2026 Match sets records for family medicine positions offered and filled
March 20, 2026, David Mitchell — Family medicine recruited another record-breaking class in 2026.
“Congratulations to all those filling family medicine positions today,” said AAFP Vice President for National Residency and Academic Partnerships Karen Mitchell, MD, FAAFP. “We are celebrating our biggest family medicine class based on the number of positions offered and the highest number of positions filled in the Main Match. By the end of Match Week and the conclusion of the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program, we anticipate that we will have our biggest class ever.”
More than 800 family medicine residencies offered a record-setting 5,512 positions in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) and set another record by filling 4,613 positions, according to results released today.
Mitchell said it’s likely the vast majority of the positions that were still open after the Main Match will be filled during the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP), meaning this new class of family medicine residents would eclipse last year’s record-setting total of 5,327.
The SOAP concluded March 19, but official numbers will not be available until May.
Students from the Duke University School of Medicine celebrate matching in family medicine on Match Day 2026.
Who matched in family medicine in 2026?
Of the students and graduates who filled family medicine slots in the Main Match reported by the NRMP today:
- U.S. seniors and graduates from allopathic medical schools accounted for 1,608 positions.
- Seniors and graduates from osteopathic medical schools accounted for 1,458 positions.
- International medical students and graduates (including 585 U.S. citizens) accounted for 1,547 positions.
A more in-depth look at family medicine’s 2026 numbers will be available March 23 in the AAFP’s Match results analysis.
AAFP initiative aims to make 2027 Match even better
The number of family medicine positions offered has increased 17 years in a row, but the United States still is projected to need up to 40,400 more primary care physicians by 2036. As the number of family medicine residency programs has increased (from 200 programs in 2012 to more than 800 in 2025) to meet that need, so has the number of programs that were unfilled after the Main Match (from 64 to 288 last year).
The Academy launched a Residency Selection Improvement Initiative (RSII) in August 2025 to identify improvements that can make the process more effective, efficient and economical for both applicants and residency programs. One focal point is the number of positions that are unfilled after the Main Match, which rose by 94 slots this year.
Those improvements include creating a centralized resource for applicants to find comprehensive information about family medicine residencies by incorporating information from the Academy’s residency directory into the AAMC’s Residency Explorer.
The Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors recently agreed to adopt six RSII’s recommendations for improving the interview process starting with Match 2027. Those changes will be included when new Organization of Program Director Associations guidelines for family medicine applicants and programs are published this spring.
“The fact that we have more unfilled positions does show the importance of RSII,” Mitchell said. “We are leading efforts to improve the family medicine residency selection process to make it easier for applicants and programs to find each other. I am proud that the AAFP is fully investing in our future generation of family physicians to make sure that patients across the country have access to primary care.”
The AAFP is also working with policymakers to address physician shortages by securing funding for family medicine residency programs, including the teaching health centers, and strengthening student loan repayment programs, Mitchell said.
Where to start on Match 2027
Free Match Guidebook: Students can get a free, step-by-step guide to the process in Strolling Through the Match, which is already updated for the 2026-27 Match cycle. The resource offers tips for every stage of the Match, from choosing a specialty to applying, interviewing and ranking residency programs.
FUTURE 2026: The AAFP’s FUTURE 2026 (formerly National Conference) is July 30-Aug. 1 in Kansas City, Missouri. This event for medical students and family medicine residents offers live workshops, procedural courses, leadership opportunities, student and resident congresses, and an expo hall showcasing hundreds of residency programs.
“FUTURE is a great opportunity to catch the family medicine vibe, learn more about the specialty and explore residencies from across the country,” Mitchell said.
Scholarships are available for students and residents to help offset the costs of attending FUTURE, including registration, travel, lodging and meals. Apply by May 1.
Attendees can save when they register by April 15.