The SOAP 2026 Guide released by the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) defines how unfilled residency positions are offered during Match Week through a structured, time-limited process. For applicants who may enter SOAP, understanding this framework before Monday morning is essential.

Unlike the Main Residency Match, SOAP is not algorithmically mutual. It is sequential, program-driven, and regulated through the NRMP Registration, Ranking, and Results system. Applicants do not rank programs during SOAP. Programs generate preference lists and offers are distributed in timed rounds.

How the Process Is Structured

The SOAP 2026 Guide distinguishes this process from the Main Match in several important ways:

• Applicants do not submit rank lists.
• Programs generate internal preference lists.
• Offers are distributed in four timed rounds.
• Accepted offers are binding.

This structural difference shifts control toward program sequencing. Applicants must respond within strict decision windows.

Eligibility Criteria

To participate, applicants must:

• Be registered for the Main Residency Match.
• Be eligible to begin graduate medical education on July 1, 2026.
• Be unmatched or partially matched when results are released.

Eligibility status appears automatically in the NRMP R3 system. There is no separate SOAP registration process. However, documentation must already be verified before Match Week begins.

Application Limits Under the SOAP 2026 Guide

The SOAP 2026 Guide establishes a strict limit of 45 applications per application service. Applications cannot be withdrawn once submitted.

Nearly 60% of positions fill in the first offer round and approximately 80% by the end of the second. Within the framework defined by the SOAP 2026 Guide, early allocation decisions carry disproportionate impact.

Communication Restrictions

Applicants and their representatives may not initiate contact with programs until a program receives a SOAP application and contacts the applicant first.

Violations may result in investigation. The rules are designed to preserve procedural fairness during a compressed timeline.

Offer Rounds Explained

Offers are distributed through four two-hour rounds on Thursday:

• Round 1: 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. ET
• Round 2: 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET
• Round 3: 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET
• Round 4: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET

Applicants may receive multiple offers in a single round. Each must be accepted or rejected within the window. Expired offers are not re-offered to the same applicant. Accepted offers establish a binding commitment under the Match Participation Agreement.

Strategic Perspective for IMGs

For international medical graduates, preparation before Match Week is critical. Visa realities, geographic flexibility, and documentation timing intersect with the procedural structure described in the SOAP 2026 Guide.

Reviewing the SOAP 2026 Guide in advance allows applicants to define specialty boundaries, allocate applications rationally, and comply with communication restrictions under time pressure.