Pathology Has 7% Fewer Applicants Than Four Years Ago
On the day programs opened ERAS 2027 applications, 1,155 people had applied to pathology, against 1,239 at the same point of ERAS 2023. Programs interviewed 38% of the applicants who signaled them and 9% of those who didn't.
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That is a 7% decline, comparing the same day of each cycle. Of the 20 specialties with at least 300 applicants, three shrank; pathology had the second-steepest decline. Over full seasons, the change from ERAS 2023 to 2026 was −5%. By applicant type, the same-day change since ERAS 2023 was +17% for MDs, +35% for DOs and −23% for international graduates.
Below are five seasons of AAMC ERAS data for pathology: who applies, how many applications they send, how signals are used and how often programs interviewed applicants who did and didn’t signal them, split by MD, DO and international medical graduate.
The international-graduate share of applicants fell 10 points
In ERAS 2026, 1,454 people applied to pathology. The pool was 27.6% MD, 14% DO and 58.4% international graduates. 62.2% applied to no other specialty, a count that treats required preliminary and transitional years as another specialty.
Applicants are down 8.8% from the same day last year
| Season | All | MD | DO | Intl. grads | Applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ERAS 2027so far, vs. same day of 2026 | ▼−8.8% | ▼−3.2% | ▼−4.2% | ▼−12.9% | ▼−15.0% |
| ERAS 2026vs. 2025 | ▲+4.4% | ▲+10.0% | ▲+17.4% | ▼−1.3% | ▲+3.7% |
| ERAS 2025vs. 2024 | ▼−4.2% | ▼−3.1% | ▲+12.6% | ▼−7.8% | ▼−2.9% |
| ERAS 2024vs. 2023 | ▲+2.2% | ▲+13.6% | ▲+6.7% | ▼−3.0% | ▲+3.1% |
The median applicant sends 40 applications, up from 38
By type in ERAS 2026: MDs 30, DOs 43, international graduates 56. The middle half of applicants sent between 19 and 83. The overall median is the seventh highest of 23 specialties covered here.
On the programs’ side, the median pathology program received 245 applications in ERAS 2026, against 381 in ERAS 2023.
Most applications still arrive without a signal
In ERAS 2027, 99% of pathology applicants used signals, and the median signaling applicant used 5.
At the median program, 8% of applicants had signaled it, up from 8% in ERAS 2026. The median program received 37 signals; the busiest tenth received 79 or more.
Signals per applicant by season: 2024: 5 · 2025: 5 · 2026: 5 · 2027: 5.
A signal multiplies the interview rate about 4-fold
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| Did not signal | Signaled | |
|---|---|---|
| All applicants | 9% | 38% |
| MD | 24% | 62% |
| DO | 13% | 54% |
| Intl. graduates | 3% | 20% |
At 97% of programs, signaled applicants were interviewed at a higher rate than those who didn’t signal.
These are last season’s rates. Track who is sending pathology interview invites this season.
A DO's signal returns 88% of what an MD's does; an international graduate's, 33%
An MD who signaled a pathology program was interviewed at 62% of the median program, the 10th highest of 21 specialties with interview data. For DOs, pathology ranks the fifth most DO-friendly of 16.
An international graduate who signaled (20%) still did worse than an MD who didn’t (24%).
These are outcomes by group, not the effect of belonging to one. The groups differ in exam timing, visa needs and U.S. clinical experience, and none of that is controlled here.
The most common backup is internal medicine, chosen by 24%
| Also applied to, ERAS 2026 | Share of applicants |
|---|---|
| Internal Medicine (categorical) | 24% |
| Family Medicine | 20% |
| Internal Medicine (primary care) | 15% |
| Internal Medicine (preliminary)PGY-1 year | 13% |
| Pediatrics | 10% |
| Transitional YearPGY-1 year | 9% |
Rows marked PGY-1 year are preliminary and transitional programs, which specialties that start at PGY-2 require. Categorical programs in another specialty are the real backup plan.