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Reviewed by:
Third-Year Medical Student, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Reviewed: 1/4/25
Wondering when Residency Match Day 2025 is and how to prepare? Keep reading, and we’ll tell you everything you need to know!
Medical residency can be a nerve-racking process. After working hard on your premed journey and studying for years in medical school, you’re faced with a pivotal moment that will determine the rest of your career: Match Day.
Your medical specialty is one of the most important aspects of your medical career. It can affect things like work-life balance, salary, and job satisfaction. What kind of patients you deal with and the medical problems you see all depend on what area of medicine you specialize in.
Most people don’t realize that doctors don’t have full control over their medical specialty. Medical students are sometimes paired with a residency or fellowship that wasn’t their first choice. The good news is that there are steps you can take to minimize this.
So, without delaying further, let’s break down the ins and outs of 2025 Match Day.
Match day is the day when medical students all over the country find out and discover what medical residency they’re paired with to complete their education. After you graduate medical school and earn your MD or DO, you’re required by law to have hands-on training before treating patients.
Students are issued an envelope that contains information about their matched residency and hospital to train at. The day acts as a celebration, where medical students invite their friends and family to find out what medical specialty they’ll be pursuing and where.
Residency Match Day is on Friday, March 21st, 2025, at 12:00 PM EDT. Students all over the country will discover their matched medical specialty on this date and at this time. Students are issued an envelope with their matched residency that they are only able to open on this date.
Take a look at our Match Week schedule. This table will break down all the pertinent dates and deadlines you need to be aware of.
Source: NRMP
So, what time is Match Day 2025? Match Day happens at 12:00 PM EDT. You’ll want to keep in mind the separate times to register and then rank your preferences. This way, you’ll have time to prepare for each. Note that more competitive specialties may be more difficult to match with.
Preparing for Match Day is about being in the right frame of mind. It can be daunting to think so much about your medical career will be discovered at one moment in time. Here are some tips to help you prepare for match day:
The important thing to remember is that the computer algorithms have already matched you with a residency, so there’s no need to panic or worry.
If you have any friends or family you’d like to invite to the ceremony, it’s a good idea to let them know beforehand. Surely, those close to you have been supportive of your medical journey. So, having them be there to support you can make the moment more special.
When it comes time to open your envelope and announce your residency to the audience, remember to simply let things happen naturally. If you’re worried that your matched residency isn’t the one you hoped for, there’s no need to panic. There are clear actionable steps you can take in this situation.
Not matching can be a scary prospect for medical graduates. After all those years of hard work and training, an MD is much more limited in scope if you’re not able to practice medicine. To minimize the amount of students that go unmatched, American medical schools make use of SOAP (Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program).
SOAP occurs Monday to Thursday of Match Week and gives students who aren’t fully matched an opportunity to apply and interview for more residency programs. Students are then able to accept or decline each residency offer in two-hour time slots. Altogether, three or more rounds are cycled through SOAP.
This SOAP schedule will help you keep track of the dates and times you need to be aware of. Notice that there are four SOAP rounds during Match Week.
Each SOAP round lasts for 2 hours:
Offers are released at the start of each round, and you have until the end of the round to accept or reject them.
If you’re still wondering the best way to prepare and go about Match Week 2025, don’t hesitate to reach out to book a free consultation with our residency match support experts.
Our residency application consulting service helps you maximize your chances of acceptance into top programs. We tailor every aspect, from your ERAS application to interviews. Our services include strategy development, personal statement editing, interview prep, recommendation letter advice, and CV review, ensuring a smooth and confident application process.
Just take a look at how Christopher, worried about his medical school GPA, found success with Inspira Advantage's help. He matched with one of his top programs!
Match Day is over, and you've finally found a residency program. This is a huge milestone, but what comes next? The weeks after Match Day can feel overwhelming, so here’s a guide to help you prepare for this exciting next chapter.
The period between Match Day and residency is your time to get ready for the future. By tackling these steps now, you’ll walk into your first day as a resident, prepared for anything that comes your way.
Not matching in a residency can be devasting, but understanding why it happened is the first step toward creating a stronger application for the next cycle. Here’s how you can improve your application for next time.
By taking the time to reflect on why you didn’t match, you’ll be in a much better position to match in the next cycle. It might be a setback, but it’s not a permanent decision. With the right adjustments, your dream residency is still within reach.
Still confused about Match Day 2025? Keep reading, and we’ll go through our most frequently asked questions!
You can prepare for a residency match by familiarizing yourself with the hospital offering it and reviewing related medical school material.
You should expect a ceremony where most people will be announcing the results of their residency match.
Match Day for 2025 is on March 21st.
Most grads have good chances of residency. Those who don’t match can use SOAP for residency matching.
Match Day 2025 can be a stressful experience, but it doesn’t have to be. Medical students are best off understanding what to expect so nothing catches them by surprise on Match Day. Although there will naturally be surprises and unexpected events, you’re best off letting things happen on Match Day.
If you’re worried about going unmatched, there’s no need to panic. You’ll be able to make use of SOAP to minimize your chances of going without a matched residency. All things considered, the vast majority of students have good chances of being paired with a residency on Match Day.
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