Residency Application FAQ’s
What is the AANMC residency application refund policy?
Residency application fees toward completed applications are non-refundable. Refunds may be granted if a site withdraws from the application cycle prior to commencement of the interview period. Please submit your petition for a refund to residency@aanmc.org
You will NOT be refunded for residency applications. These include the following situations, but are not limited to:
- The site accepted you in the Match, but visa/work permit delays have forced them to accept the next candidate
- You originally applied and interviewed at a site, but decided you, the applicant, were not interested in including the site in the Match
- The site interviewed you, but decided to hire someone else
- The site interviewed you, but decided not to hire a resident this cycle
- The site decides not to offer you an interview
I made a great connection. How do I set up a new residency site?
Students may come across new opportunities for residencies. The steps to set up a new site are as follows:
- Prospective sites should connect with the residency directors at the sponsoring naturopathic schools. Please email residency@aanmc.org to connect with them.
- The site submits a Universal Site Application.
- The application will be reviewed by the sponsoring school.
- The sponsoring school submits the application for CNME approval.
- Allow approximately 4-6 weeks for site approval.
Note: If the site has a non-ND resident supervisor, then the resident at the site must have a naturopathic advisor assigned to them.
How do I strengthen myself as an applicant?
- Network and seek mentorship. You will need at least three evaluations from doctors/faculty.
- Be proactive about seeking preceptor opportunities and externships with sites you may want to complete a residency with. Sharpen your skills and your experience/knowledge.
- Start early to create a strong CV, personal statement and essay. Your school’s Career Services can assist you.
- Interviews are very important. Follow interview best practices – Dress appropriately for the experience. Be on time (on time is actually 10-15 minutes early). Come prepared by doing your homework on the site and residency director. Send thank you notes.
- Be courteous and respectful to clinic staff, they are often asked for their opinion on residents.
- Remember the importance of grades. They may be used to evaluate candidates. Be prepared to speak to any grade irregularities.
- Teaching and research may be helpful for academic-based residencies.
- Be able to demonstrate your leadership skills, and variety in clinical rotation types.
- Be organized! Get things done well before they are due.
- Start making a plan early to ensure you meet all application deadlines.
- Be clinically competent, have good patient communication and patient management skills.
How do I get faculty recommendations?
Faculty recommendations are evaluations or recommendations from individuals associated with your educational institution with whom you have had significant interactions with. Choose faculty who can speak honestly to your strengths. We recommend that you approach them early for faculty evaluations, as they may have numerous students requesting the same.
Once you have your list of faculty, you will go onto the Application Portal and create a “New Recommendation” with the faculty member’s name and email address. A survey request will then be sent to that faculty member from AANMC so that they can fill out a confidential Faculty Recommendation for you. You may request that the faculty member email you once they complete the survey, but you can also see that the form has been completed by looking under the Completed Recommendations in your Credentials section of the portal. Be sure to follow up with thank-you notes.
What happens to my student loans during a residency?
It depends on where your residency is and the type of loan(s) you have.
When you graduate, contact all your lenders (if you have multiple lenders) and start paying their loans or placing them in deferment as applicable. Some locations where residency is required to legally practice may qualify for loan deferral. Be aware of your options (e.g. Income Based Repayment Plans or Pay as You Earn Plans). Your naturopathic program’s financial aid office may be able to provide some additional guidance.
What is the Cost to Apply?
Application Fee: $49 per site
Match Processing Fee: Match fees are not included in application fees, as it is a separate process and portal. One Match fee is paid irrespective of the number of sites one ranks.
Interviews: Plan for costs of travel to interviews, and time away from clinical responsibilities.
Visa: If you are applying to a residency in a country to which you are not legally allowed to work, be prepared to incur legal fees and allot time and expenses for visa acquisition. Applying for a work visa does not guarantee that you will be granted a work visa.
License: You will need to pass the licensing exam(s) required for the jurisdiction the residency is located in. This may include add-on examinations, background checks and jurisprudence examinations.
Are there specialty residencies?
Residencies may be general, or more targeted. Some areas of specialization include oncology, pediatrics, primary care and regenerative medicine.
What is the resident salary?
The CNME sets a minimum base pay of $38,000, however geographic variation may apply.
Salary may include malpractice insurance, other benefits, continuing education, etc. Make sure you have clarity on this and issues like scope of work and non-compete clauses before accepting any position. It is advised to gain clarity on this during the interview period.
What is the application process?
Phase I – Preparing for Application
Step 1 – Create an account and profile on the AANMC’s Application Portal (Portal hosted by Symplicity).
Step 2 – Follow the application timeline and read the Residency Resources provided on the Application Portal.
Step 3 – View potential Sites once you have signed into the Residency Portal.
Step 4 – Connect with potential sites that you are interested in applying to and develop a list of faculty evaluators to request their assistance in providing Faculty Evaluations. It may be beneficial to provide a copy of your CV (Curriculum vitae).
Step 5 – Begin drafting your personal statement, essays, and CV for your application(s).
Step 6 – Upload NPLEX 1 score in the Application Portal (not applicable for Ontario, Canada residencies).
Step 7 – Request Faculty Recommendations & school transcript through My Credentials in Application Portal.
Step 8 – Ensure your profile is up-to-date with correct contact and credit card information.
Phase II – Application Submission
Step 1 – Finalize and upload your personal statement, resume, essays, and NPLEX scores.
Step 2 – Check that all of your Faculty Recommendations and School Transcripts have been submitted.
Step 3 – Create and submit your Order for your Credential packet(s) (3 faculty evaluations and 1 set of school transcripts). We recommend you get these important materials organized well in advance of deadlines, in case technological or other issues arise.
Step 4 – Within 72 hours, check My Documents to confirm your Credentials packet has been uploaded according to your Order.
Step 5 – Under Residencies on the AANMC Application Portal, check available positions and begin to apply.
Step 6 – Upload all required documents as a PDF for each site. Be sure to submit your application for each site prior to the deadline. You can find out the current submission deadline by checking the Residency Application Cycle Timeline posted on the AANMC website. Your complete application includes the following PDFs:
- CV – file named with your last name (CV_Resident)
- Personal Statement – file named with the clinic name you are applying to (PersonalStatement_Clinic)
- 3 Essays – file named with the clinic name you are applying to (Essays_Clinic)
- NPLEX I – labeled with your last name (NPLEXI_Resident)
- Confidential credential documents (Credentials_Resident)
Step 7 – After submission, your credit card will be processed based on the number of sites you applied to. You will not be charged until you have submitted an application to a site. The application fee is $49/site.
Can I apply to a residency in a country where I am not a legal resident?
Are you an American citizen considering applying to a Canadian-based residency, a Canadian citizen considering applying to a US-based residency, or other foreign national?
Before you apply, please consider the following:
- Cross-border hiring of residents is not impossible, but it is complicated, time-consuming and the resident applicant will be responsible for the legal costs of obtaining a visa or work permit. Even then, the visa/work permit may still be denied by the host country.
- There likely will be time delays given visa/work permit applications, which impact the residency start dates (and end dates) and may interfere in successfully meeting residency requirements.
You will NOT be refunded for residency applications, NO exceptions. These include the following situations, but are not limited to:
- The site accepted you in the Match, but visa/work permit delays have forced them to accept the next candidate
- You originally applied and interviewed at a site, but decided you, the applicant, were not interested in including the site in the Match
- The site interviewed you, but decided to hire someone else
- The site interviewed you, but decided not to hire a resident this cycle
- The site decides not to offer you an interview
What is a Credential and how do I Order it?
A Credential is the general term for a Faculty Recommendation or School Transcript. We put these into a Credential packet, which is a PDF that AANMC generates so that you are able to include this in your application to various residency sites.
To Order your Credential packet, go to the Credentials section of the Application Portal. Click on “Order” and “Add New” to open the submission form. Fill in your name and select the files you wish to include in your application from the drop down menu. You will have to “Add Recommendation/Transcript” a few times to attach all of the required documents for application: 3 faculty recommendations and school transcripts. Once all of your files are added, you can click “Submit Order.”
If you are applying to multiple residency sites and wish to have a slightly different combination of Faculty Recommendations, be sure to enter you name as “NAME_SITE”, so that your Credential packet ends up in the right place.
Residency Match FAQ’s
How do I submit my Match List?
Applicants should submit their Match ranked sites in order of preference on the AANMC Match Portal located on the aanmc.org website.
A site listed with a No.1 ranking indicates that this site is the top choice. The order of your preference shall decrease from top choice to lowest preference as you list them down the Match ranking list. An applicant may submit an application to as many sites as she/he is willing to be placed/matched. If you are only applying to one site, this site should be ranked as number 1 on your submission.
You can submit your Match List on the AANMC website. Specific links will be available once match registration is live.
If I were to change my site ranking after initially submitting my ranked sites in the AANMC Match Portal, can I submit a new Match List?
No, you are only allowed to submit your list once.
It is recommended that you prepare your rankings well in advance before starting the submission process on the AANMC Match Portal located on the AANMC website. Remember to submit the name of the site that you have ranked as your top choice first, followed by your second choice, and so on. Only rank sites that you are willing to accept a residency offer for.
When can I submit my Match List on the AANMC Match Portal?
You can submit your Match List anytime in the interview period and before the deadline to submit your Match List.
It is recommended that you wait until the end of the interview period to ensure that you have been interviewed by all sites to which you have applied. This will ensure that you will not be called in for an interview by a site after you have submitted your Match List. Once you have submitted your ranking of sites, it is considered final.
When is the submission deadline for my Match List?
You can find out the current submission deadline by checking the Residency Application Cycle Timeline posted on the AANMC website. The timeline for application and match is posted each year in the fall.
How do I submit my Match List?
You can submit your Match List here on the AANMC website. Links will be available once match registration is live.
What happens if I decline the residency offer of the site I’ve been matched to?
If a candidate withdraws after being matched, the candidate shall forfeit his/her/their matched position and will not be allowed to participate in future residency match cycles for two years (the current cycle and the following cycle).
When do I receive my Match Identification Number (MIN)?
Your Match Identification Number (MIN) is emailed along with your match fee payment confirmation and invoice receipt. Remember to save your MIN! You will need this to identify the site you have been matched to.
Should I submit my top choice site first on my Match List?
Yes.
The online portal will populate your choices based on the order in which you submit them. Therefore, is it recommended that you submit the name of the site that you have ranked as your top choice first, followed by your second choice, and so on. Please refer to the Document Library on the Application Portal for more information to learn more about the Match process.
If there is one site that I strongly prefer, do I have a better chance of getting it if I rank it lower on my Match List?
No, this will not increase your chances of being matched with your preferred site.
Please refer to the Document Library on the Application Portal for more information to learn more about the Match process. Remember: only submit the names of the site(s) where you are willing to be placed/matched.
What are the chances that I am matched with a site that I do not want to go to?
Do not submit the name of a site that you do not want to be matched to. This will ensure that you will not be matched to a site in which you are not interested in. If you decline to accept your matched site after the process has been completed, you will forfeit the ability to participate in the ND Residency Match for two complete cycles.
When do I find out if I was matched with a residency site?
Match results will be posted using your Match Identification Number accessible via the AANMC Residency webpage. You can find out the date by checking the Residency Application Cycle Timeline posted on the AANMC website. The timeline for application and match is posted each year in the fall.
Will everyone be able to see where each applicant matched on the AANMC site?
Only the applicant’s unique Match Identification Number (MIN) will be listed across each residency site. No other identification or applicant information will be published on the AANMC website. Unless you divulge your MIN, no other applicant or anyone visiting the AANMC website will know where you have been matched.
How are applicants and sites matched?
This is described in detail with images in your Resources on the Document Library on the Application Portal for more information to learn more about the Match process.
Who will be conducting the match process on Match Day?
The AANMC Residency Committee will conduct the Match process.
This committee is composed of the residency administrator from each participating CNME-recognized residency sponsor schools and one representative from AANMC. An AANMC representative will serve as Chair of the committee and be recognized as an official AANMC Match Administrator. By rule, the AANMC representative is not a residency director, nor do they have affiliation with any residency site.
Can a site promise me an offer before matching, or vice-versa?
While the applicant and site may express a high degree of interest in each other to try to influence future ranking decisions in their favor, neither may make statements implying or declaring a commitment. It is a breach of the Matching Program Guidelines for a participant or site to make any verbal promise or written contract prior to the official match announcement.
Can I withdraw from the Match process?
Yes, you may withdraw from the match process by submitting a request in writing to the AANMC and residency program administrator of the CNME recognized sponsor school to which you have applied.
If a candidate withdraws prior to the Match, the candidate will be excluded from being offered a residency position from the participating sites during the current match cycle. If a candidate withdraws after the deadline closes for the Match, then the candidate shall forfeit his/her/their matched position and will not be allowed to participate in future residency match cycles for two years.
Why was the Residency Match implemented?
The Naturopathic Residency Match was designed to ensure increased opportunity and satisfaction for all involved. In past years a single applicant may have received residency offers from multiple sites, while other highly qualified applicants could have remained on a waitlist or accepted other offers less desirable to them. The effect of this situation led to fewer students being offered residencies, fewer sites receiving qualified residents, and increased stress and dissatisfaction for all involved parties.
Is there more guidance on the residency application process?
Yes, if you are interested in more information on the residency process, you check the AANMC Residency website for videos and more updates.
