Navigating the 2025 SOAP Process: Key Changes and How Thalamus Supports Programs and Applicants

The Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP)® is a crucial part of the residency Match process, providing unmatched applicants an opportunity to secure residency positions in unfilled programs. With the 2025 Match cycle, the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP)® has introduced two significant changes to SOAP, impacting how programs identify and prioritize applicants.

Thalamus is here to support the community through these transitions. This season, Thalamus has introduced a novel “SOAP Mode,” to ensure a seamless and efficient process.

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What’s Changing in the 2025 SOAP Process?

This year, the NRMP has made two critical changes to SOAP that affect how residency programs navigate the process:

1. NRMP Will Not Report SOAP Eligibility
   A significant change this year is that the NRMP will no longer provide direct reporting on SOAP-eligible applicants. In previous cycles, programs could easily identify SOAP-eligible candidates through NRMP-provided lists to the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS)®. This year, programs must manually determine applicant SOAP eligibility within the R3 system. This adds an extra step to the process, requiring program leadership to verify each applicant’s eligibility before proceeding with SOAP offers.
2. AAMC ID is No Longer a Required Field in the NRMP’s R3 System
   In previous cycles, the AAMC ID was a required field in the NRMP’s R3 system, helping programs cross-reference SOAP applicants between both systems when building their rank lists. This year, the NRMP has removed this requirement. While applicants may still provide their AAMC ID, it is no longer a mandatory part of their profile in the R3 system. NRMP ID has and remains an optional field in ERAS. So, for the first time this year, programs may need to search for applicants by other data elements (e.g. first name, last name, etc.) to identify applicants across application platforms, including other 3^rd-party application systems this season. For more information, see our previous blog posts on Important Changes to the Program Rank List Submission for the 2025 Match.

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How Thalamus is Expanding Program Support for the 2025 SOAP Process.

To help programs navigate these changes, Thalamus has introduced a dedicated “SOAP Mode,” designed to optimize and simplify the SOAP process. For programs new to Thalamus, we have a decade-long history of supporting programs participating in SOAP.

AllThalamus features in Core and Cortex that were available during the main residency match process, will also be available during SOAP!

New for 2025: Thalamus’s Novel SOAP Mode

All residency programs, whether participating in ERAS or not, will have access to a novel “SOAP Mode” built into their existing 2024-2025 Residency Season in Thalamus. This will automatically be enabled for all residency programs regardless of their SOAP participation status. Programs do not have to reach out to Thalamus to activate the new SOAP Mode, as in previous years.

All features that were active for programs during their main season, will remain enabled for SOAP.

-      For ERAS Participating Programs, this includes complimentary access to Thalamus Core and ItineraryWizard.

-      For those subscribing programs, including those purchasing add-ons, Cortex and Thalamus Video will remain available for those with an active subscription. Cerebellum is not available during SOAP.

Cortex, Thalamus tech-assisted, holistic application review and screening tool will remain available for programs during SOAP (for those with an active subscription). Programs that used Cortex during the main season will be able to toggle on a SOAP filter to view their applicants within Cortex. Programs interested in purchasing Cortex can email sales@thalamusgme.com for information.

Authorizing Applicants from PDWS

Programs will be able to authorize their applicants from the Program Director’s WorkStation (PDWS) to Thalamus Core or Cortex from within the PDWS (identical to the regular recruitment season).

-      Thalamus guide: Import applicants into Thalamus Core

-      Thalamus guide: Import applicants into Cortex

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The Program Director’s WorkStation (PDWS)  will be unavailable from 7:30 a.m. ET on Monday,  March 17 until 8 a.m. ET on Tuesday, March 18. Unfilled programs may begin reviewing residency applications on Tuesday, March 18  at 8 a.m. ET. Applicant data may be authorized/transferred into Thalamus as applications become available at that time. The complete SOAP schedule can be viewed on the ERAS/AAMC and NRMP websites.

Thalamus Training for SOAP 2025

Team Thalamus provided multiple training sessions for SOAP 2025 via Zoom. For those unable to make it, this session on SOAP Mode, as well as additional user guides and video tutorials are available in the Thalamus Knowledge Base.

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Final Thoughts

The 2025 SOAP cycle brings new complexities, but with the right preparation and tools, programs can efficiently navigate the process. Thalamus is committed to supporting your residency program and applicants with innovative solutions that simplify application screening/review, interview management and decision-making.

We wish everyone the best of luck this Match Week!

Team Thalamus

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