The duration of medical residency in the USA varies according to the specialty and the residency programs offered by each institution, and can also be extended by up to 3 additional years to complete a subspecialty, known as a Fellowship.
The average durations of the main medical specialties in the USA are listed below:
- Anesthesiology: 4 years
- Cardiology: 3 years of internal medicine + 3 years of cardiology
- General surgery: 4 to 5 years
- Plastic surgery: 6 years
- Internal medicine: 3 to 4 years
- Dermatology: 4 years
- Obstetrics and Gynecology: 4 years
- Family Medicine: 3 years
- Emergency medicine: 3 to 4 years
- Nephrology: 3 years of internal medicine + 2 to 3 years of nephrology
- Neurology: 4 years
- Ophthalmology: 4 years
- Oncology: 3 years of internal medicine + 2 years of oncology OR 3 years of hematology
- Orthopedics: 5 years
- Otolaryngology: 5 years
- Pathology: 4 years
- Pediatrics: 3 years
- Psychiatry: 4 years
- Radiology: 5 years