Program Positions in the Main Residency Match

Types of program positions in the Main Match:

• Categorical Position (“C”): Post graduate year one (PGY-1) position that provides the full training required for board certification in a specialty.
• Primary Position (“M”):  PGY-1 position in Medicine or Pediatrics that provides a training emphasis on primary care.
• Preliminary Position (“P”): One-year position in a Transitional Year or specialty program.
• Advanced Position (“A”): Position in a specialty program that begins the year after the Match and after one or more years of required preliminary training.
• Reserved Positions (“R”): PGY-2 positions in specialty programs that begin in the year of the Match and are reserved for physicians with prior graduate medical education. These positions are also known as “Physician Positions”.

Program Types in the Main Residency Match