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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
This issue of the Illuminator includes:
Ranking opens for the Main Residency Match on February 1 at 12:00 p.m. ET for programs and applicants.
Support guides, video tutorials, and helpful resources about entering and certifying Rank Order Lists (ROLs) are available on our website for programs and applicants. There is also a recording of the ranking webinar for programs on our website.
Ranking Rights and Responsibilities:
The match commitment is binding so rank only those applicants you deem acceptable to train.
Program and applicant rank order lists must be certified by March 1 at 9:00 p.m. ET. Remember:
Only certified ROLs will be used in the Match.
Medical School Officials:
Program Directors:
Ensure program eligibility criteria and requirements have been conveyed in writing to applicants who were interviewed and that the applicants you intend to rank meet your criteria and can begin training should they match.
Institutional Officials:
Need additional help? Assistance is available from the NRMP Support Team Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET by emailing support@nrmp.org or calling 866-653-NRMP (6767).
The NRMP has published its second video in a year-long campaign celebrating the 70-year history of the NRMP. The video describes why NRMP began collecting demographic data, why it’s important to the medical education community, and dives into a deeper discussion of race and Match results.
We need your historical Match photos and materials! If you have any archived Match photos, videos, or other communication materials that you would like to share with the NRMP, we’d love to hear from you! We are looking for historical Match photos to share during the year-long 70th anniversary campaign. Please contact media@nrmp.org with any questions and materials you would like to share!
The NRMP is hosting an Introduction to the Fellowship Match webinar on February 16 at 1:00 pm ET.
Please join Jeanette Calli, Chief of Match Operations, and David Dojcsak-Sparks, Senior Director of Policy and Compliance, as they provide an overview of Match processes and policies. Learn about program staff roles and responsibilities, managing the program’s participation in the Match, ranking applicants, and policy information.
This will be a biannual webinar so an email with additional details and a registration link has been sent to fellowship program and institution staff associated with a Fellowship Match that has a Match Day through September. An additional webinar for Matches with a Match Day later in the year will be held in July. Contact support@nrmp.org for registration assistance or questions.
ACGME Annual Educational Conference
Join NRMP President and CEO Dr. Donna Lamb, NRMP Chief of Research and Policy Dr. Laurie Curtin, and NRMP Senior Director of Research Dr. Rise Goldstein at the ACGME Annual Educational Conference in Nashville as they present a session about Applicant Demographics and Virtual Recruitment Experiences in Primary Care Specialties on February 24 at 3:15 p.m. CT.
This session will present findings on demographic correlates of experiences with virtual recruitment among surveyed applicants who matched to internal medicine, family medicine, or pediatrics. Participants will engage in interactive discussion concerning the alignment of findings with their recruitment experiences, promising practices for enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and recommended directions for research that might best inform further improvements to DEI practices in recruitment of residents to primary care specialties. We look forward to seeing you there!

Main Residency Match
Forensic Pathology, Laryngology, Pediatric Surgery, Thoracic Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Vascular Neurology
Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology, Hand Surgery