Frequently Asked Questions
Institutional Officials and Program Directors

Match Registration | Match Ranking | Match Results | Post-Match

I. Match Registration - DIO & PD

What is the "new" R3 system, and which version of the R3 system should I use?

I received an email about the "new" R3 system. How do I use the token number I was assigned?

As the institutional official, how do I register my institution and activate my programs in the new version of the R3 system?

Why does NRMP want my e-mail address? What if I have not received any email from the NRMP?

How will NRMP be using Facebook and Twitter? Do I need to have accounts?

How are program tracks used in the R3 system?

II. Match Ranking

Can I accept applicants outside of The Match?

What information should I make available to applicants during the interview process?

Can I 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 in the R3 system?

Can I make changes or additions to my rank order list (ROL) after I certify it? If so, how quickly is my list updated, and are previous versions of my ROL maintained in the R3 system?

Will I be able to print a copy of my rank order list (ROL) before or after submission?

How will I know that NRMP received my certified rank order list (ROL)?

How does the NRMP know when my rank order list (ROL) is ready to be used in The Match?

Is there a limit to the number of ranks I can submit?

Can anyone else see my rank order list (ROL)?

III. Match Results

What happens if my program does not fill all its positions?

What is the Match Week Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP), and how does it work?

Am I eligible to participate in SOAP? What if I don't want to participate?

What is an applicant preference list?

How do I contact an applicant about unfilled positions during SOAP?

Can I extend more than one offer at a time during SOAP?

If I extend an offer to an unmatched applicant during SOAP and the offer is accepted, is it binding?

IV. Post-Match

How do I know if an applicant has a binding commitment to another NRMP Match-participating program?

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 should my first step be?

What do I do if an applicant who has a binding commitment to my program does not show up for training?

Can I offer a position to an applicant who has been released by his/her matched program? What about releasing an applicant from my own program?

How long must a matched applicant remain in my program?

What is the process if my program is investigated for a violation of the Match Participation Agreement?

What is the "new" R3 system, and which version of the R3 system should I use?

NRMP has launched a new and improved version of the Registration, Ranking, and Results (R3) system. The new software will be used for all NRMP Matches except the 2012 Medical Specialties Matching Program and the 2013 Main Residency Match, both of which will transition next year. The current version of the R3 system still is in use, so designated institutional officials with programs in multiple Matches must register and activate programs in both versions of the R3 system.

To determine which version of the R3 system you should use, go to www.nrmp.org, and select "Register/Login" from the top navigation bar. The Register/Login page lists the 2013 Main Residency Match and Fellowship Matches in the Specialties Matching Service. All open Matches have a hyperlink to the correct version of the R3 system, so simply click on your desired Match to launch the registration process. Fellowship Matches that are not hyperlinked are not yet open for registration. Please see the schedule of dates for details.

I received an email about the "new" R3 system. How do I use the token number I was assigned?

First-time users of the new version of the R3 system receive via email a one-time-use token number that must be changed to a username and password of the user's own choosing. To access the R3 system:

• Use the link embedded in the token assignment email, or go to www.nrmp.org, select Register/Login from the top navigation bar, and select the desired Match.
• Under Option 3 on the login page - Token Redemption - enter your assigned token number and email address.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to create a unique username and password of your choice.

As the institutional official, how do I register my institution and activate my programs in the new version of the R3 system?

Once you have logged in to the new R3 system, select your desired Match. Next, click "Activate" to activate your Institution to participate in that Match. You also may select "My Programs" to view all the programs in the R3 system that are active from your institution. Yellow triangles denote programs needing your attention, such as activation for a Match or a quota change approval. You must activate both your institution and programs for each NRMP Match. If your institution and its programs will not be participating in this Match, select "Not Participating".

Why does NRMP want my e-mail address? What if I have not received any email from the NRMP?

E-mail is the primary mode of communication used by NRMP, so be sure your e-mail address is current in your personal profile in the Registration, Ranking, and Results (R3) system. To change it, log into the R3 system with your AAMC ID and Password, go to Update My Profile, click Edit, enter the corrected e-mail address, and click Submit.

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. Our e-mail address, support@nrmp.org, should be added to your personal contact, address book, "Safe", or "People I Know" (for AOL users) list. For instance, if Hotmail sends an NRMP e-mail message to your Junk Mail box, you can tell Hotmail to add support@nrmp.org to your Safe List or to send it to your inbox.

If you are not receiving e-mail from NRMP and your provider does not offer such options, we recommend that you either contact your provider to determine the best way to access such messages or consider using an additional or replacement provider during your matching process for your primary e-mail address.

How will NRMP be using Facebook and Twitter? Do I need to have accounts?

The NRMP will be posting and tweeting the latest news, policy information, and deadline reminders about the Main Residency Match and Specialties Matching Service. We will not be inundating you with posts and tweets, but rather aiming for any way to reach our users. The NRMP is on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TheNRMP and its Twitter account is https://twitter.com/#!/TheNRMP. "Like" us on Facebook and "Follow" us on Twitter!

We encourage users to post their questions and comments to our social media sites, and we want our social media sites to be interactive and helpful for you. Remember to use good judgment when posting comments and questions. Posts with identifying information will be deleted immediately to protect the individuals' privacy. In addition, posts that are obscene, hateful, threatening, or abusive will be removed. The NRMP reserves the right to remove any post at any time from its social media sites.

The NRMP will continue to send email announcements and reminders to all users so you are not obligated to register with Facebook or Twitter to stay current on Match developments. The NRMP also posts the latest information to www.nrmp.org.

How are program tracks used in the R3 system?

Tracks within the R3 system are used by institutions to differentiate between different program options within the same program and specialty. For example, tracks can be used to:

• Designate categorical, preliminary (PGY-1 only), advanced (PGY-2 beginning the year after the Match), and physician-reserved (PGY-2 beginning in the year of the Match) positions
• Distinguish between clinical and research options
• Highlight a program that operates on separate campuses or in different geographic areas

When using tracks, program directors should:

• Create a separate rank order list (ROL) of applicants for each track (and not one ROL aggregating all candidates);
• Place in each track the predetermined number of positions to be filled in the Match, being sure not to exceed the total number of positions in the program; and
• Set up a reversion in the R3 system to guard against the program being unfilled.

Each program track title should describe the type of training in a manner that distinguishes it from other tracks in the same institution and specialty.

Can I accept applicants outside of The Match?

Programs that participate in the Main Residency Match must register and attempt to fill all of their positions in The Match. Moreover, if any of an institution's programs participates in the Main Residency Match, all of the institution's programs-regardless of Match participation-must offer positions senior students enrolled in U.S. allopathic medical schools only through the Main Residency Match or another national matching plan. This policy applies to preliminary training for applicants who obtained positions in other Matches. Offering a position to a U.S. allopathic senior outside a matching program is a breach of the Match Participation Agreement.

What information should I make available to applicants during the interview process?

Section 4.4 of the Match Participation Agreement for Applicants and Programs 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 where to find the information.

Can I ask applicants where else they are applying?

Section 6.0 of the Match Participation Agreement for Applicants and Programs 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 matching program. In such cases, programs must request in writing an exception to the quota change deadline. Quotas cannot be reduced to offer positions outside The Main Residency Match.

Can program directors make quota changes, additions, and withdrawals in the R3 system?

Program changes can be made in the R3 system by the program director, but they must be approved on the Approve Changes screen by the institutional official. Program quotas cannot be changed after the quota change deadline except in cases of extreme emergency. Please check the Schedule of Dates for the Quota Change Deadline. Please also note that the ability of institutional officials and program directors to change program quotas for the Main Residency Match does not relieve them of their responsibility to register and attempt to fill all positions through The Match. The NRMP will regularly monitor the compliance of Match-participating programs in registering and attempting to fill all of their positions through the Main Residency Match.

Can I make changes or additions to my rank order list (ROL) after I certify it? If so, how quickly is my list updated, and are previous versions of my ROL maintained in the R3 system?

Yes. Your rank order list can be modified or re-ordered any number of times up until 9:00 p.m. eastern time on the Rank Order List Deadline. 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 ROLs so as to avoid any problems at the deadline.

If you change your certified ROL by adding, moving, or deleting a program, the change is saved immediately and the previous rank order list is deleted from the R3 system. You must recertify 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.

Will I be able to print a copy of my rank order list (ROL) before or after submission?

Yes. You can print a copy of your ROL at any step during the process by using the Web browser button. You also can open a printer-friendly version of your ROL by using the View/Print ROL link that appears on the My Rank Order List page under the Options heading.

How will I know that NRMP received my certified rank order list (ROL)?

When you certify your ROL, the NRMP will send you an e-mail confirmation that includes the number of applicants on your list.

How does the NRMP know when my rank order list (ROL) is ready to be used in The Match?

When you have entered all of your ranks, you must certify your ROL. Click the red Certify List button. You will then be asked to enter your password. If you make changes to your ROL, you must re-certify it. A Status of CERTIFIED on the Program Options Page is the indication that you have finished your rank order list

IIs there a limit to the number of ranks I can submit?

There is no limit and no extra charge to programs for entering their rank order lists

Can anyone else see my rank order list (ROL)?

You are the only person, other than NRMP staff, who can access your ROL unless you give your AAMC ID and password to someone else. Your ROL is limited to need-to-know NRMP staff.

What happens if my program does not fill all its positions?

At 12:00 noon eastern time on Monday of Match Week, program directors learn whether they filled all their positions. Unfilled programs are eligible to participate in the Match Week Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program to attempt to fill positions with eligible unmatched applicants.

What is the Match Week Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP), and how does it work?

SOAP is the process through which positions offered by unfilled programs are accepted by unmatched applicants during Match Week. SOAP replaces the "Scramble" and provides a uniform process for post-Match appointments. Unfilled programs offer positions to SOAP-eligible unmatched applicants through the Registration, Ranking, and Results (R3) system, and positions offered and accepted constitute a binding commitment under the Match Participation Agreement.

SOAP is a series of "rounds" that begin on Wednesday of Match Week. At 12:00 noon eastern time, the first SOAP offers are extended through the R3 system to the unmatched applicants listed at the top of programs' preference lists. Offers are extended to as many applicants on a program's preference list as there are unfilled positions in that program. Each SOAP "round" lasts two hours, during which applicants can accept or reject any offers they receive. Offers are sent again at 3:00 p.m. Wednesday and at 9:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. SOAP concludes at 5:00 p.m. eastern time on Friday of Match Week. Detailed information about SOAP can be found in Section 7.0 of the Match Participation Agreement for Applicants and Programs.

Am I am eligible to participate in SOAP? What if I don't want to participate?

All Match-participating programs with unfilled positions are eligible to participate in SOAP. Through the R3 system, program directors must notify the NRMP prior to Match Week whether they wish to participate in SOAP should their programs go unfilled. If you elect to participate in SOAP and you have unfilled positions, you may accept applications from eligible unmatched applicants only through ERAS®, and you must submit preference lists and extend offers only through the R3 system. You may elect not to participate in SOAP, but if you do so you are prohibited from extending offers to any applicants, regardless of the applicant's SOAP-eligibility or Match participation status, until SOAP concludes at 5:00 p.m. eastern time on Friday of Match Week.

What is an applicant preference list?

Programs participating in SOAP submit a list of applicants who have applied to the program and to whom the program wishes to offer a position. The lists are similar to the rank order lists used when the matching algorithm is processed. Program directors can make adjustments and add applicants to their preference lists prior to each SOAP round of, but the list must be certified for each round in which the program wishes to extend offers.

How do I contact an applicant about unfilled positions during SOAP?

Once you receive applications from SOAP-eligible applicants beginning at 2:00 p.m. eastern time on Monday of Match Week, you may contact them to discuss a position and/or schedule an interview. Neither applicants nor other individuals or entities acting on their behalf are permitted to contact you until you initiate contact.

Can I extend more than one offer at a time during SOAP?

Yes. If you participate in SOAP, you must finalize your applicant preference list in the R3 system by 11:30 a.m. eastern time on Wednesday of Match Week. The first SOAP offers are sent at 12:00 noon to as many applicants at the top of your preference list as there are unfilled positions in your program. Applicants have two hours to accept or reject any offers they receive.

If I extend an offer to an unmatched applicant during SOAP and the offer is accepted, is it binding?

Yes. Positions offered and accepted during SOAP constitute a binding commitment subject to the terms and conditions outlined in the Match Participation Agreement for Applicants and Programs. Failure to honor any offer made and accepted during SOAP absent a waiver from the NRMP is a violation and will subject you to an investigation and the potential levying of sanctions.

How do I know if an applicant has a binding commitment to another NRMP Match-participating program?

The 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 commitment to another NRMP Match-participating program. The Applicant Match History lists the appointment status of an applicant and indicates whether that applicant has requested a waiver of the binding 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?

Institutional officials must ensure that none of their programs, regardless of Match participation status, discusses, interviews for, or offers a position to an applicant who has matched to or accepted a concurrent year position in another program or who is ineligible because of a denied waiver or a confirmed violation. If any of the institution's programs discusses, interviews for, or offers a position to an ineligible applicant, the institution will be in breach of the Match Participation Agreement and subject to a violation investigation.

An applicant has contacted me about an open position in my program. What should my first step be?

Prior to discussing, interviewing for, or offering a position to an applicant, program directors must determine the applicant's eligibility by verifying the applicant's appointment status in the Applicant Match History that is available in the R3 system and/or by calling the NRMP to obtain that information. Any program that discusses, interviews for, or offers a position to an applicant who has matched to or accepted a concurrent year position in another program or who is ineligible because of a denied waiver or a confirmed violation will be subject to a violation investigation by the NRMP. If the applicant is not ineligible, you can discuss the position and schedule an interview.

What do I do if an applicant who has a binding commitment to my program does not show up for training?

The Match Participation Agreement states that a match between an applicant and a program creates a binding commitment to offer and accept a position and to start training in good faith (i.e., with the intent to complete the program) on the date specified in the appointment contract. The same binding commitment is established during the Match Week Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program if a program offers a position by listing an applicant on its preference list and the applicant accepts that offer. 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 binding commitment. Program directors also must request a waiver of the 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.

Can I offer a position to an applicant who has been released by his/her matched program? What about releasing an applicant from my own program?

As stated in Section 3.5 of the Match Participation Agreement, applicants and programs are not authorized to release each other from their binding commitment. Once a party has matched, or a position has been offered and accepted during the Match Week Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program, a waiver of the binding commitment may be obtained only from the NRMP; accordingly, applicants released by their program are not eligible for a concurrent-year appointment to another program unless the NRMP has granted a waiver. Moreover, Section 5.1 of the Agreement prohibits any program at a Match-participating institution from offering a concurrent year position to an applicant who has not received a waiver from the NRMP. Programs that offer positions to applicants with concurrent year commitments will be investigated by the NRMP to determine whether the applicant, the program, and/or the institution has violated the terms of the Agreement. The decision to grant or deny the waiver is at the sole discretion of the NRMP and is not subject to arbitration.

How long must a matched applicant remain in my program?

Section 5.1 of the Match Participation Agreement states that an applicant who terminates or resigns a position within 45 days of the start date specified in the appointment contract shall be presumed to have breached the Agreement. Applicants who match to or accept a position during SOAP are expected to start training in good faith (e.g., with the intent to complete the program).

What is the process if my program is investigated for a violation of the Match Participation Agreement?

Subsequent to receiving a written report of an alleged violation, the NRMP will solicit information from the program director, the institutional official, and any other individuals with knowledge of the situation. A Preliminary Report that documents the nature of the allegation is prepared.

If the results of the investigation indicate that a violation has not occurred, the case will be closed and all parties will be so notified. If the results of the investigation indicate a violation has 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" and 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 202-400-2233 or 1-866-653-NRMP.

Updated 08/29/2012