Registration is ongoing, not limited to the original sign-on period. ACGME-accredited programs register using their ACGME program number through the New Program Submission Form; CAST-accredited (non-ACGME) programs register using their 4-digit CAST accreditation number (prefixed “NI”), found on the CAST website; dual-accredited programs use their ACGME number. After registering, the program director receives an invitation to the Program Director’s WorkStation (PDWS) — from the institution’s ACGME Designated Institutional Official (DIO) for ACGME programs, or from AAMC ERAS directly for CAST-only programs. Step-by-step guidance to register for the Match is available on the SNIS website, and can be accessed at https://snisonline.org/matchprograminfo/
In general participating in the Match is up to the program. SNIS built in a buffer period so that programs could honor offers already made to prospective fellows ahead of their formal commitment to the Match process, ahead of each program’s first participating cycle, but going forward, positions are expected to be filled through the Match.
No. Participating programs must formally agree with the NRMP not to make offers to applicants outside the Match process for the relevant fellowship year, as this compromises the integrity and performance of the Match algorithm for all. Each year, ERAS will reach out to programs to confirm the number of fellowship positions they have available for the respective match year.
Violations are handled under NRMP’s standard Match Participation Agreement and violation policy, which applies across all NRMP-administered matches including the Specialties Matching Service used for this fellowship. Anyone can report a suspected breach to NRMP. NRMP reviews the report, may issue a Preliminary Report, gives the involved parties roughly 10 business days to respond, and a Review Panel then determines whether a violation occurred and what sanction to recommend. Confirmed violations by a program/institution can result in: distribution of a Final Report to ACGME and other accrediting/regulatory bodies, designation as a “Match violator” in NRMP’s R3 system and being barred from future NRMP Matches for one to three years, or permanently. Applicants face parallel consequences — Final Reports sent to their medical school, ECFMG, matched program, certifying boards and state medical boards, R3 designation, and a one-to-three-year (or permanent) bar from future Matches.
Source: NRMP Violations Policy (nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2021-Violations-Policy.pdf); nrmp.org/policy/reporting-and-investigation-of-violations/
Applications and rank order lists are managed through the Program Director’s WorkStation (PDWS), accessed after registration via an invitation from your DIO (ACGME programs) or directly from AAMC ERAS (CAST-only programs). SNIS recommends program directors verify that all program information — including contact details — is current in PDWS, and that it is consistent with (and ideally linked from) the program’s own institutional website.
No formal Match requirement to do so has been published. As noted above, each program’s individual selection criteria remain within its own discretion and are described by SNIS as outside the purview of the Match. Programs are encouraged, though not mandated by any documented policy, to be transparent about eligibility expectations on their own websites or PDWS listings in support of the Match’s broader fairness goals.
Currently participating in the Match is limited to ACGME-accredited and CAST-accredited programs (including dual-accredited programs). Programs interested in participating are encouraged to obtain accreditation. You may contact NIFellowshipMatch@SNISonline.org directly to ask about your program’s specific situation before assuming eligibility.
This depends on the program and the trainee. Some trainees will have sufficient experience in residency to qualify for a 1-year fellowship program, while others will not. The prerequisite case volume completed by the applicant to be eligible for a one-year training program is established by the program’s accreditation body. Each program will be able to signal the number of positions they have available each year for either 1-year or 2-year tracts.
Interview timing isn’t centralized or mandated by SNIS, ERAS, or NRMP — each program sets its own schedule. Based on experience from program coordinators across the Match, most programs interview between January and March, with the heaviest concentration in February–March, ahead of the April rank order list certification deadline. If you’re setting your own schedule, aim to have interviews substantially complete before certification opens so you have time to finalize your rank order list.
No — SNIS and NRMP do not mandate an interview format. Programs are free to interview in person, virtually, or through a hybrid approach, based on their own resources and preference.
You don’t need to create a second account. ERAS can link your existing account to the neurointerventional fellowship program, so you can manage multiple programs under one login. Contact the ERAS Fellowship Documents Office (EFDO) to have the new program associated with your existing credentials.
You don’t register with NRMP directly. SNIS, as the Match’s sponsoring society, provides the official participating-program list to NRMP on programs’ behalf.
Yes. When ERAS asks you to declare your positions, simply list and declare the number of positions you’re offering in each track (1-year and 2-year), including more than one position per track if applicable. You’ll then be able to build and certify a separate rank order list for each track’s applicant pool.
Every program differs, and nothing in the Match rules prevents you from ranking and matching your own trainee if that’s genuinely the best fit for both sides. That said, SNIS believes trainees are enriched by exposure to neuroendovascular practice at other institutions and by the range of opportunities that come from applying broadly, and we strongly encourage faculty at each institution to support their applicants in looking at other programs rather than assuming they’ll stay in place.
No. ERAS reaches out to programs every September to confirm participation and position counts for the upcoming cycle. If you have no positions to offer that year, simply declare 0 positions for that cycle rather than withdrawing — this keeps your program active in the Match for future cycles.
This is a program-by-program judgment call based on your position count and applicant pool. Survey data from the first match cycle will be collected and shared later to give some idea of the average number.
Rank every candidate you would genuinely be willing to train. The matching algorithm can only match you to candidates on your certified rank order list, so an overly short or overly cautious list is the most common reason a program goes unfilled. You can technically rank any candidate, but it’s generally not recommended to rank someone you have not interviewed.