Applicants, Programs, Advisors, and all other Match 2025® participants and stakeholders:
The National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP®) decided to stop requiring that applicants enter their AAMC ID in the Registration, Ranking, and Results® (R3®) system. This change may cause operational disruptions with bulk program rank list submissions. Programs should expect more frequent manual data entry than in previous match cycles.
Thalamus Strongly Recommends:
• All applicants enter their AAMC ID in the NRMP R3 system to ensure accurate identification by programs.
• Thalamus strongly recommends programs use the AAMC ID as the primary identifier for rank list export.
To prepare and support the community through this cycle, Team Thalamus has prepared the following communication to provide further guidance to all community stakeholders.
Historical Context:
In prior seasons, all applicants were required to enter their AAMC ID when registering for the NRMP Match through the R3 system. The AAMC ID was used as a unique identifier, ensuring data integrity and protecting applicants and programs from data entry errors during the main residency Match and Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (“SOAP”).
What Has Changed?
The NRMP decided that the AAMC ID would no longer be a required data element for applicants to register in the R3 system.
Why This Matters:
When programs submit rank lists in bulk, using AAMC IDs as the unique identifier, applicants without AAMC IDs in R3 will not be found.
Programs will need to enter applicants manually by their NRMP ID (if available and known to the program) or manually search for the applicants by other data elements (e.g. first name, last name, etc.).
What You Should Do Next:
For Applicants:
- If you have already registered for the NRMP Match, log into the R3 system and manually enter your AAMC ID if it is missing. Taking this additional step will ensure programs will be able to easily locate all applicants participating in the 2025 Match® as they prepare and submit their rank lists.
- We also recommend that you add your NRMP ID to the “Personal Information” section of your MyERAS® application.
- Double-check that your AAMC ID and NRMP ID listed in both systems are correct.
For Residency Programs:
- Share this information with all your applicants to ensure they add their AAMC ID to the NRMP R3 system. If programs are concerned that contacting applicants about this matter may constitute a Match violation, they should contact the NRMP for guidance.
For Medical School Advisors:
- Share this information with your students to ensure they add their AAMC ID to the NRMP R3 system.
What is Thalamus Doing to Support the Community?
Thalamus is committed to ensuring a seamless process for all applicants and programs. To mitigate these data integrity risks, we have implemented the following:
- Thalamus, in collaboration with our strategic collaborators at the AAMC, is actively messaging updates and mitigation steps to community stakeholders.
- Programs using Thalamus to manage their rank lists will now be able to export their rank list by NRMP ID (as well as AAMC ID).
- The Thalamus customer experience team has created user guides to help programs prepare their rank list for export from Thalamus and import to R3.
Should My Program Use AAMC ID or NRMP ID as the Identifier for Rank List Export?
Thalamus strongly recommends programs use the AAMC ID as the primary identifier for rank list export.
Thalamus includes AAMC IDs for all applicants using the Electronic Residency Application Service® (ERAS®) (or other application systems), and these values are verified and validated in our system.
Thalamus also includes NRMP IDs entered by applicants into their MyERAS application. This value is manually entered by applicants, and we cannot verify that the NRMP ID data is accurate and/or free from error.
Should your program wish to use NRMP ID as the identifier for rank list creation, please double-check the data to ensure your rank list remains accurate as you work towards final submission in R3.
How Will this Impact Our Usual Rank List Submission Experience as a Program?
When uploading your applicants into the NRMP R3 system, you will receive an error message if their AAMC IDs are missing in R3.
Similar R3 error messages will occur when uploading applicants whose NRMP IDs are missing from ERAS.
In both cases, programs receiving error messages will need to manually search for their applicants by other data elements (e.g. first name, last name, etc.). Be aware that this may lead to identity confusion! Please verify that your applicants are correct as they may have similar names or other comparable data elements to applicants who may or may not have applied to your program and/or specialty.
Need Assistance?
Thalamus is here to support programs using our rank list tools and other native Thalamus features. All data in Thalamus is — and will remain — up to date as applicants make changes in the MyERAS application. We will also fully support specialties using Thalamus products in addition to other application systems. Thalamus is unable to troubleshoot missing or inaccurate data in the NRMP’s R3 system.
If you have any questions regarding missing AAMC and/or NRMP IDs, or other questions regarding the R3 system, please contact NRMP support at:
📞 Phone: 866-653-6767
📧 Email: support@nrmp.org
By taking proactive steps, we can work together to mitigate these identifier issues and ensure a smooth Match experience for all involved. We wish applicants and programs the best of luck in the upcoming Match!
Team Thalamus