NRMP

The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), also called The Match is a United States-based private non-profit non-governmental organization created in 1952. It places U.S. medical school students into residency training programs located in United States teaching hospitals. Its mission has since expanded to include the placement of U.S. citizen, non-U.S. citizen international medical school students, and residency graduates. The NRMP is sponsored by a Board of Directors that includes medical school deans, teaching hospital executives, graduate medical education program directors, medical students and residents, and one public member.

Matching Program Organizations have been in place since the early 1950’s. The current NRMP matching algorithm was adopted in May 1997 and has been in use since March 1998 and was based off the work of Lloyd Shapley and Alvin Roth. They would go on to win the 2012 Nobel Prize in Economics for their work on stable allocations.

Why do I need a Roadmap to Residency

Roadmap to Residency is your all encompassing guide to the application process and is the only service of its kind to focus on medical school admissions, residency applications and the residency matching process. We only hire physicians who have successfully matched and have a deep insight into the match process to mentor you. Just like in medicine the details are what counts. We will help you shape every detail of your application; from your personal statement, to your handshake and posture. This is to ensure you are the very best applicant both on paper and during the application process.

Couples Matching

Research has found that when couples are allowed to match together it is tougher to match successfully. This is not to say that you should not still apply as a couple, but it does mean that you need a robust game plan and a large rank list.
Roadmap to Residency recommends that all engaged or married couples apply through the couples match. We recommend that couples in the dating stages of their relationship have a frank discussion with each other on this decision to couples match through NRMP. We also recommend that couples increase their chances
by applying broadly to competitive and non-competitive programs. The key is to secure a job. But with our residency match approach, couples can make it into competitive programs by using the system to their advantage. There are many distinct benefits to matching as a couple. For example, you and your partner may be invited to interview due to the competitiveness of only one applicant. Call now if you need help couples matching and we can give you the ideas you need to succeed.

Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP)

If you receive an email stating the somber words “we are sorry, you did not match” please contact us immediately! You are now enrolled into the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program, or SOAP. Do not distress, we can still help! In SOAP, unmatched applicants are offered positions in unfilled programs through a series of rounds, creating a systematic way for applicants to find training positions. In SOAP, all appointments are made through the NRMP. Unmatched applicant data and unfilled program data are released at the same time on Monday of match week. Roadmap to Residency will help keep you grounded during this whirlwind of a week. We will help you develop the best plan possible for attacking the SOAP.

What if I don’t find a spot by match day?

If you are unable to find a program by Match day, contact us for assistance in planning the following year’s application. We can not stress how important it is to contact us immediately before making any decisions about what to do next. We have a method that will give you the best odds of matching the following year. We will also assist you in finding work or research in the mean time. We believe in no applicants left behind. The classic advice to "take a preliminary residency spot" is not always the best choice because it has a very low match rate the following year. Know that you are not alone in this process and that we are here for you. Let us be your journeymen through the following year's match, and lead you to a successful match using our proven Roadmap to Residency.

Interesting NRMP matching facts

1. The average student traveled to 12.3 interviews per match cycle.

2. 20 percent of surgery applicants spent more than $7,000 on interviewing alone, with some applicants spending up to $25,000 attending interviews.

3. It takes less than 30 seconds for the algorithm to process and match all 34,000 applicants.

4. In 2002, 16 law firms filed a lawsuit on behalf of 3 residents seeking to represent all residents matching through the NRMP. The plaintiffs put forward a case which sought to show that the NRMP colluded with other national medical and medical education organizations and with residency-sponsoring institutions to depress resident wages, operating in violation of United States antitrust legislation. In 2004, after a lobbying effort by the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Hospital Association, ariderthat granted specific immunity to the NRMP was added to a pension act signed into law by PresidentGeorge W. Bush.