In short: When the matching algorithm ran for the 2026 Main Residency Match (results released March 20, 2026), 2,862 of 44,344 positions were left unfilled, 389 more than in 2025. Family medicine, preliminary surgery and categorical internal medicine made up more than two-thirds of them. SOAP then filled most of the rest: the NRMP puts the combined Match and SOAP fill rate at 99.3%.
The 2026 Match at a glance
| Measure | 2026 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Positions offered | 44,344 | 43,237 |
| PGY-1 positions offered | 41,126 | 40,041 |
| Positions filled in the Match | 41,482 | 40,764 |
| Unfilled after the Match | 2,862 | 2,473 |
| Share of positions filled | 93.5% | 94.3% |
Positions grew faster than matches. Total positions rose 2.6% from 2025, while the number of filled positions rose 1.8%. That gap is why a record-size Match still left more seats open than the year before.
Which specialties had the most unfilled positions
These are PGY-1 positions left open after the algorithm ran and before SOAP began.
| Specialty (PGY-1) | Positions offered | Unfilled | Filled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family medicine | 5,491 | 899 | 83.6% |
| Surgery, preliminary (PGY-1 only) | 1,207 | 543 | 55.0% |
| Internal medicine, categorical | 11,194 | 537 | 95.2% |
| Transitional year | 1,937 | 191 | 90.1% |
| Pediatrics, categorical | 3,126 | 175 | 94.4% |
| Emergency medicine | 3,198 | 140 | 95.6% |
| Medicine, preliminary (PGY-1 only) | 1,565 | 135 | 91.4% |
| Psychiatry | 2,516 | 65 | 97.4% |
| Internal medicine, primary care track | 438 | 17 | 96.1% |
| Osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal medicine | 27 | 15 | 44.4% |
| OB/GYN, preliminary (PGY-1 only) | 21 | 11 | 47.6% |
Advanced and reserved positions were nearly full. Of 2,864 PGY-2 positions, 35 went unfilled, 17 of them in diagnostic radiology. Of 354 physician-only (R) positions, 55 went unfilled.
Specialties that filled every PGY-1 position
Anesthesiology (1,865 positions), orthopedic surgery (963), medicine-pediatrics (404), neurological surgery (280), physical medicine and rehabilitation (253), vascular surgery (110), thoracic surgery (56) and dermatology (31 PGY-1 positions) filled every PGY-1 seat. Categorical general surgery left 3 of 1,807 open and OB/GYN 2 of 1,638. Dermatology left 1 of its 546 PGY-2 positions open.
What changed from 2025
- Family medicine added 134 positions, to 5,491, but its fill rate fell from 85.0% to 83.6%. The NRMP says more applicants matched into family medicine than the year before, and it plans a Blue Ribbon Panel on the specialty in 2026.
- Internal medicine, counting all the tracks the NRMP groups together (11,632 positions), filled 95.2%, down 1.6 points.
- Emergency medicine filled 95.6%, down 2.3 points from 97.9% in 2025.
- Psychiatry added 30 programs and 128 positions. Its unfilled positions rose from 8 to 65.
Where the unfilled positions went: SOAP
Unfilled positions in participating programs move into the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP) during Match Week. The NRMP's full results report, released May 26, 2026, says 2,851 positions were offered in SOAP and 2,632 were filled, bringing the combined Match and SOAP fill rate to 99.3%. (The NRMP's Match Day news release gave a lower SOAP figure, 2,581; this article uses the later full report.)
So a position that is unfilled on the Monday of Match Week is usually filled by the end of that week. If you go unmatched, SOAP is your main window, and it moves fast. Our guide to SOAP walks through the week.
Why some positions go unfilled
This part is MedRise's analysis, not an NRMP finding.
- A preliminary year is a different product. Preliminary surgery and medicine are one-year positions. Many applicants rank them only as a backup, and a preliminary year does not come with a categorical spot afterward.
- Growth can outpace interest. Family medicine and psychiatry have been adding positions quickly. When positions grow faster than applicant interest, more stay open.
- Eligibility narrows the field. Visa sponsorship, graduation-year limits and score cutoffs mean that many applicants cannot apply to a given open program, even when it has seats.
What this means for the 2027 Match
- Know the 2027 dates. Standard NRMP registration runs until January 29, 2027. Rank order lists open February 1 and must be certified by March 3, 2027, at 9 p.m. ET. Match Week runs March 15 to 19, and Match Day is Friday, March 19, 2027.
- IMGs: finish ECFMG requirements on time. To take part, international medical graduates must meet ECFMG's verification requirements by the March 3, 2027 rank order list deadline.
- Rank a backup you would really attend. Family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics had the most open categorical positions. If a preliminary or transitional year is part of your plan, know how you would reach a PGY-2 or categorical spot afterward.
- Get ready for SOAP before Match Week. Have your application documents and letters final, and read the NRMP's SOAP rules and eligibility now rather than on Monday of Match Week.
For the applicant side of the same data, including match rates for U.S. and non-U.S. IMGs, see 2026 NRMP Match results: what they mean for IMGs.
For the same breakdown from the year before, see what specialties had unfilled positions in the 2025 Match.
Sources
- NRMP, Advance Data Tables: 2026 Main Residency Match (March 2026)
- NRMP, Match by the Numbers: 2026 Main Residency Match (March 2026)
- NRMP news release on the 2026 Main Residency Match results (March 20, 2026)
- NRMP, 2026 Main Residency Match outcome reports, including SOAP results (May 26, 2026)
- NRMP, 2027 Main Residency Match applicant checklist
MedRise is not affiliated with the NRMP, ECFMG, Intealth, the AAMC or ERAS. Figures come from the NRMP's public reports and are for education only; check the NRMP for official data. This is not legal or immigration advice, and no outcome is promised.
