I need to know how many intern positions there are in the US?  In
other words, how many positions are there for graduating doctors each
year.

---

Request for Question Clarification by bobbie7-ga on 09 Sep 2004 08:37 PDT

Dear Crystal,

I didn?t find the number of positions available for graduating doctors each
year; however I can provide you with the total number of medical
interns, residents and fellows that are working in the nations
hospitals.

Does this information meet your needs?

Thanks,
Bobbie7

---

Clarification of Question by crystal4290-ga on 09 Sep 2004 08:46 PDT

Thanks for the help

I am looking for the number of new doctors....so I really need to know
the number of interns and maybe residents.  Past that is really not
helpful to me.  Thanks you - and hope you can help!

---

Request for Question Clarification by markj-ga on 09 Sep 2004 09:44 PDT

crystal4290 --

I have found the number of medical school graduates in 2003. Similar
data may be available for other recent years.  Since your latest
clarification indicates that you are interested in the "number of new
doctors," would this kind of information be of as much use to you as
the number of internship positions?

markj-ga

crystal4290 --

After I posted my clarification request, I continued my research and
found what I am confident is the information you are looking for.  It
is from an authoritative source, and here is the relevant excerpt from
its website:

"The NRMP Main Match provides an impartial venue for matching
applicants' preferences for residency positions with program
directors' preferences for applicants. Each year approximately 16,000
U.S. allopathic medical school seniors and 15,000 graduates of
osteopathic, Canadian or foreign medical schools compete for
approximately 23,000 residency positions."

National Resident Matching Program
http://www.nrmp.org/res_match/index.html


While I this seems to be exactly what you are seeking, it requires a
liitle annotation.

First, I have learned that the term "intern" is no longer used by the
American Medical Association and other medical groups.  Rather, the
term is used informally these days to mean a "resident" in the first
year of postgraduate training.  Here is authority for that fact:

"Resident or resident physician -- An individual at any level in a
Graduate Medical Education program, including subspecialty programs.
Other terms used to refer to these individuals include interns, house
officers, house staff, trainees, or fellows. "

American Medical Association: Medical Glossary
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/2376.html


Second, here is a link to the home page of the National Resident
Matching Program, which will give you all of the information you need
if you want to cite the source for the information I have supplied:

National Resident Matching Program
http://www.nrmp.org/


Finally, here is a second, confirming source for the number of U.S.
medical school graduates in a given year -- 15,511 in 2003:

Kaiser Family Foundation: Health Facts Online
http://www.statehealthfacts.kff.org/cgi-bin/healthfacts.cgi?action=compare&category=Minority+Health&subcategory=Medical+School+Graduates&topic=Distribution+by+Race%2FEthnicity



Search Strategy:

I tried many Google searches in pursuit of this elusive information. 
Rather than list the unsuccessful search terms, here is the search
that led me to a reference to what was initially called the National
Intern Matching Program:

medical graduates positions "total or" interns OR internships hospitals
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&q=medical+graduates+positions+++%22total+of%22+interns+OR+internships++hospitals+


After then focusing a search on the National Internal Matching
Program, I discovered that the name had evolved into the National
Resident Matching Program.  I then easily found that organization's
website (linked above) that had the information.


As noted above, I am confident that this is the information that you
are seeking.  If anything is unclear, please ask for clarification
before rating the answer.


markj-ga

Great answer, and also a helpful comment from Bobbie 7.  Thank you so much!

Dear Crystal,

I'll see if I can find more revelant information than the below.

?There are about 100,000 medical interns, residents and fellows working in
the nation's hospitals. They generally have completed four years of
medical school but several more years of hands-on training is typically
required for certification in their chosen medical specialties.

These advanced medical students do not pay tuition and normally receive a
modest salary and some benefits such as health insurance for their work.
They are supervised by staff physicians but do much independent work and
are often the first doctors hospital patients see.?
Stanford University Website
http://www.stanford.edu/group/supd/about/news/Medstudunion.txt



 ?Nearly 10,000 of the 100,000 interns, residents and fellows in the
United States belong to the Committee on Interns and Residents, which
is affiliated with the Service Employees International Union?
The American Society of Anesthesiologists
http://www.asahq.org/Newsletters/2000/01_00/practmanag0100.html



?The nation's most exhausted and inexperienced doctors -- the 100,000
interns and residents who staff teaching hospitals -- continue to work
as many as 130 hours a week, often with little or no supervision.?
Medical Malpractice.com 
http://www.medicalmalpractice.com/Medical-Errors-Report-Does.cfm



?While the study hardly mentions fatigue as a factor in mistakes by
the nation's 100,000 interns and residents, the omission may have to
do more with those not wanting to buck the indoctrination that doctors
must be taught to transcend fatigue.?
Insight 
http://www.insightmag.com/news/2001/05/28/CoverStory/Sleep.Sickness-210983.shtml


FTC/DOJ Hearing -- 09/26/03 

?That would mean that about 15,000 out of ~100,000 interns and
residents are currently covered by collective bargaining  contracts.

?Just in case there is any one not familiar with these terms, let me
give a few definitions. ?Interns and residents? have finished medical
school and have completed their M.D. or D.O. degrees. They are
addressed as ?doctor.? They are in
apprenticeship-like training for specialty and sub-specialty
certification. I use the term ?attending? to describe those licensed
doctors who practice outside of residency in a range of clinical
(mainly in hospital-connected) situations.?
FTC/DOJ Hearing 
http://www.ftc.gov/ogc/healthcarehearings/docs/030926marklevy.pdf


?Some are questioning the method to the madness of residency training.
To meet educational and clinical obligations, most of the nation?s
100,000 medical interns and residents work between 60 and 130 hours a
week.?
George Street Journal
http://www.brown.edu/Administration/George_Street_Journal/vol26/26GSJ06h.html
 

Best regards,
Bobbie7