Career Planning > The Residency Application Process > Advanced Match Programs

Advanced Match Programs

Overview

These specialties match in January or early February and are considered advanced match programs because students apply to these programs in their senior year but do not begin the program until the second year of residency training (PGY-2). Most of these programs require students to apply to one-year residency programs (preliminary or transitional) separately.

Programs participating in the Advanced Matching Program are:

• Neurological Surgery
• Neurology
• Ophthalmology
• Child Neurology
• Urology

Information and applications: Information for the first five listed specialties (everything except urology) can be downloaded at www.sfmatch.org. Be sure to follow the CAS Instruction Manual for specific details regarding the application process. Information regarding urology programs and the application process can be found at www.auanet.org/residents/.

Ophthalmology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Child Neurology
Students go through the Central Application Service (CAS) when applying for the advanced programs. Applications and information can be found at www.sfmatch.org. Students applying for advanced match programs must also register for the regular NRMP program.

Urology – American Urological Association Residency Matching Program
This is another advance matching program. Most Urology programs are using the ERAS. Many programs provide the first year of residency training for those students who match in Urology, but that first year position must be submitted through the NRMP site. Therefore, students applying to urology must also register with the NRMP. For more information about the Urology matching program go to www.auanet.org/residents/ 

Medical Student Performance Evaluations (MSPE; aka Dean's letter) are downloaded from the University Registrar's Office on November 1 and sent to the residency programs. Please provide the appropriate label to the Office of the Registrar.

Letters of recommendation: Letters of recommendation should be placed in a sealed envelope, signed by the letter writer across the seal, and returned to you. You will paperclip a label to each envelope and mail it with the rest of your CAS application. Please refer to the CAS Instruction Manual for more details (www.sfmatch.org).

Deadlines: While there are no actual deadlines posted for applying to these programs, there are TARGET DATES listed on the sfmatch website (www.sfmatch.org). Check with individual programs for actual application deadlines.

• August 26 - Neurological Surgery
• September 2 – Neurology
• September 2- Child Neurology
• September 9 – Ophthalmology

Please note: the dates listed are for the 2005 Match. Please refer to the sfmatch website for target dates for the 2006 Match.