Engage in continuous quality improvement to grow the Matching Program, ensure matching services deliver exceptional customer support and outcomes, and effectively illuminate the rights and responsibilities of participants in The Match. The NRMP delivered another strong, successful 2023 Main Residency Match, it expanded the Specialties Matching Service, and implemented lower fees and new policies to support applicants’ experience throughout the transition.
Shepherding Matching Programs That Are Strong. With the 2023 Main Residency Match, the NRMP continued to deliver for constituents, attracting the largest number of active applicants in NRMP history. After the algorithm was processed
-
18,498 U.S. MD seniors matched to a post-graduate year one (PGY-1) position for a 93.7 match rate
-
6,812 U.S. DO seniors matched to a post-graduate year one (PGY-01) position for a 91.6 match rate
-
3,356 U.S. citizen international medical graduates matched to a post-graduate year one (PGY-1) position for a 67.7 match rate
-
5,032 non-U.S. citizen international medical graduates matched to a post-graduate year one (PGY-1) position for a 59.4 match rate
Match rates for all four applicant groups increased of 2022.
The Main Match Supplemental Officer and Acceptance Program (SOAP) elevates eligible, unmatched applicants who need to obtain positions that went unfilled with the matching algorithm was processed. SOAP meets a number of critical considerations: offering applicants a second opportunity to secure training while also ensuring positions in critical areas across the country have residents to provide quality care.
-
45% of eligible unmatched U.S. MD seniors accepted a position during SOAP
-
64% of eligible unmatched U.S. DO seniors accepted a position during SOAP
The majority of positions secured during SOAP were in essential specialties like Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, and Internal Medicine.
Specialties Matching Service. For the 2023 appointment year, the NRMP’s Specialties Matching Service represented 73 subspecialties in 20 separate Matches. Subspecialty matching is vital to ensuring applicants can access the programs that will help them gain additional skills, experience, and expertise to meet unique medical needs of communities and offer advanced health care solutions. For the 2023 appointment year
-
13,365 positions were offered and 11,548 (84.6%) were filled
-
13,919 applicants participated in at last one Fellowship Match and 11,548 (83.0%) matched
Last fall, the NRMP was proud to sponsor the first combined Internal Medicine + Pediatrics Fellowship Match. Having long functioned as two separate Matches, The NRMP worked closely with the Council of Pediatric Subspecialties, the Association of Pediatric Program Directors, and the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine to identify the benefits of combining two Matches into one. By creating a single Match for these subspecialties, applicants could rank both Medicine and Pediatric programs and partners in different specialties could participate as a couple. There were 9,387 applicants who participated in the Med+Peds Match, and 7,648 of them (81.6%) obtained a fellowship position.
Sustained Commitment to Low Fees. In fall 2022, the NRMP Board of Directors voted to reduce the standard applicant registration fee beginning with 2023 Main Residency Match. This was done, in part, to commemorate the NRMP’s 70th anniversary but also to acknowledge the financial burdens applicants encounter during the transition to residency.
*Up to 20 ranks on the primary rank order list
**Up to 10 applications in the same specialty
***Fee for U.S. applicants; IMGs pay $1000 + surcharge if taken outside of U.S.
**** Fee includes $370 + $220 SEVIS fee for initial J-1 applicants
The NRMP is proud that its fees remain among the lowest incurred by applicants during the transition and that Match fees provide all participants with access to free data and reports, webinars and learning videos, and an interview and ranking smartphone app. The Board of Directors is committed keeping fees low all the while continuing to build new resources and technology.
Outreach That Keeps Constituents Connected. A cornerstone of the NRMP’s Matching Program is its live-action support and timely, informative outreach. Both serve a vital purpose of helping Match participants and stakeholders understand and effectively navigate the transition to residency. The NRMP is proud of the many offerings available for applicants and programs, schools and institutions to engage with and learn from NRMP. Examples include:
-
DIRECT SUPPORT: NRMP staff are available to speak directly with constituents. More than 700 calls, 700 chats, and 235 emails during Match Week 2023 alone.
-
WEBINARS: Topics of NRMP webinars range from introduction to the matching process to how to rank applicants and navigating Match Week and SOAP. Occurring throughout the year, each NRMP webinar routinely attracts over 1,500 attendees.
-
NEWSLETTER: NRMP publishes a monthly newsletter, The Match Illuminator, to provide real-time deadline reminders, timely tips and topics of interest to constituents. The open rate routinely exceeds 30% among recipients.
-
OTHER COMMS: Press Releases, Research Briefs, and Position Statements are other ways the NRMP keeps its community informed throughout the year about how the organization is working to address and meet the needs of constituents.
Policies That Support a Better Applicant Experience. Also in fall 2022, The NRMP incorporated new policies in the Match Participation Agreements for the 2023 Main Residency Match. The new policies were the result of calls from the community to provide guidance on competency-based education curricula and incorporate some structure into a chaotic and unregulated component of the transition to residency. For its part, the NRMP remains focused on encouraging more equitable practices among applicants and programs, improving transparency of the process, and fostering a stronger atmosphere of respect and well-being.
Competency Based Medical Education. NRMP policy ensures medical schools with competency-based curricula tracks respect students’ ability to move through the Match without coercion. Medical schools cannot
-
Promise or guarantee training positions
-
Establish “conditional acceptance” into training positions outside of the Match
-
Require students to commit to a specific training program
-
Prevent students from freely exploring training programs in which they are interested.
Interview Period. NRMP policy ensures recruitment is grounded in equitable practices, reflects mutual respect for the needs of constituents, and minimizes pressure on applicants. Programs must
-
Limit interview offers to as many interview spots a s they have to fill;
-
Provide applicants a minimum of 48 hours to respond to an interview invitation; and
-
Provide a reasonable amount of notice to applicants in the event interviews must rescheduled or cancelled.