NRMP Violation Consequences

[7Zerp]

Hey everyone,

I'm looking to gather some collective wisdom on how the NRMP handles violation cases, especially from those who've had first-hand experience or knowledge of the process.

1. Has anyone here been through a situation where they were involved in a violation report with the NRMP?
   Whether it was a personal experience or something you've witnessed, I'm curious about what happens after the dust settles.
2. For those not honoring contracts, does the NRMP follow through on barring violators from accepting other positions? has anyone ever dealt with this?
3. There's a perception that when it comes to institutional violations, the NRMP's enforcement may not be as stringent as one would expect, particularly concerning claims of retaliation. Instead of meaningful repercussions, institutions are sometimes only labeled as "match violators." If you've encountered such scenarios, can you share your story? How do you feel about the NRMP's seriousness in handling these issues?

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[Detective SnowBucket]

Well, for starters what is an NRMP "violation"? and do programs even care? Like, honestly. I was involved in an incident where a residency program accidentally sent me a list of students that they were recording who had violated NRMP policy. Yes, you read that right. They had a list and accidentally sent it to me. They didn't even care. They never reported it to NRMP.

 

[gyngyn]

Here is what we tell our students:

https://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Violations-Policy_Ver.Aug2023.pdf

 

[WildWing]

SDN has published an article on Match waivers, which discusses violations as well:

How do I handle a waiver request with the NRMP? - SDN

The Student Doctor Network provides free tools, resources, and advising services to help students become health professionals.

www.studentdoctor.net

We also did a webinar with the author where we talked about Match issues:

Facing Problems In Your Residency Program? Q&A With A Residency Law Attorney

Wondering what you need to know to protect yourself and your career as a resident physician? SDN was joined by Greg Care to answer your questions about this ...

youtube.com

This is an older article, but talks about the Match participation agreement:

Residency Applicants Beware! Make Sure You Understand the Match Participation Agreement - SDN

The Student Doctor Network provides free tools, resources, and advising services to help students become health professionals.

www.studentdoctor.net

If you are getting accused of a Match violation or have received a waiver request, it might be time to lawyer up.

 

[mrbreakfast]

As for programs violating the match, what specific punishment would you like to see happen? Keep in mind the impact of losing a single spot for a single year - in a class of 8, for example, that probably looks like everyone losing most/all of their elective time for the duration of residency.


As for your question about personal experience or information - I doubt you'll get much here, on a physician forum, because while I do not know this for a fact, I am going to assume the percentage of people who violate the match and then eventually go on to a career in medicine is close to zero.

 

[7Zerp]

As for programs violating the match, what specific punishment would you like to see happen? Keep in mind the impact of losing a single spot for a single year - in a class of 8, for example, that probably looks like everyone losing most/all of their elective time for the duration of residency.


As for your question about personal experience or information - I doubt you'll get much here, on a physician forum, because while I do not know this for a fact, I am going to assume the percentage of people who violate the match and then eventually go on to a career in medicine is close to zero.

I was curious, if you receive an offer for another job, the NRMP policy states that one possible consequence is being barred from accepting or entering any residency for a year. Does this actually happen? Or is it just usually a 1-3 year ban from participating in the March?

 

[7Zerp]

Well, for starters what is an NRMP "violation"? and do programs even care? Like, honestly. I was involved in an incident where a residency program accidentally sent me a list of students that they were recording who had violated NRMP policy. Yes, you read that right. They had a list and accidentally sent it to me. They didn't even care. They never reported it to NRMP.

Not honoring your contract

 

[GoSpursGo]

I was curious, if you receive an offer for another job, the NRMP policy states that one possible consequence is being barred from accepting or entering any residency for a year. Does this actually happen? Or is it just usually a 1-3 year ban from participating in the March?

The NRMP can't bar you from entering a residency if you're offered a position outside the match, but they can ban you from participating in the Match and label you as a match violator. This may or may not matter to you, depending on whether you're ever going to need to apply again (ie for fellowship). And it may or may not come up when you're applying for your license post-residency.

 

[jhmmd]

The NRMP can't bar you from entering a residency if you're offered a position outside the match, but they can ban you from participating in the Match and label you as a match violator. This may or may not matter to you, depending on whether you're ever going to need to apply again (ie for fellowship). And it may or may not come up when you're applying for your license post-residency.

Yea. Accepting a position outside the match is called "scrambling" and very risky/not recommended. Would fully endorse matching and going for no match violations.

To the OP, I'm curious if there's a specific instance that you're inquiring about or just in general?

 

[7Zerp]

The NRMP can't bar you from entering a residency if you're offered a position outside the match, but they can ban you from participating in the Match and label you as a match violator. This may or may not matter to you, depending on whether you're ever going to need to apply again (ie for fellowship). And it may or may not come up when you're applying for your license post-residency.

Am I interpreting this statement wrong?

d. Being barred for one year from accepting an offer of a position or a new training year, regardless of the start date (or renewing a training contract for a position at a different level or for a subsequent year), in any residency or fellowship training program sponsored by a Match-participating institution and/or starting a position or a new training year in any program sponsored by a Match-participating institution if training would commence within one year from the date of issuance of the Final Disposition of Match Violation Investigation.

 

[mrbreakfast]

I believe this would include the SOAP, which is still through the NRMP. The possible way around this would be to accept a position at a non-NRMP specialty, like ophthalmology.

The point is likely moot, as I am skeptical any program would offer a spot to someone who has committed a match violation at any point, let alone within the past year.