RESIDENCY MATCH PROGRAM

Four years immersed in the challenges of medical education. Countless hours devoted to studying, volunteering, shadowing, conducting research, treating patients with real-world clinical exposure — all lead to the highly anticipated Match Day. On this day, medical students unveil where they will further their training as resident and fellow physicians. Amidst a multicultural ambiance and the enriching experience of enjoying Guadalajara, their educational journey at our institution reaches a defining moment.

The Residency Match is a pivotal and exciting stage in a medical student's journey, marking the culmination of their medical education and the transition to advanced clinical training. This highly competitive and structured process is facilitated by organizations such as the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) and involves medical students applying to various residency programs across the country.

Registration is a multi-step process. During registration applicants are asked to provide basic profile information, including name, date of birth, AAMC ID, as well as academic (exam scores, work, volunteer, and research experiences, etc) and demographic information. Registration information can be updated at any time during the Match process. Email addresses and phone numbers must remain current in the R3 system. Applicants are encouraged to consent to the use of their academic and demographic information for research purposes. The data will allow NRMP to continue publishing valuable reports such as Charting Outcomes in the Match that help inform future applicants and the graduate medical education community.

• Once you have your R3 system username and password, store in a secure place to prevent a security breach.
• Use the same name when registering for an NRMP Match that you use with other GME organizations like the AAMC or the ECFMG so program directors can correctly identify you for their rank order lists.
• Provide all necessary information to programs through the application and/or during interviews. Programs do not have access to information you provide during NRMP registration since that information is for NRMP use only.
• Consider using a personal email address because your school email address may be disabled at graduation.

As an international medical school student/graduate, you have various pathways to pursue residency. You can choose to apply to multiple residency programs using a matching service such as: ERAS®/NRMP® Partnership, also known as "The MATCH℠", SFMatch®, or Urology Match® (for most Allopathic/M.D. residency programs). There is also CaRMS (for residency programs in Canada).

 

MATCH TERMS TO KNOW

 

Independent Applicants: International Medical Graduates (IMGs) or Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs). You will be considered an IMG even if you are a US citizen or resident. IMG or FMG relates to the fact that you attended medical school outside of the US.

Main Match: You registered for the NRMP Match service, and you will be notified the 3rd week of March if you obtained a residency position through their matching service.

Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP): You registered for the NRMP Match service, but you were notified in March that you did not receive a match. You then can compete for unfilled residency positions in what is now known as the SOAP.

Categorical Position: Offers full residency training required for Board Certification in that particular specialty.

Preliminary Position: Offers 1-2 years of training, often prior to entry into advanced specialty programs. Surgery and Internal Medicine training programs can offer preliminary positions in addition to categorical positions.

Transitional Year: As defined by the ACGME, a Transitional Year is a one-year educational experience in GME structured to provide a program of multiple clinical disciplines and designed to facilitate the choice of and/or preparation for a specialty. This provides a broader exposure to different fields whereby the residents rotate through cores and electives much like they did in Clinical Sciences during medical school. It is important to note that the Transitional Year is not, itself, a complete graduate education program.

Advanced Positions: These are positions that do not begin until one to two years after the Match. They are in specialty programs that require completion of 1 or more years of preliminary training. You may apply for these, but you must also apply for the required years of preliminary training. Specialties in this category include, but are not limited to, Urology, Ophthalmology, Dermatology and Neurology.

Non-NRMP Match Details

Students wishing to pursue a residency in Ophthalmology or Urology apply for these positions through the San Francisco Match (www.sfmatch.org) and the American Urological Association (www.auanet.org), respectively. The more specialized, non-NRMP Matches are highly competitive. Most programs will only consider USMLE® Step 1 first time pass and Step 2 at a 240 or higher. For more detailed information on the application process, please contact UAG’s Graduate Affairs and Career Advising Office.

Canadian Residency Matching Service (CaRMS): The CaRMS process is similar to the NRMP process. For guidelines and instructions for participating in CaRMS, please consult www.carms.ca. Also, if you are applying for residency in Canada, you must sit for the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Exam 1 (MCCQE-1) and the National Assessment Collaboration Examination (NAC). Only Canadian citizens or permanent residents may apply to CaRMS.

The following UAG offices are involved in the residency matching application process:

Credentials Verification—as part of the International Student Affairs Office (isao@uag.edu). Contact at asuntosecfmg@uag.edu or +52 33 3648 8305. This office processes the ERAS Transcript requests, drafts the MSPE requests, ECFMG certification and licensure forms.

Graduate Affairs and Career Advising—GACA office is available for assistance with residency application questions and student application strategizing. Contact GACA at careeradvising@uag.edu or 210-446-2196 x3800.