The Sheriff of Sodium | Pediatric nephrologist | EVMS associate professor | APD | Husband | Dad | Virginian | Advocate for medical trainees and common sensehttps://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3mhqkb5dj2c2pAnother Match Day has come and gone. And you know what that means. It’s time to break it down, Winners & Losers style. Match Day 2026: Winners & Losers Edition youtu.be/IFQOBeaQRbc https://youtu.be/IFQOBeaQRbc23 Mar 2026 17:06 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhqkb5dj2c2phttps://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3mbyxl3l4zk2fSome interesting figures from the AAMC’s Post-MCAT Questionnaire: 88% of MCAT test-takers say they are “very likely” to apply to MD-granting medical schools - but only 32% say the same for DO-granting schools09 Jan 2026 16:54 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3mbyxl3l4zk2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3m74gjikze22jIt’s Fellowship Match Day!03 Dec 2025 21:44 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3m74gjikze22jhttps://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3m4eojk7tlc2iOpenEvidence has revenue of $50 million. But investors value it at $6.1 BILLION. So… a couple of questions for the “AI won’t replace doctors!” crowd: What do you think OE’s long-term monetization pathway looks like? And what do investors expect to happen that could justify this valuation?30 Oct 2025 00:13 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4eojk7tlc2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3m35zln2u422xAnother year, another increase in USMLE Step 2 CK performance. Notice how the distribution shifts rightward every year.14 Oct 2025 15:17 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3m35zln2u422xhttps://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3lzlxpefx3k25Last week, the president issued a proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications. It’s generated lots of discussion - much of which isn’t grounded in facts or logic. So who really wins - and who loses - with the six-figure H-1B? https://thesheriffofsodium.com/2025/09/24/the-100000-h-1b-visa-winners-losers-edition/24 Sep 2025 17:31 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3lzlxpefx3k25https://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3lyjjusjh7s2aOn September 24, ERAS will open to programs. Which means applicants have only 2 weeks left to decide which programs to signal. And if you want to know how to allocate your signals in the most effective manner possible, I’ve got something for you: https://thesheriffofsodium.com/2025/09/10/the-applicants-guide-to-strategic-preference-signaling-2/11 Sep 2025 00:53 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3lyjjusjh7s2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3lxxr5fx65c26Preference signaling in the 2026 Match03 Sep 2025 23:15 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3lxxr5fx65c26https://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3lv73s2soek2vLet the residency application Bot Wars commence. May the odds be ever in your favor. https://www.thalamusgme.com/blogs/thalamus-acquires-medicratic-to-accelerate-ai-powered-innovation-in-medical-education-and-transform-physician-workforce-intelligence30 Jul 2025 16:58 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3lv73s2soek2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3ltxkfy3xj22fIf you’ve got a few minutes during your next workout or commute, I’d love to challenge your faith in the “doctor shortage.” Check out the latest episode of Bio(un)ethical here (or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc.): https://www.biounethical.com/episodes/episode/7a963e43/21-bryan-carmody-are-doctor-shortages-real14 Jul 2025 23:33 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3ltxkfy3xj22fhttps://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3lrsqmiyzt22nStarting in July, the minimum passing score for the USMLE Step 2 CK exam will increase from 214–>218. (Recent first-time pass rates for US students have been ~98%, so this is not a surprising move.)17 Jun 2025 14:51 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3lrsqmiyzt22nhttps://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3lprdm4jch22yGiven to me by a patient22 May 2025 14:35 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3lprdm4jch22yhttps://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3lovoazfcak22Ever had a conversation like this?11 May 2025 14:31 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3lovoazfcak22https://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3lovmyreiqk22In a news release filed under the category tag “Leadership”, the ACGME announced it will no longer enforce program and institutional standards related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. https://www.acgme.org/newsroom/2025/5/acgme-board-executive-committee-action/11 May 2025 14:08 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3lovmyreiqk22https://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3lnpwjsqcdc27This week, the president issued an executive order targeting #MedEd accreditation. This is big news - and the intent, impact, and implications of this order all deserve scrutiny. So you know what that means. It’s time to break it down, Winners & Losers style. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgHKAfRtXso26 Apr 2025 14:18 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3lnpwjsqcdc27https://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3lnjeeoeumc22New executive order targets the organizations that accredit medical schools and residency programs. Will this be the end of the LCME and ACGME? https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/reforming-accreditation-to-strengthen-higher-education/23 Apr 2025 23:37 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3lnjeeoeumc22https://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3lkwcyq5ojs27Today is Match Day. So you know what that means. It’s time to break things down, Winners & Losers™️ style. Match Day 2025: Winners & Losers Edition youtu.be/ckbO6ykf2f8 https://youtu.be/ckbO6ykf2f821 Mar 2025 23:01 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3lkwcyq5ojs27https://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3lklcuhep422xToday, residency applicants will find out whether they matched or not. But to find out where, they’ve gotta wait another 4 days. Need something to pass the time? Might I recommend a 6 part video series covering the past, present, and future of the Match? https://thesheriffofsodium.com/2022/03/17/the-match-the-movie/17 Mar 2025 14:00 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3lklcuhep422xhttps://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3lkgb3b6xgk27DOs as a percentage of licensed physicians, by state: 1. Oklahoma - 22% 2. Michigan- 20% 3t. Iowa, Maine - 18% 5t. Idaho, Nevada, W. Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware - 16% . . . 46t. Georgia, Connecticut - 8% 48t. Louisiana, Maryland - 6% 50. Massachusetts - 5% 51. DC - 4%15 Mar 2025 13:44 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3lkgb3b6xgk27https://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3ljxznzbhnk2tWhy an applicant would use a pseudonym to send a complaining email, 9 days before rank lists were due, to a residency program at which they’d done an away rotation and a research project (and at which they were ranked highly) is beyond me. But anyhow, now they’re on PubMed.09 Mar 2025 21:54 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3ljxznzbhnk2thttps://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3ljsz3mskms2qSad - but unsurprising news. (Last year, I covered what happened to the surgery residency program after the hospital got involved with Bartholomew Banks.) Death of a Program: The ACGME vs. Private Equity youtu.be/MqYUFy87UMM [contains quote post or other embedded content]07 Mar 2025 22:01 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3ljsz3mskms2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3lixrsailrs2xWhy don’t residents earn more money? How did resident salaries get standardized? And how much do hospitals receive to train residents, anyhow? Your questions, answered Following The Money: A Primer on Resident Physician Compensation youtu.be/0WhxiuD4Rb8 https://youtu.be/0WhxiuD4Rb825 Feb 2025 02:08 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3lixrsailrs2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3lhzcnxe2lc2jWe may be getting a new medical school in California… The University of Silicon Andhra School of Medicine12 Feb 2025 23:18 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3lhzcnxe2lc2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3lhweqchbek2jResident physician salaries rise only at the rate of inflation - completely untethered to any other market force. The median PGY-1 salary for current residents is $65,100… which is ~$48,000 in 2012 dollars in case you wanted to plot it on the graphic below.11 Feb 2025 19:17 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3lhweqchbek2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3lhbndhbrn22tStarting today at noon, Match applicants can begin submitting their rank order lists. But before you do… here’s what residency applicants consistently overvalue - and what they consistently undervalue - when picking a program. Rank Order List: Buyers and Sellers Edition youtu.be/rDtlD1BH0Yw https://youtu.be/rDtlD1BH0Yw03 Feb 2025 13:25 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3lhbndhbrn22thttps://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3lhalopzj2s2tNew data on the primacy of signaling in the residency application process. Note the massive drop-off in interview rate for signaled/non-signaled applications, especially in ‘big signaling’ specialties. Deciding where to signal is *the* new high stakes meta-game in residency selection.03 Feb 2025 03:23 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3lhalopzj2s2thttps://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3lh4xkg6zvc2sShould you tell your favorite program you’re ranking them #1? What about your backups? Should you tell them that, too? Or just say you’re ranking them VERY highly? Or should you just say nothing at all? Gimme a few minutes, and all your LOI questions will be answered… youtu.be/qTCuzYE7v5Q https://youtu.be/qTCuzYE7v5Q01 Feb 2025 16:44 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3lh4xkg6zvc2shttps://bsky.app/profile/jbcarmody.bsky.social/post/3lh2qwmzdkk2qCongratulations to Thalamus on the capital raise… …but why is the AAMC putting money into this? How do they envision they’ll achieve a return on their investment? Do we really need the AAMC to become a player in the physician recruitment game? https://thalamusgme.com/thalamus-raises-30-million-series-b-to-expand-physician-workforce-for-health-systems-and-patients-nationwide/31 Jan 2025 19:41 +0000at://did:plc:doqgnsjg3gn7m5yo4ybbtivf/app.bsky.feed.post/3lh2qwmzdkk2q