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Check Out Key Match Dates and Two Safeguarding Policies for Applicants

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Recently, the NRMP hosted a webinar called, “Introduction to the 2027 Main Residency Match®.” There are two categories of take away points:

1) Key dates relevant for applicants:

September 15 — Applicant and medical school registration opens
September 23 — Applications available via ERAS and ResidencyCAS (OB/GYN and Emergency Medicine use ResidencyCAS)
February 1 — Ranking opens
March 3 — Rank Order List certification deadline
March 15–19 — Match Week and SOAP
March 19 — Match Day

2) Two policies particularly notable for applicants:

First, residency programs can’t extend more invitations than available slots and must give applicants at least 48 hours to respond.
Second, programs can’t ask applicants about their ranking plans, request preference signals, or solicit commitments to rank.

Here’s the webinar link.

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Check out these Useful AMCAS Links

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I mentioned in the last couple of blog entries the great utility of the AAMC webinar on April 14 called “Navigating the 2027 AMCAS Application Cycle for Applicants,” and I summarized some of the most important points.

One of the additional benefits of the session was a listing of useful online resources. I collected them and have listed them below. Enjoy!

AMCAS Application Resources

MCAT and PREview

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Why the AMCAS Coursework Section is Even More Important than You Thought it Was

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As I mentioned in last week’s blog entry, the AAMC held a helpful webinar on April 14 called “Navigating the 2027 AMCAS Application Cycle for Applicants.” Here are some more take-home messages from the session:

  1. The Coursework area is the number one cause of verification delays.
  2. Ensure you report every course. This means you should report even if you earned no credit, you ended up with a withdrawal, the class was incomplete or repeated, the class was physical education, the class was later removed from your transcript, the course was advanced placement. 
  3. Avoid other common mistakes by following these tips: include plus/minus grades; note that the AMCAS academic year begins with the summer term prior; if a course has both a lecture and lab do not combine them into one entry.
  4. Use the 2027 AMCAS Applicant Guide and the Course Classification Guide if you are unsure how to categorize a class you’re taking.
  5. The BCPM that AAMC calculates is based on information provided by your individual college.

Look for more of my take-homes in near-future blog entries.

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AAMC Webinar Take-Aways

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The AAMC held a fantastic webinar on April 14 called “Navigating the 2027 AMCAS Application Cycle for Applicants,” which you can view here if you registered in advance of the session. I took notes and will be offering a few take home messages below and in future blog entries.

Of note, there are two updates to this year’s AMCAS:

1) Social Justice → Community Health Advocacy:

The former Social Justice/Advocacy category has been renamed Community Health Advocacy. The AAMC rep Candice Pantor (who was excellent) explained that this change is intended to emphasize action-based contributions to community and public health, while still maintaining the original intent of recognizing advocacy work. 

2) The Medical Schools section has a more user-friendly design:

The Medical Schools section now has what Pantor described as an easier look and feel. (I have not seen it yet.)

The AAMC held a “coursework” webinar last week. I’ll report on that soon. 

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Take-aways from the 2026 Match

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Doximity recently published a “Clinical Brief” summarizing stats from last month’s Match. Here are the take-home messages:

1) The good news: The Match had the most applicants ever and a strong 93.5% overall fill rate.

2) More good news: DOs and U.S. citizen IMGs saw record high Match rates at 93.2% and 70.0%, respectively.

3) Bad news: Despite 134 new positions, the Family Medicine (FM) fill rate dropped to 83.6%, leaving 899 slots unfilled. The NRMP is taking this seriously: It’s convening a Blue Ribbon Panel to look at why medical students aren’t choosing FM.

4) More bad news: Non-U.S. Citizen IMGs saw a 56.4% Match rate — a five-year low.

Of note, the two pieces of bad news are connected and potentially a big problem: IMGs historically fill a disproportionate number of FM and other primary care positions. If IMG Match rates and FM fill rates are both dropping, that’s an escalating problem for primary health care access, particularly in underserved regions. 

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About Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Finkel is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Medical School. On completing her residency at Harvard, she was asked to stay on as faculty at Harvard Medical School and spent five years teaching at the world-renowned Massachusetts General Hospital. She was appointed to the Assistant Residency Director position for the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency where she reviewed countless applications, personal statements and resumes. Read more

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