More than 1,400 Pakistani medical graduates secured residency placements in the United States in 2026, according to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC).
The council described the achievement as a major milestone for Pakistan’s medical education sector and said it reflects the growing competitiveness of Pakistani doctors seeking postgraduate clinical training abroad.
PMDC Praises Pakistani Medical Graduates
The PMDC president congratulated the successful medical graduates and acknowledged the role of students, teachers, medical institutions, and regulators in improving education standards.
According to the council, the latest placements show that Pakistani medical graduates can successfully compete in international licensing and residency pathways.
US Residency Placements Rise From 2025
PMDC previously reported that 1,061 Pakistani doctors secured US residency positions in 2025.
With more than 1,400 placements reported in 2026, the number has increased by at least 339 compared with last year’s figure.
What Is a Medical Residency?
A medical residency is a supervised postgraduate training program completed after medical graduation.
Doctors usually receive specialist training in fields such as:
- Internal medicine
- Paediatrics
- Family medicine
- Surgery
- Psychiatry
Medical graduates seeking residency positions in the US generally complete the required examinations and certification process before applying to training programs and participating in the residency match.
International Medical Graduates Secure Thousands of Positions
International medical graduates continued to play a major role in the 2026 US residency match.
According to official US data, 9,682 international medical graduates matched into first-year residency positions.
This included:
| Category | Matched Applicants |
|---|---|
| US citizen international medical graduates | 2,949 |
| Non-US citizen international medical graduates | 6,733 |
| Total international medical graduates | 9,682 |
Overall, 38,354 applicants matched into first-year residency positions, while more than 44,000 training positions were offered across US residency programs.
