does anyone know the official story with thank you letters? contacting programs? phone calls made on your behalf?
ACAPS has the rules on their website. They are very strict concerning contact with the program after the match.
As for thank-you notes, they're nice but they don't matter. My chief doesn't even read his. We have our list made up the end of the last day of interviews. Applicants may move up or down depending on what we can find out after the interview as we call all program directors/chiefs and some of the people who wrote letters of recommendation.
--M
Independent Residency Matching Rules Agreement
American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons
Adopted changes to the existing SF Match agreement are in bold in the text below-
Matching Rules
The Matching Process was developed to allow applicants to Residency and Fellowship training
to visit and evaluate various training programs in a systematic fashion without the pressure of
being asked for a commitment before the evaluation process is completed. At the conclusion of
their evaluation process, applicants can rank programs in a confidential fashion with the
opportunity to match to the best available program.
These rules were prepared to ensure the integrity of the Matching process. Violations may well
result in loss of opportunity for both applicants and programs to achieve the best possible
match. If one becomes aware of violations of these rules, they should be reported to the SF
Match Office. All reports regarding violations will be kept confidential. Violations of these
rules by program directors or faculty may result in penalty actions regarding participation in
the Matching process.
Rules for Program Directors:
Post interview communication Policy
The use of second look interviews in preparation for the plastic surgery residency
match is prohibited. There will be NO communication between faculty and applicants
after the interview except for faculty communicating with their own advisees. There
can be no unsolicited contact from anyone in the program to the applicant except the
coordinator needing missing information for the application. Contact with the
residents in a program can only be initiated by the applicant. The content of the
communication can under no circumstances address the applicant's desirability by
the program, their ranking, etc. The Program Director is responsible for
disseminating this Policy within the Program.
Appointments
The participating programs agree not to make any appointments prior to the match. Positions
that remain vacant after the match may be filled by direct negotiation between program
directors and applicants. These positions may be listed on the Vacancy Information System.
Confidential Ranking Lists
All ranking lists are confidential. The matching program will not reveal how any applicant
ranked any program, nor how any program ranked any applicant.
Statements of Intent
If made, such statements must be unilateral, voluntary, and unconditional. Neither party may
ask the other for a commitment. A statement like: "I will rank you first if you rank me first" is
against the matching rules. A statement like: "You are among the best programs/applicants I
have seen so far; I appreciate meeting you regardless of how you will rank me" is permitted.
Binding Commitment
Both the program and the applicant formally commit to accepting a position with any one of
the rank choices listed. Both parties are bound by the results of the match. However, an
applicants actual entry into the training program (and continuation in it) is contingent upon
satisfactory completion of the prerequisite training, any special requirements the program may
have stated explicitly for all applicants and satisfactory performance during training.
Rules for Applicants:
Match participants make the following binding agreement:
 I am solely responsible for the choices on my rank list and for the match outcome
resulting for those choices.
 I understand that no participating training program has the right to require that I state
how I shall rank that program on my confidential rank list, nor do I have a right to
demand that any program inform me how it plans to rank me.
 I understand that I cannot avoid accepting an appointment to which I have been
matched without a written release from the ACAPS Match Grievance Committee. I
also understand that another program cannot offer a position to me unless I have this
release. I understand that releases are not automatic and my actions may be
challenged.
 By submitting a rank list, both the applicants choices and the program directors
choices make the match result a binding commitment. However; Any offer made is
contingent upon satisfactory completion of the prerequisite training as generally
required and special requirements if specified by a particular training program;
 If I obtain a position in this match, I will withdraw from all other matches in postgraduate
medicine that compete and conflict with this match. I agree that Match
results may be sent other formal matching programs as notice of action under their
respective rules.
 I declare that I have no obligations (e.g. military) which might prevent me from
accepting a position if offered;
 I authorize SF Match the use any information I have provided in any study approved
by SF Match, provided that no information clearly and uniquely identifies me is
disclosed in reports resulting from such a study.
Violations
Observed violations of the matching rules and appeals to break a match agreement must be
reported to the SF Match Director or the ACAPS President. All reports of match violations
will be investigated and penalties will be assigned at the discretion of ACAPS.
The Current ACAPS President will serve as the Violations Administrator. The ACAPS
Match Grievance Committee will in addition consist of the ACAPS Past President
(who will serve as Committee Chair), the ACAPS President Elect, the three ACAPS
Vice Presidents, and the Chair of the ACAPS Residency Selection Committee.
Sanctions:
Validated violations will be reported to the RRC for investigation and possible
citations. All validated violations will be announced at the next ACAPS meeting.
If an Independent Residency Program offers a position outside the Match to a
candidate registered for the Match, the Program may not participate in the
Independent Match the following year.
If unusual circumstances result in an Independent Residency Program
attempting to fill a vacancy by offering the position to candidate matched elsewhere,
the Grievance Committee must be notified. The Grievance Committee will arbitrate
the decision to allow an exception to the Match Rules. If a Program does not comply
with this process, the Program will not be allowed to participate in the Independent
Match the following year.