Mark your calendars for Friday, March 20, 2026, aka Match Day 2026—or in other words, the day you finally find out where you’ll be headed for residency!
If you’re participating in the Match this year, all of your long nights, tough exams, and early mornings have been leading up to this moment. Match Day 2026 is when everything you’ve worked for starts to come together and your next chapter officially begins!
If you’re not totally sure how The Match works or what you should be doing to prepare, don’t worry! We’ve got you covered. This guide walks you through the entire residency Match process, step by step, so you can feel confident and ready for the big day.
Let’s kick things off with the basics.
Match Day 2026: Some Basic Match Terms
“The Match”
If you’re wondering just what “The Match” actually refers to, technically it’s the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) process that pairs applicants with residency programs. It’s an umbrella term for the centralized NRMP process you’ll use to apply for residency.
“Match Week”
This kicks off the Monday before Match Day. On this day, you’ll find out if you matched at any of the programs you applied to. Though you won’t know where you matched until Friday.
As you can imagine, Match Week is a huge milestone for aspiring physicians as years of studying, exams, and clinical rotations are all leading to one decisive day! Families fly in, friends and classmates cheer, and many schools livestream events during the week so everyone can share the excitement.
“Match Day”
This is truly one of the most important days in the life of a physician. It’s filled with pride, tears, laughter, and pure joy—a culmination of years of hard work. It was a day I’ll never forget.
The emotions you go through during Match Week are hard to describe, but to give you a sense of what you can look forward to, I’d like to share my memories of those amazing few days with you.
Here’s my Match Week story.
My Match Experience
I vividly remember my own Match Week. The days prior, I was more nervous than I thought I’d be as my partner and I had decided to participate in the couples match, which added an extra layer of suspense. The thought that a single letter determined not just my future, but ours together, was definitely nerve wracking.
As Match Week began, the energy was electric. We had around 30 friends and family members fly in from both sides to celebrate with us. Each day felt longer than the last. Thankfully, we received the Monday email notifying us that we matched. Now we had the rest of the week, with family in town, to wait to see where.
On Match Day, the countdown began and hundreds of Baylor students opened their Match letters together. The ceremony on the quad was unforgettable—envelopes opening, cheers echoing, tears flowing. My partner and I opened ours surrounded by our families. We had matched as a couple! Later, we even made the Baylor College of Medicine newsletter front page.
I hope your Match Week is just as memorable as mine! Up next: all the important deadlines and dates to keep you on track.
Match Day 2026 Timeline: Dates You Need to Know
Registration Deadline: January 30, 2026
First things first, you must register with the NRMP and the Supplemental Offer and Assistance Program (SOAP). Additionally, you need to register for the application service R3. Standard registration is available until January 30, 2026.
Note that you must be registered before you can schedule your residency interviews (typically October-January)!
Rank Order Lists Open: February 2, 2026
At 12:00 p.m. ET you’ll be able to enter your preferences into the NRMP’s R3 system. The R3 System (short for registration, ranking, and results) is the online platform used by the NRMP to manage every stage of the Match process.
In the system, you can build and edit your rank order list as many times as you’d like before final submission. Take your time here, since this list determines your Match outcome!
💡For tips on completing your rank order list, check out this other post: How to Make A Residency Rank List That Puts Your Happiness First
Rank List Deadline: March 4, 2026
Make sure your rank list is submitted and your registration is complete before 9 p.m. ET. Also, international medical graduate (IMG) applicants must meet the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) verification requirements by this time.
Match Week: March 16–20, 2026
This is when the magic happens!
Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect:
Monday, March 16
10 a.m. ET: Match Kickoff
Applicants learn if they matched via email and within the R3 system. This is just a notification of whether you matched or not. You’ll find out where you matched later…
11 a.m. ET: SOAP Opens
If you didn’t match, you can enter the SOAP to apply for any remaining positions. SOAP applicants can start preparing applications at this time and contact programs with any questions.
SOAP stands for “Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program.” This provides residency opportunities for eligible applicants who didn’t match this cycle. Though not a guarantee, SOAP allows unmatched candidates to apply to residency programs with unfilled positions, sometimes in the same specialty, but often in a less competitive specialty. SOAP is a win-win as it provides an opportunity for unmatched applicants to score a coveted US based, ACGME accredited residency spot and also allows programs to fill their open spots.
Having to go through SOAP isn’t the outcome applicants hope for, but the program is a critical safety net. For those eligible, applicants will gain access to the list of unfilled programs and they can apply to them directly. There are multiple “rounds” of offers during Match Week, and communication rules are strict to ensure fairness.
Many choose to go through SOAP to secure a spot rather than wait for the next application cycle. If you’re curious about what you should do if you end up in this position, contact one of Blueprint’s residency counselors to learn more about your options.
Tuesday, March 17
8:00 a.m. ET: SOAP Application Review
Programs begin reviewing SOAP applications. They may contact applicants and begin interviewing.
9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m ET: SOAP Rounds 1-4
Applicants receive round one offers by logging into the R3 system. Applicants have until the next round to accept/reject their SOAP offers. The List of Unfilled Programs is updated in the R3 system with each subsequent round.
Thursday, March 19
9:00 p.m. ET: SOAP Concludes
SOAP ends with the posting of the final List of Unfilled Programs in the R3 system. The list is updated to include unfilled programs not participating in SOAP.
Afterwards, applicants can begin contacting all remaining unfilled programs. See the updated List of Unfilled Programs for open residency spots.
Friday, March 20
12 p.m. ET: Match Day 2026! 🎉
At 12:00 p.m. ET, applicants finally learn where they’ve matched. This day is often celebrated with friends, family, and plenty of tears (of relief and joy)!
Tips to Help You De-Stress Before Match Day 2026
Here are some things you can do if you’re feeling a bit nervous as the big day approaches:
1. Don’t worry about worrying.
Know that it’s totally normal to be a bit stressed. After all, Match Day is the culmination of your hard work from undergrad to medical school. It would actually be unusual to have zero stress around Match Day!
2. Stay positive.
Limit doomscrolling and your exposure to negative stories surrounding Match Day nightmares.
3. Rediscover your hobbies.
Reconnect with the non-medical parts of yourself. Revisit hobbies you set aside during the busy interview season. Run, work out, build LEGO sets, cook, read, draw, or hike. Whatever you like, keep at it to give yourself a healthy distraction from the Match.
4. Hand over control.
Lastly, rest easy knowing that you’ve done your part. You have, to the best of your ability, applied, interviewed, and ranked. The rest is up to the NRMP algorithm!
🧘♀️ Check out this post for more pre-Match de-stressing: 6 Stress Management Tips for Residency Match Week
Special Tips for IMGs
International medical graduates (IMGs) go through a similar Match process to that of their US counterparts each year. But there are some additional things IMGs should do!
If you’re an IMG, remember to:
- Make sure your ECFMG certification is complete before the rank list deadline.
- Double-check that all exam results (USMLE or COMLEX) are uploaded and verified.
- Consider broadening your list to include community programs or those with a track record of accepting IMGs.
Final Thoughts
Match Day 2026 may feel far away now, but it’ll be here before you know it! Between now and then, you’ll fill out applications, interview and meet inspiring physicians, and reflect deeply on where you want to continue your medical journey.
Take a deep breath. Bookmark your deadlines, set alarms, and interview well! And in a few months, you’ll be standing alongside your classmates, envelope (or email) in hand, celebrating the next chapter of medical training.
Here’s to your Match Day 2026, and to the residency program that’ll become your new home! 🥳
