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December 2024 Illuminator

Shining a Light on Match News that Matters

This issue of the Illuminator includes:

Match Policy and Resident Security and Background Clearance Protocols for Veterans Affairs

The National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP®) recently commented on updates to security clearance protocols happening at the Veterans Affairs (VA) for any physician who trains or rotates through the VA and VA-affiliated hospitals. As we understand it, U.S. and international physicians will no longer be afforded a Special Agreement Check (SAC) but rather will be subject to robust background checks and FBI-facilitated security clearances.

A cornerstone of the NRMP’s Match Participation Agreements is the required disclosure by programs of complete, timely, and accurate information regarding applicant eligibility for appointment prior to the published rank order list deadline for a Match. If you could be impacted by changes at the VA, we ask that you immediately begin notifying your interviewed applicants, especially those in the Main Residency Match and the Fellowship Matches that remain open for July 2025 appointments, to ensure they are aware of the new requirements and are in a position to make their decisions about ranking. 

The NRMP is committed to fostering an equitable and efficient Match process for Match participants while ensuring institution and program compliance with the new VA security standards. We encourage you to review the Six Essential Questions for the VHA Tier 1 Background Investigation/Foreign National Vetting, which provides some insight into the new policy.

If you have questions, please contact policy@nrmp.org.

NRMP® Announces Voluntary Rank Order List (ROL) Lock Pilot for the 2026 Main Residency Match

 The NRMP is announcing the Voluntary Rank Order List (ROL) Lock Pilot initiative for the 2026 Main Residency Match. Launched in partnership with Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Vascular Surgery specialties, this initiative will make it possible for the NRMP and programs participating in these three specialties to explore the merits and utility of voluntary functionality that would allow programs to “lock” their certified rank order lists in the NRMP’s Registration, Ranking, and Results® (R3®) system and establish a window when interviewed applicants could visit – or not – the program without concern that it might alter the program’s ROL. Execution and evaluation of the pilot will help inform improvements to the applicant-program relationship and efforts to being more trustworthy and transparent to the transition.

Read the NRMP statement on the Voluntary ROL Lock Pilot. The opportunity for programs in the pilot specialties to participate commences with the 2026 Main Residency Match® cycle.

2025 Main Residency Match Reminders

Registration Reminders

Registration for the 2025 Main Residency Match opened September 16, 2024.

Program directors and program coordinators must register their individual user account before January 31, 2025, at 11:59 pm ET.

Medical school staff and faculty, please remind your students to register for the Match through the NRMP. Students who do not register before January 31, 2025, at 11:59 pm ET will incur an additional fee of $50 for late registration. Registration will remain open until March 5, 2025, at 9 pm ET. Students should be aware that when ranking opens on February 3, 2025, programs will not be able to rank applicants not registered with the NRMP.

Quota Change Deadline

Programs must also review their quota prior to the Quota Change Deadline on January 31, 2025, at 11:59 pm ET. Each program’s quota from the prior Match year is carried over to the current Match year. Program directors are responsible for ensuring the program’s quota is accurate before the deadline.

Joint Advanced/Preliminary (A/P) Program Arrangements

The Registration, Ranking, and Results (R3) system offers institutions and programs in the Main Residency Match the option to link an advanced PGY-2 program with a preliminary PGY-1 program.

Linking a preliminary position with an advanced training position allows programs to create a training pathway at the same institution for applicants interested in specialties that begin in the PGY-2 year.

The deadline to set up a joint A/P arrangement is January 31, 2025. Joint A/P arrangements must be finalized in the R3 system before ranking begins.

Contact support@nrmp.org to learn if a Joint A/P arrangement may be right for your programs and how to set up this option in the R3 system.

Register Now! Ranking Applicants in the 2025 Main Residency Match webinar

The NRMP is hosting a Ranking Applicants in the 2025 Main Residency Match webinar on Thursday, January 23, at 1 p.m. ET.

Chief of Match Operations Jeanette Calli and Director of Policy and Compliance Joy Gaabucayan will provide information on the ranking functionality in the R3 system, how the matching algorithm works, information about quota changes and withdrawals, setting SOAP participation status, creating and certifying a rank order list, Match policies, and more.

New Advising Videos

Letters of Interest are always a hot topic among applicants this time of year. Watch our Letters of Interest and the Match video! Listen as program directors and advisors talk about how they view letters of interest and hear from the NRMP policy team about post-interview communication.

NRMP is also excited to publish a new playlist of advising videos! These short videos cover a variety of Match topics and include advice and encouragement from previous applicants.

We encourage medical school advisors and faculty to share these videos with their students and graduates as they move through Match season!

Policy Corner: Revised and Refreshed Policy Hub on the Website and Policy Webinar for Fellowship Programs

The NRMP is pleased to share that the Policies and Compliance page on the NRMP website has been updated to reflect better formatting, improved searchable themes, and curated content. Much as the NRMP did with its Match Data hub this summer, the Policies page features:

• Left filter option that clearly identifies topics of interest 

• Targeted headers to allow for quick access to Match Agreements, Policies, and Codes of Conduct

• Timely and relevant resource content (e.g., videos, FAQs) to educate Match participants and grow their awareness of and compliance with policy

We hope you will take a minute to visit the new Policies and Compliance page and see all that it has to offer! If you have questions, please email policy@nrmp.org.  

Register Now! 2025 NRMP Policy Updates Webinar for SMS Fellowship Programs

The NRMP is hosting a 2025 NRMP Policy Updates Webinar for SMS Fellowship Programs on Thursday, December 12, 2024, at 2 p.m. ET.  Chief Operating Officer Laurie Curtin and Director of Policy and Compliance Joy Gaabucayan will host a webinar to assist program staff and provide policy education on the SMS Match Participation Agreements for all fellowship Matches opening after January 1, 2025. 

NRMP Office Closed for the Holidays

The NRMP office will be closed beginning on Wednesday, December 25, 2024, through Wednesday, January 1, 2025. The office will reopen on Thursday, January 2, at 8:30 am ET.

Upcoming Deadlines

Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match

  • December 4, 12:00 p.m. ET: Match Day

Rehabilitation Medicine

  • December 4, 9:00 p.m. ET: Rank Order List Certification Deadline

Psychiatry, Sports Medicine

  • December 4, 11:59 p.m. ET: Quota Change Deadline

Rehabilitation Medicine

  • December 18, 12:00 p.m. ET: Match Day

Psychiatry, Sports Medicine

  • December 18, 9:00 p.m. ET: Rank Order List Certification Deadline

Careers

NRMP is growing to meet the needs of the community. We currently have one position open:

  • Compliance Analyst

For more information, please visit our Careers page. NRMP is an equal opportunity employer.