Help & Support
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As a fellowship program director, one of my current residents has asked me for advice about other fellowship programs to which she should apply. Am I allowed to discuss programs in which she might be interested?
Yes. Restricting a program’s ability to ask applicants about the names, specialties, geographical locations, or other identifying information about programs to which applicants have or may apply is not intended to limit mentoring relationships. Residency and fellowship program directors are encouraged to help applicants and residents who seek guidance about their training plans.
Can I apply to a different specialty during SOAP than I applied to during the regular Match season?
Yes, applicants can apply to a different specialty or specialties during SOAP.
Can programs use more than one application service?
NRMP policy does not prohibit programs from utilizing more than one application service or process. NRMP will require programs to notify applicants, at the beginning of the application and recruitment season, which application service or process they intend to use for both Main Residency Match and SOAP.
Do I have to have my NRMP ID to apply to programs through ERAS?
NRMP IDs are assigned when you register for a Match. Depending on the Match in which you are participating, applications may be sent to programs before the Match opens for registration. The NRMP ID is not a required field on the ERAS application. You can leave the field blank and submit your applications. Once registered…
Do I have to participate in the Match if I am applying to OB/GYN?
Yes. Regardless of the application process or service required by programs, applicants applying to OB/GYN will still participate in the Main Residency Match to obtain their residency positions.
Do I have to register for ERAS® or the application service designated by the program and NRMP to participate in the Match?
Most residency programs participating in the Main Residency Match and many fellowships participating in the Specialties Matching Service use the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS®) offered by the Association of American Medical Colleges® (AAMC). ERAS is a separate organization and thus requires a separate registration by applicants. You must register for both the application service designated by…
Do I need to reapply to programs after the first SOAP round?
Programs to which you have applied have access to your application during all SOAP rounds. If you still have unused applications from your initial batch of 45, you can submit them for any remaining unfilled programs that you are interested in and have not yet applied to via the application service required by the program.…
Do programs have to disclose to applicants the application process they intend to use for the Main Residency Match and SOAP?
Yes, NRMP policy requires that all programs inform applicants about the specific application service(s) or process(es) they intend to use during the Main Residency Match and SOAP. In addition, the NRMP’s Registration, Ranking, and Results system (R3) requires Main Residency Match programs to identify all of the application services they will accept for the transition…
How do I obtain a list of programs that do not participate with the NRMP?
NRMP does not maintain lists of programs that do not participate in our matching service.
How many applications do I get for the SOAP process?
The applications are not tied to rounds and, once an application is submitted, it can be considered by the programs during all rounds. The SOAP Offer Rounds indicate when offers are made, not when applications are reviewed by programs. NRMP is not an application service.
How will applicants who apply to OB/GYN during the algorithm phase of the Main Residency Match, and go unmatched, apply to programs during SOAP?
Applicants will utilize the application service or process designated by the specialty or the program. Any residency application service that supports programs participating in the Main Residency Match will work with the NRMP to establish and/or maintain a seamless exchange of applicant information so applicants are able to move through the Match Week and SOAP…
How will I know which application service to use if I register to participate in SOAP only?
Programs will be required to disclose to applicants, at the start of recruitment, the application service or process they will require for the Main Residency Match and Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP). The NRMP R3 system also will identify the program’s selections and expects programs to clearly communicate that information and make it readily…
How will I know which application service to use?
Main Residency Match programs are required to disclose to applicants, at the start of recruitment, the application service or process they will require for the Main Residency Match and Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP). Programs should consider how best to share their preferred application service or process to applicants at the start of the…
I am the director of a PGY-1 only program. Can I ask about the advanced PGY-2 programs to which an applicant is applying so I can be sure the applicant ranks the correct PGY-1 track?
No. The prohibition on questions about other programs to which an applicant is applying pertains to all programs regardless of PGY level.
I forgot to add my NRMP ID to my ERAS application. Can programs still find and rank me?
Yes. Programs have the ability to search for and rank you using AAMC ID, first and last name, and medical school in addition to the NRMP ID. They should not have a problem finding and ranking you by these other search criteria. Programs will typically reach out to either you or the NRMP if they…
I understand programs cannot ask about the geographic locations of programs to which applicants have or may apply or rank. Can program directors inquire about geographic regions?
No. The restriction on questions about applicants’ interviewing behaviors includes geographic region; however, programs can ask applicants why they are interested in the city or state where that program is located.
I’m applying to a specialty that offers the option of submitting preference signals to programs. Can a program I interview with ask me about the programs I might have signaled?
No. Programs are prohibited from asking applicants any information about the programs to which they have or may apply, and that includes whether the applicant submitted preferences signals. Program directors who ask for that information could be in violation of the Match Participation Agreement and the matter should be reported to the NRMP.
My academic, professional, and/or personal information has changed since I interviewed with programs. What should I do?
NRMP policy requires applicants to provide complete, timely, and accurate information to programs. Accordingly, changes to personal, academic, or professional information that could affect eligibility for appointment or ability to obtain licensure must be conveyed to programs, even if you already have submitted your application and/or completed program forms or documents. Failure to provide complete, timely, and accurate…
What is the timeline for accepting applications and interviewing applicants?
The application process and timing is set by the specific application service or by programs individually. The interview process and timing is set by individual programs.
Will the NRMP continue to require the use of ERAS application service for SOAP?
No. ERAS will be recognized and supported as one of the application services utilized for the submission of residency applications during SOAP.
Are programs required to obtain a signed (electronic or written) acknowledgement of institution and program policies and eligibility requirements from all applicants or only those who interview with the program?
Programs shall obtain signed (electronic or written) acknowledgement of receipt from all applicants they interview. Programs are not required to obtain the signature of applicants they did not interview; however, programs should ensure the information is made available via electronic (website) or written means.
Can I participate in both the NRMP’s Main Residency Match® and CaRMS?
Yes, NRMP has an agreement with CaRMS that permits applicants to participate in both the Canadian and U.S. Matches. Under this agreement, mutual applicants matched in whichever country runs its match first are removed from the other organization’s match. In the 2025 Main Residency Match, the CaRMS Match results will be released first. NRMP will…
Do I need to verify my students and graduates for participation in the Main Residency Match?
Medical school officials/administrators (SO/SA) are required to verify the graduation credentials of their students and prior-year gradautes to participate in the Main Residency Match and Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP). Credentials vertification is an important task: only students and graduates who are verified as eligible to enter graduate medical education (GME) on July 1…
Does my medical school verify my eligibility to participate in the Main Residency Match?
Eligibility to participate in the Main Residency Match is dependent on your applicant type.
I obtained a position in the Main Residency Match®, but I just learned that I will not graduate in time to begin training on July 1. What should I do?
The Match Participation Agreement states that applicants must meet ACGME® and institutional requirements prior to the start of training in order to be eligible for their matched positions. If you learn you are ineligible to honor your binding commitment, you must immediately submit to the NRMP a request for a waiver of your match commitment . You also…
Is my program eligible to participate in the Main Residency Match?
To participate in the Main Residency Match, a program must be either accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME®); or a combined program that is approved or recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties or by the respective specialty board that is responsible for board certification of residents who successfully complete…
Is my program eligible to participate in the Specialties Matching Service?
Only programs in a subspecialty for which a Match is being conducted may offer positions through the SMS. To ensure a quality training experience for applicants, the NRMP may be selective in determining which programs are eligible to participate. To be eligible to offer positions through an SMS Match, a program must be either: Programs…
What requirements for ECFMG certification must I complete to be eligible to participate in the Main Residency Match?
The NRMP will send the list of IMG applicants who have registered for the Main Residency Match to the ECFMG, a member of Intealth, once a week after the Match opens for registration. ECFMG will send back to NRMP whether or not the applicant has completed the necessary medical science examination, clinical skills, and communication…
Do I need to provide the NRMP program code for our program to the applicants?
It is important to provide applicants your NRMP program code to assist them in ranking your program, especially if you have multiple program tracks or types. NRMP provides a search function for applicants to search for the programs they wish to rank. However, institutions may have similar names or multiple tracks in a specialty which…
Do programs usually conduct interviews during SOAP?
Most programs will contact applicants by telephone or email and conduct brief telephone or video interviews. For applicants who may be local, in-person interviews may be offered.
How do I know if an applicant has a binding commitment to another NRMP Match-participating program?
The Registration, Ranking, and Results® (R3®) system includes an Applicant Match History feature that indicates whether an applicant has a binding commitment to another Match-participating program and whether the applicant has been denied a waiver or has a confirmed violation of the Match Participation Agreement. The Applicant Match History must be used by program directors and…
I did not receive any interviews in the Main Residency Match. Do I need to enter a rank order list?
No, if you did not get any interviews or did not apply to any programs, you will not certify a rank order list. You will be unmatched when the Match results are released on Monday of Match Week and will have access to the List of Unfilled Programs if you are verified as eligible for…
I’m applying to a specialty that offers the option of submitting preference signals to programs. Can a program I interview with ask me about the programs I might have signaled?
No. Programs are prohibited from asking applicants any information about the programs to which they have or may apply, and that includes whether the applicant submitted preferences signals. Program directors who ask for that information could be in violation of the Match Participation Agreement and the matter should be reported to the NRMP.
My academic, professional, and/or personal information has changed since I interviewed with programs. What should I do?
NRMP policy requires applicants to provide complete, timely, and accurate information to programs. Accordingly, changes to personal, academic, or professional information that could affect eligibility for appointment or ability to obtain licensure must be conveyed to programs, even if you already have submitted your application and/or completed program forms or documents. Failure to provide complete, timely, and accurate…
My institution requires all employees be vaccinated for COVID-19. Can we directly ask an applicant their vaccination status?
Programs are advised to direct this question to their institution’s GME office or human resources department. If pre-employment criteria requires that all employees be vaccinated for COVID-19, the program must provide that specific eligibility requirement along with all other eligibility requirements to the applicants who interview with the program prior to the Rank Order List Certification Deadline or offer made during SOAP.
Should I rank all the programs at which I interviewed?
Rank only those programs where you are able and would be happy to train. Putting a program on your ROL creates a binding commitment if a match occurs, so review carefully each program’s eligibility requirements and the contract you will be expected to sign. You should receive that information from programs during the application/interview process.…
What information should I make available to applicants during the interview process?
NRMP policy states that programs are at all times responsible for the completeness, timeliness, and accuracy of information they provide to applicants, including: a copy of the contract the applicant will be expected to sign if matched to the program, or a copy of the contract currently in use all institutional policies regarding eligibility for…
What is the timeline for accepting applications and interviewing applicants?
The application process and timing is set by the specific application service or by programs individually. The interview process and timing is set by individual programs.
How does the matching algorithm work?
The process begins with an attempt to match an applicant to the program most preferred on that applicant’s rank order list (ROL). If the applicant cannot be matched to that first choice program, an attempt then is made to place the applicant into the second choice program, and so on, until the applicant obtains a tentative match…
What happens between Rank Order List Deadline and Match Day?
Between the Rank Order List Certification Deadline and Match Day, the NRMP conducts a rigorous review of Match data, including: Assessing and confirming the integrity of the data Conducting a final verification of applicants’ credentials Withdrawing applicants who are ineligible for the Match Transferring the data from the R3® system to the matching algorithm module, rechecking the data,…
Fellowship Institution Checklist
Download the Fellowship Institution Checklist
Main Residency Match Applicant Checklist
Download the Main Residency Match Applicant Checklist
Main Residency Match Institution Checklist
Download the Main Residency Match Institution Checklist
Main Residency Match Medical School Checklist
Download the Main Residency Match Medical School Checklist
Main Residency Match Program Checklist
Download the Main Residency Match Program Checklist
Do I need a token to register for the NRMP?
To register for a Match, go to the R3 system and select either Register for Residency or Register for Fellowship Match, depending on the type of Match you are seeking. If you participated in a previous Match, you must re-register in the R3 system for each Match in which you participate.
How do I review the results of the Match for my program?
Program results are released in the R3 system and sent via email. You can view your program results in the R3 system by accessing the Confidential Roster of Program’s Matched Applicants report on your Match home page when the results are released. To view where the applicants you ranked matched, access the Match Results by…
How do I set my SOAP participation status?
In order to participate in SOAP, program directors must set their SOAP participation status to “YES” on the SOAP Participation tab accessible through their Program Details page in the R3 system. Program directors can begin setting their SOAP participation indicator when the Main Residency Match opens for registration. The SOAP participation indicator MUST be set…
How do I update my institutional administrator?
The update of a new institutional administrator (IA) can be made by your GME office institutional official. Please see the Adding & Maintaining Institutional Administrators support guide in the R3 system for detailed instructions. Alternately, NRMP can make the change if the institutional official contacts us via email. If you would like NRMP to make…
How do I update my institutional official?
The update of a new institutional official (IO) must be made by the NRMP. Requests for updates to the institutional official must be made in writing and submitted via email to support@nrmp.org. The IO should be the designated ACGME DIO for the institution. To make the change, the current IO or institutional administrator must provide…
How do I update the program director for a program?
Updating the program director for a program can be done by the institutional official or administrator. Alternately, if the program director already has been updated through the ACGME, the NRMP can make the change if some additional information is provided. If the update is being made by the IO or IA, please see the Adding…
How many users can I have in the R3 system for my medical school?
The R3 system only allows for two program users, the school official and the school administrator.
How many users can I have in the R3 system for my program?
The R3 system only allows for two program users, the program director and one program coordinator.
Is my R3 system login for my program or just for me?
User accounts in the R3 system are assigned to individual users, not programs. Each user (PD and PC) must have their own user account and each must sign the Match Participation Agreement. Each user of the R3 system should have a unique username and password that should not be shared with other individuals. Use of…
Navigating the R3 System for Fellowship Applicants
Guide to Navigating the R3 System
Navigating the R3 System for the Fellowship Match
Guide to Navigating the R3 System for the Fellowship Match
Navigating the R3 System for the Main Residency Match
Guide to Navigating the R3 System – Main Residency Match
Searching Current Match Applicants
Guide to Searching Current Match Applicants
Why would a program want to have a reversion?
The R3 system offers institutions the option to revert, or donate, unfilled positions in one program to another during the matching process. If a donor program does not fill its quota, a designated number (equal to, or less than, the quota) of its unfilled positions can be added automatically to the quota of a receiver…
Do I need a supplemental rank order list?
Applicants participating in the Main Residency Match can submit a primary rank order list (ROL) with a combination of categorical, preliminary, and advanced programs. Those who rank advanced (PGY-2 level) programs on their primary ROLs also can submit supplemental ROLs of preliminary PGY-1 programs that are linked to one or more advanced programs on the…
How do I obtain a list of programs that do not participate with the NRMP?
NRMP does not maintain lists of programs that do not participate in our matching service.
How is the NRMP program code determined?
Every program participating in an NRMP Match has a unique 9-11 character code constructed in the following manner: Characters 1-4: the institution code Characters 5-7: the ACGME specialty code Character 8: program type letter Characters 9-11: track number (track number will be “0” unless an institution has more than one program in a specialty of…
If I match to an advanced program on my primary rank order list (ROL), but do not match to one of the linked preliminary programs on my supplemental list, will the algorithm keep going down my list to match me to both position types?
No. If the algorithm has matched you to an advanced position on your primary ROL and is not able to match you to a preliminary position on your linked supplemental ROL, it will not keep going down your list. In that case, you are committed to the advanced position and must seek a qualifying first-year…
What are the types of program positions in the Main Residency Match?
There are five different position types in the Main Residency Match: Categorical, "C"; Primary, "M"; Preliminary, "P"; Advanced, "A"; and Reserved, "R".
What is a Joint Advanced/Preliminary program?
In a Joint A/P arrangement, applicants can only rank the joint preliminary PGY-1 program on a supplemental rank order list if that list is attached to the joint advanced PGY-2 program on the primary rank order list. Only applicants who rank the advanced program can rank the joined preliminary program, and only applicants who match to…
What is a supplemental rank order list?
An applicant participating in the Main Residency Match who is ranking advanced programs (PGY-2 programs that begin in the year after the Match), can submit supplemental rank order lists linked to the advanced programs on their primary rank order list. These supplemental lists will contain preliminary PGY-1 programs that the applicant would like to match…