|
|
|
OSR - National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) Update
February 2008
The NRMP had a busy year in 2007 and is off to a good start to 2008.
NRMP has been successful in expanding the scope of data provided to applicants,
programs, and institutions and have continued to witness overall expansion
in the use of services. NRMP is particularly excited that Neurosurgery
will join the Main Residency Match starting with the 2009 match. This
update will briefly touch on a few issues regarding the NRMP that are
of particular significance for members of the OSR and for medical students
more generally.
Main Residency Match
The 2007 Main Residency Match experienced record numbers of both applicants
and programs; preliminary numbers from the 2008 Main Residency Match suggest
that there will again be a record number of participants. The growth in
total applicants has been driven primarily by increasing participation
by independent applicants (those who are not senior students in U.S. allopathic
medical schools). The increasing size of the applicant pool on the match
rate for US seniors, which has been steady at about 94%, has not affected
the match rate.
Scramble
Although the increase in applicants has not affected the match rate for
US seniors, the growing imbalance between unmatched applicants and unfilled
positions may have made the post-Match "Scramble" more competitive. The
NRMP is working with ERAS to minimize stress and chaos during this difficult
process. For the 2008 Match, the NRMP and ERAS will jointly email all
programs prior to Match Week encouraging them to update their contact
information for the List of Unfilled Programs in case the program does
not fill, explaining how to use the ERAS software for optimal performance,
and providing strategies to foster effective communication between applicants
and programs during the Scramble.
Match Data Reports
The second edition of "Charting Outcomes in the Match," based on the results
of the 2007 Main Residency Match, was, like the first edition, very well
received. NRMP hopes that the publication has been helpful for students
and advisors in planning for the residency selection and match process.
The current plan is to publish a third edition following the 2009 Match.
In the meantime, a new publication of results and data from the Specialties
Matching Service will give students, residents, schools, programs, and
institutions additional information about fellowship matches managed by
this NRMP service. In addition, a survey of applicants and programs participating
in the 2008 Main Residency Match to learn more about the factors that
influence ranking behavior will be distributed. The results of this and
future studies will help applicants and programs better understand and
optimize their experience with the residency selection process.
Post Interview Communication
A recent article in Pediatrics ("Professionalism and the Match," Oct.
17, 2007) explored the issue of post-interview communication and called
for "more explicit guidelines regarding post-interview communication with
applicants." In response to this article as well as anecdotal evidence
ranging from misunderstanding to misconduct with respect to NRMP policy,
the NRMP will be working to ensure that programs and students are better
educated on the stipulations in the Match Participation Agreement (MPA)
concerning communication prior to rank-order list submission. The exact
language is available in Section 6.0 ("Restrictions
on Persuasion") of the MPA. Generally, the agreement allows applicants
and programs to freely contact each other and to volunteer information
about how one plans to rank the other. It is not, however, permitted for
applicants or programs to coerce, exert undue pressure, or solicit information
about how they will be ranked. Failure to abide by these rules constitutes
a breach of the MPA and a potential match violation. Anyone with information
regarding a potential match violation is encouraged to contact the NRMP.
Match Fees
Currently, the fee structure for the Main Residency Match includes a $40
applicant registration fee and a $15 per partner "couples match" fee for
couples. We will be able to maintain these low registration fees for 2008.
The registration fee entitles applicants to rank up to 20 programs (or
up to 30 for each partner of a couple). The number of "free" programs
for individuals and couples was increased in 2006 from 15 and 20 programs
to 20 and 30 programs respectively. The intent of this structure is to
prevent applicants from ranking excessive numbers of programs, including
programs where they may not have interviewed or even applied, needlessly
burdening the match program. The current fee structure is quite reasonable,
especially in the context of the cost of the overall residency application
process. The NRMP does plan on compareing data on rank list length before
and after the change to see what effect, if any, the change in fee structure
has had.
I hope this update has been helpful in communicating some of the items
the NRMP is working on that would be of interest to students. As always,
if you have any questions, comments or recommendations concerning the
NRMP, please feel free to contact me at anytime.
Robby Hollowell
OSR NRMP Board of Directors Student Liaison
Duke University School of Medicine
robert.hollowell@duke.edu
|
