Pre match contracts and unfilled positions

[Auvelity]

Ok. So I have several friends that actually got pre-match contracts in program that were participating during this ERAS season. So, how is that working? I though they had the all-in or out kind of policy.
Although curiously enough, some of those programs appeared with some positions "unfilled" after SOAP, but, in our attempts to email them with interest with those positions still unfilled they sent us email saying "all positions are filled, bye"
with no intent of watching the world burn but, might be possible some programs are filling with pre-match offers before and they place them as "unfilled". And then SOAP except for those programs who actually didn't fill had less spots than what we thought they had. Because those spots were given outside the match.
Anyways, Since my plan is to match next season and I've seen a lot of you guys and people close to me get stuck in SOAP. How many virgins would we need to sacrifice in order to secure a pre-match offer?

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[Noisewater-TDX]

I'm not even in med school yet but I asked a director where I work as a nurse if preferences are given to people who are well known to the program... Such as a nurse who worked with the attendings and residents for years.

He just smiled and said "it might get you an interview," and walked off. A pre-match contract sure would be nice in a few years.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Not 100% certain what you're asking / describing.

Programs are required to be "all in" or "all out" with the NRMP. If a program is "all out", then they fill all of their spots with pre-matches, or then with unfilled spots after the match. Nothing would be in the main match nor in SOAP. But they would use ERAS -- nothing stops an "all out" programs from using ERAS, which is separate from the NRMP.

So:

If your friends pre-matched to programs that were not participating in the NRMP match, but then had some spots listed post-SOAP (which includes spots not in SOAP at all, if a program says they are not participating in SOAP), then all is fine. That's just the way it is.

If your friends pre-matched into programs that then did participate in the match, that's a match violation. And it leaves you in an interesting position, because you could be a whistleblower. If you alert the NRMP, all sorts of things might happen. Including those people losing their pre-match spots. Or the program could be removed from the match for some period of time. Might you somehow get a spot there out of this? Seems unlikely, although I guess possible.

 

[Auvelity]

Not 100% certain what you're asking / describing.

Programs are required to be "all in" or "all out" with the NRMP. If a program is "all out", then they fill all of their spots with pre-matches, or then with unfilled spots after the match. Nothing would be in the main match nor in SOAP. But they would use ERAS -- nothing stops an "all out" programs from using ERAS, which is separate from the NRMP.

So:

If your friends pre-matched to programs that were not participating in the NRMP match, but then had some spots listed post-SOAP (which includes spots not in SOAP at all, if a program says they are not participating in SOAP), then all is fine. That's just the way it is.

If your friends pre-matched into programs that then did participate in the match, that's a match violation. And it leaves you in an interesting position, because you could be a whistleblower. If you alert the NRMP, all sorts of things might happen. Including those people losing their pre-match spots. Or the program could be removed from the match for some period of time. Might you somehow get a spot there out of this? Seems unlikely, although I guess possible.

Thanks for the answer. I wouldn't say anything or report because that would be like closing another door I might want to have open for myself. I just think it's kinda sad that, some people go to SOAP thinking they can try and aspire to get a position that might not even be there. Wasting a few of their limited 45 programs try on programs that had been filled before the match even happens. When they could use those tries in programs that are actually unfilled and that they might have at least a chance. I think the end point would be avoid SOAP at all costs.


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[NotAProgDirector]

Actually, that can't be the whole explanation.

Let's say I have 10 spots, and let's say I've decided to "cheat" and offer 2 pre-matches and try to fill 8 spots in the match. What I would do is set my quota in the match to 8. If those spots didn't all fill, then I'd still have open slots in SOAP or afterwards.

I can't prematch 2 and then set my quota to 10, and then decide not to fill the last two slots -- because I could get all 10 in the match, and then end up with 12 people.

The only possible way I could see this working is if I know that I ALWAYS end up with at least 5 open spots after my match attempt for 10. In that case, I could prematch 2, put all 10 spots in the match. Then, when I fill 5, I really only have 3 more to go. This is playing with fire, though -- if I happen to match all 10, it's going to be an interesting problem. The only way it helps me is by hiding the fact that I've prematched people

 

[Auvelity]

Actually, that can't be the whole explanation.

Let's say I have 10 spots, and let's say I've decided to "cheat" and offer 2 pre-matches and try to fill 8 spots in the match. What I would do is set my quota in the match to 8. If those spots didn't all fill, then I'd still have open slots in SOAP or afterwards.

I can't prematch 2 and then set my quota to 10, and then decide not to fill the last two slots -- because I could get all 10 in the match, and then end up with 12 people.

The only possible way I could see this working is if I know that I ALWAYS end up with at least 5 open spots after my match attempt for 10. In that case, I could prematch 2, put all 10 spots in the match. Then, when I fill 5, I really only have 3 more to go. This is playing with fire, though -- if I happen to match all 10, it's going to be an interesting problem. The only way it helps me is by hiding the fact that I've prematched people

Oh i see. Well it makes sense why most programs don't do that anymore. Thanks for the answer!

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