Policy Announcement: The 2024 Specialties Matching Service® (SMS®) Match Participation Agreements Now Available on the NRMP Website

December 5th, 2023

The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) has updated and posted the 2024 SMS Match Participation Agreements (“Agreements”) for all fellowship matches opening after January 1, 2024. Although participants in a NRMP Match are responsible for reading the entire Agreement, we have highlighted below new and updated policies to support Match participants as they prepare for the upcoming transition cycle.

SMS Match Participation Agreements for all Participant Groups:

NEW: Section 6.2 Interview Period: New language added to foster an equitable and transparent recruitment process that respects the needs of both applicants and programs.

6.2 Interview Period

The recruitment phase for the Specialties Matching Service^® (SMS^®) must be transparent, grounded in equitable practices, reflect mutual respect for the needs of applicants and programs, and minimize unnecessary pressure. To that end, applicants and programs are bound by the terms of the applicable SMS Match Participation Agreement to demonstrate ethical behavior when engaging in interview offers and acceptances.

During the recruitment phase, programs shall:

Extend interview offers that equal, not exceed, the total number of available interview slots;

Provide applicants no less than 48 hours to accept or reject an interview invitation; and

Apply reasonable measures of notification (e.g., one-to-two weeks’ notice) when needing to cancel or reschedule an interview.

During recruitment, programs may expect applicants to make judicious assessment of and decisions about interview offers, accepting only those they intend to fulfill and apply reasonable measures of notification (e.g., one-to-two weeks’ notice) when needing to cancel or request rescheduling of an interview.

SMS Match Participation Agreements for Programs:

UPDATE: Section 5.2 Match Fees: Existing language modified to make clear that registration fees will not be waived for withdrawn programs.

5.2 Match Fees

Match fees are published annually on the NRMP website. Match fees provide programs access to the R3 system, the ability to participate in the SMS, and access to certain Match-related lists and reports.

Fees will not be waived for institutions and programs that are activated for Match participation and subsequently withdrawn either by the sponsoring institution, by the program, or by the NRMP.

Each sponsoring institution with programs in a Fellowship Match pays an institution registration fee, a program registration fee for each of its registered program tracks, and a matched applicant fee for each applicant with whom a program matches successfully. The NRMP will invoice the institution for those fees and all incurred expenses, which must be paid within thirty (30) days of the invoice date.

All Match fees are non-refundable.

UPDATE: Section 7.3.1 Applicant Eligibility for Ranking: Existing language modified to require that programs ensure each applicant ranked meets requirements for state licensure prior to the rank order list certification deadline.

7.3.1 Applicant Eligibility for Ranking

Before certifying the rank order list, programs should:

Determine each applicant’s eligibility by verifying the applicant’s match status in the Applicant Match History available through the R3 system or by contacting NRMP support;

Confirm the institution’s willingness and/or ability to sponsor the visa type requested or intended by any non-U.S. citizen applicant ranked; and

Ensure each ranked applicant meets requirements for licensure, as published by the programs state Licensure Board.

The NRMP will not create or modify any program’s rank order list.

SMS Match Participation Agreement for Institutions:

UPDATE: Section 7.1.1 Applicant Eligibility for Ranking: Existing language modified to requiring that institutions ensure programs are ranking applicants that meet requirements for state licensure prior to the rank order list certification deadline.

7.1.1 Applicant Eligibility for Ranking

Before certifying the rank order list, programs should:

Determine each applicant’s eligibility by verifying the applicant’s match status in the Applicant Match History available through the R3 system or by contacting NRMP support;

Confirm the institution’s willingness and/or ability to sponsor the visa type requested or intended by any non-U.S. citizen applicant ranked;

Ensure each program has a process to review state licensure board eligibility and ensure ranked applicants meet requirements for licensure, as published by the program state Licensure Board.

The NRMP will not create or modify any program’s rank order list.

The NRMP also has updated NRMP Codes of Conduct for Programs to foster continued ethical behavior during the application and matching processes. For the Match Codes of Conduct for Programs:

Program directors and other members of the recruitment team must refrain from asking applicants about race, national origin, and sexual orientation, including more nuanced questions about applicant demographics (e.g., blood quantum, tribal affiliations, first language, and parent or spousal religious, cultural, or tribal affiliations).

Please carefully review the new 2024 NRMP SMS Match Participation Agreements which are now available on the NRMP website as they contain important policies all participants must follow.

If you have any questions, please contact NRMP Policy at policy@nrmp.org. We look forward to supporting you through the 2024 matching process.