To examine the trends in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) Headache Medicine match data and the evolution of the Headache Medicine fellowship application process.

The NRMP Headache Medicine fellowship match was implemented for appointment years 2016-2018 and then suspended because of the small number of applicants relative to available positions and participation outside of the match. In 2019, the American Headache Society (AHS) Consortium of Academic Program Directors accepted the ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉú (AAN) Fellowship Application Timing Position Statement. To implement the unified timeline, the AHS agreed to host a fellowship opportunities website. The Consortium voted to reinstate the match in 2022.

We obtained NRMP match data for appointment years 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023, and 2024 with permission and assistance from the NRMP Data and Research department. We also obtained website metrics from the AHS National Headache Fellowship Opportunities website for 2020-2023. Quantitative data were summarized with descriptive statistics. The study was reviewed and approved by Stanford University’s Institutional Review Board IRB (Protocol ID: 71480).

The number of certified programs and positions more than doubled and the number of certified applicants more than tripled from appointment year 2016 to 2024. Program fill rate has increased over time, from a low point of 26.7% to 61.0%. The AHS National Headache Fellowship Opportunities website receives program inquiry submissions from 73-88 unique users each application cycle. Around a quarter of these submissions are from international candidates from outside of the United States.

The Headache Medicine fellowship application process has undergone a significant transformation from 2015 to 2023. The number of programs and applicants participating in the NRMP match increased significantly over time, in the setting of implementing the AAN’s unified application timeline and launching the AHS National Headache Fellowship Opportunities website.