2026 NRMP SOAP · Complete Guide
SOAP Strategy Guide 2026
The Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program is the NRMP's system for filling unfilled residency positions in Match Week. This guide covers the exact 2026 schedule, the four offer rounds, what programmes are actually deciding, how to handle competing offers, and when to accept versus hold out — all built on NRMP and AAMC primary documents.
Updated 12 May 2026 · For the 2026 NRMP Match (SOAP 16-19 March 2026)
The exact 2026 SOAP schedule
| Day & Time (ET) | Event |
|---|---|
| Mon 16 Mar, 10:00am | Match status email released to all applicants |
| Mon 16 Mar, 11:00am | SOAP applicants can begin preparing applications; list of programmes with unfilled positions released |
| Tue 17 Mar, 8:00am | Programmes begin reviewing SOAP applications; SOAP interviews begin |
| Wed 19 Mar, 9:00-11:00am | SOAP Round 1 — first wave of offers |
| Wed 19 Mar, 12:00-2:00pm | SOAP Round 2 — unfilled positions and declined offers |
| Wed 19 Mar, 3:00-5:00pm | SOAP Round 3 — narrower pool |
| Wed 19 Mar, 6:00-8:00pm | SOAP Round 4 — final round |
| Wed 19 Mar, 9:00pm | SOAP ends |
| Fri 20 Mar, 12:00pm | Match Day — all matched applicants notified |
How the four offer rounds work
Each round, programmes send offers to applicants on their preference list — a ranked list the programme builds from your SOAP application and interview. You have a fixed window per round (typically the two-hour round itself) to accept or decline. You can hold one offer at a time. If you decline or do not respond, the offer goes to the next applicant on the programme's list.
The cohort thins out across the four rounds. Most programmes that intend to fill via SOAP fill in Rounds 1 and 2; Rounds 3 and 4 are smaller, often with positions that are harder to evaluate for fit (sole-physician programmes, very small programmes, preliminary positions). The decision calculus changes by round:
- Round 1. If you receive an offer from a programme you would have ranked in the Main Match, accept. The conversion rate of "decline to wait for a better offer" is poor in Round 1 because the better offers have not appeared yet.
- Round 2. Roughly comparable to Round 1. If you have an offer from a fit programme, accept. If your only offer is significantly below your bar, this is the highest-confidence round to decline and hold for Rounds 3-4.
- Round 3. Smaller pool. Programmes still offering at Round 3 are usually programmes that did not fill from their preferred candidates. Acceptance criteria should shift to "can I make a year at this programme work" rather than "is this programme my ideal".
- Round 4. Last call. The strategic question is "preliminary year or PGY-1 categorical at a programme I would not have ranked" versus "research year and reapply for 2027". Decline at Round 4 means committing to no PGY-1 position this year.
What programmes are actually deciding
Programme directors reviewing SOAP applications are making three decisions in parallel: (1) is this applicant credibly going to be a safe PGY-1 resident from day one, (2) is the specialty rationale honest or opportunistic, and (3) is the applicant likely to stay through the residency or leave to reapply for a categorical position elsewhere next year. The published Step 2 CK score (which became the primary numeric input after Step 1 went pass-fail in 2022, with the pass threshold raised from 214 to 218 in July 2025) is the fastest signal for the first question. The personal statement is the primary signal for the second and third.
The PS rewrite that works under that constraint is structurally different from the Main Match PS. Lead with current commitment and a specific clinically relevant experience. Acknowledge the non-match in one neutral sentence, if at all. Pivot to concrete growth — what you did between results and SOAP. Close with what you bring on day one. The full mechanics of the rewrite are on the SOAP personal statement service page.
SOAP interviews
Programmes schedule SOAP interviews with very little notice — often less than 24 hours, sometimes less than two hours. Most are 15-30 minutes by video, single interviewer or a panel of 2-3. The format is transactional: programmes are confirming you are who your application says you are, that you can articulate a coherent reason for SOAPing into their specialty, and that you would not be a culture-fit risk in their residency.
The most-asked SOAP interview question is some variant of "why this specialty now". Practise this answer specifically. Programmes will not be persuaded by a long career narrative; they want a short, concrete reason that is consistent with the rest of your application. The second-most-asked is some variant of "what would you do differently next time" — answer this with one specific, structural change you have already begun (Step 2 CK rewrite, research output, specialty-specific clinical experience, a stronger LoR pipeline), not with abstract resolutions about "working harder".
If SOAP does not land
Roughly two-thirds of SOAP applicants match through SOAP. The third who do not have several structured paths:
- Late-cycle non-SOAP openings. Programmes occasionally fill late-cycle positions outside the SOAP framework — particularly preliminary medicine or transitional-year positions. Check the FREIDA database and individual programme websites in the weeks after SOAP.
- Research-year structuring for 2027. A structured research year with one or more publications dramatically improves reapplicant outcomes. Reapplicants with concrete improvements match at 70-80%; reapplicants who repeat the same application with cosmetic changes match at 50-60%.
- Observership / clinical experience for IMGs. Critical for the 2027 application — strong USCE LoRs are the highest-leverage thing an IMG can build in the gap year.
- Alternative career routes. Medical writing, clinical research, regulatory affairs, public health, policy. These are real careers, not consolation prizes, and many former applicants in these roles earn comparably to community residency salaries with better hours.
Full reapplication framework on the did-not-match landing and the reapplication personal statement page.
Frequently asked
What is SOAP?
SOAP — the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program — is the NRMP's system for filling unfilled residency positions in Match Week. Applicants who did not match in the Main Match and who are eligible can apply to programmes with unfilled positions across four offer rounds. Roughly 2,000-2,500 unfilled positions go through SOAP each year, with the largest specialty cohorts being family medicine, internal medicine, paediatrics, and emergency medicine. SOAP runs across Match Week, with the offer rounds concentrated on the Wednesday.
What is the exact 2026 SOAP schedule?
Monday 16 March 2026: Match status email at 10am ET; SOAP applicants can begin preparing applications at 11am ET; the list of programmes with unfilled positions is released. Tuesday 17 March 2026: programme review of SOAP applications begins at 8am ET. Wednesday 19 March 2026: SOAP offer rounds — Round 1 9-11am ET, Round 2 12-2pm ET, Round 3 3-5pm ET, Round 4 6-8pm ET. SOAP ends at 9pm ET on 19 March. Match Day for matched applicants is Friday 20 March 2026 at 12pm ET.
Who is eligible for SOAP?
Applicants who registered for the Main Match, were partially or fully unmatched, are eligible to begin residency training in 2026, and meet NRMP eligibility requirements. ECFMG certification is required for IMGs. Some specialties have additional SOAP-eligibility constraints (e.g. preliminary positions, transitional years). Check the NRMP's 2026 Match Participation Agreement for specifics.
How does an offer round actually work?
Each round, programmes send offers to applicants on their preference list (which they build from your SOAP application). You have a fixed window — typically two hours — to accept or decline. You can hold one offer at a time. If you decline or do not respond, the offer goes to the next applicant on the programme's preference list. Most programmes fill within Rounds 1-2; later rounds are smaller and more constrained.
Should I accept the first offer I get?
Depends on which round and which programme. The decision framework: would you have ranked this programme on your Main Match list if it had been an option? If yes, accept — there is no guarantee you will get a comparable offer in a later round. If no, the strategic calculation is whether you would rather take a position that is below your bar (with the option to leave after PGY-1 and reapply for a categorical position) or stay unmatched and pursue research-year / non-clinical / 2027 reapplication routes. There is no universally right answer.
How do programmes evaluate SOAP applications?
Quickly. Programme directors are reviewing dozens to hundreds of SOAP applications between 8am Tuesday and 8pm Wednesday. The decision is usually made on: (1) Step 2 CK score (matters more than ever post-Step-1-pass-fail), (2) speciality fit — is the applicant a credible fit for this programme's specialty, (3) red-flag handling — does the PS address the non-match maturely, (4) letters of recommendation (if available — many SOAP applicants do not have specialty-matched LoRs for a different specialty), (5) interview performance in the 15-30 minute SOAP interview slots scheduled across Tuesday and Wednesday.
What about SOAP interviews?
Programmes schedule SOAP interviews with very little notice — often less than 24 hours, sometimes less than 2 hours. Format is typically 15-30 minutes, single interviewer or panel of 2-3, by video. The decisions are transactional: programmes are confirming you are who your application says you are, that you can articulate a coherent reason for SOAPing into their specialty, and that you would not be a culture-fit risk in their residency. Practise the "why this specialty now" answer specifically — it is the most-asked SOAP interview question.
Can I SOAP into a different specialty than I originally applied to?
Yes. Many SOAP matches are cross-specialty — applicants who applied to competitive specialties in the Main Match commonly SOAP into family medicine, internal medicine, paediatrics, or transitional years. The PS needs to address the specialty pivot directly; programmes know the context and would rather hear an honest specialty rationale than a manufactured one.
What if I do not get an offer through SOAP?
Several paths: preliminary positions filled after SOAP closes (occasionally programmes fill late), research-year structuring for a 2027 reapplication, observership / clinical experience for IMGs, alternative pharmacy / medical careers. Pharmacist Support equivalents in the medical context are the AAMC's guidance for unsuccessful applicants and the AMA's SOAP-survivor resources. The reapplication route is structured and works for many applicants — see our /did-not-match-residency page for the 48-hour decision framework.