’s your story.
If you’re applying to psych and your essay reads like you’re really a surgeon in disguise, that’s a problem. If you’re chasing derm and your app doesn’t scream “I’ve done the research, shadowing, and service this field expects,” you’re just burning an interview slot.
Your whole app needs to speak one clear message: “I understand this specialty, and I’m ready for it.”
This is it. The final boss of your match journey. Your interview is where programs decide if you’re someone they want to work with at 3 a.m. on call.
A great interview can save a mediocre app. A bad interview can sink an all-star one.
The difference?
No amount of spreadsheet optimization will matter if you show up robotic, unsure, or totally disconnected.
Every spring, hundreds of qualified med students don’t match, not because they didn’t work hard, but because the system is brutal, and their foundation wasn’t solid enough. If you're still premed, this is your moment to avoid that future.
The school you choose matters. Your strategy matters. And the first real decision that shapes your match odds is the quality of your med school application.
So don’t guess.
Our free Application Database gives you access to 8 full AMCAS applications that actually worked. You’ll see apps that earned acceptances to schools like UCLA, UCI, and more. You’ll see what top candidates really submitted: personal statements, activity descriptions, and more.
Get your free resource here.
