ArticlePain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain2025
Declining pain medicine fellowship applications from 2019 to 2024: A concerning trend among anesthesia residents and a growing gender disparity.
Article in Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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The trial behind it
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Trends in Interventional Pain Management Procedures Performed by Nurse Anesthetists: A Retrospective Cross-sectional Study.Anesthesiology · 2026Article
- Emergency physicians in pain medicine: Workforce trends, competency overlap, gaps, and opportunities for integration.Interventional pain medicine · 2026Article
- Declining pain medicine fellowship applications from 2019 to 2024: A concerning trend among anesthesia residents and a growing gender disparity.Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain · 2025Article
- Mentorship in Pain Medicine Fellowship: Addressing the Gaps and Advocating for Change.Journal of pain research · 2025Article
- Buprenorphine Prescribing Among Primary Care Clinicians for Chronic Pain and Opioid Use Disorder.Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine : JABFMArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
introductionThe fields of anesthesiology and pain medicine are experiencing significant changes driven by market forces and professional preferences. While demand for anesthesiologists is rising, pain medicine is facing a decline in fellowship applications.
methodsThis study analyzed data from the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) and the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) from 2019 to 2023, focusing on trends in fellowship applications to pain medicine programs. Additionally, preliminary data from the 2024 match cycle were examined.
resultsThere has been a notable decrease in anesthesiology residents applying to pain medicine fellowships, with applications dropping from 351 in 2019 to 193 in 2023. The overall decline in anesthesia-based applicants to pain medicine fellowships was 45%, signaling the highest detriment among anesthesiology applicants compared to other specialties. Gender disparities have been prevalent, with the absolute number of female applicants decreasing every year since 2019. Additionally, the 2023 match saw a significant number of unfilled programs, with 35 out of 115 programs failing to fill all positions. Preliminary data from the 2024 match cycle suggest this downward trend is continuing.
conclusionThe decline in pain medicine fellowship applications, particularly among anesthesiology residents, signals potential future workforce shortages and challenges in patient care. Recruitment strategies should include early exposure to pain medicine during residency, enhanced mentorship programs, and robust recruitment efforts (including virtual options). Addressing these issues is essential to ensure enough trained specialists to meet the growing need for pain specialists nationally.
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Registered trials
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