SCAI Conducts First Match Day for Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Placement

December 5, 2024—The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) announced the completion of the first Interventional Cardiology Match on December 4 (“Match Day”). This initiative is intended to ensure a structured and equitable process for matching aspiring fellows with training programs across the United States.

SCAI stated that the Interventional Cardiology Match, facilitated by the National Resident Matching Program, provides a fair and transparent system for both applicants and training programs. The society further noted that the system is designed to ensure a diverse pool of highly qualified candidates and the highest standards of education and training in interventional cardiology.

In December 2022, SCAI announced its commitment to the Medical Specialties Matching Program, in which specialty candidates and training programs simultaneously match to fill accredited medical specialty training positions recognized by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. SCAI’s outline of the program is available on the society’s website here.

“Together, we celebrate this historic achievement and congratulate the incoming interventional cardiology fellows,” commented SCAI President James Hermiller, MD, in the society’s press release. “As the field of interventional cardiology continues to evolve, the match process will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the specialty. We thank all those who worked to make this milestone a reality.”

According to SCAI, the inaugural Match Day had a participation rate of 89% of the identified training programs and 80% of the available interventional cardiology positions, with 164 programs committing 326 positions. There were 290 applicants, with 272 (94%) securing a position on Match Day. SCAI advised it actively works with programs to match remaining candidates with unfilled positions.

Additionally, the total number of interventional cardiology fellowship positions offered rose to a record 405, noted the society.

The SCAI Match Task Force cochairs are J. Dawn Abbott, MD, and Douglas Drachman, MD.

“The successful implementation of the Interventional Cardiology Match is a result of the collective efforts of SCAI leadership, the Match Task Force, training program directors, and faculty,” commented Dr. Abbott and Dr. Drachman in the press release. “We are committed to supporting our fellows and training programs as they navigate the new process. We are pleased with the number of applicants and programs that participated in this inaugural match and are looking forward to optimizing the process in the years to come.”