IDSA and PIDS statement on 2025 infectious diseases fellowship Match results

The Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society congratulate the 272 physicians who matched into adult infectious diseases and the 44 who matched into pediatric infectious diseases this year. These trainees are joining a specialty essential to patient safety and public health. 

This year’s fellowship Match, however, shows fewer physicians entering the field, and more than half of programs did not fill. This continues a national trend that limits access to infectious diseases expertise — expertise that reduces hospital stays, improves outcomes and saves lives. 

Communities already feel the impact. Patients often wait months for outpatient ID appointments or travel long distances for care after chemotherapy, transplantation or surgery. When hospitals lack ID physicians, preventable infections rise, and antimicrobial misuse increases. The consequences are real for patients and for the health systems that serve them. 

The workforce challenges reflected in the Match data mirror the pressures across public health. Reduced funding, lower reimbursement and increasing clinical complexity make practicing ID especially challenging.  

Demand for ID expertise continues to grow as more patients are immunocompromised, vaccine-preventable infections increase, and antimicrobial resistance expands, all while the population ages, and health care needs mount. The current trajectory is not sustainable. 

There are clear solutions: federal investment in infectious diseases care and training, loan repayment for ID physicians, stable public-health and research funding, and immigration and training pathways that allow qualified international graduates to join the workforce. These steps would immediately strengthen access to care. 

IDSA and PIDS urge policymakers, health-system leaders and academic institutions to act now. A strong infectious diseases workforce is not optional; it is fundamental to patient care, outbreak response and the nation’s health security. 

– Ronald G. Nahass, MD, MHCM, FIDSA – President, IDSA 

– Debra Palazzi, MD, MEd, FPIDS – President, PIDS 

About IDSA
The Infectious Diseases Society of America is a global community of 13,000 clinicians, scientists and public health experts working together to solve humanity’s smallest and greatest challenges, from tiny microbes to global outbreaks. Rooted in science, committed to health equity and driven by curiosity, our compassionate and knowledgeable members safeguard the health of individuals, our communities and the world by advancing the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. Visit idsociety.org to learn more. 

About PIDS
PIDS membership encompasses leaders across the global scientific and public health spectrum, including clinical care, advocacy, academics, government, and the pharmaceutical industry. From fellowship training to continuing medical education, research, regulatory issues and guideline development, PIDS members are the core professionals advocating for the improved health of children with infectious diseases both nationally and around the world, participating in critical public health and medical professional advisory committees that determine the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases, immunization practices in children, and the education of pediatricians. For more information, visit pids.org.