2022 Stakeholder Conference – Together Again. the NRMP  was grateful to return to an in-person gathering for its 2022 Transition to Residency stakeholder conference.  Medical school faculty, residency and institution leadership, and association executives gathered in San Diego with the NRMP Board and leadership to discuss the state of the transition to residency and ways to improve processes.  Plenary speakers identified ways in which the UME and GME communities can better acknowledge and include the voices of those underrepresented in medicine, prioritize self mental well being, and build compassionate cultures for educating and training residents.  Breakout session topics ranged from holistic review of residency applications to curriculum improvements to address social determinants of health, resilience and well being of residents, and understanding the unique experiences of osteopathic and international applications during the transition to residency.

The NRMP conference remains a priority of leadership given its unique in its ability to generate the necessary conversations between UME and GME to inform and improve processes, an experience that is always well received.

Among those attending the 2022 meeting:

84 % confirmed the meeting met or exceeded expectations

64 % confirmed very likely to attend a future NRMP meeting

59% rated the meeting as excellent

Feasibility of a Two-Phase Match. NRMP remains committed to the work needed to examine how, and in what ways, processes related to The Match might be improved.  To that end, the NRMP issued a public call for comment last fall regarding the feasibility of a two-phase Match. Community members were asked to provide their thoughts and perspectives on the perceived benefits and risks that a two-phase Match might introduce.  More than 8,000 individuals responded to the call, and the data was summarized for and deliberated by the NRMP Board of Directors.  Given the significance of such a change on the transition to residency, and the wide range of perspectives voiced by the community, the NRMP Board elected to engage in additional conversation and discussion throughout 2023 and  reconvene on the topic later this year.

Program Rank Order List “Lock” Functionality. In 2023, NRMP again returned to the community to solicit feedback about the proposed value of a voluntary “lock” functionality for program rank order lists. The NRMP raised the issue in the context of program and applicant interest in opportunities for first-hand assessment of program culture, organization, and alignment in a time of virtual interviewing.  While the notion of a mandatory, staggered rank order list deadline had been proposed by the community, the NRMP opted to consider a voluntary process so programs could finalize their ranking decisions and certify/lock their lists on a timeline that best fit their needs.

More than 3,000 responses to the public comment survey were received. While nearly half the sample could see possible benefits – namely that applicants could decide which programs to visit without fear that their decision would negatively impact their ranking by the program – nearly one-quarter were unsure.  The NRMP Board examined the results and committed to continued conversation with the community as it moves deliberations forward.