Residency opportunities beyond Match Week. Goodness of fit throughout the year.
OFFCycle connects ECFMG-certified applicants seeking off-cycle residency positions with programs recruiting outside the traditional Match timeline.
Applicants create a profile snapshot and may add their ERAS application or CV. Programs review potential candidates, initiate conversations, and extend interview invitations.
Free for Applicants. Free for Programs.
Each year, tens of thousands of applicants compete for U.S. residency positions. The 2026 Main Residency Match illustrates the scale and competitiveness of this process:
| Measure | 2026 result |
|---|---|
| Registered applicants | 53,373 |
| Active applicants who certified a rank order list | 48,050 |
| Active applicants who matched to a PGY-1 position | 38,354 |
| PGY-1 Match rate for U.S. citizen IMGs | 70.0% |
| PGY-1 Match rate for non-U.S. citizen IMGs | 56.4% |
Source: NRMP, 2026 Main Residency Match results. Match figures above reflect outcomes through the matching algorithm, before SOAP.
An unmatched outcome alone does not define an applicant’s preparation, capabilities, or potential contribution to a residency program. Qualified candidates may continue seeking opportunities after Match Week.
The NRMP’s Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program® (SOAP®) is a four-day process, running Monday through Thursday of Match Week. It allows eligible unmatched and partially matched applicants to pursue residency positions that remain unfilled after the matching algorithm.
SOAP provides an additional opportunity within a defined period. Off-cycle recruitment addresses vacancies that remain or arise outside that process.
To respect the integrity of SOAP and help prevent Match participation violations, OFFCycle will remain closed throughout the designated SOAP period.
Candidate searches, profile reviews, messaging, and interview invitations will resume after SOAP concludes.
Programs may encounter unexpected vacancies or changes in their training complement outside the traditional recruitment calendar. Applicants seeking these opportunities need a way to present their qualifications, availability, and professional goals.
OFFCycle brings that information together, allowing programs to review prospective candidates before initiating contact.
Create a profile that helps programs understand your preparation and the training environment in which you hope to develop.
Your dedicated workstation allows your team to identify and evaluate applicants in relation to your vacancy and training environment.
You will have your own inbox. You may post your open position without releasing your identity, screen applicants in a user-friendly interface, and send invitations only to the applicants you are interested in.
OFFCycle supports program-initiated contact, helping your team focus on candidates who meet your requirements without inviting an influx of unsolicited requests.
An unexpected vacancy affects the entire team. The pressure to recruit quickly is understandable, but an appointment that does not align with the program’s needs can compound that strain.
OFFCycle is built around goodness of fit: the alignment between an applicant’s preparation and goals and a program’s expectations, clinical environment, and educational mission.
The purpose is to help programs identify a resident who can contribute to the team and develop within the training environment.
An urgent vacancy still deserves a thoughtful appointment.
OFFCycle is an independent subsidiary of IMGPrep. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to NRMP, ERAS, or ECFMG. It is not part of the Match or SOAP, it is not an application service, and it does not verify credentials or guarantee interviews or positions.
National Resident Matching Program®, NRMP®, SOAP®, ERAS®, and ECFMG® are names or trademarks of their respective owners and appear here only to identify them.
No. OFFCycle is an independent subsidiary of IMGPrep. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS), or the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). OFFCycle does not use, receive, or access data from any of them.
No. OFFCycle does not verify certification, scores, or any other credential. You are responsible for entering accurate information and for sharing only documents you are authorized to share. Programs verify your credentials directly with the issuing organizations.
OFFCycle is free for applicants and free for programs.
Programs can only review applicants who have created a profile. Contact is program-initiated. Applicants do not message programs, and you decide whether to respond to any message or invitation you receive.
No. OFFCycle is not an application service. Creating a profile is not an application to any program, and it does not replace ERAS or any application process a program requires.
No. OFFCycle is not part of the Match or SOAP, and it does not run a matching process. OFFCycle is closed throughout the designated SOAP period. Candidate searches, profile reviews, messaging, and interview invitations resume only after SOAP concludes.
No. Participation does not guarantee an interview, an offer, or a residency position. Each program decides whom to contact and whom to appoint, and applies its own requirements.
Your snapshot is a summary of your academic goals, the medical school you attended, your year of graduation, your visa needs, and a synopsis of your experience since medical school, along with a photo and/or a video. It is what programs see first.
No. Uploading your ERAS application or CV is optional. If you do not upload them, a program that wants more information can send you a request, and you decide whether to share. Share only what you are authorized to share, and do not upload anyone else’s confidential information. Uploading your own ERAS application to OFFCycle does not connect OFFCycle to ERAS in any way.
No. You may list your availability and visa requirements on your profile, but OFFCycle does not advise on visas, eligibility, or appointment requirements. Programs determine all applicable appointment requirements.
No. OFFCycle is an independent subsidiary of IMGPrep. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS), or the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). OFFCycle does not use, receive, or access data from any of them.
OFFCycle is free for programs and free for applicants.
You may post your open position without releasing your identity.
No. OFFCycle supports program-initiated contact. You have your own inbox, and you message only the applicants you choose.
No. OFFCycle does not verify ECFMG certification, exam scores, visa status, or any other credential, and it does not vouch for any applicant. You verify credentials directly with the issuing organizations before any appointment.
Yes. If an applicant’s snapshot interests you, you can request more information or documents. The applicant decides whether to provide them, and OFFCycle does not verify what they send.
You do. OFFCycle does not rank, recommend, or select applicants, and it does not take part in your decisions. Your program remains responsible for following its institution’s policies, applicable law, and all appointment requirements.
No. OFFCycle is not part of the Match or SOAP, and it does not run a matching process. OFFCycle is closed throughout the designated SOAP period. Searches, profile reviews, messaging, and interview invitations resume only after SOAP concludes. Check your own institution’s guidance on recruiting outside those periods.
No. OFFCycle is not an application service and does not replace ERAS or any process your institution requires.
No. Participation does not guarantee an interview or residency position, and OFFCycle makes no promise about the number or quality of applicants.
OFFCycle will be completely free of charge to both applicants and residency programs.