As Infectious Disease Residency Matches Continue to Drop, What Can Attract Future Physicians to the Field?

Data from the National Resident Matching Program shows that fewer physicians applied for infectious disease (ID) fellowships compared to the 2021 pandemic surge. Over half of programs in 2025 did not fill their spots. This trend reflects a continued decline, with only 319 physicians applying for 2026, filling only about 60% of positions, down from 404 applicants in 2021.¹

Vince Young, MD, PhD, professor, Department of Internal Medicine (Infectious Diseases Division) and the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at the University of Michigan Medical School points out the pandemic shined a spotlight on the infectious disease field. “Right after the pandemic, there was actually a surge, and people have speculated a lot about what that means. I think that there was a greater awareness of infectious diseases. But some of my friends have speculated based on what they have done in interviewing their program directors at infectious disease fellowships, that what happened with the pandemic is there were some people who were waiting to try to join infectious disease fellowships, and that pulled them forward a little bit,” said Young. “That's why we had maybe a little bit more of a precipitous decline [after that] than we normally would have. But, the field itself has been shrinking over a number of years.”

Young points to a few factors driving this, starting with compensation. “It is not being remunerated as other specialties, and I’m not just talking about procedural specialties in medicine, there are other nonprocedural specialties that get paid more,” Young said. “And money isn't everything, but people are entering a profession at the time they are starting families, or have families, and are trying to save for college and things like that. So those are things that need to be considered.”

Another factor he points out is the political perspective weighing into the field. “Whereas the pandemic did raise the attention of people to infectious disease, it wasn't always in a good manner,” Young said. “And when it became so divisive— the field of infectious disease in general—some people made the decision, well, there are other things I like to do.”

“The public relations needs to be there to counteract some of the highly charged rhetoric that has arisen over infectious disease and the field since the pandemic.”

Yet, despite these issues leading to the decline, Young points out ID physicians have a large number of patients they can be treating as infections arise.

“[Infectious disease] impacts so many different areas of healthcare…infectious diseases is there as a backup to help deal with some of the complicated issues that can arise…I don't do stem cell transplants; I don't do solid organ transplants; I don't take care of patients with advanced cancer; I don't take care of patients with rheumatologic diseases, yet I do take care of those patients, not primarily, but secondarily.”

The Infectious Diseases Society of America offered some potential solutions including a federal investment in infectious diseases care and training, loan repayment for ID physicians, stable public-health and research funding, and immigration and training pathways that allow qualified international graduates to join the workforce.¹

Young acknowledges these aforementioned issues are not easily fixed, but he does remain optimistic to those who are entering the field.

“When I talk to trainees, when I talk to younger infectious disease physicians, they're really excited about the field. They want the field to move forward.”

Reference
1.IDSA and PIDS statement on 2025 infectious diseases fellowship Match results. IDSA December 3, 2025. Accessed April 2, 2026.
https://www.idsociety.org/news--publications-new/articles/2025/idsa-and-pids-statement-on-2025-infectious-diseases-fellowship-match-results