Program Quotas and Withdrawals

Changes to a program require the approval of the institutional official in the R3 system.

At any time after a Match opens, program directors can access the Registration, Ranking, and Results (R3) system to increase, decrease, or make other changes to their quotas, or the number of positions they desire to fill through a Match. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

  • Quotas must be finalized in the R3 system by the applicable Quota Change Deadline.
  • All quota changes must be approved by the institutional official.
  • Program directors cannot certify their rank order lists when a quota change is pending approval by the institutional official.

Changing Quota and Program Details support guide

The NRMP will change quotas after the Quota Change Deadline only in cases of extreme emergency such as loss of funding or loss of accreditation or if the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME®) approves an increase in resident/fellowship complement. Requests for exceptions must be made via email sent from the institutional official or the program director, with the institutional official copied. Please email requests to support@nrmp.org.

Quota Changes and the All In Policy

Main Residency Match

Quota changes should comply with the terms of All In Policy. The ability to change a program quota does not relieve program directors and institutional officials of their responsibility to register and attempt to fill all positions through the Match. Certain conditions may qualify for an exception to the All In Policy; however, it is the responsibility of program directors and institutional officials to determine whether the situation they face meets the criteria for an exception.

Specialties Matching Service

If a Specialties Matching Service Match sponsor voluntarily implements the All In Policy, programs in the subspecialty that participate in the Match must register and attempt to fill all positions in the Match. Questions about reductions in quotas should be directed to the Match sponsor before the Quota Change Deadline for the Match.

Withdrawing from a Match

Programs that elect not to participate are expected to withdraw from the Match. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

  • Withdrawals must be finalized by the applicable Quota Change Deadline.
  • All withdrawals must be approved by the institutional official.

Withdrawing and Reinstating a Program support guide