Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p>Background: International Medical Graduates or IMGs comprise up to one fourth of actively practicing physicians in the United States. These physicians face unique obstacles which impact match success including specialty competitiveness or limited visa sponsorship. Objective: To analyze the National Resident Matching Program data from 2016 to 2024 to identify variables associated with successful matching among both US and non-US IMGs. Methods: Data were obtained from the National Resident Matching Program for 2016-2024 and stratified by specialty and international medical graduate status (US vs non-US). Aggregate characteristics of matched and unmatched applicants, including work and volunteer experiences, research output, publications, USMLE Step 2 scores, specialties ranked, contiguous ranks, and PhD attainment, were analyzed. Temporal trends were evaluated using linear regression and the Mann-Kendall Test. Analyses were conducted separately by specialty and IMG group, with significance defined as p < 0.1. Statistical analyses were performed in R Studio. Results: Step 2 score is a less differentiating factor while publications have become increasingly important in indicating match success across specialties between the years 2016 to 2024. Non-US IMGs demonstrate an increase in publications while Step 2 scores have become less predictive factors for both non-US and US-IMGs. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the relationship between applicant characteristics and match success between non-US and US IMGs. Publication output showed the highest trend amongst non-US IMGs which may be to overshadow potential visa-related conflicts. Understanding these variables is crucial for interpreting IMG specialty choice and the growing trend of holistic review in residency programs.</p>