Among U.S. resident physicians, about 8 in 10 are in specialty programs and the remainder are in subspecialty programs, according to the American Medical Association and the Association of American Medical Colleges.
In their annual Graduate Medical Education census, the AMA and AAMC collected data on thousands of residency training programs in the U.S.
The latest survey, which covers 2024-25, includes information on 162,264 active residents.
The data offers a snapshot of the physician pipeline hospitals will be recruiting from in the next several years, highlighting which specialties dominate resident training and where the most competitive, supply-constrained fields stand out.
Primary care specialties made up the top specialties; internal medicine alone accounted for about one-fifth of all residents.
For that academic year, the 10 specialties and subspecialties with the greatest number of resident physicians were:
1. Internal medicine — 32,912 residents (20.3% of 162,264)
2. Family medicine — 15,221 (9.38%)
3. General surgery — 10,741 (6.62%)
4. Pediatrics — 9,488 (5.85%)
5. Emergency medicine — 9,292 (5.73%)
6. Psychiatry — 8,210 (5.06%)
7. Anesthesiology — 7,522 (4.64%)
8. Obstetrics and gynecology — 5,996 (3.7%)
9. Radiology, diagnostic — 4,479 (2.76%)
10. Orthopaedic surgery — 4,437 (2.73%)
Among specialties with more than 100 residency programs (not including subspecialties), the 10 with the highest distribution of U.S.-educated MDs were:
1. Otolaryngology, head and neck surgery — 92.4% MDs
2. Ophthalmology — 91.7%
3. Neurological surgery — 90.3%
4. Urology — 89.1%
5. Dermatology — 87%
6. Orthopaedic surgery — 84.3%
7. Interventional radiology, integrated — 82.1%
8. Obstetrics and gynecology — 76.4%
9. Anesthesiology — 73.6%
10. Diagnostic radiology — 73.4%
The AMA and AAMC’s 2024-25 National GME Census is available on JAMA.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.