# What Specialties Do BS/MD Graduates Pursue?
## Insights from NJMS BA/MD Alumni Residency Matches
For ambitious high school students exploring BS/MD programs, a frequent concern is whether the streamlined path limits their future specialty options. Analyzing this unique data set of 50 BS/MD graduates from the NJMS BA/MD program tells us: **Not at all.**
A look at real-world outcomes from one of New Jersey’s most established BS/MD programs tells a compelling story of **hard-work, excellence, and achievement**.
The Data: Nearly 20 Years of NJMS BS/MD Graduates
We examined residency placement records from a representative sample of approximately **50 graduates** of the BA/MD program at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (NJMS) within the last 25 years. We did not have access to or knowledge of these individuals’ residency training prior to this work. These alumni have matched into a wide spectrum of specialties at prestigious institutions across the country.
Here is a clear, treemap-style visualization of the specialty distribution:
**Least Common Specialties**
It is surprised to see the lack of interest in primary care disciplines like internal medicine, psychiatry, family medicine, general surgery, pediatrics, etc. Only one graduate each chose to continue their career in psychiatry, family medicine, pediatrics, and Ob/Gyn–which is sometimes considered a primary care specialty. Two graduates trained as general surgeons, but we already know that one of the then elected to continue fellowship training in complex oncological surgery, which the other one is still in residency training. The largest number of graduates chose to pursue Internal Medicine training, and there is a belief that some will focus on primary care. Unfortunately, many of these IM residents are still completing their residency training, so it is impossible to know of their their future intentions. However, among their older IM, FM, and psychiatric colleagues, approximately 60% chose to do additional fellowship training and, thus move away from primary care.
**M0st Common Specialties**
The pie chart below shows the dominance of just five specialties amongst the BS/MD graduates over the past 20 years, or so. These data show–in no uncertain terms–that recent NJMS BS/MD graduates from NJIT specifically are three times as likely to match into one of these highly-competitive specialties than any others.
**Surgical vs. Medical Specialties**
While surgical specialties make up the majority of the five most common specialties, a more balanced view begins to take shape when examining the medical vs. surgical specialty match data:
Residency Locations: Strong NY/NJ Presence with National Reach
While students from around the country find their way to the NJMS program because there is no in-state preference, our analysis below shows that graduates matched into residencies heavily concentrated in the New Jersey and New York metropolitan area, while also securing competitive spots at elite programs across the United States. Each red cross on the map below represents a healthcare system in which at least one of the graduates sampled did their residency training. In some cases, such as NJMS (11), New York Presbyterian- Columbia (5), and Thomas Jefferson University (5), multiple graduates trained through those healthcare systems. This distribution highlights both the strength of NJMS and its local affiliates as well as the competitiveness of these graduates for top national opportunities.
Some examples of prestigious/competitive residency matches achieved by the graduates include:
- Neurosurgery at the University of Wisconsin
- Dermatology at Stony Brook University
- Urology at the University of Pennsylvania
- Integrated Interventional Radiology at New York Presbyterian- Columbia and Johns Hopkins University (two graduates)
- Orthopedic Surgery at NJMS (x2) and University of Rochester
- Ophthalmology at NJMS (x3), University of Buffalo, and SUNY-Downstate
Key Findings from the Data
Dominant Fields:
1. Internal Medicine: 12 graduates — of those who already made the choice, some clearly chose to stay in primary care, but most chose to pursue a sub-specialization in fields like cardiology, gastroenterology, oncology, etc.
2. Anesthesiology: 10 graduates — a remarkably strong showing. While most chose to practice immediately after fellowship, at least a couple of them chose to continue their training with a pain fellowship.
Analysis of Residency Match Outcomes
Out of the sample of ~50 graduates:
– 34% matched into highly competitive specialties (fields that typically have national match rates under 10%). This group includes:
– Ophthalmology (5)
– Diagnostic Radiology (4)
– Orthopedic Surgery (3)
– Integrated Interventional Radiology (2)
– Neurosurgery (1)
– Dermatology (1)
– Urology (1)
– There was a roughly 50/50 split between surgical/procedural fields (24 graduates) and medical/non-surgical fields (25 graduates). This demonstrates excellent balance — graduates are successfully competing across the full spectrum of medicine rather than being funneled into primary care.
– Particularly strong outcomes in fields known for excellent long-term career satisfaction and compensation (Anesthesiology, Ophthalmology, Radiology, and Orthopedics).
This level of success in competitive specialties is impressive and reflects the strength of preparation provided by the NJMS BA/MD program.
Prestigious Residency Programs Represented
Alumni have secured spots at top-tier programs including:
– Harvard University (Psychiatry)
– Yale University (Internal Medicine)
– Johns Hopkins University (Integrated Interventional Radiology)
– University of Pennsylvania (Emergency Medicine, Urology)
– NYU (Neurology)
– UCLA (Pediatrics)
– Washington University in St. Louis (Anesthesiology)
– Mt. Sinai, Columbia, Cornell, and many others
– Strong local presence at NJMS and affiliated New Jersey/New York programs
Why This Matters for BS/MD Applicants
This data powerfully demonstrates that contrary to the often-repeated claims, **BS/MD graduates are not funneled into primary care**. They successfully compete for some of the most selective and desirable residencies in medicine.
**What drives these outcomes?**
BS/MD students enter medical school with a strong academic foundation and often accelerated timelines. However, matching into competitive specialties still requires:
– Outstanding performance on USMLE Step exams
– Excellent clinical evaluations during clerkships
– Meaningful research, leadership, and service
– Strategic away rotations and strong letters of recommendation
The NJMS BA/MD program has clearly prepared its graduates to excel in this environment.
### Bottom Line for Future BS/MD Students
A BS/MD acceptance provides **security and momentum** — not a limitation on your career. Graduates from programs like NJMS demonstrate that with dedication during medical school, you can pursue virtually any specialty that excites you, from cutting-edge procedural fields to primary care, research, or global health.
If you’re a high-achieving student passionate about medicine and considering BS/MD routes, focus on programs with proven track records of strong residency outcomes across specialties.
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