Analysis of the Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program Directors Postmatch 2023 Survey

The 2023 United States infectious diseases (ID) fellowship match resulted in a large percentage of programs with unfilled positions. A survey was sent to ID program directors nationwide to better understand their perceptions on the match. Program directors perceived geography, a small applicant pool, and low specialty pay as contributing factors to the match results. Developing specialized fellowship tracks, increasing funding for the ID trainee pipeline, and national advocacy for higher compensation were identified as areas to focus on to increase the applicant pool. Areas of controversy, such as decreasing the number or size of fellowship programs, require further discussion. In a national survey of infectious diseases (ID) program directors, multiple priorities across local, regional, and national domains were identified to strengthen the future ID applicant pool.