US Medical Residency Shortage: 9,541 Graduates Unmatched in 2025 Amid Calls for 14,000 New Slots

A growing number of medical graduates in the United States are unable to secure residency positions, intensifying calls from medical professionals and advocacy groups to increase the number of available training slots. Physician Hersh Desai recently highlighted this critical issue, stating in a social media post, "> If we're doing things "in the national interest" let's also increase the number of residency slots while we're at it." This sentiment underscores a long-standing bottleneck in the nation's physician pipeline.

The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) reported that in 2025, a record 47,208 applicants competed for 43,237 residency positions, resulting in 9,541 qualified medical graduates going unmatched. Without completing a residency, these graduates cannot obtain a medical license and practice medicine in the U.S., leading to a significant waste of talent and resources. This disparity between medical school graduates and residency availability is a key driver of the national physician shortage.

The root of the problem traces back to the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, which froze the number of Medicare-funded residency positions. This cap has remained largely in place despite a significant increase in medical school enrollment over the past two decades, creating a structural imbalance where more students are graduating but fewer can advance to full practice. Experts argue that simply opening more medical schools will not solve the physician shortage without a corresponding increase in residency training opportunities.

In response to this crisis, bipartisan legislation, known as the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act (H.R. 3890, also cited as H.R. 4731/S. 2439 in 2025), has been introduced multiple times. This bill proposes to add 14,000 Medicare-funded residency positions over seven years, with 2,000 new slots annually from 2026 through 2032. Major organizations like the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the American Medical Association (AMA) have expressed strong support for this legislation, advocating for its passage to address the critical shortage.

The AMA has consistently worked to remove the cap on residency slots and expand training programs, particularly in rural and underserved areas. They emphasize that sustained, long-term investments in the physician workforce are necessary to ensure patient access to quality care. The ongoing debate highlights the urgent need for policy reforms and innovative solutions to expand graduate medical education and effectively meet the healthcare demands of the nation.