Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 5/7/2008

Question
how long can it take to get accepted into a residency program? and can more than one hospital accept an applicant?

Answer
Residents are usually placed using the NRMP (National Residency Matching Program) in which each applicant orders the programs in the order they want to go to them and the programs order the applicants in the order they want them and then a computer matches each to their highest choice. So you are only accepted to one program (always the highest on your list of the places that wanted you). If you get a residency outside the match, you can be accepted to multiple programs. In both cases it takes about 8 months from start to finish.

Ronald Levy, MD
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston