Independent Applicants

Registering with the NRMP

Applicants who are not seniors in a U.S. LCME-accredited allopathic medical school may participate in the NRMP Match as independent applicants if they meet certain criteria.

Before registering as an independent applicant, applicants are asked to carefully review the Match Participation Agreement.

To register for the Match, select the navigation button "Register/Login" from this page or from the NRMP home page. The NRMP R3 System uses the AAMC ID and a password as the unique identifier of each participant. If you do not already have an AAMC ID, you will be assigned one as part of the registration process, and you will select your own password needed for future access to the R3 System. Keep this information in a secure place to prevent any breach of security to your rank order list.

Creating Your Profile

When registering you will be asked to select the independent applicant type that correctly describes your medical training.

Identifying Information

The NRMP collects information from applicants to verify their eligibility to participate in the Match.

• U.S. citizens, Fifth Pathway program participants, and graduates of U.S. medical schools are asked to provide their social security numbers.
• Canadian applicants are asked to provide their Canadian social insurance numbers.

Students and graduates of international medical schools and Fifth Pathway program participants also must provide their USMLE/ECFMG identification numbers.

The NRMP requires students and graduates of international medical schools to pass all examinations required for ECFMG® Certification before they can participate in the Match. To meet the examination requirements for ECFMG® Certification, applicants must satisfy the medical science examination and clinical skills requirements. Step 1 and Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (Step 2 CK) of the USMLE are the exams currently administered that satisfy the medical science examination requirement for ECFMG® Certification. The ECFMG® also accepts passing performances on certain former examinations to satisfy this requirement. Step 2 Clinical Skills of the USMLE is the exam currently administered that satisfies the clinical skills requirement for ECFMG® Certification. Applicants who have passed the former ECFMG® Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA®) and achieved a score acceptable to ECFMG® on an English language proficiency test (such as the TOEFL exam or the former ECFMG® English test) can use their passing performances on these exams to satisfy the clinical skills requirement.

The NRMP requires Fifth Pathway program students and graduates to satisfy the medical science examination and clinical skills requirements for ECFMG® Certification by passing USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK and CS (or their equivalents).

For additional information on these examination requirements, see Verification of Credentials for Match Eligibility on this website or visit the ECFMG® Web site.

Applicants who have not received their reports of performance for the required examinations may register for the Match with the NRMP. However, if by the rank order list deadline an applicant's examination results are not available and ECFMG® reports that the applicant has not met the examination requirements, the applicant will be withdrawn automatically from the Match.

NOTE: It is solely the responsibility of the applicant to complete the required exams in time to meet deadlines imposed by the NRMP and / or residency programs. Since the number of applicants seeking to complete these exams may exceed the spaces available in time to meet those deadlines, there is no guarantee that sufficient spaces will be available for all applicants to meet deadlines imposed by the NRMP and / or residency programs. Applicants are encouraged to apply for and take the required exams as soon as they are eligible.

Independent Applicant Name
Be sure to use the same name in registering for the NRMP that you use in ERAS and with ECFMG® to assist NRMP and program directors to correctly identify you.

The name entered during registration will be included in the NRMP Listing of Applicants available to program directors on the NRMP web site. This Listing includes the names and NRMP codes for all applicants and is used by program directors to designate individuals on their rank order lists.

Name of Medical School and Graduation Date
You will select the name of your medical school from a dropdown list. Then enter the month and year of your actual or expected graduation date.

Registration Fee

Payment of the $50.00 registration fee for independent applicants must be made at the time of registration for the 2010 Main Residency Match.. Payment is made electronically using a credit card or electronic banking. Applicants completing their registration after November 30th must pay an additional $50 late registration fee. All registration fees are non-refundable.

By electing to pay by credit card or electronic banking, the applicant authorizes the NRMP to supply the applicant's bank with information it requires about your NRMP Agreement, to resolve any inquiries concerning related charges.

Registration entitles the applicant to the following NRMP services:

• Access to the NRMP R3 System;
• Processing of up to 20 different program ranks on the primary rank order list at no additional cost (for each additional program over 20, the fee is $30 per program);
• Processing of up to 20 different program ranks on supplemental rank order lists at no additional charge, regardless of the number of supplemental rank order lists having combinations of those programs (for each additional program over 20, the fee is $30 per program);
• Each partner of a couple may rank up to 30 different programs on the primary rank order list and up to 30 programs on all supplemental lists combined at no additional charge. Each partner of a couple also must pay an additional $15 registration fee.

Note: Applicants with outstanding registration fees will not be able to enter rank order lists or to be ranked by programs until all fees have been paid in full.

Updating Your Profile

Applicants can update information in their profiles at any time during the match process through the R3 System. It is particularly important to keep e-mail addresses and phone numbers current so NRMP can keep in contact with you. The NRMP uses e-mail to send reminders, notices, and Match results.

Couples

Applicants notify the NRMP of their desire to participate as a couple by providing their partner's AAMC ID through the NRMP R3 System and paying an additional $15 per partner couples fee. Applicants who are members of a couple can link their program choices together so that they can be matched into a combination of programs suited to their needs. In creating pairs of program choices on their rank order lists, couples can mix specialties, program types, and geographic locations. Applying as a couple should not influence the selection decisions made by program directors.

Updated 07/01/2009