When the NRMP Match is not a perfect one, then what? You may wish to seek a waiver.
Posted March 8th, 2024 by Dennis Abramson.
Categories: ECFMG, Healthcare Litigation, Medical Licensing, NBME, NRMP, USMLE.
As participants await their fate as part of the 2024 Main Residency Match, a question that always arises at this time is: what if I don’t, or can’t, want to train where I end up Matching? Under the NRMP Match Participation Agreement, commitments made during the matching process are legally binding. Any deviation from these commitments requires a formal waiver from the NRMP, a procedure not to be underestimated. Both applicants and programs are held accountable to these agreements, with consequences for violations. Indeed, the NRMP acknowledges the potential for unforeseen circumstances that may challenge these commitments, which is why it has developed a mechanism exists for individuals and programs to seek waivers from their Match obligations. The waiver process, however, demands a nuanced understanding of the criteria and procedures involved.
The criteria for obtaining a waiver are stringent, and generally require evidence of unanticipated, serious and extreme hardships. Matched applicants must inform their program directors before initiating a waiver request, fostering transparency and dialogue throughout the process. What one communicates to a program director and to NRMP when seeking a waiver can not only be the difference between a waiver granted and denied, but also can give rise to allegation of a Match Violation. The success of a waiver petition often hinges on the presentation of compelling evidence and adherence to procedural requirements. Engaging legal expertise can enhance the likelihood of a successful outcome, ensuring that applicants navigate the process effectively.
When representing clients in their dealings with NRMP and residency programs, our experienced attorneys have, on multiple occasions:
- Successfully obtained waivers on behalf of our clients, resulting in the client’s release from the previously binding match commitment;
- Successfully opposed waiver requests filed by residency training programs, thereby requiring the program to fulfill its match commitment and offer employment to, and train, our clients;
- Successfully overturned, by way of application for reconsideration, the approval of a waiver request granted to a program for release from a matching commitment, resulting in our client, who had previously lost their opposition to the program’s waiver request, being employed by and training with the program that sought and was initially granted the waiver;
- Successfully defended clients accused of violating the Match, including where the violation alleged originated from a program’s request for a waiver from its commitment, resulting in no finding of a Match Violation for our client; and
- Successfully defended clients who, in their own waiver requests or responses to waiver requests, made statements that caused the NRMP to make allegations of a Match Violation, resulting in no finding of a violation by our client.
If you have any questions or concerns about compliance with any NRMP policies, including with respect to seeking or opposing a request for a waiver from a binding Match Commitment or responding to Match Violation investigations, our experienced attorneys stand ready to assist.
