Results of the 2006 National Resident Matching Program: family medicine.

The results of the 2006 National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) reflect a currently stable level of student interest in family medicine residency training in the United States. Compared with the 2005 Match, 26 more positions (with the same number of US seniors) were filled in family medicine residency programs through the NRMP in 2006, at the same time as four more (five fewer US seniors) in primary care internal medicine, one fewer in pediatrics-primary care (12 more US seniors), and four more (19 more US seniors) in internal medicine-pediatric programs. Many different forces, including student perspectives of the demands, rewards, and prestige of the specialty; the turbulence and uncertainty of the health care environment; lifestyle issues; and the impact of faculty role models continue to influence medical student career choices. Two more positions (nine more US seniors) were filled in categorical internal medicine. Two fewer positions (11 fewer US seniors) were filled in categorical pediatrics programs. The 2006 NRMP results suggest that interest in family medicine and primary care careers continues to be stable. With the needs of the nation calling for the roles and services of family physicians, family medicine matched too few graduates through the 2006 NRMP to meet the nation's needs for primary care physicians.