According to the NRMP, here are the most competitive specialties for the 2010 match Table 13 and Table 14 in the Results and Data 2010 Match.
Top Ten Most Competitive Specialties – Based on positions per US Senior
— Positions per US Senior (aka allopathic graduate), is making the assumption that the specialty is more competitive due to the fact that many more seniors apply for it in relation to the number of actual positions.
| Rank | Specialty Name | Positions per US Senior |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Plastic Surgery (Integrated) | 0.6 |
| #2 | Vascular Surgery (Integrated) | 0.7 |
| #3 | Orthopedic Surgery | 0.8 |
| #4 | Dermatology | 0.9 |
| #4 | Neurological Surgery | 0.9 |
| #4 | Otolaryngology | 0.9 |
| #7 | Radiation Oncology | 1.0 |
| #7 | General Surgery | 1.0 |
| #9 | Radiology – Diagnostic | 1.1 |
| #10 | Emergency Medicine | 1.2 |
***Please note :: Thoracic Surgery (integrated) and urology were left out of this table since they only offer 10 positions and 7 positions respectively in the NRMP main match.
Top Ten Most Competitive Specialties – Based on percent of unmatched US Seniors
— Percent of unmatched US Seniors is a good barometer of competitiveness. This calculation takes only those students who ranked one specialty, then figures out the percent of those who did not match into the said specialty.
| Rank | Specialty Name | Percent Unmatched |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Plastic Surgery (Integrated) | 26.5% |
| #2 | Dermatology | 25.1% |
| #3 | Orthopedic Surgery | 19.6% |
| #4 | General Surgery | 15.7% |
| #5 | Otolaryngology | 15.4% |
| #6 | Neurological Surgery | 15.1% |
| #7 | Radiation Oncology | 14.5% |
| #8 | Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) | 10.2% |
| #9 | Obstetrics and Gynecology | 8.6% |
| #10 | Radiology – Diagnostic | 6.5% |
For comparison sake, Family practice and Pediatrics have a 2.5% unmatched rate for US seniors