Why Research is the #1 Factor in the Orthopaedic Surgery Match.
Matched applicants in 2024 averaged 23.8 abstracts, presentations, and publications. Here is what that means for your application strategy starting today.
By the OrthoMatched Team · 8 min read
The numbers don't lie
If you are a medical student considering orthopaedic surgery and you have not started building your research profile yet, this article is for you. The 2024 NRMP Charting Outcomes data is unambiguous: matched orthopaedic surgery applicants averaged 23.8 abstracts, presentations, and publications. Applicants who did not match averaged 18.0. That gap — nearly 6 research outputs — is not a rounding error. It is a structural difference in how competitive applicants spend their time in medical school. And it does not happen in MS3. It happens in MS1 and MS2, years before most students start thinking about their residency application.
Why research matters more in ortho than any other specialty
Orthopaedic surgery is unique in how heavily programme directors weight research output. Unlike specialties where grades and board scores dominate, ortho residency programmes — particularly academic programmes at institutions like HSS, Mayo, and Johns Hopkins — use research productivity as a primary signal of intellectual engagement, commitment to the field, and long-term academic potential. A Step 2 CK score of 260 tells a programme director you are a strong test taker. A publication in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery tells them you can contribute to the field. Both matter. But research is the differentiator that separates candidates with otherwise similar profiles.
What counts as research output
The NRMP tracks abstracts, presentations, and publications as a combined metric. This means your research output does not need to be published papers in peer-reviewed journals — though those carry the most weight. The full spectrum of outputs that strengthen your application includes: poster presentations at regional or national orthopaedic conferences such as AAOS or ORS, oral presentations, case reports, systematic reviews, retrospective chart reviews, and original research publications. Even a poster presentation at a regional conference submitted in MS2 demonstrates initiative, discipline, and genuine engagement with the specialty.
How to start building your research profile in MS1
The single most common mistake ortho-bound medical students make is waiting until MS2 or MS3 to seek out research opportunities. By then, the students who will match top programmes have already submitted abstracts, established relationships with orthopaedic faculty, and are working on their second or third project. Here is how to start in MS1. First, identify the orthopaedic surgery faculty at your home institution who are actively publishing. Look at their recent publications on PubMed. Cold email three to five of them with a brief, specific message expressing your interest in their work and asking whether they have any opportunities for a medical student to contribute to an ongoing project. Second, look beyond your home institution. Many research opportunities exist at academic orthopaedic centres that accept visiting students or remote research contributors. Third, if your home institution has limited ortho research activity, consider applying for a dedicated research year between MS2 and MS3. While this extends your timeline, it can dramatically strengthen an otherwise thin application.
What OrthoMatched mentors do differently
Every OrthoMatched student begins research strategy in their very first session. We do not wait until MS3 to address this. Our mentors — current orthopaedic residents who built competitive research profiles themselves — walk every student through exactly how to identify research opportunities, how to approach faculty, what kinds of projects produce publishable output, and how to frame their research on the ERAS application. The students who match their target programmes are the ones who started this work early. We make sure every OrthoMatched student is one of them.
Start Early. Match Better.
Your research strategy starts in your first session.
Every OrthoMatched student builds their research profile from day one — guided by a mentor who matched orthopaedic surgery at a top programme and knows exactly what it takes.
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