HOUSTON, Texas – Match Day is approaching, and medical students from all over the United States anticipate it, because it is the day they find out where they will be training for residency for the next several years.
It’s the time of the year when most medical students celebrate their residency, which is where they will train in a specialty.
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What is the MATCH?
It’s when students first graduate from medical school with their medical degree (MD), but they’re not allowed to practice medicine independently until they finish the necessary training in a residency program. Residency programs, which last between three and seven years, are a key requirement for obtaining a medical license.
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, residency programs were introduced in the early 1900s. By the 1940s, competition between these programs became so fierce that institutions began “scouting” promising medical students early in their training, almost like modern professional sports recruiters. The MATCH was created in 1952 to bring order to the growing chaos.
The MATCH in the United States is managed by the National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP®), which is the main system used to place graduating medical students into residency programs.
How does it work?
It’s a lot of moving parts to match, but the process usually begins at the start of a medical student’s fourth year. Before their last year, students are learning about different areas of medicine through clinical rotation, which ultimately help them figure out what they would like to practice or specialize in.
The MATCH application process opens every September. Fourth-year medical school students submit applications to residency programs through the Electronic Residency Application Service® (ERAS®). The submission package should include:
- ERAS Application
- Student’s personal statement and photo
- Letters of recommendations
- Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE)
- Medical school transcript
- United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE®)/COMLEX-USA transcript
Residents typically submit applications to several different residency programs to maximize their chances of being accepted.
Between October and February, medical students will begin interviewing at hospitals, touring facilities, meeting staff, the whole nine.
The Match uses ranked voting, allowing students to rank residency programs by creating a Ranked Order List (ROL). Residency faculty do the same—ranking students to fill open residency slots.
What is Match Week
Match Week is the third week of March and it’s the week when medical students learn if they’ve been matched and then on Friday, they learn where they will be matched to.
What happens if you don’t get Matched?
Students who are not matched is usually placed in the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program® (SOAP®), a matching process that takes place between Monday and Thursday afternoons of Match Week.