Things to Know

Open Dates

Phase I

For ORTHO, PERIO, PROS, ANES and Canadian GPR positions:

Phase II

For AEGD, US GPR, OMS and PED positions:

Strategy

The Match Algorithm is designed such that it cannot be gamed or manipulated.

The only strategy is to rank your choices in order of your true preferences, without considering how you expect to be ranked by any applicant.

Rank all applicants that would be acceptable to the program. Submitting a longer list of applicants may reduce your chances of being left with unfilled positions.

Do not rank any applicant that you consider unacceptable (i.e., you would not want to be matched to that applicant, even if you may not fill a position). You can only be matched to applicants that appear on your Rank Order List.

• More Information about the Ranking Strategy
• How the Matching Algorithm Works

Programs with Special Requirements

The Match provides several options that can assist residencies in satisfying specific recruiting requirements or objectives:

• No Applicants to Rank

  If your program has position(s) available that you would like to fill but you have no acceptable applicants to rank for the program, you should certify a Rank Order List with no ranks. This indicates to NMS that the program is still active and you want your position(s) to be shown as available to applicants after the Match.

  • Instructions for Submitting a Rank Order List with No Ranks

• Reversions

  It is possible within the matching algorithm to move positions that remain unfilled from one Rank Order List to a second Rank Order List so that an attempt can be made to fill the available position(s) with applicant(s) on the second list. This is referred to as "reverting" unfilled positions.

  • Information About Reversions

• Multiple Lists

  Some programs may have special requirements that can only be satisfied by submitting multiple Rank Order Lists for a single program. This feature is useful if a program needs to recruit a mix of applicants with different characteristics.

  • Information About Submitting Multiple Lists

These options, used individually or together, enable NMS to accommodate many special requirements, while still maintaining the integrity of the ranking and matching processes. Some representative examples of where these options may be applicable are provided below. However, there may be other scenarios, not listed, that can be accommodated by these options.

• Examples of Special Requirements

  The examples provided below are representative only. Contact NMS to discuss your situation.

  1. A residency that offers some positions in two separate programs - Program A (very popular) and Program B (less desirable) - is concerned that it may not fill all of its positions in Program B; if that happens, the residency would be willing to match with more applicants in Program A in order to fill all available positions at the residency. The residency can use the reversion option to move any unfilled positions from Program B to Program A within the match processing, so that the positions can be filled with additional applicants in Program A.
  2. A program with multiple positions would like to rank several applicants from a specific group (e.g., from one dental school) but does not want to give special priority to the group, and would like to limit the number of applicants matched from the group. The program can use the multiple list option to offer their positions in a manner consistent with their overall ranking preferences while ensuring the program does not match with more than a specified maximum number of applicants from the group.
  3. A program would like to improve diversity by ensuring that at least one of its matched applicants is from a specific group (gender, ethnicity, language, location of residence, school, etc.), but the program does not want to have unfilled positions if the program is unable to match with an acceptable applicant from that group. The program can use the multiple list option to give priority to filling at least one position from the group, while allowing for matching with more than one applicant from that group if that is consistent with their overall preferences. In addition, the program can use the reversion option to ensure that if all ranked applicants from that group match to other programs, the program can still fill all its positions with other acceptable applicants (even though that may not meet their diversity preferences).
  4. A program receives additional funding for an extra position, but the conditions of the funding require that the extra position be filled by a specific student, or by one student from a small group of students that meet certain criteria (e.g., from a specified country or military branch). The multiple list option can be used to allow the program to submit one list with the program's choices of applicants for the original number of positions to be filled, and submit a second list with the specified applicant(s) for the extra position to be filled. If the extra position is not filled, the program can try to recruit another applicant that meets the criteria after the Match.

Any residency that is wondering if their special situation can be accommodated within the Match should contact NMS to discuss their situation.

• Contact NMS

Certify Your Rank Order List

You must certify your Rank Order List in the NMS Match System for it to be used in the Match. Certifying a Rank Order List lets NMS know it is ready to be used in the Match.

You can make changes to a list even after it is certified, until the Rank Order List deadline. If you make changes after a list is certified, the list will become uncertified and you will have to certify the list again for it to be used in the Match.

• Instructions for Certifying Your Rank Order List

User Guides to the NMS Match System

Consult the Rankings User Guide for detailed instructions for submitting your Rank Order List in the NMS Match System. Separate user guides are also available for submitting Reversions and Multiple Lists.