The Post-Match Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program® (SOAP®) gives eligible residency candidates who go Unmatched or Partially Matched during the Main Residency Match® the opportunity to obtain an available vacant position from NRMP’s® List of Unfilled Programs.
The Post-Match SOAP occurs throughout Match Week. During this time, eligible residency candidates will view the List of Unfilled Programs from NRMP®, research and apply to 45 maximum programs, interview with programs, and participate in Offer Rounds.
While no residency candidate wants to think about not Matching, well-prepared candidates know the Post-Match SOAP could be a possibility--depending on how well their Residency Match Season is going.
You may want to consider preparing for the Post-Match SOAP if you:
Match Week and the Post-Match SOAP may feel far away, but it’s important to face the Post-Match head on. Residency candidates who understand the Post-Match and are fully ready to compete will have greater chances than those who did not take the time to prepare for the Post-Match.
During the first 22 hours of the Post-Match SOAP: learn your Match Status and obtain the List of Unfilled Programs from NRMP’s® R3® system. Then, research, select, and apply to a maximum of 45 programs through ERAS.
Wait for programs to contact you and interview. Interviews are typically over the phone or using a video chat service such as Zoom.
There are 4 Offer Rounds on Thursday. Offer Rounds are 2-hour windows when residency programs submit residency position offers to candidates they interviewed during SOAP. After Offer Round 4 is held, the SOAP concludes. The NRMP® will update the List of Unfilled Programs to include non-SOAP participating residency programs. They will also release the list to all residency candidates registered to NRMP®.
Those who were fully Matched on Monday find out their Match locations.
Start your Post-Match SOAP preparation: