The 2026 Main Residency Match: Pathology data & trends.

A prior analysis of medical residency match outcomes from 2008 to 2017 found a major decline in the percentage of filled pathology residency positions that were taken by senior medical students from United States (US) allopathic medical schools (MD seniors). Consequently, recruitment efforts were initiated, such as the College of American Pathologists' (CAP) Pathologist Pipeline Initiative, which began in year 2019 or 2020. The goal of this study is to determine if there has been a recent change in the percentage of offered pathology residency positions that were filled by MD seniors. Main Residency Match (MRM) data from year 2008 to 2026 were analyzed and graphed. The percentage of offered pathology residency positions that were filled by MD seniors peaked at 65.0% in year 2010, bottomed at 32.4% in 2021, and is 41.5% in 2026. Out of 15 major medical specialties, pathology had the 3rd lowest percentage of offered residency positions that were filled by MD seniors in 2026. Out of 10 major medical specialties which offer post-graduate year-1 (PGY-1), but not PGY-2, residency positions, pathology had the 3rd lowest percentage. For either list, otolaryngology and family medicine had the highest (88.1%) and lowest (27.2%) percentages, respectively. In conclusion, since 2021 there has been an upward trend in the percentage of offered pathology residency positions that were filled by MD seniors in the MRM, yet the current percentage is relatively low compared to other major medical specialties.