During Match Week, unmatched and partially unmatched applicants who are deemed eligible may participate in the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP®) to try to obtain an unfilled residency position.
SOAP 2021 began on Monday, March 15 at 11 a.m. ET and ended on Thursday, March 18 at 3 p.m. ET.
SOAP 2021 ERAS Schedule
To familiarize applicants with the SOAP schedule and process, the Association of American Medical College's (AAMC®) Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS®) and the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP®) hosted a joint webinar on Monday, March 8. ERAS and NRMP provided an overview to the SOAP process and information on the following:
- NRMP SOAP Eligibility Requirements
- Communication Rules During SOAP
- ERAS Preparation for SOAP
- ERAS SOAP Requirements
- ERAS SOAP Application Process
- Match Week Timeline and SOAP Offer Rounds
- NRMP SOAP Data
A recording of the webinar is now available.
Pre-SOAP Tasks
To participate in SOAP, applicants must be:
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Registered for the NRMP Main Residency Match®.
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Eligible to enter Graduate Medical Education (GME) on July 1, 2021 as verified by your medical school or Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG).
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Unmatched or partially matched on Monday, March 15.
There is no separate registration for SOAP and applicants do not submit a rank order list.
If you have any additional questions about eligibility, please visit the NRMP website.
Optional tasks:
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Certify and submit your MyERAS application, if you have not done so already during the ERAS 2021 regular season.
- Keep Personal Information (e.g., NRMP ID) updated in MyERAS.
- Upload Letters of Recommendation (LoR).
- Update or add a new personal statement(s).
SOAP Resources
ERAS Fees During SOAP
Applicants who have applied to at least one residency program (for ERAS 2021 season) by Monday, March 15 at 11 a.m. ET will not pay any application fees during SOAP. Prior years' applications are not counted toward the current the current application season. For information about non-SOAP fees, please visit Fees for Residency Applications.
Applicants who have not applied to at least one residency program through ERAS by Monday, March 15 at 11 a.m. ET and are SOAP-eligible, will be charged a fee of $99. If you have not sent your USMLE or COMLEX-USA transcripts, a fee of $80 per transcript type will apply.
ERAS Fees Post SOAP
ERAS launched a new flat fee program when 2021 SOAP concluded on Thursday, March 18 at 3 p.m. ET.
This program is for ERAS 2021 residency applicants who were SOAP-eligible, applied or reapplied during SOAP, and did not obtain a position. For applicants that meet these requirements, applications will be $10 each regardless of specialties applied to. This flat fee program will conclude at the remainder of the ERAS 2021 season on Monday, May 31, 2021 at 5 p.m. ET. For all other residency applicants, the regular application fee structure for ERAS 2021 residency applicants will apply.
ERAS application fees will automatically populate when applicants apply to programs based on the applicant’s payment history and/or SOAP participation.
Once SOAP begins
During SOAP, you will be able to apply to a total of 45 Match participating programs between Monday, March 15 at 12 p.m. ET - Thursday, March 18 at 3 p.m. ET. You may reapply to programs you applied to during the ERAS 2021 season as well as apply to new programs. Please note, the program must be participating in SOAP and have unfilled positions that you're eligible for.
Once you have reached the maximum of 45 applications, you will not be able to apply to additional programs until SOAP ends on Thursday, March 18 at 3 p.m. ET. You are not required to apply to the full 45 programs allowed during SOAP however, any remaining applications will not carry-over after SOAP ends.
After SOAP concludes
ERAS resumed normal operations on Thursday, March 18 at 3 p.m. ET.