Record 2026 Medical Residency Match Secures Over 38,000 New Physicians for US Hospitals
Washington, Friday, 20 March 2026.
Filling over 93 percent of available positions, the record-breaking 2026 medical residency match secured more than 38,000 new physicians, signaling a remarkably robust future for the U.S. healthcare workforce.
A Historic Milestone for Medical Labor Supply
On Thursday, March 19, 2026, the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) announced the largest Main Residency Match in the organization’s history [2][3]. The NRMP, established in 1953, utilizes a mathematical algorithm—the underlying research for which earned the 2012 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences—to pair medical applicants with residency and fellowship training programs [2][3][5]. Out of more than 53,000 registered applicants, 48,050 submitted certified rank order lists, representing an increase of 842 applicants or a 1.784 percent rise from 2025 [2][3]. Ultimately, 38,354 active applicants successfully matched into first-year (PGY-1) positions, while the match filled 41,482 of the 44,344 offered positions across both PGY-1 and PGY-2 levels, equating to an overall fill rate of 93.546 percent [2][3].