News

Shining a Light on Match News that Matters

This issue of the Illuminator includes:

• NRMP publishes Match Summit Meeting report
• Abstract proposals being accepted for NRMP’s Transition to Residency conference
• Fellowship Match interview policies
• USMLE/COMLEX score verification for medical schools
• Upcoming deadlines
• Careers

Match Summit Meeting Report is Available!

The National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP®) hosted a Match Summit Meeting in Chicago, IL, on December 4 and 5, 2023. The NRMP invited one representative from each specialty participating in the Main Residency Match, 12 student organizations and groups, representatives from the emerging, specialty-driven application services, and organizations with an immediate role in the transition to residency. The topics discussed were:

• Two-Phase Match proposal;
• Voluntary locking functionality for program rank order lists;
• NRMP’s demographic data and reporting roadmap; and
• SOAP considerations with the implementation of multiple application services.

Outcomes and recommendations from the summit meeting were collated by the NRMP staff and presented to the NRMP Board of Directors for further discussion and consideration. The Match Summit Meeting report reflects the events of the meeting and outcomes to date.

Submit Your Abstract Proposal for the Transition to Residency Conference

Call for proposals has officially opened for the NRMP’s 2024 Transition to Residency Conference!

This year’s conference will take place in Louisville on October 3-5, 2024, and focus on ways to strengthen the transition to residency, fellowship, and practice. We are looking for proposals that focuses on addressing:

• Innovation – how the UME and GME communities stay attuned to changes in curriculum, the transition, and clinical practice and leverage new ways to manage change that positively affects the success of young physicians during and beyond training.

• Technology – how new data-driven and information environments and systems interact with and enhance medical education, training, and practice.

• Wellness – how learner and educator experiences with burnout, isolation, and poor mental health can inform new programs and initiatives that foster better physician well-being.

• Advocacy – how shifts in the political landscape and development of new health care policy impact efforts to refine training curricula, build trainee diversity, and inform student choices of specialty and career path.

We look forward to interacting with medical school deans and learners as well as residency and fellowship program director staff, and institution and association leadership.

The deadline to submit your proposal is May 12, 2024, at 9pm ET. Learn more and submit your proposal today!

Policy Corner: Fellowship Match Interview Policies

For Fellowship Matches opening after January 1 as part of the NRMP’s Specialties Matching Service® (SMS®), the NRMP implemented a new policy regarding the interview period. The policy aims to provide clarity and guidance for the interview process while minimizing unnecessary pressure.

Below are highlights of the interview policy and helpful tips for fellowship programs participating in 2024 SMS matches to keep in mind when engaging interview offers and acceptances.

What Programs Need to Know:

• Programs shall extend interview offers that equal, not exceed, the total number of available interview slots. Only one interview invitation can be extended per interview slot; first-come-first-serve practices are not permissible. This does not preclude the use of a wait list; however, programs must make transparent the process for wait list candidates and must adhere to the interview policies when extending interview offers to wait list candidates.

• Programs shall provide applicants no less than 48 hours to accept or reject an interview invitation. This provides reasonable time for applicants to consider their options and respects the clinical and academic obligations for all applicants. ​

• Programs shall apply reasonable measures of notification (e.g., one-to-two weeks’ notice) when needing to cancel or reschedule an interview. Programs are encouraged to avoid last-minute cancellations, regardless of virtual or in-person interviews.

How Programs Can Avoid Violating the Interview Policy:

• Carefully review interview dates, the number of available interview slots, and language in the interview offer for accuracy before contacting applicants.

• Ensure that the interview scheduling software or method being used by the program is set up correctly with the appropriate number of interview slots available.

• If using a waitlist, extend interview offers that equal, not exceed, the total number of available waitlist slots. ​

• Ensure that applicants who are extended an interview or waitlist offer are given 48 hours to respond before moving on to another applicant.

• Review the policy (Section 6.2) in the SMS Match Participation Agreement for Programs with all members of the recruitment team to ensure understanding of and compliance with the terms and conditions .

We encourage you to familiarize yourself with these changes and support best practices so your fellowship program can experience a smooth and successful recruitment process during the 2024 SMS Match cycle.

For more information, please review the full SMS Match Participation Agreement or contact the NRMP directly with any questions regarding the interview period or other Match policies, at policy@nrmp.org. We look forward to supporting you through the 2024 matching process.

Medical School USMLE/COMLEX Score Verification Opened on April 15

The NRMP asks medical school officials and administrators to verify, and update if necessary, the USMLE and COMLEX pass status and scores of students and graduates who participated in the Main Residency Match by May 15, 2024, at 5 p.m. ET. Verification in the R3 system ensures that we possess the most accurate applicant data for our reports and publications, including Charting Outcomes in the Match.

Although verification is voluntary, each school that completes the verification process will receive a Characteristics of Matched Seniors report this fall comparing the characteristics of the school’s matched senior students with national percentile information.

View our support guides for step-by-step instructions on how to verify:

MD Medical Schools
DO Medical Schools

To address confidentiality concerns, the Match Participation Agreement states that applicants authorize their medical schools to release, verify, and transmit COMLEX and USMLE test scores to NRMP. In addition, during the Match registration process, applicants may elect not to enter their scores in the R3 system and/or opt out of having their scores used for research.

Upcoming Deadlines

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

• May 1, 12:00 p.m. ET: Match Day

Epilepsy & Clinical Neurophysiology, Hand Surgery

• May 1, 9:00 p.m. ET: Rank Order List Certification Deadline

Epilepsy & Clinical Neurophysiology, Hand Surgery

• May 15, 12:00 p.m. ET: Match Day

Radiology, Surgical Oncology

• May 15, 11:59 p.m. ET: Quota Change Deadline

Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery, Headache Medicine

• May 22, 12:00 p.m. ET: Match Opens

Radiology, Surgical Oncology

• May 29, 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:

• Senior Compliance Analyst

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