Demand for the Matching Program continues to thrive with more applicants, specialties, and positions participating each year. Internally, the NRMP also is growing, with new governance structures, new staff, and new initiatives to carry the NRMP into the future.
Improvement of Board Processes. In 2020, the NRMP Board of Directors began engaging in conversations about ways to strengthen the governance infrastructure of the NRMP. Early efforts were directed toward ways to improve the recruitment of new members and identify key skills needed among Directors. Throughout 2021 and 2022, those conversations continued, resulting in the following Board-approved enhancements:
+ Updated nominations process that allows for election of new members in winter, a tiered orientation in the spring, and the ability for incoming Directors to shadow a Board meeting before their term commences
+ Reimagined role of Board liaisons, with greater emphasis on and accountability for exploring and improving issues related to the transition to residency
+ Establishment of a Governance Committee to streamline processes and reduce time commitments of Directors while providing a more seamless decision-making process and efficient movement on key initiatives
+ Enhanced safety protocols to protect against COVID-19 transmission as the Board gradually moves toward in-person meetings
Launch of a 70th Anniversary Campaign. The first Match utilizing an early version of the current matching algorithm was executed in 1952, making the 2022 Main Residency Match the 70th Match on record. The NRMP was incorporated in 1953, making the 2022-2023 season one to celebrate, and in 2021 and early 2022, the NRMP developed an anniversary campaign that will kick off with the Transition to Residency conference in October 2022. With the tagline “Building on the past, investing in the future”, the NRMP plans to reflect not only on how the Matching Program has grown and evolved over time but also on the future and creating new initiatives such as
+ Modernizing report and data deliverables. The NRMP has decades of published data on its website, all available to the public. However, the organization is beginning to focus on understanding what data is most relevant and meaningful to the community and how deliverables like Results and Data can better showcase applicant and program Match experiences and outcomes. The NRMP also is beginning to explore how best to display data to the community and make it more usable through technology.
+ Building learner-focused videos. The NRMP plans to partner with videographers to capture the perspectives and experiences of applicants that reflect the growing diversity of the resident body and the unique pathways traveled toward residency. As the NRMP reflects on where it might be 70 years from now, the insight of today’s applicants is valuable for the next generation of young physicians.
+ LEAP-ing toward the future. In 2023, the NRMP will launch a Learner Engagement Alliance Program (LEAP) as a means of creating a direct pipeline to those most impacted in the transition to residency. LEAP will seek out would-be leaders with a passion for understanding, improving, and supporting the UME-GME pipeline. Members will work together on self-identified issues, with the NRMP providing the necessary supports and resources to help them achieve their goals.
Looking beyond physician matching. In 2020, the NRMP initiated the development of a technology platform to facilitate matching for industries not requiring the complexity of physician matching. That new platform, iMatchSM, provides for registration, ranking, and results, and works seamlessly with the NRMP matching algorithm. Using iMatch, the NRMP engaged in 2021 in a pilot project with the Department of State, ranking and matching Foreign Service employees into posts around the world. The pilot will continue into 2022. Also in 2022, the NRMP formed a second subsidiary – National Matching ProgramSM – to provide matching services to government, higher education, and other not-for-profit organizations to improve their recruitment and selection processes. The NRMP Board of Directors appointed Laurie Curtin, PhD, the NRMP’s Chief Policy and Research Officer, as the Executive Director and Dr. Donna Lamb, the NRMP’s president and CEO will act as the inaugural Chair of the Board of Directors. With 70 years of growth and understanding under its belt, the NRMP is poised to help other industries and organizations offer simple, equitable, and effect solutions that prioritize the preferences of applicants.
Growth in Matching Program. The 2021 and 2022 Main Residency Matches saw increases in the number of applicants and programs registered, the number of PGY-1 positions offered, and the number of PGY-1 positions filled. PGY-1 match rates for U.S. MD seniors was stable at 92.8 percent in 2021 and 92.9 percent in 2022. For US MD seniors, PGY-1 match rates increased from 89.1 percent in 2021 to 91.3 percent in 2022. International medical graduates (IMGs) saw a mean 51.9 percent PGY-1 match rate in 2021 increase to a 57.5 percent match rate in 2022.
The Specialties Matching Service for the 2021 and 2022 appointment years also saw growth with the onboarding of Critical Care Medicine, Complex Family Planning, Emergency Radiology, and Global Emergency Medicine. Specialties voluntarily implementing the All In Policy remained strong at 12, with Addiction Psychiatry joining for the 2023 appointment year.
