Obstetrics & Gynecology

Competitiveness: High

Obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) is a diverse specialty concerned with the delivery of medical and surgical care to women. This unique specialty combines the best aspects of primary care and surgical procedures for any residency applicant who can’t choose between the two. Training is 4 years and some OBGYN programs offer a preliminary (PGY-1) year. OBGYN has seen a marked increase in popularity as a specialty in the last few years, making it one of the more popular specialties. Due to the highly competitive nature of this specialty, it is suggested the prospective OBGYN applicants should have a high USMLE Step 1 score (+230), rotations in OBGYN, and a complete focus (no indecision) between OBGYN and other specialties.

ENTER YOUR CREDENTIALS Customize your Obstetrics & Gynecology program list

Applicant Type

US Clinical Experience

Yes No

USMLE Step 1

USMLE Step 2 CK

Visa Sponsorship?

Time Since Graduation

IMG Profile

Average Stats for a Matched US IMG in 2018:

USMLE Step 1 score: 229
USMLE Step 2 CK score: 238
Research: 2.3
Abstracts/Presentations/etc: 2.5
Work: 3.1
Volunteer: 4.7

Average Stats for a Matched Non-US IMG in 2018:

USMLE Step 1 score: 231
USMLE Step 2 CK score: 237
Research: 3.1
Abstracts/Presentations/etc: 9.1
Work: 5.3
Volunteer: 3.6

Specialty Factors

Every specialty has unique factors they want each candidate to have in their residency application. NRMP conducts regular Program Director surveys to identify which parts of the residency application are most important in differing specialties. Among the information gathered, Program Directors were asked to to cite factors they used to select candidates for interviews. They were also asked to rate each factor on a scale from 1 (least important) to 5 (most important).

The Top 5 Most Important Obstetrics & Gynecology Application Factors

Percentage of Programs Citing Each Factor

USMLE Step 1 score (94%)
Specialty specific Letters of Recommendation (87%), MSPE (87%)
Grades in required clerkships (85%)
Personal Statement (81%)
USMLE Step 2 CK score (78%), Class ranking/quartile (78%)

Average Importance Rating for Each Factor (scale of 1 to 5)

Flagged by NRMP (4.7), Any failed attempt in USMLE (4.7)
Evidence of professionalism and ethics (4.5), Visa Status (4.5)
Grades in clerkship in desired specialty (4.4)
Grades in required clerkships (4.3), Leadership qualities (4.3), Passing USMLE Step 2 CS (4.3)
Audition elective/rotation within department (4.2)

Fast Facts

Total Training	4 years + 2 years clinical practice
Average Residency Salary	$55,000
Average Work Week	58 Hours
Peak Interview Months	November, January
Key Organizations and Societies:	American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists American Gynecological & Obstetrical Society American College of Osteopathic Obstetricians and Gynecologists