The main factor that students consider when choosing a medical school is the opportunities they can get from it.
FREIDA™, the AMA Residency and Fellowship Database has researched and provided data for the top 10 programs that offer the most first-year positions for different specialties. The list was updated on 10 October 2019.
This data will help med students to look for residency from more than 11,000 programs. All programs have received their accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
Top 10 Medical Programs
1.Internal Medicine
This program has 11,515 first-year residency positions. Internists are physicians trained to care for adults. They offer care for general health to complex illnesses.
An internist may opt to become general or internal medical subspecialists. A general internist deals with the broad spectrum of illnesses that affect adults.
A subspecialist on the other hand sees the patients occasionally on limited time. They meet the patients in consultation with general internists or other medical specialists. A subspecialist receives in-depth training and board certification in studying and managing a certain disease.
It could be an infectious disease or a disease that affects only a single organ like the heart.
2.Family Medicine
Accommodates 4,900 first-year students.
A family physician is a personal doctor. Their patients are people of all ages. They treat all health conditions.
Because of the close link they have with families, they are able to help patients prevent or manage health conditions.
3.Pediatrics
They offer 3,226 first-year residency positions.
These are physicians trained to meet the healthcare needs of children. They pay attention to the physical, behavioral, development and social problems related to children.
Their main goal is to reduce infant mortality and ensure children lead healthy lives. They also help children with chronic illnesses. By helping them manage the day-to-day challenges of the disease.
4.Surgery General
They have 2,900 first year positions.
A well trained general surgeon will be skilled in anatomy, physiology and have the technical skills to carry out different procedures. These skills are not easy to master. But once a surgeon grasps them he/she will be able to cure the sufferings of patients.
They can perform a wide range of surgeries on different people suffering from different ailments.
5.Emergency Medicine
This program admits 2,739 first-year med students.
The emergency medicine field has grown over the years. This is because this field is an exciting medical practice. A doctor gets to work on a flexible schedule. And meets with a variety of patients.
6.Psychiatry
Has 1,906 first-year residency positions.
A psychiatrist is a special doctor. Such a doctor works to ensure mental and emotional stability of his/her patients. They are able to understand how emotional and physical illnesses affect the mental health of patients.
Psychiatrists have mastered the brain, body and mind interface. They use different strategies when dealing with patients to figure out how to treat them best.
7.Anesthesiology
Admits 1,679 first year residents.
This field of medicine is dedicated to relieving pain and taking care of patients that have undergone invasive procedures. An anesthesiologist trains for 4 years. The first year is dedicated to clinical training. And the other three are anesthesiology training.
8.Transitional Year
This program admits 1,630 first year residents.
In this specialty the resident will receive global training before taking on residency training. The student is initially trained on internal and surgical medical rotations. At the same time, the student will be prepared for a field that requires them to completely understand:
- Pathology
- Surgical procedures
- Physiology
9. Obstetrics and Gynecology
Accepts 1,512 first year residents.
This specialty is a combination of medical and surgical skills in the women’s health department. Such a specialist has expertise of:
- Pregnancy
- Childbirth
- Reproductive system disorders
Their work entails:
- Oncology
- Family planning
- Preventive care
- Detecting Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STI)
- Pap test screening
- Prenatal care
10. Radiology Diagnostic
The program admits 1,187 first year residents.
This specialty uses non-invasive imaging scans to diagnose patients.
