Military Match
Introduction
The military match can be confusing and challenging to navigate, especially without a community of mentors. This guide is meant to serve as an overview of the process for students. We searched through many resources to answer important questions about the military match and distilled their advice. Feel free to follow the links provided to learn more.
The military match impacts a wide variety of medical students such as: Health Professional Scholarship Program (HPSP; Air Force and Army branches) or Health Services Collegiate Program (HSCP; Navy branch).
Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program (AFHPSP or HPSP): Federal scholarship program that pays for medical school tuition, fees, equipment, and a monthly stipend until graduation. Students who are awarded this scholarship in turn, payback 3-4 years of active duty (AD) as attendings in either the Air Force, Army, or Navy after completing GME training.
The Joint Services Graduate Medical Education Selection Board (JSGMESB) is the “Military Match.”
Military Match At-a-Glance
HPSP students are required to participate in the military match. HPSP students will either be accepted to a military residency training or apply to a civilian deferred position, which means they will go through the Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS) along with their civilian classmates. If selected for a military residency, you will serve your residency training as an active-duty physician. Of note, active-duty time in residency does not count towards the service commitment owed but is counted towards retirement.
As the needs of the Medical Corps evolve, representatives of various specialties meet annually and submit their recommendations for manning in a processed known as the Medical Corps Joint Service Health Professions Education Requirements Board (HPERB), which lists the number of training spots allocated for each specialty, meaning the number of positions available for which the HPSP applicants will then apply. HPERB’s yearly listing of residency spots is released every June/July.
It is important for those applying for a military match position to know that if your chosen specialty is not listed in the HPERB, then it was not approved for funding. For instance, if you want to be a neurosurgeon and there are no integrated residencies or fellowships available, then it is very unlikely to happen in that cycle.
The Military Match timeline is earlier than the ERAS civilian timeline, so it is important to note the following:
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Active-Duty Rotations (ADT): These are required electives at military training that serve as audition rotations for GME. During January of their third year, HPSP medical students begin setting up their ADT rotations at the military training hospitals. On average, a HPSP student will do two ADT rotations at a military training hospital. The deadline for the initial application is usually the second week of September and all final supporting documents are required no later than October 15th. Applications must be submitted through The Directorate of Medical Education Website, also known as “MODS.”
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Military Residency Interviews: must be completed by October 15th. The Joint Service Graduate Medical Education (GME) Selection board rank and “match” applicants and typically meet in late November/ early December.
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Military Match Day: Congratulations! The Military Match Day is December 8th.
If you are an HPSP student and your Service Branch has civilian deferments available to you, you MUST apply to the military GME (MODS) and the civilian match (ERAS). Once an HPSP student does this there are four possible outcomes:
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A military residency is obtained.
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A civilian residency is obtained, with military deferment (generally this only happens in the Air Force).
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A military transitional, internal medicine, or general surgery internship is obtained. Everyone will receive at least one year of training, except for rare circumstances.
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Non-match.
Timeline
May – early October 2022 | Complete Active-Duty Training (ADT) rotations (on-site or virtual) |
July 1, 2022 | Letter of Instruction (LOI) from each Service Branch is posted |
July 1, 2022 | The Directorate of Medical Education Website (MODS) opens for applications |
October 15 2022** | Deadline for applications in MODS |
July-October 2022** | Interview Period |
November 15-19 2022** | JSGMESB “Military Match” at Service location |
December 8, 2022** | JSGMESB “Military Match” Results Available |
** Dates estimated/not confirmed. These activities will occur no earlier than the dates listed. Confirmed dates will be available 1 Jul 2021 at the latest.
Types of Training Status Available
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Active Duty: Active-duty residency training in a military training program. Time spent in an active-duty residency counts toward retirement but does not count toward any previous commitment.
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Civilian Sponsored: Authorized by the JSGME. The student will then participate in the ERAS to seek acceptance in an accredited civilian residency or fellowship. While in training, the military will pay salary, benefits, and incurred training expenses. The resident cannot receive salary support from the civilian training institution. The resident is considered on active-duty, and this arrangement typically means an added service time commitment.
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Civilian Deferred: Authorized by the JSGME. The student will then participate in the ERAS to seek acceptance in an accredited civilian residency or fellowship. How this differs from the civilian-sponsored status is that the resident becomes a civilian just before starting their residency (technically, enters the Individual Ready Reserves like HPSP students). Thus, no salary or benefits are provided by the military. At the completion of residency training, the newly trained specialist will then re-enter military active duty.
Military Match Process
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HPSP students submit preferences for residency type (military, civilian-sponsored, civilian deferred), location, and status if applicable.
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HPSP students must rank all military locations offered in specialty of choice (including civilian-sponsored /civilian deferred if available). It is not an option to “not rank” training in a military residency or specific location. If the number of residency positions for a particular Service Branch is greater than the number of applicants, then one is allowed to match into a civilian residency.
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If a Service Branch needs more of a particular specialty than what can be trained in military residencies, then HPSP students may be selected to participate in the ERAS match for that particular specialty or complete PGY1 only training as directed by the JSGMESB match process guidance for a given year.
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HPSP students selected to participate in ERAS, may be offered either civilian-sponsored or civilian-deferred status as per the Service and military match process guidance for a given year.
Per AAMC Service Branch Specifics
Army: Does not offer true “civilian deferments”. Only a few applicants will be permitted to compete in the civilian match in orthopedics, general surgery, and emergency medicine, and these will all be sponsored positions. The rest will be in military GME programs.
Navy: Application options are identified each year in the Letter of Instruction-- BUMEDNOTE 1524 that details the application instructions and the planned training opportunities. The specifics change yearly based on the needs of the Navy.
Air Force: The Air Force expects all medical student applicants to apply for the residency training specialty of their choice both through the military and civilian match processes. This must include an option for preliminary year only training also in both the military and civilian match. Selection by the JSGMESB will determine if the applicant has matched into a military training position. If the applicant is not matched into a military training position, then they will be selected to pursue training through the civilian match process. The JSGMESB will determine whether the applicant is authorized to pursue a categorical training position or a preliminary training position. Due to the timing of our match release, it is recommended that students engage in both match processes to provide them the best opportunity to secure a GME position.
The Air Force publishes its yearly training needs (Health Professions Education Requirements Board - HPERB) on the Physician Education Website: https://www.airforcemedicine.af.mil/Organizations/Physician-EducationBranch/Announcements/#hperb).
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Research publications are highly regarded, so seek out such opportunities.
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Be on the lookout for strong letter writers, especially those with a military background.
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Work hard, be engaged, and courteous.
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Away rotations are of utmost the importance as staff and resident opinions are highly valued. When scheduling interview rotations during M4, send requests on the first day the site is accepting requests (usually the beginning of December).
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Complete away rotation at top residency choices.
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Schedule civilian interviews that require flying for January to cancel them if you match at a military residency.
AAMC Tips for a Strong Military Match Application
Written by Lizbeth Alvarez
University of California Davis School of Medicine
Publications Co-Chair
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