Answer to Supplemental Rank Order List
ask_question - 02-02-08 07:47

I wrote to NRMP staff, "I had applied for preliminary programs
through ERAS but did not receive any interview in preliminary programs.
Hence, for supplemental rank order list, can I rank those preliminary
programs where I had applied though not interviewed? This query arose
because on your website, it is written: "Rank in order of preference every
program to which you have made a formal application, had an interview, and
are willing to attend if matched."

If it is not possible to submit supplemental rank order list of
uninterviewed preliminary programs, then should I rank the interviewed
advanced programs in primary rank order list? This query arose because on
your website, it is written: "This message {Congratulations, you have
matched!} will be displayed for any applicant who is "fully" matched,
including applicants who listed only advanced programs on their certified
rank order lists and did not list any preliminary positions on a
supplemental rank order list will receive this message. The matching
algorithm considers an applicant "matched" if he/she lists only one program
type on his/her certified rank order list. Applicants who receive this
message will not have access to the Dynamic List of Unfilled Programs that
is posted on Tuesday of Match Week."

Hence, I am worried that if I rank interviewed advanced programs without
the supplemental list of uninterviewed preliminary programs, I will be
considered "matched" by algorithm though I may not have matched at all, and
also the Dynamic List of Unfilled Programs will be inaccessible; and if I
do not rank my preferred and interviewed advanced programs at all because
of unavailable interviewed preliminary programs, I will be at the losing
end of the "Impact of Length of Rank Order List on Match Results".

Kindly guide me through this. I will be very grateful."

NRMP Staff wrote back, "You should rank your advanced programs on the primary list and only rank
one or two prelim programs on the supplemental list so that you will be
unmatched for the prelim year and have access to the unfilled list for
prelims in the scramble.

Regards,
NRMP Staff-wb


Ranking Both Advanced and Preliminary/Transitional Programs in the Match


The NRMP R3 System allows applicants who are applying for Advanced PGY-2
positions that require a PGY-1 year of preliminary medicine, surgery, or
transitional training to rank both programs in the same match year process.

Applicants rank their Advanced PGY-2 specialty programs on the primary rank
order list in the system. After ranking the advanced program, the system
will prompt the applicant to create a supplemental rank order list for any
PGY-1 preliminary or transitional programs that are to be considered if the
applicant initially matches to one of the advanced programs on the primary
list. Applicants may create one supplemental list that they wish
considered for all of their advanced programs or may assign different
unique supplemental lists to each of the advanced programs for special
situations such as location.

The only use of the supplemental list is for matching a preliminary or
transitional program required for advanced specialty training. Therefore,
the system will only consider the supplemental list choices if the
applicant matches to an advanced program on the primary list. If there is
a match to an advanced program and the system cannot subsequently match the
applicant to one of the preliminary or transitional programs on the
supplemental list, the advanced program match remains valid and the
applicant must “scramble” for a PGY-1 preliminary or transitional program.

In the case of those applicants who rank both advanced and categorical
programs on the primary rank order list, the system will only match the
applicant to one type of program. If an applicant matches to a categorical
(full training) program on the primary list, the system will not consider
the supplemental list for a preliminary or transitional program because the
PGY-1 year is automatically included in categorical programs.

If an applicant matches to the advanced program but is not matched to a
preliminary or transitional program, the system will not invalidate the
match to the advanced program and then try to match the applicant to a
categorical program on the list.

***Applicants also may rank their preliminary programs after their main
program choices on the primary list if they wish to have those programs
considered as a stand alone program in case they do not match to any of
their advanced programs. This increases their chances of at least matching
to their first year of training but they will still need to scramble for an
advanced year program. Applicants who rank preliminary programs on their
primary rank order lists must consider that if matched to a preliminary
program only they will only be able to scramble for advanced programs
(which start a year later) and not to categorical programs that start in
the year of the match. It is a violation of the Match Participation
Agreement for the applicant to take another position in the scramble that
prevents them from starting the preliminary program to which they matched.

***For those applicants who do not want to be locked into this scenario and
prefer to be able to try for a variety of programs in the scramble, the
ranking of preliminary programs on the primary list as a safety net may not
be the best choice. Applicants are obligated to honor the matched
preliminary year program just as any other and so should weigh the benefits
of both methods.

Please visit our website at www.nrmp.org under Residency Match and read the
Applicant User Guide to learn more about the Rank Order List process.

Regards,
NRMP Staff"

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