About the Specialties Matching Service (SMS)

In addition to the Match for first and second year residency positions, the NRMP's Specialties Matching Service (SMS) conducts matches for advanced residency or fellowship positions. Those specialty matches occur throughout the year and each requires its own registration process with the NRMP. Fellowship positions generally begin in July.

Specialties Matching Service is a service provided by the NRMP to organizations of training program directors whose entry level positions require applicants to have completed one or more years of graduate medical education. To qualify for matching services, sponsoring organizations must identify an individual to represent the organization in negotiating the terms of the services to be provided. Beginning in July 2001 and each year thereafter, in order for matching services to be provided, each specialty is requested to:

• verify that at least 75% of the programs with available positions in a given year will be registered for the match,
• encourage programs to actively participate by submitting a rank order list, and
• have at least 75% of the available positions within the specialty registered with the NRMP.

Organizations receiving matching services are expected to identify eligible programs and to assist the NRMP in communicating with the member programs. Contact the NRMP at (202) 862-6077or toll free 1-866-617-5834 if you wish to discuss establishing a new sub-specialty match.

The NRMP may, in accordance with the policies and advice of the sponsoring program directors' group, be selective in determining which programs are eligible to participate in the SMS Matching Program for that specialty. Only programs in a specialty for which an SMS Match is being conducted may offer positions through the SMS. Positions are titled "residency" or "fellowship" depending upon the specialty for which the SMS Match is being conducted.

To be eligible to offer positions through an SMS Match, as of the rank order list certification deadline for such SMS Match a program must be either:

(a) accredited by the ACGME, or

(b) affiliated with an ACGME-accredited program in the primary discipline, or

(c) lead to certification or endorsement and oversight by a board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. Each program executing this Agreement hereby affirms that it will meet one of those requirements by the rank order list certification deadline.

The following specialty matches are managed by the NRMP. The dates in parenthesis indicate the year when the match started.

• Abdominal Transplant Surgery (2005)
• Allergy/Immunology (2007)
• Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (1995)
• Colon & Rectal Surgery (1984)
• Combined Musculoskeletal Matching Program (CMMP)
  • Hand Surgery (1990)
• Medical Specialties Matching Program (MSMP)
  • Cardiovascular Disease (1986)
  • Endocrinology (will start in 2008)
  • Gastroenterology (1986-1999; rejoined in 2006)
  • Hematology (2006)
  • Hematology/Oncology (2006)
  • Infectious Disease (1986-1990; rejoined in 1994)
  • Nephrology (2008)
  • Oncology (2006)
  • Pulmonary(1986)
  • Pulmonary and Critical Medicine (1986)
  • Rheumatology (2005)
• Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine (2008)
• Obstetrics/Gynecology
  • Reproductive Endocrinology (1991)
  • Gynecologic Oncology (1993)
  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine (1994)
  • Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery (2001)
• Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (1991)
• Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (2001)
• Pediatric Specialties Fall Match (2009)
  • Pediatric Critical Care Medicine (2000)
  • Pediatric Emergency Medicine (1994)
  • Pediatric Rheumatology (2004)
• Pediatric Specialities Spring Match (2009)
  • Pediatric Cardiology (1999)
  • Pediatric Gastroenterology (2007)
  • Pediatric Nephrology (2009)
  • Pediatric Pulmonology (2009)
• Reproductive Endocrinology (1991)
• Pediatric Surgery (1992)
• Primary Care Sports Medicine (1994)
• Radiology
  • Interventional Radiology (2002)
  • Neuroradiology (2001)
• Surgical Critical Care (2004)
• Thoracic Surgery (1988)
• Vascular Surgery (1988)

For information on a specific specialty match, please go to Participating Fellowships.

Updated: 06/16/2009