November 2026 Illuminator Newsletter
Shining a Light on Match News that Matters This issue of the Illuminator includes: 2027 Main Residency Match® News and Reminders Applicant Match History in…
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NRMP Releases Landmark Reports that Advance Transparency in the Transition to Residency
The National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP®) has released three new reports offering first-of-their-kind analyses of key factors influencing the transition to residency, expanding the…
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Matched, Unmatched, and Beyond: Applicant Characteristics and Residency Placement Outcomes, 2022–2025
The National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP®) has released Matched, Unmatched, and Beyond: Applicant Characteristics and Residency Placement Outcomes, 2022–2025, a first-of-its-kind report that considers…
October 2026 Illuminator Newsletter
Shining a Light on Match News that Matters This issue of the Illuminator includes: 2027 Main Residency Match® News and Reminders Medical Schools: Upload Rising…
NRMP and NBME Publish Report on Program Ranking Patterns
In collaboration with NBME, the National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP®) has released a new report, Characteristics of Applicants Included on Residency Program Rank Order Lists…
NRMP Issues Call for Nominations for Board of Directors
The NRMP Board of Directors is seeking nominations for directors whose terms of service would begin on July 1, 2027. Specific vacancies include: Deadline for…
The Match Participation Agreement states that a match between an applicant and a program creates a binding commitment to accept a position if a match results and to start training in good faith (i.e., with the intent to complete the program) on the date specified in the appointment contract. For the Main Residency Match®, the same binding commitment is established during the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program® (SOAP®) if a program offers a position by listing an applicant on its preference list and the applicant accepts that offer.
Under certain limited circumstances, the NRMP may grant to an applicant or program a waiver of the binding commitment if honoring the commitment would result in unanticipated serious and extreme hardship. However, programs are not authorized to release an applicant from a binding commitment. A waiver of the binding commitment may be obtained only from the NRMP. Please visit the Policies page on the NRMP website for information about the waiver review process.