Come a Long Way. The NRMP was founded in an effort to resolve the problems facing young residents in choosing and obtaining Internship training positions. The transition from medical school to residency was chaotic and coercive; a national system was needed to provide students with the ability to complete their education and make informed decisions about the specialties and programs in which they wished to train. The first nationwide Match was run in 1952, and the NRMP was incorporated in 1953 with the sole purpose of providing fair, efficient, and transparent placement services for medical school students.

Since that time, the NRMP has continually grown and evolved to meet the needs of applicants and programs and succeeding in providing invaluable support of the undergraduate and graduate medical education communities. Just a few of the NRMP’s achievements over 70 years include

• Creation of couples matching

• Formulation of the Specialties Matching Service

• Construction of robust policies to ensure professional and ethical behavior among participants

• Launch of the Match Week Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP) to reduce the stress and chaos obtaining unfilled positions.

Throughout its growth and evolution, the NRMP has remained steadfast to its mission to provide unparalleled matching services while also increasing its commitment to provide the community with comprehensive and meaningful data and research

Executive leadership of the NRMP intended for the celebration to achieve multiple outcomes:

• Showcase the NRMP’s historical impact on the UME and GME communities and its contributions to building a transition to residency;

• Illuminate the work NRMP is doing to inform the current state of the transition and guide conversation about solutions; and

• Invite authentic, first-hand insight from applicants transitioning to residency to contextualize their experiences and perspectives.

The NRMP 70th anniversary webpage showcases numerous videos that have been produced to highlight among other things, the NRMP’s collection of applicant demographic data to inform conversations about diversity in residency training, Match applicants’ journey through the 2023 Main Residency Match as they move from applications and interviews to Match Day, and reflections from applicants, NRMP Board members, staff, and community leaders on the value the NRMP brings to the transition.