The big moment you’ve been waiting for is almost here.
Match Day, which takes place on the third Friday of March, is when you'll find out where you've been matched to complete your hands-on medical education. Learning where your residency takes place in the U.S. can be one of the most nerve-wracking parts of your medical journey. That's because you ultimately don't have control over where you can go on your rank order list. The decision is all left up to the National Resident Matching Program (NMRP), which uses a mathematical algorithm to place applicants into residency positions through the Main Residency Match.
Though the U.S. medical residency placement is out of your control, that doesn't mean you can't prepare for Match Week as a whole. Here at Residents Medical, we'll share our list of key things you need to know for Match Week 2022.
Match Week
On the Monday morning leading up to Match Day, you and nearly 46,000 other applicants will find out if they've been matched with a residency program or not. If matched, The NRMP will contact you to bring the good news but won't specifically tell you where you're placed. Though the eagerness to know may be bursting at the seams, you can relax a little knowing you're guaranteed to go into one of the programs in your rank order list. At the end of the week (Friday), you will find out which program you'll be matched in.
What if I don’t match?
Although this news might be heavily disappointing, not all hope is lost. There's a reason why Match Day doesn't happen at the beginning of the week.
Instead, what takes place Monday afternoon is the opening of the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP). This program is what allows medical programs to offer unfilled positions to eligible unmatched or partially matched applicants through a series of offer rounds.
If you don't happen to be matched on the Monday of Match Week, you can take a look at the unfilled programs you're eligible for and apply to a maximum of 30 programs through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). In accepting an offer, you'll be able to celebrate with others at the same time on Match Day.
Match Day
On Friday, thousands of schools across the nation will conduct their Match Day ceremonies. Whether you choose to discover your placement by envelope or through email, be prepared for a flurry of emotions ranging from tears of joy to potential disappointment and sorrow. In case you're afraid of not matching into a U.S. medical residency, it never hurts to update your ERAS documents early on for SOAP or consider changing your specialty.
At the end of the day, Match Day is a milestone that's worth celebrating! No matter where you're placed, be sure to reflect on all of your accomplishments and hard work over the years. Congratulations are in order as your journey as a medical professional is only beginning!
At any point in the process, our specialists here at Residents Medical are prepared to help you craft your best ERAS application to ensure your competitiveness. Ready to secure your dream U.S. Medical Residency? Don't hesitate to learn more and connect with a specialist today!