Despite a five-year increase in the number of applicants and positions, geriatric medicine has consistently had poor fill rates, according to NRMP data. In 2021, 52% of 400 positions were filled, followed by 51% in 2022, 43% in 2023, 41.5% in 2024 and 44.2% in 2025.
Some of the most popular residency positions are also the most lucrative specialties, including cardiovascular disease and gastroenterology.
This is troubling for the United States’ growing aging population. By 2050, the number of Americans aged 65 and older is projected to be 82 million — a 47% increase from 58 million in 2022.