Thalamus for SOAP 2026: Important Information for Applicants and Programs

As Match Week approaches, residency programs and applicants across the country prepare for the National Resident Matching Program^® (NRMP) Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program^® (SOAP). SOAP provides an opportunity for unmatched applicants and unfilled residency programs to connect and fill remaining training positions during Match Week.

Thalamus has supported applicants and programs participating in SOAP for more than a decade. Our platform helps streamline application review, interview scheduling, and communication during this fast-moving process.

Below is important information for applicants and programs planning to use Thalamus Core, Cortex, and Video during SOAP 2026.

SOAP 2026 Key Dates

For the 2026 residency Match cycle:

SOAP begins: Monday, March 16 at 10:00 a.m. ET
SOAP concludes: Thursday, March 19 at 9:00 p.m. ET

Programs and applicants should review the official timelines provided by the Electronic Residency Application Service^® (ERAS) and NRMP for complete Match Week details.

Thalamus Resources:

Thalamus SOAP Mode Overview

ERAS Resources:

NRMP Resources:

For Applicants: Using Thalamus During SOAP 2026

For applicants participating in the SOAP, Thalamus may be used by residency programs to manage interview scheduling and conduct virtual interviews. If a program invites you to interview during SOAP and uses Thalamus, the process works exactly the same way as it had throughout the residency interview season.

Through Thalamus, applicants may:

Receive interview invitations
Schedule or manage interview times
View interview itineraries
Join virtual interviews through Thalamus Video, Zoom, Teams or another video interview provider.

Because SOAP moves quickly, applicants should monitor their email closely during Match Week and respond promptly to interview invitations from programs.

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Applicant Checklist

If you are new to Thalamus or need a refresher on how to prepare for interviews, we recommend reviewing the Thalamus Applicant Getting Started Checklist, which walks through:

Creating and accessing your Thalamus account
Scheduling interviews
Preparing for virtual interviews
Managing interview day logistics

Preparing in advance will help ensure you can quickly schedule interviews and participate smoothly if programs reach out during SOAP.

For Programs: Available Thalamus Features During SOAP

Programs will continue to have access to the same Thalamus tools used during the regular recruitment season through “SOAP Mode,” which is now enabled for all Thalamus residency programs.

SOAP Mode is automatically be enabled for all Thalamus residency programs regardless of their SOAP Participation status. Programs do not have to reach out to Thalamus to activate SOAP Mode.
All features that were active for programs during their main season, will remain enabled for SOAP. For ERAS-participating programs, this includes complimentary access to Thalamus Core, Cortex and Itinerary Wizard. Thalamus Video will remain available for those with an active subscription. Cerebellum is not available during SOAP.
Cortex, Thalamus' tech-assisted, holistic application review and screening tool will remain available for programs during SOAP for all ERAS participating programs. Programs will be able to toggle on a SOAP® filter to view their applicants within Cortex.
Programs will be able to authorize their applicants from the ERAS Program Director’s WorkStation (PDWS) to Thalamus Core or Cortex from within the PDWS (identical to the regular recruitment season). Programs using other application platforms will be able to upload applicants per standard protocols.
ERAS PDWS will be unavailable from 7:30 a.m. ET on Monday, March 16 until 8 a.m. ET on Tuesday, March 17.
Unfilled programs may begin reviewing residency applications on Tuesday, March 17 at 8 a.m. ET. Applicant data may be authorized/transferred into Thalamus as applications become available at that time.

Free Webinar: SOAP for Thalamus Programs 2026

To help programs prepare for SOAP workflows, Team Thalamus will host a live training session covering how to efficiently use the platform during Match Week.

SOAP for Thalamus Programs 2026

📅 Thursday, March 12
🕛 12:00 PM ET
💻 Live Zoom Training

This session will cover:

Using Cortex for SOAP applicant review
Managing interviews with Thalamus Core
Conducting virtual interviews with Thalamus Video
Best practices for navigating SOAP workflows

👉 Register here: SOAP for Thalamus Programs 2026

Supporting Programs and Applicants During Match Week

SOAP is one of the most critical and time-sensitive periods of the residency recruitment cycle. Thalamus is designed to help applicants and programs move quickly and confidently during this process by providing:

Streamlined processes
Efficient interview scheduling
Secure virtual interviewing

If you are an applicant or program that participates in SOAP this year, we are here to help every step of the way. For assistance, please contact our product support team at customercare@thalamusgme.com or click on the “Help” button at the bottom-right-hand corner of any Thalamus screen.

We wish everyone a great rest of recruitment season and a successful match.

Team Thalamus

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