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Match Day is right around the corner…literally. We understand this is a nerve-wracking time as you wait to find out if you matched into your residency program of choice. We don’t want to add to your stress, however in the instance that on the morning of March 17th, you receive that horrifying email confirming your worst nightmare notifying you that you did not match, there’s still a chance because there will be programs that have unfilled positions.
You should have received an email by now notifying you of your eligibility to participate in the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP). SOAP consists of a series of rounds in which participating programs attempt to fill their unfilled positions. Note that this is not an indication of whether or not you have matched.
In order to be eligible for SOAP, applicants must be:
- registered for the Main Residency Match®
- fully or partially unmatched, and
- eligible to enter GME on July 1
If you are eligible, you can access the list of unfilled programs for which are you eligible. A few things to note:
- You must use ERAS to submit applications for positions you are eligible for.
- You may NOT use phone, fax, email, or other services to contact unfilled programs. And you may not have individuals or entities contact the programs on your behalf. Only programs can contact you regarding your SOAP application.
- During SOAP, you may only accept positions through SOAP. If you want to apply to programs that are not participating in the Match, you will have to wait until after Match Week.
- You may receive multiple offers during each round, but make your decisions quickly as offers are only available for 2 hours.
For more information, please read the SOAP page on the NRMP website.
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