SOAP: What Happens if an IMG Does Not Match in the Main Residency Match
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 19, 2026
If you do not match, SOAP gives you a narrow window during Match Week to apply for unfilled positions. Only fully or partially unmatched applicants who meet NRMP's eligibility rules can take part, and offers move fast, so you need to respond within hours.
🎓 SOAP runs Monday through Thursday of Match Week, right after unmatched results are released.
📩 You apply only to programs the NRMP system marks as eligible for you inside the R3 system.
⏱️ Offer rounds move in hours, not days, so keep your phone and email open all week.
🛂 If SOAP does not work out, you still have options: reapply next cycle, contact non-participating programs, or add US clinical experience first.
What SOAP is
SOAP , the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program, is NRMP's uniform system for offering unfilled residency positions to eligible unmatched or partially matched applicants during Match Week, immediately after the Main Residency Match results come out. It replaced the informal scramble that used to follow Match Day, and every participating program and applicant follows the same rules and timeline.
Who is eligible
SOAP eligibility covers two groups: applicants who did not match to any position, and applicants who matched to a preliminary position but not to an advanced one (partially matched). You must meet NRMP's registration and eligibility rules for the Match itself to take part, which for an IMG includes holding current ECFMG certification.
If you are not eligible for SOAP, you cannot apply to Match-participating programs during Match Week at all. You may only contact programs that did not participate in the Match, and only starting Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. ET.
Why a partial match happens
Some specialties, including radiology, dermatology, anesthesiology, and neurology, require a separate preliminary or transitional year before the advanced years of training begin. An applicant can match to that preliminary year through the regular Match while failing to match to the advanced position in their target specialty, leaving them partially matched and SOAP-eligible for an advanced position elsewhere.
What a SOAP week looks like
| Day | What happens |
|---|---|
| Monday | Unmatched and partially matched results release. Eligible applicants review the List of Unfilled Programs in R3. |
| Monday-Thursday | Offer rounds run through R3. Eligible applicants apply only to listed programs and respond to offers as they arrive. |
| Tuesday, 8:00 a.m. ET | Applicants who are not SOAP-eligible may begin contacting non-participating programs directly. |
Exact hours and the number of offer rounds can shift slightly by cycle, so confirm the current schedule on NRMP's SOAP page once Match Week approaches.
Preparing before Match Week starts
Build your list of backup programs and specialties before results come out, not after. Keep an updated CV, a personal statement variant for a possible specialty change, and your ECFMG certification documents ready to send immediately.
Tell your recommenders in advance that you might need a fast reference call during Match Week, so they are not caught off guard by a same-day request. Clear your schedule for the week entirely and keep your phone reachable at all hours, since offers can arrive early morning or late at night depending on the program's time zone.
If SOAP does not result in a position
An unmatched result after SOAP is difficult, but it is not the end of your path. Contact non-participating programs directly starting Tuesday of Match Week, since some fill positions outside SOAP entirely. Reach out to your medical school's advising office and to ECFMG for guidance specific to IMGs in this situation.
Many applicants who do not match use the following year to strengthen a USMLE score, add a research project or observership, and reapply with a stronger file. Some also broaden their specialty choice toward fields with stronger IMG match rates, such as internal medicine or pathology, for the next cycle.