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February 2023 Illuminator

Shining a Light on Match News that Matters

This issue of the Illuminator includes:

  • 2023 Main Residency Match Rank Order List Certification Deadline
  • Main Residency Match important dates and reminders
  • NRMP’s 70th anniversary
  • Fellowship Match webinar
  • NRMP in the community

Ranking Opens on February 1 for the Main Residency Match

Ranking opens for the Main Residency Match on February 1 at 12:00 p.m. ET for programs and applicants.

Support guides, video tutorials, and helpful resources about entering and certifying Rank Order Lists (ROLs) are available on our website for programs and applicants. There is also a recording of the ranking webinar for programs on our website.

Ranking Rights and Responsibilities:

  • Programs may indicate their interest in or intention to rank an applicant.
  • Programs may not ask applicants about their ranking preferences or about the programs to which they have applied and may interview.

The match commitment is binding so rank only those applicants you deem acceptable to train.

Rank Order List Certification Deadline for the Main Residency Match

Program and applicant rank order lists must be certified by March 1 at 9:00 p.m. ET. Remember:

  • Changes can be made to a ROL after it has been certified; however, if a certified ROL is changed in any way, the new version must be re-certified before the ROL Certification Deadline.
  • Changes cannot be made after 9:00 p.m. ET on the Rank Order List Certification Deadline.

Only certified ROLs will be used in the Match.

Main Residency Match Important Dates and Reminders

Medical School Officials:

  • Please track your students in the R3 system and contact those who have yet to complete the registration process. The late registration deadline for applicants who intend to participate in the Main Residency Match or SOAP is March 1 at 9:00 p.m. ET and the cost is $120. Programs cannot see or rank applicants who are not registered for the Match.
  • Beginning on February 1 at 12:00 p.m. ET, medical schools can log into the R3 system to verify the graduation credentials of their students and graduates. A support guide and step-by-step instructions on how to complete this process is available on the NRMP website. Schools must complete the graduation verification process by March 1 at 9:00 p.m. ET.
  • The deadline for applicants wishing to withdraw from the Match is March 1 by 9:00 p.m. ET. As a reminder – independent applicants can withdraw by logging into the R3 system and completing the withdrawal process; however, sponsored applicants (U.S. medical school seniors) must be withdrawn by their School Official.

Program Directors:

Ensure program eligibility criteria and requirements have been conveyed in writing to applicants who were interviewed and that the applicants you intend to rank meet your criteria and can begin training should they match.

Institutional Officials:

  • Institutional Officials (IO) should confirm their active program list in the R3 system to ensure programs participating in the Match are listed correctly, that program staff have registered, program quotas are correct, and that contact information is up to date. 
  • Programs with outstanding change approvals will not be able to certify a ROL until the changes are approved by the IO. IOs can log into the R3 system to complete the approval process. The deadline for reversions to be finalized in the R3 system and for all requested program change approvals to be approved is March 1 at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Need additional help? Assistance is available from the NRMP Support Team Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET by emailing support@nrmp.org or calling 866-653-NRMP (6767).

NRMP’s 70th Anniversary

The NRMP has published its second video in a year-long campaign celebrating the 70-year history of the NRMP. The video describes why NRMP began collecting demographic data, why it’s important to the medical education community, and dives into a deeper discussion of race and Match results.

Watch the video

We need your historical Match photos and materials! If you have any archived Match photos, videos, or other communication materials that you would like to share with the NRMP, we’d love to hear from you! We are looking for historical Match photos to share during the year-long 70th anniversary campaign. Please contact media@nrmp.org with any questions and materials you would like to share!

Introduction to the Fellowship Match Webinar

The NRMP is hosting an Introduction to the Fellowship Match webinar on February 16 at 1:00 pm ET.

Please join Jeanette Calli, Chief of Match Operations, and David Dojcsak-Sparks, Senior Director of Policy and Compliance, as they provide an overview of Match processes and policies. Learn about program staff roles and responsibilities, managing the program’s participation in the Match, ranking applicants, and policy information.

This will be a biannual webinar so an email with additional details and a registration link has been sent to fellowship program and institution staff associated with a Fellowship Match that has a Match Day through September. An additional webinar for Matches with a Match Day later in the year will be held in July. Contact support@nrmp.org for registration assistance or questions.

NRMP in the Community

ACGME Annual Educational Conference

Join NRMP President and CEO Dr. Donna Lamb, NRMP Chief of Research and Policy Dr. Laurie Curtin, and NRMP Senior Director of Research Dr. Rise Goldstein at the ACGME Annual Educational Conference in Nashville as they present a session about Applicant Demographics and Virtual Recruitment Experiences in Primary Care Specialties on February 24 at 3:15 p.m. CT.

This session will present findings on demographic correlates of experiences with virtual recruitment among surveyed applicants who matched to internal medicine, family medicine, or pediatrics. Participants will engage in interactive discussion concerning the alignment of findings with their recruitment experiences, promising practices for enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and recommended directions for research that might best inform further improvements to DEI practices in recruitment of residents to primary care specialties. We look forward to seeing you there!

Upcoming Dates

Main Residency Match

  • February 1, 12:00 p.m. ET: Ranking Opens

Forensic Pathology, Laryngology, Pediatric Surgery, Thoracic Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Vascular Neurology

  • February 8, 12:00 p.m. ET: Registration Opens

Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology, Hand Surgery

  • February 15, 12:00 p.m. ET: Registration Opens