New research reveals where new doctors go after residency-and why proactive, data-driven recruiting is critical to solving the physician shortage
St. Louis, MO - August 19th, 2025 - PracticeMatch, a leader in physician recruitment solutions, today announced the release of its latest white paper, After the Match: How to Navigate What Comes Next, offering a data-rich look at post-residency career patterns, workforce pressures, and the strategic actions healthcare organizations must take to compete for top physician talent.
The report arrives in the wake of a record-breaking 2025 Match Day, where more than 44,000 applicants competed for nearly 41,000 residency slots-yet critical shortages persist in primary care, OB-GYN, psychiatry, and rural healthcare.
Drawing on exclusive first-party, verified, opt-in data from thousands of residents and fellows, as well as a multi-year collaboration with MIT, the white paper reveals:
- Location loyalty matters - Nearly 60% of physicians take their first post-training job in the same state as their residency, underscoring the importance of early engagement.
- Specialty mobility differs - Surgeons relocate farther on average (150+ miles) than primary care physicians (20 miles).
- Proximity impacts retention - Only 12% of physicians start their first job in the same ZIP code as their residency program.
- Burnout and retirement pressures loom large - Physician burnout costs the U.S. healthcare system an estimated $4.6 billion annually, and nearly one-third of the physician workforce is nearing retirement age.
"Match Day is the starting line, not the finish line," said
Clint Rosser, CEO of PracticeMatch. "Our findings show that the organizations who win in today's competitive hiring market are the ones that connect with physicians earlier-while they're still in training-and align opportunities with both their professional and personal priorities."
The paper also explores how policy changes, such as new state laws allowing certain internationally trained physicians to practice without repeating U.S. residency, will shape the recruiting landscape in the years ahead. With immigration and credentialing complexities on the rise,
up-to-date, verified data is becoming an indispensable recruitment tool.
PracticeMatch's proprietary databases go beyond resumes to capture key indicators-such as geographic preferences, practice type goals, and family considerations—that help recruiters predict candidate mobility and readiness, enabling smarter outreach and faster time-to-fill for critical roles.
Download the full white paper here:
https://www.practicematch.com/employers/employer-resources/white-papers/after-the-match.cfm
About PracticeMatch:
PracticeMatch provides healthcare employers with industry-leading recruitment solutions, including access to the largest pool of verified, first-party physician data in the U.S. Through a combination of proprietary databases, digital marketing tools, and targeted outreach strategies, PracticeMatch empowers organizations to attract, hire, and retain the right providers for long-term success.
For more information, visit
www.practicematch.com.
Media Contact:
Laura Kleffner
VP of Marketing
PracticeMatch
Laura.Kleffner@practicematch.com
314-413-0167