Entry of US medical school graduates into family medicine residencies: 2011--2012.

BACKGROUND: This study reports on the number of graduates entering family medicine residencies in 2011 from allopathic, osteopathic, and international medical schools. Allopathic graduate data come from medical school registrars or the American Medical Association Masterfile. The 2012 family medicine residency program director census, with a response rate of 100%, verified residents who entered training July 2011 from all medical schools. Approximately 8.4% allopathic medical school's graduates of the 17,478 graduates (July 2010 to June 2011) were first-year family medicine residents in 2011, compared with 8.0% in 2010 and 7.5% in 2009. The percent of medical school graduates entering family medicine from each of the allopathic schools was calculated and averaged over 3 years to diminish 1-year fluctuations. Allopathic medical schools' 3-year average percentage of graduates who entered family medicine residency programs in 2011 ranged from 0.6% to 21.4%. Compared to 2010, osteopathic graduates in Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited family medicine residencies (21.5%) increased 2.8% from 2010, whereas international medical graduates (32.1%) decreased 3.4%. An increasing trend is seen in the number of allopathic graduates entering family medicine residencies. Osteopathic and international graduates' entry to residency appears inversely related. As medical schools emphasize social accountability to improve the health of communities, higher family medicine graduation rates may occur. Initiatives in medical school admissions may increase the number of medical students more likely to select family medicine careers.