SOAP 2026 Guide: Timeline, Eligibility, and IMG Preparation
February 23, 2026
2026 cycle archive · Editorial review October 6, 2026 · All times Eastern Time.
This guide describes the completed 2026 cycle. Applicants preparing for the next cycle should use the current SOAP guide and 2027 timetable.
The 2026 Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program provided a structured route for eligible unmatched and partially matched applicants to seek unfilled residency positions during Match Week. This archived guide explains the cycle’s timetable and preparation considerations without presenting past instructions as current requirements.
How the 2026 process was organized
Applicants used each program’s designated application service. NRMP administered eligibility and formal offers through R3. Programs created preference lists, while applicants responded to offers rather than submitting SOAP rank order lists.
The NRMP 2026 applicant webinar explains the historical process, including application services, eligibility, and offer responses. It should be read as a 2026 resource.
2026 Match Week timetable
| Date and time | Event |
|---|---|
| Monday, March 16 · 10 AM | Match status and the eligible applicant’s unfilled-program list became available. |
| Monday · 11 AM | Application preparation and submission began through the designated services. |
| Tuesday, March 17 · 8 AM | Program application review and possible interviews began. |
| Wednesday, March 18 | Review and interviews continued. |
| Thursday, March 19 | Offer windows: 9–11 AM, 12–2 PM, 3–5 PM, and 6–8 PM. |
| Thursday · 9 PM | SOAP ended and the expanded list became available. |
| Friday, March 20 · 12 PM | Match Day results were released. |
Eligibility and application planning
The 2026 cycle required Match registration, verification of eligibility to enter graduate medical education, and unmatched or partially matched status. R3 determined the positions available to the applicant based on matched status.
NRMP’s 2026 materials described a 45-application allowance in each application service for the duration of SOAP. That historical allowance should not be substituted for a later cycle’s published rules. Applicants planning a future cycle should verify the current service, limit, fees, and document requirements.
Communication and offer commitments
Applicants and their representatives could not initiate program contact before the program contacted them in response to their application. Once contact began, applicants could participate in interviews and clarify requirements. Offers and responses occurred in R3.
Accepted offers created binding commitments. A remaining need for complementary training required careful review of R3 eligibility; it was not accurate to assume that every acceptance ended all participation.
Preparation implications for IMGs
Graduation date, examination history, credentials, clinical experience, and sponsorship needs should be reviewed against each program’s actual requirements. An available position is not necessarily a suitable position.
Educational fit can then be considered through curriculum, patient population, and career goals. IMGPrep’s Equitable Match framework supports screening and goodness-of-fit assessment, without predicting selection.
Continue with current guidance
The next cycle has different calendar dates. Use the current series for application preparation, interviews, and offer rounds.
Official resources
IMGPrep is an independent educational consultancy and is not affiliated with NRMP.
Contact Us
IMGPrep LLC, 4000 Legato Rd. Suite 1100
Fairfax, VA 22033
Fairfax, VA 22033
Fax: +1 (202) 751-2590
