Top 5 Most Competitive Doctor Specialties (2022)

In 2018, we made a video covering the top 5 most competitive doctor specialties. At that time, the top 5 were dermatology, plastic surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, and ENT (in that order). In 2022, however, things have changed. We have included two new specialties in our analysis in thoracic surgery and urology and have updated our spreadsheet with the most up-to-date data from the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP). Here are the new top 5 most competitive specialties in 2022.

TIME STAMPS:
00:00 Introduction
00:50 MSI Competitiveness Index Breakdown
04:12 Trends in the Top 5 Specialties
07:27 Other Noteworthy Changes

LINKS FROM VIDEO:

#medicalschool #doctor #residency
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Disclaimer: Content of this video is my opinion and does not constitute medical advice. The content and associated links provide general information for general educational purposes only. Use of this information is strictly at your own risk. Kevin Jubbal, M.D. and Med School Insiders LLC will not assume any liability for direct or indirect losses or damages that may result from the use of information contained in this video including but not limited to economic loss, injury, illness or death. May include affiliate links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through them (at no extra cost to you).

[Orthogunner]

One of the best advice I had in medical school was to choose the specialty that you love. An orthopedic surgeon or plastic surgeon may have a fantastic salary, but if you don’t enjoy it and retire earlier in your mid 50s versus a primary care provider who works well into their 70s enjoying life, the compensation doesn’t matter as much.

[JulesVi]

The best part of studying on a Saturday is taking a break to watch the new MSI video and gaining even more motivation to go back studying!

[bulletproofht]

YouTube Doctor is at the top of the list

[renee]

That bit and the end about not being discouraged was wonderful. Thanks!!

[emilysarnacki]

Applying anesthesiology this year! It’s insane how many applications programs have told us they have received compared to other years.

[cdemike]

Any chance you have a full list? I'm curious to see what happened with other "mid-level competitiveness" specialties.

[User]

Kevin I really enjoy your videos! Your the reason why I have turned my head to medicine and thinking about studying the field of Sports Medicine in Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy. Can you please do a “So you want to be” video for Occupational Therapy/Therapist and Physical Therapy/Therapist.

[mdmal]

Neurosurgery is my intended field, but the results aren't surprising. The NRMP recently proposed a two-phase residency match, can you talk about that in a video on this channel or your personal channel. I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

[DudePsychMD]

I would add caution about using AOA as a marker, as the criteria to gain membership seem to vary b/n medical school. While I was in medical school (known MD state school), criteria changed from 80% Step scores & pre-clinical/clinical grades and 20% extra-curriculars to complete swap in percentages b/n the two. Plenty of rumors went around about how much your classmates who were elected into the governing roles of AOA favored you weighed more than the actual mission of AOA itself. I definitely had my eyebrows raised w/ how some gained membership and some who I thought were much better suited based off their mission did not. In reality at the end of residency and even during it, unless you're pursuing a competitive fellowship or a career in academic medicine (most aren't for either) most don't give 2 s**** about AOA in your CV.

[crystalsun]

Pls do a series on best cash based specialties. I would like to know about other cash based specialties except derma & plastic surgery. Each of your videos are awesome. 💖

[kervin]

May you do a “So you want to be a Surgical or medicine Prelim” PGY-1 and PGY-2 ?
These situations are quite relative to medical students and non-categorical interns.
Appreciate you.

[murraysolomon]

Psych is the new Derm for people interested in work-life balance and there is a tremendous shortage of Psychiatrist ensuring employment.

[sarahconner]

Great vid! Can you do a vid covering oncology as a specialty?

[sscheek]

Hopefully by the time i get into a residency Opthalmology will be less competitive i really want to get into that field!

[davidhill]

Surprised you didn’t mention EM. Good lifestyle and compensation. Large increase in number of programs. But, seems to be less competitive that a couple of years ago. Encroachment is a concern.

[MatthewOceanXVX]

Imma prolly be a Psychiatrist. Good pay, and even more if you do locum work. I know psychiatrists making 350k-450k doing that. Great hours, in high demand, especially with the mental health focus of the world becoming more prevalent, and it’s not really competitive. Not to mention you can just stay home and do telemedicine appointments if you want, or travel and still work if you need.

It may absolutely be draining for some people, but I think if you personally suffer from mental health issues like depression and anxiety, it may be rewarding to help those with similar issues as well. Plus you might have a better idea of what they might be going through.

I’m 32 with just a semester away from finishing my bachelors. Applying to medical school this spring, and can’t wait.

[objectiveopinions]

Great video, but Saying "I wasn't the most gifted student" is a bit misleading. Not saying you didn't work for it. But you still scored in the 99th percentile on the MCAT and got a full ride through medical school, as stated in another video. Semantics aside not everyone can do that.

[renee]

Nice work! Do you think number of residency spots also plays a role in competitiveness?

[Oligma]

What happened to the ranking or radiology or interventional radiology ? Radiology seems to be going up cause of the COVID pandemic as well.

[jacksullivan]

Do you think you could make a video on the nuances that go into running a private practice?