From Rank List Certification to Match Week: What You Can and Can’t Say

The fastest way to get in trouble during Match season is to say the wrong thing at the wrong time.

If you do not understand what you can and cannot say from rank list certification through Match Week, you are gambling with NRMP violations. And your future.

Let me walk you through this by date. What you should be doing. What you can safely say. What must stay in your head and out of your mouth (and inbox).

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Big Picture: What Changes After Rank List Certification

Before we get granular, anchor yourself on the core rules that apply throughout this period:

• The Match is a binding commitment for both sides.
• No one is allowed to ask for or require a verbal or written commitment outside the Match.
• You are allowed to express interest.
• You are not allowed to:
  • Ask programs how they will rank you.
  • Pressure programs for promises.
  • Make or accept “if you rank us #1, we will rank you highly” deals.
  • Sign any contract that starts before you match (rare corner cases aside).

NRMP looks very hard at post-interview communications and Match Week behavior. “Everyone does it” is not a defense. They have an anonymous violation reporting system, and people use it.

Now, timeline.

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Stage 1: Rank List Final Week (T–7 to T–0 Days Before Rank List Deadline)

At this point you should be:

• Finalizing your rank list order
• Cleaning up your email communications
• Stopping yourself from sending desperate “please rank me higher” messages

What You Can Say To Programs

Emails before the certification deadline are the safest window for honest expressions of interest, as long as you do not cross the line into barter.

You can say things like:

• “I really enjoyed my interview at your program and could see myself training there.”
• “Your program is one of my top choices.”
• “I plan to rank your program highly.”
• If it is 100% true and final: “I will be ranking your program #1.”

You cannot:

• Ask: “Where will you rank me?”
• Say: “If you rank me to match, I will rank you #1.”
• Respond to: “If you rank us #1, we will rank you high enough to match” with anything affirming that bargain.

If a PD or APD hints at that kind of deal, the correct move is to pivot:

“I really appreciate your enthusiasm and interest. I understand NRMP policy and will be submitting my rank list based on overall fit.”

Boring. Safe. Correct.

What Programs Can Say (and How You Should Respond)

Programs play games here. I have seen all of these:

• “You are ranked to match.”
• “We are very interested in having you here.”
• “We hope to see you in July.”
• “We will rank you very highly.”

Legally, they are not allowed to require you to tell them how you will rank them, and they are not supposed to make binding commitments. But they will still send vague “we like you” emails.

You should:

• Take any “we’re ranking you high” communication as a nice sentiment, not a guarantee.
• Avoid replying with specific rank positions unless you truly mean it and are comfortable with that ethically.

If you do reply, stay general:

• “Thank you so much for the update. I am very excited about your program and appreciate the time you spent with me on interview day.”

No negotiating. No “then I’ll rank you #1.”

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Stage 2: Rank List Certification Day (Deadline Day)

At this point you should:

• Lock your list. Double check. Then stop touching it.
• Capture a screenshot or printout of your certified list with date/time.
• Stop sending any email that could be interpreted as negotiation.

Once the rank list deadline passes, the game board is frozen. The algorithm does not care about any email, text, call, or letter after this point.

After Certification: What Still Matters

Even though your rank list is locked, NRMP professionalism rules still apply until the Match is completely over:

• You may not:

  • Try to withdraw or alter the Match result with side deals.
  • Encourage a program to circumvent the Match.
  • Agree to start somewhere else instead of your matched position if you later learn where you matched (yes, that happens with SOAP leaks).

• You may:

  • Send “thank you again” notes if you really want to.
  • Stay silent. Honestly, preferable in many cases.

Functionally, once your list is certified, anything you say about rank order is just noise. It cannot change the outcome. It can only create documentation that might bite you if there is a dispute.

So: hit submit, confirm certification, walk away.

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Stage 3: After Rank List Deadline → Pre-Match Week (Dead Space Week)

At this point you should:

• Shift mental energy away from programs and toward logistics: housing research, budget planning, graduation requirements.
• Stop rehashing your ranking with every classmate and group chat.

Programs are doing the same. Their lists are locked too.

What You Can and Can’t Say Publicly

During this wait period you may feel tempted to “hint” where you ranked programs in social media posts, group chats, or email threads with residents.

Technically you can talk about your own rank intentions to peers, but:

• Do not:
  • Post any “I ranked Program X #1!” on open social media, especially tagging programs.
  • Write anything that could be screenshot and sent to a PD implying quid pro quo.
• Do:
  • Keep those conversations off platforms where your full name is visible.
  • Assume anything you write in a large group chat is not private.

NRMP cares most about commitments and pressure between applicants and programs, not your friend group. But sloppy public posts turn into headaches if a program feels misled or exposed.

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Key Communication Risks by Match Phase

Category	Value
Pre-certification	8
Post-certification	5
Match Week	9

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Stage 4: Match Week – Monday (Did I Match?)

Monday 11:00 AM ET: The email hits. You know if you matched, but not where.

At this point you should:

• If you matched:

  • Take a breath. Your position is locked somewhere on your list.
  • You do not contact programs to fish for information. It is pointless and frowned upon.

• If you did not match:

  • Immediately switch gears into SOAP mode.
  • Strictly follow your school advisor or dean’s office guidance. SOAP has its own rules and they are not optional.

What You Can Say on Monday

If you matched:

• To friends/family:

  • “I matched!” is fine.
  • “I matched somewhere on my list” is fine.
  • Do not pretend you know where yet. You do not.

• To programs:

  • You do not need to say anything.
  • Do not email programs asking if they know where you matched. They do not know either.

If you did not match (now entering SOAP):

You are now under SOAP and NRMP Match Participation Agreement rules. These are tighter:

• You cannot:
  • Contact non-SOAP programs to hunt for backdoor positions.
  • Promote yourself to any program outside the ERAS SOAP system.
  • Have your dean or mentor call their buddy at another hospital to “slide you in.”

Every year someone loses a spot or gets a violation because an overzealous mentor “just made a phone call.” Do not be that story.

You can:

• Use official SOAP channels for communication with programs that have unfilled positions.
• Talk privately with advisors about strategy and specialty changes.

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Stage 5: Match Week – Tuesday to Thursday (SOAP in Progress)

If you matched, these days are boring on purpose. That is good.

At this point you should (if matched):

• Keep your head down. Finish rotations. Stay out of SOAP job-hunting spaces.
• Do not email programs with “I hope I matched with you” messages.
  • It is needy, and again, irrelevant. Output is already determined.

If you are in SOAP:

• Only communicate through approved methods/platforms (ERAS, official calls).
• You are allowed to:
  • Express interest in SOAP interviews.
  • Ask about program features, support, call schedule, etc.
• You are not allowed to:
  • Negotiate for information about where they might rank you in SOAP.
  • Agree to any side agreement to bypass SOAP or the Match.

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Timeline From Rank List to Match Week

Period	Event
Rank List - T-7 to T-1 days	Finalize list, limited interest emails
Rank List - Deadline Day	Certify list, stop negotiating
Waiting - Post-deadline week	No rank changes, quiet period
Match Week - Mon AM	Learn if matched
Match Week - Mon-Thu	SOAP for unmatched
Match Week - Fri	Match Day announcement

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Stage 6: Match Week – Friday Morning (You Learn Where You Matched)

Now the fun part.

At this point you should:

• Open your email or envelope on time.
• Celebrate like a human being.
• Then, within a reasonable window, send a short, professional note to your new program.

What You Can Say Once the Results Are Out

Once the Match results are public for you:

You can and should send something simple to your matched program:

• “I am thrilled to have matched at [Program Name] and am excited to join your team in July. Thank you for this opportunity.”

You can:

• Post on social media: “Excited to share that I matched into [Specialty] at [Program]!”
• Share Match results with mentors, letter writers, and advisors.

You still cannot:

• Trash other programs publicly.
• Accuse specific programs by name of unethical behavior unless you are prepared to file a formal complaint with the NRMP or your school. Vent privately, not on Twitter.

Your Match result is now binding. You may not:

• Try to back out because you “changed your mind” or a later opportunity appears.
• Negotiate with another program for a PGY-1 spot that would conflict with your Match position, unless you go through the NRMP waiver process (which is not guaranteed).

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What About Programs: What They Can and Can’t Say

You are not the only one with rules. Programs have constraints too.

From rank list certification through Match Week, programs:

• Cannot:

  • Ask you to reveal your rank list.
  • Ask you to pledge that you will rank them first.
  • Tell you “if you rank us #1, you are guaranteed to match here.”
  • Ask you to sign a contract before Match results are released that commits you to them in lieu of the Match.

• Can:

  • Express that they are very interested in you.
  • Send thanks after interviews.
  • Celebrate openly with you once the Match is official.

If a program crosses the line:

• Save the email or message.
• Talk to your dean, student affairs, or advisor.
• If it is serious, you or your school can contact NRMP.

The NRMP takes program violations seriously because they threaten the integrity of the whole system. Residents remember and report this stuff.

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Situation	Safe Phrase	Risky / Violating Phrase
Pre-certification interest	"I will rank your program highly."	"If you rank me to match, I will rank you #1."
Program expresses enthusiasm	"We are very interested in you."	"We guarantee you will match here."
Post-certification communication	"Thank you again for the interview."	"Can you tell me how high I am on your list?"
SOAP outreach	Contact via ERAS only	Cold emailing non-SOAP programs for positions
Post-Match celebration	"Thrilled to join your program."	"I turned down another offer to come here."

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Practical Communication Templates by Phase

To keep this painfully clear, here are “at this point you should…” templates you can adapt.

1. Late Pre-Certification “Top Choice” Email

Use sparingly, ideally for your true #1 only.

Subject: Thank you

Dear Dr. [Last Name],

Thank you again for the opportunity to interview at [Program Name]. After much thought, I have decided to rank [Program Name] as my first choice. I was particularly impressed by [specific detail: resident camaraderie, curriculum feature, research track, etc.], and I believe your program is an excellent fit for my training goals in [specialty].

Sincerely,
[Your Name], MS4

This is allowed. It is a one-way expression of your ranking. No bargaining.

2. Neutral Post-Interview Appreciation (Any Time Before Deadline)

Dear Dr. [Last Name],

I appreciated the opportunity to interview at [Program Name]. The experience confirmed my strong interest in your program, and I plan to rank it highly. Thank you again for your time and for the warm welcome from your residents and faculty.

Best regards,
[Your Name]

Still safe. No conditions. No asking about their list.

3. Post-Match “Excited to Join You” Email

Send this on Friday after you see your result.

Subject: Excited to join [Program Name]

Dear Dr. [Last Name],

I am thrilled to have matched into [Specialty] at [Program Name]. I am very excited to join your team this July and look forward to contributing to the program and learning from your faculty and residents.

Thank you again for the opportunity.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

Clean. Professional. Enough.

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The Quiet Rules No One Says Out Loud

A few final, blunt truths I have watched unfold:

• Programs often exaggerate how high you are on their list. Assume flattery, not facts.
• Applicants sometimes lie about ranking programs #1. NRMP will not police that unless it is tied to coercion or side deals, but it destroys trust.
• Over-emailing after interviews almost never helps you. It just risks crossing lines.
• The algorithm does not care who “promised” what. Only rank lists matter.

Your safest strategy:

• Rank programs in your true order of preference.
• Say less, and when you speak, stick to positivity about your interest, not negotiation about their list.
• Once your rank list is certified, quit trying to control what you cannot control.

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Core Takeaways

1. Before rank list certification, you may express interest (even “you are my #1”) but you may not barter or ask where you sit on their list.
2. After certification, nothing you say can change the algorithm, but you can still violate rules by negotiating, pressuring, or trying to bypass the Match/SOAP.
3. During Match Week, focus on either SOAP (if unmatched) or professionalism and logistics (if matched); save the enthusiastic, clear communication for Friday when your result is official and binding.