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March 2025 Illuminator

Shining a Light on Match News that Matters

This issue of the Illuminator includes:

Certify Your Rank Order List for the Main Residency Match by March 5 at 9 pm ET

As we approach the Rank Order List Certification Deadline of Wednesday, March 5, at 9:00 pm ET, we encourage you to remember the following about certifying rank order lists:

  • Rank order lists (ROLs) can be created by entering applicants’ NRMP ID numbers directly on the ROL, utilizing the “Find and Add Applicant” search feature, or importing an electronic file. The NRMP ID is the only ID that every Match-participating applicant will have and is the preferred ID for ranking applicants.
  • Programs should rank applicants in order of true preference, not how they think applicants will rank their program. View How the Matching Algorithm Works video.
  • The Match commitment is binding so programs should only rank applicants they wish to train and who are eligible for the program.
  • Changes can be made to a ROL after it has been certified up and until the Rank Order List Certification Deadline; however, any changes require the ROL to be re-certified with each change. Once the Rank Order List Certification Deadline passes, no additional changes may be made to a ROL.
  • Only certified rank order lists will be used in the Match.

Assistance is available from the NRMP Support Team Monday – Friday from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm ET by emailing support@nrmp.org or calling 866-653-NRMP (6767). To offer the highest level of customer service, on March 5, the Rank Order List Certification Deadline, staff will be available until 9:00 pm ET to answer questions you may have during the final deadline hours.

Preparing for the Main Residency Match Week and SOAP

Match Week is almost here! On Monday, March 17, at 10:00 am ET, program directors learn if their program(s) filled, applicants learn if they matched, and the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program® (SOAP®) begins.

SOAP provides a uniform system for programs to offer unfilled positions to eligible unmatched or partially matched applicants through a series of offer rounds during Match Week. With multiple application services participating in SOAP, we wanted to share resources available to you to prepare.

Please review the following SOAP resources for detailed information.

Programs and Institutions:

Medical Schools:

  • 2025 SOAP Guide for Applicants
  • The NRMP partnered with the AAMC’s ERAS program and ResidencyCAS to host a Navigating Match Week and SOAP for Medical Schools webinar. The webinar recording is available on the NRMP website. Geared toward NRMP medical school officials, administrators, and advisors, the webinar includes an overview of Match Week and SOAP, including important deadlines, information on how SOAP will work with multiple application services, and policy information.
  • Match Week for Schools
  • Match Week and SOAP calendar

Residency Applicants:

  • 2025 SOAP Guide for Applicants
  • Navigating Match Week and SOAP webinar recording. The webinar and slide presentation provides an overview of the 2025 Main Residency Match Week and SOAP, including important deadlines, information on how SOAP will work with multiple application services, and policy information. Application service representatives from the AAMC’s ERAS and ResidencyCAS each presented on how their service will be managing SOAP.
  • SOAP for Applicants
  • Match Week and SOAP calendar

Assistance is available from the NRMP Support Team Monday – Friday from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm ET by emailing support@nrmp.org or calling 866-653-NRMP (6767).

Celebrating Match Week!

As Match Week approaches, we want to wish all 2025 Main Residency Match participants a successful Match Day! Please tag us in your social media posts using @TheNRMP and #Match2025 so we can celebrate your accomplishments with you! We look forward to seeing your celebratory posts, photos, and videos!

Join the Match Week and SOAP Listserv

NRMP will again this year host the Match Week and SOAP Listserv. Representatives from the application service providers will also be available to answer any application-related questions. The Listserv is the official source for all Match Week and SOAP information, where questions can be asked and answered in real time. The Listserv is “opt in” for medical school and program staff/faculty and is not intended for applicants.

Those interested in participating in the Listserv should register before the start of Match Week on Monday, March 17. Registration will be posted on the NRMP website beginning March 6.

New Advising Video! Navigating the SOAP Process

Finding out you are unmatched and need to participate in SOAP can be overwhelming. Learn the best advice from medical school advisors, program directors, and NRMP staff in our latest video about navigating the SOAP process. 

In case you missed it, the NRMP recently published 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: Rules for Participating in SOAP

The NRMP maintains specific policies for SOAP, so we want to share a few highlights and reminders to make sure you are informed.

SOAP-Participating Programs

  • Programs can only accept and consider applications from SOAP-eligible applicants during SOAP.
  • Program staff can initiate contact with SOAP-eligible applicants only after receiving the applicant’s application as part of SOAP.
  • Programs cannot ask SOAP-eligible applicants to indicate, verbally or in writing, whether they will accept an offer of a position if one is extended during SOAP.
  • Programs can only offer positions to SOAP-eligible applicants until SOAP concludes on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at 9:00 p.m. ET. All positions must be offered and accepted only through the NRMP’s R3 system.
  • Offers extended and accepted during SOAP constitute a binding commitment.

Non-SOAP Participating Programs

  • Match-participating programs that elect not to participate in SOAP cannot solicit or consider applications from or extend offers of unfilled positions to any applicants until SOAP concludes.

Medical Schools

  • Neither SOAP-eligible applicants nor their representatives may contact or communicate, verbally or in writing, with any SOAP-participating programs until the program has first initiated contact.
  • SOAP-eligible unmatched applicants who may be interested in an alternate course during Match Week and wish to pursue interests other than clinical residency training may do so in lieu of participating in SOAP provided:
    • the position sought is not affiliated with a Match- or SOAP-participating residency program;
    • the position does not qualify for training credit in an ACGME-accredited residency program; and
    • the applicant does not submit any applications to SOAP-participating programs during Match Week.
  • Unmatched applicants who are SOAP-ineligible will not have access to the List of Unfilled Programs during SOAP.
  • Unmatched applicants who are SOAP-ineligible can only apply to, interview, and accept positions with non-Match-participating programs at the published time during Match Week.
  • Unmatched applicants who are SOAP-ineligible can only apply to, interview, and accept positions with Match-participating programs after SOAP concludes.

Please visit the Match Policies page on the NRMP website for access to Match Participation Agreements and the Codes of Conduct. For questions regarding Match policies, please contact NRMP Policy at policy@nrmp.org. We are here to help!

New Fellowship Match Outcome and Demographic Data Reports Available!

The NRMP® is proud to release data and reports reflecting the outcome and demographics for the NRMP’s Specialties Matching Service® (SMS®) for the 2025 appointment year. Now available are the annual Results and Data: Specialties Matching Service®, 2025 Appointment Year report, Specialty Match Program Results, and Charting Outcomes™: Demographic Characteristics of Applicants in the Specialties Matching Service®(SMS®) for 22 Fellowship Matches for more than 75 subspecialties.

View the press release announcing the Results and Data report for position, program, specialty, and applicant highlights. Download the 2025 Specialties Matching Service infographic.

Fellowship Match Webinar Recording

The NRMP hosted an Introduction to the Fellowship Match webinar and the recording is posted on the website.

The webinar, presented by Russette Blake, Operations Supervisor, and Joy Gaabucayan, Director of Policy and Compliance, provided an overview of Match processes and policies, program staff roles and responsibilities, managing the program’s participation in the Match, ranking applicants, and policy information.

This is a biannual webinar. A second session will be hosted this summer for programs associated with a Fellowship Match that has a Match Day through the end of the year.

Main Residency Match Applicant Survey will be live on March 6

Applicants should be reminded to watch their email inbox for an invitation to participate in the Applicant Survey on March 6!

Surveys will be open for responses from March 6 through March 16. If you work with applicants, please encourage them to save the date and participate. The insights gathered from these surveys play a crucial role in shaping the decisions of future applicants and help NRMP and other GME organizations enhance the transition to residency process. Your participation makes a difference—more responses mean better data to support the community!

To explore previous NRMP survey reports, please visit our website.

For questions, please reach out to research@nrmp.org.

Upcoming Deadlines

Main Residency Match

  • March 5, 9:00 p.m. ET: Rank Order List Certification Deadline

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

  • March 12, 12:00 p.m. ET: Rank Order List Opens

Radiology, Surgical Oncology

  • March 12, 12:00 p.m. ET: Match Opens

Epilepsy & Clinical Neurophysiology, Hand Surgery

  • March 26, 12:00 p.m. ET: Rank Order List Opens

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.