The American Academy of Sleep Medicine celebrates another milestone as 207 physicians successfully matched with a sleep medicine fellowship training program on Dec. 4 during “Match Day” for the 2025 appointment year. This year’s match showcased continued growth in the sleep field, with 102 sleep medicine training programs participating across the U.S.
After completing a one-year fellowship, these physicians will be eligible to sit for the annual sleep medicine board certification exam. Sleep fellows bring diverse expertise, having already completed residency training in internal medicine, neurology, psychiatry, pediatrics, family medicine, otolaryngology or anesthesiology.
The annual sleep medicine match is conducted by the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) Specialties Matching Service (SMS), which uses a sophisticated algorithm to pair applicants with programs based on their respective rank order lists.
Sleep medicine continues to thrive as a multidisciplinary specialty within the Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match, which includes over 30 subspecialties. Applicants benefit from the flexibility to rank programs across participating specialties, further enhancing opportunities for tailored career pathways.
Sleep medicine match statistics
According to the 2024 match results for the 2025 appointment year, 218 certified positions were available from 102 certified programs, reflecting growth from 213 positions and the same number of programs last year. Of the 227 certified applicants with rank who selected sleep medicine as their preferred specialty, 203 successfully matched with a sleep medicine program, one matched to a different specialty and 23 did not match.
This year, 90% of programs and 95% of positions were filled, making it the best year yet for the sleep medicine match. Applicants who did not match can access a list of unfilled programs through the NRMP system to explore remaining opportunities.
| Appointment Year |
Certified Programs |
Certified Positions |
Certified Applicants with Rank (Preferring Sleep Medicine) |
Positions Filled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 102 | 218 | 227 | 207 |
| 2024 | 102 | 213 | 200 | 188 |
| 2023 | 99 | 201 | 190 | 178 |
| 2022 | 95 | 193 | 198 | 179 |
| 2021 | 86 | 179 | 187 | 165 |
| 2020 | 84 | 180 | 172 | 148 |
| 2019 | 86 | 180 | 160 | 147 |
| 2018 | 82 | 170 | 172 | 150 |
Supporting sleep medicine education
The Choose Sleep website offers valuable educational resources, including webinars and tools to inspire future sleep medicine professionals. These efforts are bolstered by the Sleep Medicine Fellowship Directors Council (SMFDC) Steering Committee, which develops faculty workshops, supports fellowship programs in meeting ACGME requirements, and strategizes ways to strengthen the pipeline of sleep medicine applicants. Together, these initiatives ensure comprehensive support for both trainees and program directors.
