Interventional cardiology’s first Match Day celebrated as a ‘historic achievement’
Interventional cardiology’s first Match Day is officially in the books, with 94% of participating applicants successfully securing a position.
This was a moment years in the making. Interventional cardiology had previously never participated in Match Day, but that all changed in July when the specialty officially joined the National Resident Match Program (NRMP) after years of advocacy from groups such as the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI).
A total of 164 interventional cardiology training programs participated in the specialty’s very first Match Day, putting 326 positions on the table for potential applicants. While 290 applicants participated in the match, 94% were able to find a destination. There is still hope for the remaining 6% of candidates; SCAI has said it will work to match them with unfilled positions.
“Together, we celebrate this historic achievement and congratulate the incoming interventional cardiology fellows,” SCAI President James Hermiller, MD, said in a statement celebrating the successful Match Day. “As the field of interventional cardiology continues to evolve, the match process will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the specialty. We thank all those who worked to make this milestone a reality.”
“The successful implementation of the Interventional Cardiology Match is a result of the collective efforts of SCAI leadership, the Match Task Force, Training Program Directors, and Faculty. We are committed to supporting our fellows and training programs as they navigate the new process,” added Match Task Force co-chairs J Dawn Abbott, MD, and Douglas Drachman, MD. “We are pleased with the number of applicants and programs that participated in this inaugural match and are looking forward to optimizing the process in the years to come.”
SCAI led the charge to make this change, rallying stakeholders through the power of social media and submitting an application to officially join the NRMP in 2022.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.