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Shining a Light on Match News that Matters

This issue of the Illuminator includes:

2025 Main Residency Match Deadlines

Program and Institution Deadlines

January 31 at 11:59 pm ET is an important deadline for programs in the 2025 Main Residency Match: 

Quota Change and Withdrawal Deadline: Programs must log into the NRMP’s R3 system and review their quota or withdraw from the Match by January 31, 2025, at 11:59 pm ET.

Setting Up a Joint A/P Program Arrangement Deadline: Institutions and programs in the Main Residency Match have the option to link an advanced PGY-2 program with a preliminary PGY-1 program in the R3 system. Linking a preliminary position with an advanced training position allows programs to create a training pathway at the same institution for applicants interested in specialties that begin in the PGY-2 year.  

SOAP Participation Status Deadline: Programs that intend to participate in the Match Week Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP) must set the program’s SOAP Participation Status to “Yes” in the R3 system. Programs that have not filled all their positions once the matching algorithm has been processed are eligible to participate in SOAP. Programs who choose not to participate in SOAP and who have unfilled positions after the matching algorithm has been processed, must wait to fill open positions until after SOAP concludes.  

Applicant Deadline

Applicants who do not register for the 2025 Main Residency Match before January 31, 2025, at 11:59 pm ET, will incur an additional fee of $50 for late registration; however, they will be able to register for the Match until the Rank Order List Certification Deadline on March 5, 2025, at 9 pm ET. Applicants should be aware that when ranking opens on February 3, 2025, programs will not be able to rank applicants not registered with the NRMP. 

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). 

Coming Soon: New R3 System Functionality for Program Directors and Institutional Administrators

 Starting mid-January 2025, Program Directors and Institutional Administrators in the Main Residency Match® and the Specialties Matching Service® fellowship Matches will have additional oversight of their program’s Match participation. 

The Institutional Official (IO) traditionally has been required to activate both the institution and all the programs for Match participation in the NRMP’s Registration, Ranking, and Results® (R3®) system. With the new functionality, IOs will continue to activate the institution but will now have the option to direct the Institutional Administrator (IA) or Program Directors (PDs) to activate their programs. This allows the IO the ability to ensure the PDs confirm their participation in the Match at the program level and allows PDs to update their program directory information and the program quota in a more timely and efficient manner. 

NRMP welcomes your feedback on this change. Please contact support@nrmp.org with any comments or questions.

Results of the 2024 Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match

The NRMP proudly announced that more than 8,000 resident physicians have successfully secured fellowship training positions through its 2024 Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match.

The 2024 Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match, the largest of the Fellowship Matches managed by the NRMP as part of its Specialties Matching Service®, encompassed 39 subspecialties in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics as well as Addiction and other multidisciplinary subspecialties. This year’s Match builds on the success from last year by expanding to include Interventional Cardiology. It featured 3,709 programs submitting certified rank order lists, a seven percent increase in the number of programs over 2023. Fellowship programs in the Match collectively offered 9,649 positions, a six percent increase, and 581 more positions than the previous year. Of these positions, 8,313 were filled (86.2%). The number of applicants certifying a rank order list for the Match totaled 10,255, a rise of nine percent (n=833) over last year.

“This year’s Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match demonstrates NRMP’s ongoing commitment to support a diverse range of subspecialties that appeal to residents seeking sub-specialization to meet the healthcare needs of patients nationwide,” said Donna L. Lamb, DHSc, MBA, BSN, NRMP President and CEO. “The steady growth in participation we see over the years reflects not only increased interest in specialized care but also the strength and efficiency of the NRMP’s matching process to meet the needs of subspecialties and feed the physician pipeline.”

View the entire press release for applicant and specialty highlights as well as notable trends.

Match Fees Increasing for Institutions and Programs

The NRMP is adjusting Match fees for institutions and programs participating in Fellowship Matches opening after June 30, 2025, as well as for residency and fellowship programs and institutions participating in the 2026 Main Residency Match and Fellowship Match cycles to support utilization and enhancements of the R3 system and enhanced reporting being made accessible to institutions and programs. Email notifications were sent on December 19 with detailed information about the adjustments.

If you have questions, please contact support@nrmp.org.

State Snapshots Are Now Available

The NRMP launched its newest resource, “NRMP State Snapshots“, to provide an overview of Match outcomes information at the state-level.

In addition to showcasing information about the purpose and scope of the NRMP’s matching program, the State Snapshots offer a high-level, detailed profile of the applicants placed into training programs and programs positions offered and filled in both the Main Residency Match, Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP), and the Specialties Matching Service. The thoughtful data visualizations present important data to inform conversations about physician distribution and workforce.

The State Snapshots support the NRMP’s continued efforts to inform national discussions and create awareness of the physician pipeline. The NRMP intends to publish the State Snapshots annually.

To view and learn more about the NRMP’s State Snapshots, visit the NRMP’s Insights Advocacy webpage.

Fellowship Match News

Welcoming Three New Specialties to the Specialties Matching Service

The NRMP is excited to welcome three new subspecialties to the Pathology Fellowship Match:

  • Bone and Soft Tissue Pathology
  • Hematopathology
  • Molecular and Genetic Pathology

Institutional Officials should reach out to their programs to ensure they are participating in the Pathology Fellowship Match, which opens for registration on February 5, 2025. A new specialty newsletter with additional details will be sent to Bone and Soft Tissue Pathology, Hematopathology, and Molecular and Genetic Pathology programs later this month.

Match Participation Agreements Available for Matches Opening After January 1, 2025

The Match Participation Agreements for all Fellowship Matches opening after January 1, 2025, are now posted to the Policies page. Updates to policy include:

  • Clarifying language regarding the role of DIO in oversight of unaccredited fellowships
  • New language encouraging timely reporting of alleged violations of Match Participation Agreements
  • Modified language about the dispute resolution process for parties to the Match that are identified as state entities

Please review the Match Participation Agreements and if you have questions, please reach out to policy@nrmp.org. We look forward to supporting you through the 2025 matching process.

Policy Corner: Webinar Recording and New Look!

The NRMP recently hosted a 2025 NRMP Policy Updates Webinar for SMS Fellowship Programs, and we were pleased to be joined by more than 250 participants! This webinar was designed for fellowship program staff and provided policy education on the SMS Match Participation Agreements for all fellowship Matches opening after January 1, 2025.

A recording of the webinar is available along with a copy of the PowerPoint presentation. Please visit the Policies webpage on the NRMP website to access the resources.

We are also excited to announce that the Policies page has been revised and refreshed! The page now features curated, timely content and a left menu filter option to help you find Match Participation Agreements, Policies, and other helpful resources like the Codes of Conduct. We hope the updates allow more direct access to helpful policy-based information for Match participants, constituents, and the medical education community.

Upcoming Educational Webinars

The Main Residency Match Ranking Webinar for Programs is scheduled for January 23, 2025

Please join Jeanette Calli, Chief of Match Operations, and Director of Policy and Compliance Joy Gaabucayan, for an educational webinar about ranking for programs in the Main Residency Match on Thursday, January 23, 2025, at 1 pm ET.

The webinar will provide education and insight to assist program staff in ranking applicants and provide information about quota changes and withdrawals, setting SOAP participation status in R3, creating and certifying a rank order list, Match policies, and more. A registration link has been sent to all 2025 Main Residency Match program and institution staff.

Save the Date! The Navigating Match Week and SOAP Webinar for Medical Schools is scheduled for January 28, 2025

The NRMP is excited to partner with the AAMC’s ERAS program, Central Application, and ResidencyCAS to host a Navigating Match Week and SOAP for Medical Schools webinar on Tuesday, January 28, at 1 pm ET.

Geared toward NRMP medical school officials, administrators, and advisors, the webinar will include an overview of Match Week and SOAP, including important deadlines, information on how SOAP will work with multiple application services, and policy information. Application service representatives from ERAS, Central Application, and ResidencyCAS will be on hand to answer questions about their services and the SOAP process.

A registration link has been sent to all medical school staff participating in the 2025 Main Residency Match.

Introduction to the Fellowship Match Webinar is scheduled for February 4, 2025

The NRMP is hosting an Introduction to the Fellowship Match webinar on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, at 1 pm ET.

In this webinar, Russette Blake, Operations Supervisor, and Joy Gaabucayan, Director of Policy and Compliance, will provide 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. An email with additional details and a registration link has been emailed to fellowship program and institution staff associated with a Fellowship Match that has Match Day through June. Another session will be provided in July for programs associated with a Fellowship Match that has Match Day through the end of the year. 

New Advising Video Playlist

Have you seen our new playlist of advising videos?

These short videos cover a variety of timely Match topics such as applying, interviewing, ranking, and Match Week and SOAP, and include advice and encouragement from advisors, program directors, NRMP staff, and previous applicants. Whether you are an applicant or work with Match applicants, you will find our videos a helpful and valuable resource!

We encourage medical school advisors and faculty to share these videos with their students and graduates as they move through Match season!

Upcoming Deadlines

Psychiatry, Sports Medicine

  • January 8, 12:00 p.m. ET: Match Day

Main Residency Match Standard Registration Deadline, Quota Change and Withdrawal, Joint A/P, and SOAP Participation Status Deadline

  • January 31, 11:59 p.m. ET