To apply for US Residency, most people apply to the National Residency Matching Program or NRMP (www.nrmp.org). This is by far the biggest pool of Accredited US Residency Programs. It matches over 20,000 applicants to Programs each year.
Other Matching Programs you could apply to are:
San Francisco Match (www.sfmatch.org)
Child Neurology, Neurology, Ophthalmology & Plastic Surgery
Urology Match (www.urologymatch.com)
The "Match"
To gain a Residency Training Program, IMGs will need to take part in the "Match". The Match is a computer system that matches applicants with Residency Training Programs based on a Rank Order List submitted both by applicants and the Programs.
The Match takes place in March of every year. To apply for the Match you will need to complete an Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) application. This is a common application form completed by the applicant. The ERAS application allows IMGs to apply for up to 4 specialties.
Each year, Residency Programs submit the number of positions that they wish to have filled through the National Residency Matching Program. ERAS receives documents from the applicant, the ECFMG, US medical schools, and the USMLE. These documents are assembled into individual applicant packets and electronically sent to the programs that the applicant chooses. Programs then evaluate applications and determine which applicants they want to interview during November, December, and January.
The Rank Order List
After interviews, the programs list applicants by preference (rank order list). Simultaneously, applicants submit a list of programs in rank order. Applicants are electronically matched to the highest-ranked program on their list that has offered a position to that applicant.
Applicants who have not matched are usually informed the day before match results are announced. What is known as "the post-match scramble" then begins to find unfilled residency training positions.
Match Application Timeline
| "Match" Application Timeline | |
| June | Research programs and compile list of possible programs to apply for. |
| July | myERAS application opens. |
| July/August | Start to compile information in your myERAS application, collecting letters of recommendation and writing personal statements. |
| September | From September, you can send off your applications to residency programs. We recommend you do this as soon as possible. |
| October/November | Interview season. Remember to research your programs - you will be ranked based on your interview. Be sure to impress! |
| February | Submit rank order lists. You and your program will both submit a rank order list: you will rank your programs from top to bottom, and programs will do the same. |
| March | The match takes place. Matched and unmatched candidates and programs are released. |
| March | Post-match scramble |