NRMP and trusted third parties collect information on this website using cookies and similar technologies, and by using this website you consent to such practices. For more information, see the Cookie Policy section of ourPrivacy Statement.

August 2026 Illuminator Newsletter

Shining a Light on Match News that Matters

This issue of the Illuminator includes:

Updated Data Reports: Charting Outcomes™: Characteristics of Applicants Who Match to Their Preferred Specialty

The NRMP® has published its Charting Outcomes™: Characteristics of Applicants Who Match to Their Preferred Specialty reports. These reports examine how factors such as applicant preferences, medical licensure exam performance, research accomplishments, and other experiences affect Match outcomes in the Main Residency Match®. In response to constituent feedback, the reports have been enhanced to include expanded applicant-type reporting and annual publication, improving transparency and the availability of workforce data.

For the first time, NRMP has produced four distinct Charting Outcomes™ reports. In prior years, a single report combined outcomes for both U.S. citizen and non-U.S. citizen students and graduates of international medical schools. By reporting these groups separately, NRMP provides more transparent, nuanced, and meaningful insights into Match outcomes. This enhanced approach enables applicants, advisors, medical schools, and other stakeholders to better understand specialty-specific trends and make more informed decisions based on the experiences of comparable applicant populations. The four applicant groups represented in the Charting Outcomes™ reports include:

The interactive Charting Outcomes™: Characteristics of Applicants Who Match to Their Preferred Specialty reports are built using data visualization software and draw from the same data sources as the Charting Outcomes™ PDF reports. The dashboard presents data from the past five Match cycles and provides users with clearer, more meaningful views of applicant characteristics.

Please also explore NRMP’s Match Data for additional data reports filtered by topics such as applicant demographics, application and recruitment, applicant type, fellowship outcomes, and residency outcomes. 

Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match
Opens for Registration on August 26

The 2026 Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match for the 2027 appointment year opens for registration on August 26. This is NRMP’s largest fellowship Match and includes 37 Internal Medicine, Pediatric, Addiction, and multidisciplinary subspecialties.

The Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match will have the following schedule:

August 26 at 12 p.m. ET: Match Opens for Registration

September 30 at 12 p.m. ET: Rank Order List Entry Begins

October 28 at 11:59 p.m. ET: Program Quota Change and Withdrawal Deadline

November 18 at 9 p.m. ET: Rank Order List Certification Deadline

December 2 at 12 p.m. ET: Match Day!

Reminder – Programs can update program staff prior to the Match opening by emailing support@nrmp.org. Please provide the program information, names of the program staff who are changing, and the email address and date of birth of the new staff. Information about adding a new program track can be found on the Programs & Institutions page.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the NRMP support staff between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. ET at 866-653-NRMP (6767), or by email at support@nrmp.org. 

NRMP Implements Multi-Factor Authentication

To enhance the security of the Registration, Ranking, and Results® (R3®) system, NRMP has implemented multi-factor authentication (MFA). If you have not already enrolled in MFA, you will be prompted to do so the next time you log in.

Why is NRMP implementing MFA? MFA strengthens account security by requiring a second form of verification in addition to your password each time you log in, helping prevent unauthorized access even if login credentials are compromised. It also enhances protection of sensitive Match data including rank order lists, results, and reports for all users.  

How Does MFA Work? The next time you log into the R3 system or when you register a new account, you will be prompted to enroll in MFA by entering your U.S. mobile phone number or your email address. Once enrolled, you will receive a 6-digit verification code by text message or email each time you log in and will be required to enter that verification code to complete the login process.

View our support guide for step-by-step enrollment instructions and screenshots.  

If you have any additional questions or need assistance, please contact the NRMP support staff Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET by emailing support@nrmp.org or calling 866-653-NRMP (6767). 

New Report: First Year Findings from the Voluntary Rank Order List (ROL) Lock Pilot

NRMP recently released a report on the first year of findings from its Voluntary Program Rank Order List (ROL) Lock pilot. The report summarizes program participation rates and presents key findings from surveys of program directors and applicants regarding their experiences with and perceptions of the Voluntary ROL Lock pilot.

Twenty-nine percent of program tracks across the three participating specialties opted in to the pilot. Participation varied by specialty. Most applicants perceived post interview visits as beneficial. Nearly three quarters (74.3 percent) responded that attending a post interview visit helped answer their questions, while an additional 21.9 percent indicated it was somewhat helpful. Among those who attended visits, 34.2 percent strongly agreed and 45.3 percent agreed that they learned more about the program than through interviews alone.

The Voluntary ROL Lock pilot is a three-year initiative. In its second year, the specialties of Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Vascular Surgery will continue to participate. Registration for the 2027 Main Residency Match® opened on May 1, 2026, at which time program directors became eligible to enroll in the pilot. In a change from the first year of implementation, all programs across the three participating specialties will share a single pilot sign-up deadline of October 16.

Visit the Voluntary Program ROL Lock pilot page on the website to learn more about the purpose and background of the initiative, review FAQs, and access other resources.

Educational Webinars: Stay Informed with our Webinar Offerings

Stay informed with our upcoming webinars!

Fellowship Programs – The NRMP hosted an Introduction to the Fellowship Match webinar and the webinar recording and presentation slides are available on the website. The webinar provided information about fellowship program staff roles and responsibilities, managing your program’s participation in the Fellowship Match, and policy reminders.

Fellowship Programs – We are hosting a Fellowship Match Ranking and Results: What Program Staff Need to Know webinar on Thursday, August 6, at 1 p.m. ET. The webinar will cover key topics, including the institutional user roles for entering and certifying the rank order list, how the matching algorithm works, what to expect on Match Day, and important Match policies to help you navigate the process successfully. Registration is required.

Medical Schools – We are also hosting a 2027 Main Residency Match Overview for Medical Schools webinar on Thursday, September 10, at 1 p.m. ET. The webinar is designed to assist medical school staff in the Main Residency Match and will cover introductory information about the Match, calendar, Match fees, relevant policies, and support resources. Registration is required.

Residency Applicants – Stay tuned! We will be releasing an Introduction to the 2027 Main Residency Match for Applicants webinar in early September. The recorded webinar will provide an overview of Match processes and policies including applicant eligibility, multiple application services, NRMP’s program directory, policy information, and support resources to help applicants through the Match process.

Video: Choosing Residency Programs

Check out our How to Choose Residency Programs video featuring program directors and medical school advisors giving advice to applicants on how to choose programs to apply to as well as what criteria and qualities previous Match applicants looked for in programs.

Biggest takeaway for applicants when choosing programs? Take time to reflect on your future goals as well as your personal mission and values. Make a list of what is important to you – whether that is geographic location, your support system, research opportunities, mentorship, or something else.

Share the video with your 2027 Match applicants and stay tuned as we highlight additional videos throughout the Match season! 

Policy Corner: Complete, Timely, and Accurate Information

The 2027 Main Residency Match cycle is fast approaching along with the onset of application reviews and interviews. It is an exciting time, and we want to take a moment to remind all Match participants of the importance of providing complete, timely, and accurate information throughout the recruitment, interview, ranking, matching, and onboarding processes. Below we’ve highlighted key elements from the NRMP’s Match Participation Agreements for programs, applicants and medical schools and provided responses to some frequently asked questions.

Complete, Timely, and Accurate Information

Match Agreement for Programs (Section 6.3)

  • Programs must disclose, at the start of recruitment for both the Main Residency Match and SOAP, the application service/process they will require.
  • Programs must communicate, in writing, all institutional policies regarding eligibility for appointment (e.g., pre-employment testing, background checks, licensure, etc.) applicants would have to complete if matched to the program and obtain signed confirmation from interviewees prior to the Rank Order List Certification Deadline.
  • Programs must provide a copy of the appointment agreement matched applicants will be expected to sign, if available, prior to the Rank Order List Certification Deadline. Applicants must be notified of any subsequent material changes.

Match Agreement for Applicants (Section 6.3)

  • Applicants must submit complete, timely, and accurate information through the 45th day following the start date as listed in the appointment contract for any position obtained through the Match or SOAP. Information to disclose includes, among other things, anything that could impact the ability to satisfy program requirements; circumstances that may delay or adversely impact an applicant’s ability to commence training on time; or information relevant to licensure status or visa status.

Match Agreement for Schools (Section 5.2)

  • Medical schools must submit complete, timely, and accurate information in the Medical School Performance Evaluation (MSPE) and must submit an addendum to the MSPE if the student’s circumstances change after initial submission. Schools also must report to program(s) any change in academic status, graduation date, or eligibility for applicants who have matched or accepted a position through SOAP.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are programs required to obtain a signed (electronic or written) acknowledgement of institution and program policies and eligibility requirements from all applicants or only those who interview with the program?

Programs should obtain signed (electronic or written) acknowledgement of receipt from all applicants they interview. Programs are not required to obtain the signature of applicants they did not interview; however, programs should ensure the information is made available via electronic (website) or written means.

When should programs provide institutional policies, program policies, and eligibility requirements to applicants?

Information pertaining to institutional policies, program policies, and eligibility requirements should be made available to all applicants at the start of the transition cycle. This can be easily accomplished by posting the information to the program’s website. Policy information and eligibility requirements must be provided to all applicants who interview with a program prior to the Rank Order List Certification Deadline, or who interview during SOAP.

Do programs have to disclose the application process(es) they intend to use for both Main Match and SOAP to applicants?

Yes, NRMP policy requires that all programs inform applicants about the specific application service(s) or process(es) they intend to use during the 2025 Main Residency Match and SOAP.

For questions regarding Match policies, please contact NRMP Policy at policy@nrmp.org. We are here to help and look forward to supporting you throughout the 2027 Main Residency Match cycle.

Research Roundup: New Report Coming on Profiles and Experiences of Unmatched Residency Applicants

With increased interest in understanding the trajectory of residency applicants who do not secure training positions through the Main Residency Match, we are excited to announce that later this summer NRMP will release a report addressing this topic. The report will include three sections:

  1. Applicant characteristics by receipt of a position (i.e., received any position vs did not receive any position).
  2. Examination of percentage of applicants (overall and by applicant type) who received any position, received full training (i.e., a categorical or both preliminary and advanced positions), or received partial training (e.g., a preliminary or advanced position but not both) in a single Match cycle.
  3. Trajectories of applicants who did not receive any position during their first Match cycle.

This forthcoming report will provide the community with greater transparency regarding patterns in the receipt of residency positions through the Main Residency Match. We look forward to sharing this report with the community soon!

Upcoming Deadlines

Headache Medicine, Urogynecology & Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery

  • August 5, 12 p.m. ET: Match Day

Colon & Rectal Surgery, Forensic Psychiatry, Medical Genetics, Spinal Cord Injury Medicine

  • August 5, 12 p.m. ET: Match Opens

Surgical Critical Care

  • August 12, 9 p.m. ET: Rank Order List Deadline

Emergency Medicine

  • August 19, 12 p.m. ET: Match Opens

Pain Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynecology

  • August 19, 11:59 p.m. ET: Quota Change Deadline

Medicine and Pediatric Specialties

  • August 26, 12 p.m. ET: Match Opens

Surgical Critical Care

  • August 26, 12 p.m. ET: Match Day

Careers

NRMP is growing to meet the needs of the community. We currently have three positions open:

  • Compliance Analyst
  • Controller
  • Senior Public Relations Specialist

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