Frequently Asked Questions
Institutional Officials and Program Directors
Match Registration
| Match Ranking | Match Results
| Post-Match
I. Match
Registration
What will I need to use the NRMP R3 System?
What are the system requirements to access the R3 System?
Why does NRMP want my e-mail address?
Why have I not received any emails from the NRMP?
II.
Match Ranking
Can I accept applicants before the Match occurs?
What information should I make available to applicants
during the interview process?
Is it permissible to ask applicants where else they
are applying?
How late can I add a new program or change my program's
quota?
Can program directors make quota changes, additions and
withdrawals via the Web?
Can I make changes or additions to my rank order list?
Are previous versions of my rank order list maintained
in the R3 System?
How often are the applicant and program lists in the
R3 System updated?
Will I be able to print a copy of my Rank Order List
after or before submission?
Will I get a confirmation that NRMP received my certified
rank order list?
How does NRMP know when I've finished my rank order
list?
Is there a limit to the number of ranks I can submit
via the Web?
Can anyone else see my rank order list?
III.
Match Results
What happens if my program does not fill?
How do I know if an applicant has matched to another
NRMP match-participating program?
IV.
Post-Match
A non-match-participating
program at my institution offered a position to an applicant who has a
concurrent year match to another program. Is my institution liable?
An applicant has contacted me
about an open position in my program. What information can I share?
What do I do if an applicant who matched to my program
does not show up for training?
Do I need to request a waiver of my match commitment
to an applicant who does not report for training?
Can I offer a position to an applicant who has been
released by his/her matched program?
An applicant who matched to my program has asked to
be released. It would not jeopardize my program to release her, and I
have another candidate to whom I could offer the position. Can I release
the matched applicant and offer the position to another candidate?
What does it mean in the R3 System when it states that
an applicant is the subject of "pending action"?
What is the process if my program is investigated
for a Match violation?
What will I need to use the NRMP R3 System?
IIf you can surf the Web and print from your browser, you should be able
to use NRMP's interactive Web site. Users must have Internet Explorer
version 6.0 (or greater), FireFox version 3.0, or other Mozilla compatible
browsers.. Either a PC or Macintosh computer can be used provided the
computer has Internet access; however, the R3 System does not support
the use of Safari by Mac users. The NRMP Registration, Ranking, and Results
(R3) System and the release of Match Week results use such features as
Java Script, Java applets, and cookies that must remain enabled for the
systems to work.
What are the system requirements to access
the R3 System?
System Requirements:
- Access to a computer that is able to connect to the World Wide Web
- Modem 28.8 bps or faster (or network connection)
- 16 MB of RAM (or the requirements of the browser you use)
- An e-mail address is required.
Browser Requirements:
To use the Registration, Ranking, and Results (R3) System, Internet Explorer
version 6.0, FireFox version 3.0, or other Mozilla compatible browsers
are required.
The System functions best on Internet Explorer version 6.0. The R3 System
uses features such as JavaScript, Java applets, and cookies, all of which
must remain enabled for the system to work. Either a PC or Macintosh computer
can be used provided the computer has Internet access; however, the R3
System does not support the use of Safari by Mac users. If you wish to
use a Mac, please download a free version of Firefox for Mac using this
link, http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all.html.
JavaScript:
- You must have JavaScript enabled.
Important usage information for using R3:
- Please do not use your browser's Back and Forward buttons. Use the
navigational buttons made available to you on the Web page.
- It is recommended that you close the web browser after you have logged
out of R3. R3 will "time out" after a short period of time, but if you
work in R3 in a public location, someone else may be able to use the
Back button to view pages you have worked on. They will not be able
to do any work in R3, as soon as they click any button, there will
be a Security Violation error message. However, they may be able to
view parts of your work. This is a feature of browsers that we can not
control. Closing your browser when you are done will combat this.
Why does NRMP want my e-mail address?
E-mail is the primary mode of communication used by NRMP, so change your
e-mail address as often as necessary to keep an updated e-mail address
on your personal profile in R3.
To change it, simply log in to the R3 System with your AAMC ID and Password,
go to Update My Profile, enter the corrected e-mail address, and click
Submit.
Why have I not received any emails from the NRMP?
Many e-mail messages from NRMP are sent simultaneously to multiple applicants.
Some e-mail providers use filters to ensure that users do not receive
spam (junk e-mail). In some cases those filters can prevent NRMP e-mails
from getting through to participants.
The good news: the majority of providers that offer such filters generally
provide the user with the option to turn the filter on or off. Other providers
make a "junk mail file" or a "bulk mail folder" that includes all messages
sent to the user but identifies multiple-addressee e-mails. If Hotmail
sends an NRMP e-mail message to the Junk Mail box, you can tell Hotmail
to add nrmp@aamc.org to your Save List or to send it to your in-box.
If you are not receiving e-mail from NRMP and your provider does not
offer such options, we recommend that you either contact your providers
to determine the best way to access such messages, or consider using an
additional or replacement provider during your matching process.
For additional information on spam filtering for Hotmail or Yahoo e-mail
please visit the sites below.
Can I accept applicants before the Match occurs?
Programs that participate in the Main Residency Match may offer positions
to independent applicants outside the Match provided the program first
determines the applicant's eligibility for appointment by using the Applicant
Match History in the Registration, Ranking, and Results (R3) System. However,
if any of an institution's programs participates in the Main Residency
Match, senior students enrolled in U.S. allopathic medical schools may
be offered positions only through the Main Residency Match or another
national matching service. This policy applies to preliminary training
for applicants who obtained positions in other matches. Offering a position
to a U.S. allopathic senior outside the Main Residency Match or another
national matching service is a breach of the Match
Participation Agreement.
What information should I make available to applicants
during the interview process?
Section 4.3 of
the Match Participation Agreement signed by NRMP program directors requires
each program to act in good faith to provide complete, timely, and accurate
information to interviewees, including a copy of the contract the applicant
will be expected to sign if matched to the program and the institution's
policies on visa status and eligibility for appointment. The information
must be communicated to interviewees prior to the rank order list deadline,
and a signed acknowledgment should be obtained from each interviewee.
Recognizing that many appointment contracts are lengthy and that others
may not contain all of the institution's relevant policies, an acceptable
alternative is to post the contract and policies on the institution's
Web site and notify interviewees where the information may be found. The
signed acknowledgment should include a statement that the interviewee
was notified that the information is posted on the Web site.
Is
it permissible to ask applicants where else they are applying?
Section 6.0 of the Match Participation Agreement states that applicants
are free at all times to keep confidential the names or identities of
programs to which they have or may apply. A program director may request
the names of other programs, but it is a violation of the Agreement to
require applicants to disclose that information.
How late can I add a new program or change
my program's quota?
You can add a program and change program quotas up until the program
quota deadline, January 31. After that date, quotas can only be changed
in cases of extreme emergency, i.e., loss of funding, loss of accreditation,
closing of institution, or to accommodate the results of an earlier match.
In such cases, programs must request in writing an exception to the quota
change deadline.
Can program directors make quota changes,
additions, and withdrawals via the Web?
Program changes can be made on the Web by the program director, but
must be approved on the Approve Changes screen by the institutional official.
Program quotas cannot be changed after the quota change deadline. Please
check the schedule of dates for the quota
change deadline date.
Can I make changes or additions to my rank
order list?
The rank order list can be entered in one or more sessions. It can be
modified or re-ordered any number of times up until 9:00 p.m. on the deadline
day for rank order list entry. Programs in the middle of a session
at 9:00 p.m. will not be able to complete their session and will be forced
off the server. Participants are advised not to wait until the last
minute to enter their rank order lists so as to avoid any problems at
the deadline.
If you change your rank order list by moving, adding, or deleting an
applicant, the change is saved and the previous rank order list is deleted
from the R3 System. You must certify your ROL again for it to be used
in the match.
No changes can be made to your rank order list after the rank order list
deadline. The NRMP will not add, delete, or in any way modify your rank
order list.
Are previous versions of my rank order
list maintained in the R3 System?
Once the currently displayed ROL has been modified online, the previous
versions of the list are not retained in the R3 System, regardless of
whether they were certified. The ROL that is displayed when the participant
logs in is the only version on file with the NRMP.. Once the last updates
have been made, the participant must certify the final version by the
rank order list deadline in order for it to be used in the Match. No changes
can be made to your rank order list after the rank order list deadline.
The NRMP will not add, delete, or move programs in any way modify your
rank order list.
How often are the applicant and program rank
order lists (ROL) in the R3 System updated?
Applicant and program information is displayed in real time, so users
always have current information. Applicant and program lists are updated
in the R3 System whenever an applicant or program changes the list.
Will I be able to print a copy of my Rank
Order List after or before submission?
Yes. Applicants and programs can print a copy of their rank order list
at any step during the process by clicking the browser's print button
or the View/Print ROL link on the My Rank Order List page which
opens a printer-friendly version.
Will I get a confirmation that NRMP received
my certified rank order list?
Yes. When you certify your rank order list, NRMP will send you an e-mail
confirmation that includes the number of applicants on your list.
How does NRMP know when I've finished my
rank order list?
When you have entered all of your ranks, you must certify your rank
order list (ROL). Click the red Certify List button. You will then
be asked to enter your password. If you make changes to your rank order
list, you must re-certify it. A Status of CERTIFIED on the Program
Options Page screen is the indication that you have finished your
rank order list.
Is there a limit to the number of ranks I
can submit via the Web?
There is no limit and no extra charge to programs for entering their
rank order list.
Can anyone else see my rank order list?
You are the only one, other than the NRMP staff, who can access your
rank order list unless you give your AAMC ID and password to someone else.
Your rank order list is limited to need-to-know NRMP staff.
What happens if my program
does not fill?
At 11:30 a.m. eastern time on Tuesday of Match Week, program directors
learn whether they filled all their positions. Unfilled programs are eligible
to participate in the post-Match Scramble to attempt to fill positions
with unmatched applicants. In addition, programs can use the R3 System
to access the following reports on Monday after Match Week:
- Match Outcome for All Programs by State,
displays the number of positions offered and filled for all programs
in the Match.
- Match Results Statistics, provides detailed
statistical information about the programs, positions, and applicants
in the Match.
- Match Results by Ranked Applicant, displays
the match results for each applicant ranked by the program; the NRMP's
confidentiality policy restricts it from releasing information about
how specific applicants rank specific programs
How do I know if an applicant has matched
to another NRMP match-participating program?
The NRMP's Registration, Ranking, and Results (R3) System includes an
Applicant Match History that must be used by program directors and NRMP
institutional officials to determine, prior to offering the applicant
an interview, whether that applicant has a binding match commitment to
another NRMP match-participating program. The Applicant Match History
lists the match status of an applicant and indicates whether that applicant
has requested a waiver of the match commitment and/or been involved in
an NRMP violation investigation.
The Applicant Match History is available throughout the year. To access
it, you must log in to the R3 System using your AAMC ID number and password.
From the left menu bar, click the 'Applicant Match History' link. System
users can search for records by an applicant's AAMC ID, SSN, or name.
A non-match-participating program at my
institution offered a position to an applicant who has a concurrent year
match to another program. Is my institution liable?
Institution officials are responsible for ensuring that none of their
programs, regardless of match participation status, discusses or offers
a position to an applicant who has matched to a concurrent year position
in another program and who is ineligible because a waiver has not been
granted and/or a violation has been confirmed. If any of the institution's
programs discusses or offers a position to an applicant who has matched
to a concurrent year position, the institution will be in breach of the
Match Agreement and subject
to a violation investigation.
An
applicant has contacted me about an open position in my program. What
information can I share?
Prior to discussing, interviewing for, or offering a position to an
applicant, program directors shall determine the applicant's eligibility
for appointment. Any program that discusses, interviews for, or offers
a position to an applicant who has matched to a concurrent year position
in another program and who has not been granted a waiver by the NRMP will
be subject to a violation investigation by the NRMP. Programs must determine
the applicant's eligibility by verifying the applicant's match status
in the Applicant Match History that is available in the Match Site and/or
by calling the NRMP to obtain that information.
What do I do if an applicant who matched
to my program does not show up for training?
The Match Participation Agreement
to which you affixed your password when you registered for the Match states
that a match between an applicant and a program creates a binding commitment
to offer and accept a position if a match results and to begin training
on the date specified in the appointment contract. A decision not to honor
that commitment is a breach of the Agreement. Accordingly, program directors
are expected to report to the NRMP the name of any applicant who does
not honor his/her match commitment. Program directors also must request
a waiver of the match commitment if they wish to recruit another candidate
for the position. The NRMP will initiate a violation investigation of
the applicant in accordance with the
NRMP's Policies and Procedures for the Reporting, Investigation, and Disposition
of Violations of NRMP Agreements.
Do I need to request a waiver of my match commitment
to an applicant who does not report for training?
If for any reason a program wishes to recruit a candidate for a position
left vacant by a matched applicant, the program must submit to the NRMP
a written request for a waiver, even if training for other residents already
has begun. The NRMP's decision to grant or deny the waiver is at the sole
discretion of the NRMP and is not subject to arbitration. Programs may
not discuss, interview for, or offer the matched position to another candidate
prior to the NRMP issuing its decision as to whether to grant the requested
waiver.
Can I offer a position to an applicant who
has been released by his/her matched program?
As stated in Section
3.4 of the Match Participation
Agreement, applicants and programs are not authorized to release each
other from their binding match commitment. Once a party has matched,
a waiver of the binding match commitment may be obtained only from the
NRMP; accordingly, applicants released by their matched program are
not eligible for a concurrent-year appointment to another program until
the NRMP has granted a waiver. Programs that offer concurrent year positions
to applicants who have not received a waiver from the NRMP will be subject
to a violation investigation. The NRMP's decision to grant or deny the
waiver is at the sole discretion of the NRMP and is not subject to arbitration
An applicant who matched to my program has asked
to be released. It would not jeopardize my program to release her, and
I have another candidate to whom I could offer the position. Can I release
the matched applicant and offer the position to another candidate?
The NRMP has sole discretion over the waiver review process; applicants
and programs are not authorized to release each other from their binding
match commitment. If the NRMP approves a waiver request, the applicant
may accept a position in another program and the program may recruit another
candidate. If the NRMP does not approve the waiver request, the applicant
and program are expected to honor the match. Moreover, Section
5.1 of the Match Participation
Agreement prohibits a program from discussing or offering a position
to an applicant who is matched to a concurrent year position in another
program and who has not been granted a waiver by the NRMP. If an NRMP
match-participating program discusses or offers a position to an applicant
who has not been granted a waiver, the NRMP will initiate an investigation
to determine whether the applicant or the program has violated the terms
of the Agreement.
What does it mean in the R3 System when it
states that an applicant is the subject of "pending action"?
When a violation investigation of an applicant results in an adverse
decision and the adverse decision is contested, the applicant is designated
with "pending action" in the R3 System. The designation remains
in place until the applicant has waived or exhausted the opportunity to
contest the action pursuant to the Violations Policy. Once the Final Report
of the investigation has been issued, a summary of the nature of the violation
and any sanctions imposed will be accessible in the Applicant Match History
if the NRMP concluded that the applicant breached the Match
Participation Agreement.
What is the process if my program
is investigated for a Match violation?
Subsequent to receiving a report of an alleged violation, the NRMP will
contact the applicant and any other individuals with knowledge of the
situation and prepare a Preliminary Report that documents the nature of
the allegation.
If the results of the investigation indicate that a material violation
has not occurred, the case will be closed and all parties will be so notified.
If the results of the investigation indicate a material violation occurred,
the Preliminary Report will be distributed to the subject of the investigation,
the individual who reported the violation, and any other parties who provided
information material to the investigation for their review and to correct
the additional information provided to the NRMP.
The Preliminary Report will be reviewed by a Review Panel of the NRMP's
Violations Review Committee, which will make the final determination of
whether a violation occurred and, if so, the appropriate penalty. A Review
Panel Report will be issued to the subject of the violation, who will
have ten business days to notify the NRMP of the intent to initiate arbitration.
If the subject of the violation initiates arbitration, the NRMP will note
in the Registration, Ranking, and Results (R3) System that the party is
the subject of a "pending action". That designation will remain
in place for the duration of the arbitration process. In addition, if
the subject of the violation initiates arbitration, he/she has thirty
days from receipt of the Review Panel Report to file with the American
Arbitration Association. If the subject of the violation does not request
arbitration within ten business days, the Review Panel Report will become
the Final Report, and it will be issued to all parties listed on the Report.
All Match registrants should review carefully The
Policies and Procedures for the Reporting, Investigation, and Disposition
of Violations of NRMP Agreements.
For further information contact the NRMP at 202-828-0676 or 1-866-617-5837.
Updated
08/13/2009
|