NRMP Releases Reports Offering Insights into Residency Recruitment and Placement
News related to:National Resident Matching Program · 2 min read
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), a non-profit organization established in 1953 to oversee The Match®, has released three new reports offering unprecedented insights into the residency recruitment process. These reports, which draw from data across multiple Match cycles, aim to provide a clearer understanding of the factors influencing residency placements and the pathways to physician training.
It explores how applicants' expressions of interest in residency programs correlate with their ranking and matching outcomes across the 2023-2026 Match cycles. Key findings reveal that while signaling was most consistently related to being ranked, this relationship varied significantly by specialty and the structure of the signaling.
It examines specialty-level patterns in the characteristics of applicants that residency programs rank in order of preference across 21 specialties from 2022-2025. The report highlights that program ranking patterns differed markedly by applicant type, sex, and performance on licensure exams. However, it also noted considerable variation among programs within each specialty.
It includes how applicants secure positions through the Match and the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP®). The report found that most applicants who did not secure a position during their first Match returned to the Match, and the majority subsequently obtained a residency position.
These reports, which are available on the NRMP Research Insights website, offer valuable data-driven insights to inform decisions across the graduate medical education community. By expanding the evidence available, NRMP aims to support more informed conversations and improve the overall residency recruitment process. The reports reveal distinct but interconnected aspects of the transition to residency, providing a comprehensive view of the complexities involved in residency placement.
For the full reports and additional Match data resources, visit NRMP Research Insights: www.nrmp.org/research.
In its more than 70 years, NRMP has grown to offer the Main Residency Match® for more than 50,000 registrants and the Specialties Matching Service® (SMS®) for more than 75 subspecialties. These reports are part of NRMP's ongoing commitment to leveraging data to address critical issues in residency recruitment and placement.