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Residency Program Welcome Newsletter

Dear Residency Program Directors and Coordinators,

The National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP®) is pleased to welcome you to the 2026 Main Residency Match®! Registration for institutions and programs opens at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, May 1.

The NRMP’s decision to modify the Match registration timeline for institutions and programs allows early updates to the public Program Directory for applicants launched last year. With multiple application services, the Program Directory serves as an important, additional resource for residency applicants to begin searching for the application service requirements, program location, links to institution and program websites, NRMP program code, and program types available in the Match.

Opening registration in May allows institution and program users to update their Program Directory information in the Registration, Ranking, and Results® (R3®) system in advance of the application, ensuring residency applicants have access to accurate information when researching the programs to which they may apply. 

The NRMP is looking forward to a great Match!

Match Resources and Calendars

Review the 2026 Main Residency Match Calendar to keep track of Match deadlines throughout the process. Match Week and the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program® (SOAP®) will be March 16-20, with Match Day occurring on March 20, 2026. The Match Week and SOAP schedule can be found on the NRMP website along with FAQs, step-by-step support guides, and Match checklists to help you navigate the process.

Upcoming Webinar

The NRMP will host an Introduction to the 2026 Main Residency Match webinar on May 8, 2025, at 1 p.m. ET. The webinar will provide an overview of Match processes and policies. It also will cover specific topics such as program staff roles and responsibilities, activating and managing the program’s participation in the Match, ranking applicants, and policy information. 

Registration for the webinar is required. A recording will be available on the website for those who are unable to attend.

Getting Started

On Thursday, May 1, designated program directors and coordinators will receive an email with instructions for registering their individual user account in the Registration, Ranking, and Results® (R3®) system. The R3 system is used by all Match participants to register for the Match, submit rank order lists of preferred programs or trainees, and access Match results and statistics. 

Once registered, programs should get started on the Program Match Checklist. Below are links to other resources to help programs prepare for the Match season.

Activating Program(s)

Institutional officials must activate the institution for participation in the Match in the R3 system. Once the institution is active, each program track also must be activated.

New this year! Program activation may be done by the institutional official (IO), but they also now have the option to direct the institutional administrator (IA) or the program director (PD) to activate the program(s). This allows the IO the ability to ensure the PDs confirm their participation in the Match at the program level and allows PDs to update their program directory information and the program quota in a more timely and efficient manner.

Update Program and Application Service Information in the Program Directory

In light of the various application services being used by some specialties and programs, there is a new requirement for programs to disclose to applicants, at the start of recruitment, the application service or process their program will require applicants to use for both the matching algorithm and SOAP.

Action needed – After registering, review and update the program directory including how you will be receiving applications for all your program tracks in the Program Directory Information tab in the R3 system. This information about your program will be displayed to applicants in the Program Directory.

Voluntary ROL Lock Pilot for Internal Medicine, Pediatric, and Vascular Surgery

When registration opens on May 1 in the R3 system, programs in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Vascular Surgery will have the opportunity to sign up to participate in NRMP’s Voluntary Program Rank Order List (ROL) Lock Pilot. This pilot will make it possible for the NRMP, and participating programs, to explore the merits and utility of a voluntary functionality that would allow programs to “lock” their rank order lists in the R3 system.

An outline of the process and timeline for NRMP’s Voluntary Program ROL Lock for Programs can be found on the website.

Policies

During registration, program directors and coordinators will be asked to read and electronically sign the Match Participation Agreement (MPA) for Programs. The MPA outlines the rights and responsibilities of programs that participate in the Main Residency Match.

Every program director and coordinator should read the MPA thoroughly because it is binding. That said, here are some important policies to keep in mind:

Section 6.1 Duty to Act in an Ethical and Professional Manner: Programs must always conduct their affairs responsibly, starting with the application and extending through the interview and matching processes, SOAP, and through the 45th day following the start date of training in their appointment contract.

Section 6.2 Interview Period: Programs must extend interview offers that equal, not exceed, the total number of available interview slots, and they must provide applicants no less than 48 hours to accept or reject an invitation.

Section 6.3 Completeness, Timeliness, and Accuracy of Information: At all times, programs must be transparent with applicants about program and institution eligibility requirements, which application service will be used, and any other information, including a copy of the contract the applicant would be expected to sign, that could impact an applicant’s ability to commence training or that an applicant would otherwise reasonably rely upon when determining whether to rank the program.

Section 6.5 Restrictions on Persuasion: Programs are prohibited at all times from asking applicants to disclose any identifying information about the programs to which they have or may apply, programs to which they may have sent preference signals, interviews attended, or ranking preferences.

In an effort to ensure the quality and integrity of its data, the NRMP prohibits any Match data from being used to “train” any large language model or as part of any machine learning or neural network architecture without its expressed consent.

To foster and provide clarity on Match etiquette, the NRMP also maintains a Match Code of Conduct for Programs. In addition to language codified in the Match Agreement, the NRMP expects every program director and recruitment team member to:  

  • Refrain from asking illegal questions, including those related to demographics such as race and sexual orientation but also more nuanced questions about tribal affiliations, first language, and parent or spousal religious cultural or tribal affiliations.
  • Promote a fair and efficient interview experience by adhering to interview period policies and ensuring clear, transparent messaging to applicants about interview invitations.
  • Respect an applicant’s right to privacy and confidentiality.
  • Decline to require second visits.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to policy@nrmp.org with any questions. We are here to help you throughout the transition. 

Match Data Reports

The NRMP has a variety of data and research reports available to assist Main Residency Match participants. To make the information easy access, the Match Data section has been improved to feature curated, timely content and now offers a filter option to help you find current and previously archived data reports by various reports, topics, themes, and years.

Match Fees

Institution and program fees will be invoiced to the NRMP institutional official (IO) and billing contact, if one has been designated, at the conclusion of the Match.

  • Program Registration Fee: $100 per program track
  • Per Certified Position (Quota) Fee: $75

Applicant Advising Videos

The NRMP has a series of advising videos to assist applicants in navigating the application, interview, and matching process.

Support Services

Assistance is available from the NRMP support staff Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time by emailing support@nrmp.org or calling 866-653-NRMP (6767).