Medical school officials can have communications staff at their institution subscribe to NRMP for Match Week materials. The NRMP maintains a Match Week email list for communications staff at participating schools and institutions, and subscribers receive NRMP Match Week press releases, including the Advance Data Tables and Match by the Numbers, and information on opportunities for the institution to share Match Week activities with a national audience. Communications staff can subscribe by sending the following information to media@nullnrmp.org: full name, institution, email address, and title and/or communications role.

Monday of Match Week

At 10:30 AM ET, school officials can access their Unmatched Applicants Report (embargoed until 11:00 AM ET) in the R3 system. At 11:00 AM ET, applicants learn if they matched, and schools can access the List of Unfilled Programs in the R3 system. Medical school staff are invited to join the NRMP, AMA, AAMC, AACOM, AOA Match Week celebration by sharing messages, photos, and videos using #Match2021, emailing video submissions to socialmedia@nullaamc.org, and by visiting the joint campaign Tagboard and YouTube playlist pages.

Monday through Thursday of Match Week

Partially matched and fully unmatched applicants who meet eligibility requirements may participate in SOAP to try to obtain an unfilled residency position. School officials should advise applicants to familiarize themselves with the SOAP schedule and resources prior to Match Week. Participating school staff should subscribe to the NRMP & ERAS SOAP and Match Week Listserv. At 12:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, schools can begin viewing the SOAP Schools Report (updated in real time) to track students/graduates.

• At 11:00 AM ET on Monday, SOAP-eligible applicants can access the List of Unfilled Programs in the R3 system. SOAP applicants are encouraged to consult with their medical school advisors.
• At 12:00 PM ET on Monday, SOAP applicants can prepare and send up to 45 applications in the ERAS system. Programs can begin viewing SOAP applications in ERAS at 3:00 PM ET.
  • SOAP applicants are prohibited from using any means other than ERAS to apply to programs and must refrain from any other contact until programs initiate contact with them. School officials or other entities acting on the applicant’s behalf also must refrain from contacting programs. Violations of SOAP policy will be investigated.
  • Programs contact applicants in whom they are interested. Programs vary in how they manage the SOAP process: brief telephone or online interviews are common. Program directors cannot ask applicants to indicate whether they will accept an offer if one is extended through SOAP. Interviews begin on Monday and continue through Tuesday.
• At 12:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, applicants begin receiving offers through the R3.  Offers are extended in order of a program’s preference list and according to the number of unfilled positions remaining in the program. Applicants do not create preference lists during SOAP.
  • SOAP includes four Offer Rounds: 12:00 PM ET and 3:00 PM ET on Wednesday, and 9:00 AM ET and 12:00 PM ET on Thursday.
  • For each Offer Round, applicants have two hours to accept or reject offers in the R3 system.  Offers not accepted or rejected expire automatically.
  • Offers can be viewed and accepted using a mobile device.
  • Offers rejected or expired will not be extended again to the same applicant in future SOAP Offer Rounds.
  • Positions offered and accepted during SOAP establish a binding commitment enforced by the Match Participation Agreement.
• The List of Unfilled Programs is updated five minutes after the end of each SOAP Offer Round.
• SOAP concludes at 3:00 PM ET on Thursday.

SOAP Resources

• How a SOAP Round Works
• Cheat Sheet
• SOAP FAQs
• SOAP: Tracking Applicant Offers support guide

Monday through Thursday

• Applicants not eligible for SOAP cannot apply to any Match-participating programs, regardless of SOAP participation status, until SOAP concludes. ERAS will not send applications to those programs, and applicants not eligible for SOAP are prohibited from contacting the programs themselves or through personal contacts.
• Applicants not eligible for SOAP can apply only to non-Match participating programs. ERAS will open at 12:00 p.m. ET on Monday of Match Week for applicants to begin applying to programs and will send applications to those programs beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET. Phone, fax, email, or other methods also can be used by applicants not eligible for SOAP, but only after 3:00 p.m. ET on Monday of Match Week. Applicants not eligible for SOAP are prohibited from accepting a position before 12:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday of Match Week.

Thursday of Match Week

At 8:00 AM ET, schools can access the R3 system to obtain confidential Match results reports, Match notification letters, and the embargoed Advance Data Tables.

Friday of Match Week

At 12:00 PM ET, medical schools host Match Day ceremonies. At 1:00 PM ET, Match results are sent by email to applicants, and applicants can use a mobile device to access their results in the NRMP R3 system. Schools are invited to join the joint NRMP, AMA, AAMC Match Week celebration by sharing their stories, photos, and videos using #Match2021, and by visiting the campaign Tagboard pages.