Pharmacy Match - Applicant User Guide

System User Guide for Applicants

This guide is intended to familiarize you with the online system accessible from this web site, particularly the component of the system that is used to submit your rankings of programs. This guide can be printed and used to lead you through the system.

All information to be submitted for the Match, including your personal information and certified Rank Order List or withdrawal, must be submitted using the online system accessible from this web site. The deadline for submitting all information for the Match is March 9, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. You will not be able to access the online system to submit rankings or withdrawals, certify your Rank Order List, or change any of your personal information, after the deadline.

You are strongly advised to enter your choices and certify your Rank Order List, or withdraw yourself from the Match, well before the Rank Order List deadline to avoid competing with many other Match participants accessing the system near the deadline, when system performance may be slow.

Accessing the System

To login to the online system you are required to enter both your 5-digit applicant Code Number and the password/PIN that you previously provided on this web site. If you do not have your applicant Code Number and/or password/PIN, a link is provided on the login page that will enable you to obtain this information.

The system uses Java Script and creates a temporary session cookie on your computer. These features must remain enabled in your browser for the system to work properly.

Updating Personal Information and/or Withdrawing from the Match

After you login to the system, a page of information will be displayed and you will be provided with several options:

Your applicant Code number, name and e-mail address will be displayed. A link is provided that will enable you to review and update the personal information in your profile for the Match (name, e-mail address, mailing address, phone numbers, last four digits of SSN, school and date of graduation, degree, previous training for PGY2 applicants, security information). The e-mail address in your profile will be used to send your Match result to you. You should also ensure that current telephone numbers are on file where you can be reached during the period from submission of your Rank Order List until release of the Match results, in case questions arise regarding your Rank Order List.

Your current status in the Match (active or withdrawn) will be displayed. A link is provided that will enable you to change your status. You will be able to withdraw yourself from the Match prior to the deadline on March 9, 2012. When you withdraw, you must select a reason for withdrawing from a predefined list of choices. If you withdraw but subsequently decide to submit rankings of programs for the Match, you can reinstate yourself prior to the deadline.

Your couple status in the Match (individual or member of a couple) will be displayed. A link is provided that will enable you to change your couple status. To participate as a member of a couple, you must be prepared to identify your partner by entering his or her applicant Code Number into the system. Your partner must also identify you as his or her partner in his/her profile. Both you and your partner should indicate you are participating in the Match as a couple prior to entering your Rank Order Lists into the system. To obtain further instructions for participating in the Match as a couple, click here.

Submitting Your Rank Order List

The component of the online system that is used to submit your rankings of programs is referred to as the Rank Order List Input and Confirmation (ROLIC) system. All Rank Order Lists must be submitted to NMS using the ROLIC system.

The ROLIC system will be available for use by Match participants according to the following schedule:

ROLIC System Opens For Use: February 20, 2012

Rank Order List Deadline: March 9, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time

When you login to the online system during the period noted above, a link will be provided that will enable you to access the ROLIC system to enter, modify, display and/or print your rankings of programs for the Match. Information about the current status of your rankings will also be displayed. If you have already entered ranks, the display will indicate the status of your Rank Order List (certified or not certified, and the number of ranks you have entered), and the date and time of the last change to any of your information in the system.

You will not be able to access the ROLIC system to enter or certify your Rank Order List after the Rank Order List deadline indicated above. You are strongly advised to enter your choices and certify your Rank Order List in the ROLIC system well before the Rank Order List deadline to avoid competing with many other Match participants accessing the system near the deadline, when system performance may be slow.

Entering and Saving Your Rank Order List

Programs are added to your Rank Order List in rank number sequence by entering the 6-digit program Code Numbers in the boxes next to the appropriate rank numbers. The Code Number for your most preferred program should be entered in the box beside Rank 1, the Code Number for your next most preferred program should be entered in the box beside Rank 2, and so on. If you do not know the Code Number for a program, you can click on the Search Directory button at the top of the page to search for the program by location and program type.

When entering rankings, use only the 6-digit program Code Numbers provided in the List of Participating Programs on this web site or in a search from within the ROLIC system. Since the match will be made based on the Code Numbers, make sure you enter the correct 6-digit Code Number for each program you wish to rank. This is of particular importance when you are ranking a program at a residency that is offering more than one program in the Match.

You can enter up to 10 programs at a time before you must save your Rank Order List by clicking on the Save List button. Each time you save your Rank Order List, the page is refreshed and the residency name, city, state and program description of each program you have ranked are displayed. You may then continue to add up to 10 more programs at a time before re-saving your Rank Order List.

Deleting Programs
You can delete a program that you have previously saved on your Rank Order List by checking the Delete box displayed between the Code Number and the residency name. After deleting the program, the remaining ranks on your Rank Order List will then be re-displayed.

Inserting and Moving Programs
You can insert new programs into your Rank Order List or move programs that have already been saved on your Rank Order List by using the buttons provided at the top of the screen after you have saved one or more choices. To insert a program into your Rank Order List, enter the program Code Number and the desired rank number, then click the Insert button. To move a program from one rank to another, enter the current rank number and the new rank number where you want to move the program, and then click the Move button.

You should be aware that modifications to the rankings affect the entire Rank Order List. For example, if you choose to insert a program into Rank #4 on a Rank Order List of 10 ranks, the less preferred programs are automatically moved down one rank. The program previously ranked #4 becomes rank #5, rank #5 becomes #6, and so on.

Warning/Error Messages
If you enter a program Code Number that is not valid, a warning message will appear at the top of the page the next time the Rank Order List is saved. At the bottom of the page, the invalid program Code Number and the reason that the Code Number is invalid will be shown. You should check the List of Participating Programs provided on this web site or use the search facility in the ROLIC system to find the correct program Code Number.

If you rank a program that is no longer active in the Match, a warning message will appear the next time the Rank Order List is saved. You can leave the inactive program ranked on your Rank Order List. If you leave the program on your Rank Order List and the program again becomes active in the Match before the Rank Order List deadline, that ranking will be used in the Match. If the program remains inactive, that ranking will not be used in the Match, and your Rank Order List will be processed as if you had not ranked the inactive program.

Certifying Your Rank Order List

Only Rank Order Lists that have been certified will be used in the Match. Your Rank Order List can be entered in one or more sessions. However, you are advised to certify your Rank Order List at the end of each session in which you have entered or modified your rankings of programs, rather than returning at a later date to certify your list. Even if you have already certified your information, you can return to make changes any time until the Rank Order List deadline. Whenever you change your rankings, you will have to re-certify your list in order for the list to be used as your Rank Order List in the Match.

Certification is a two-step process:

First, after you enter and save all your program rankings, you must indicate that your Rank Order List is complete and ready to certify by clicking the List Complete button at the top of the Rank Order List entry page. You must indicate that your Rank Order List is complete in order to be given the opportunity to certify your Rank Order List. If you entered ranks in a previous session and you are now returning to the system to certify your Rank Order List, you must select the link to access the ROLIC system in order to go to the Rank Order List entry page, and then select the List Complete button at the top of that page.
After you indicate that your Rank Order List is complete, the ROLIC system will display a page that will allow you to certify your Rank Order List. The certify page contains important information; read it carefully.

It tells you that you can still make changes after certifying your Rank Order List, but if you do so the Rank Order List must be re-certified by the Rank Order List deadline in order to be used in the Match.
It will provide warning messages if there are any special circumstances about your Rank Order List that you might want to change before certifying your list.
You will be given the option to receive an e-mail confirmation of the fact that you have certified your Rank Order List in the ROLIC system. (Note: requesting this e-mail confirmation is not required in order for you to certify your Rank Order List; this e-mail confirmation is provided only for your convenience and peace of mind. Your certified Rank Order List will be used in the Match whether or not you request this e-mail confirmation.)
To certify your Rank Order List, you must re-enter your password/PIN in the box provided on the certify page, and then click on the Certify button.
At the bottom of the certify page, options are provided to enable you to modify your Rank Order List, display your full Rank Order List information, or return to your profile page.

You should not call NMS to confirm that your Rank Order List has been certified. If you need to verify that your Rank Order List has been certified, you can return to the initial page that is displayed after you login to the online system. If your Rank Order List has been certified, a message will appear on that page indicating that the Rank Order List is certified. Indication that your Rank Order List has been certified also appears on a display of the Rank Order List information in the ROLIC system.

Viewing and Printing Your Rank Order List

You can view your Rank Order List information at any time prior to the Rank Order List deadline by selecting the Display/Print option provided in the ROLIC system. You can print a copy of your Rank Order List information by selecting the Display/Print option, and then using the print function of your browser to print the resulting page. You should display and print a copy of your final certified Rank Order List for your records before the Rank Order List deadline. You will not be able to display or print your Rank Order List after the Rank Order List deadline.

Signing Off

At the end of each session on the online system, you should click the Sign Off button to end your session. For security reasons, you should not leave the system without signing off. You should also close your web browser program after signing off from the system. You may return to the online system at any time prior to the Rank Order List deadline to review and/or change your information.

Your Rank Order List must be certified by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on March 9, 2012.

You will not be able to certify your Rank Order List or withdraw after the Rank Order List deadline. You are strongly encouraged to complete and certify your Rank Order List, or withdraw from the Match, well before the deadline date, so that you will not be competing with many other Match participants accessing the system near the deadline, when system performance may be slow.

Technical Support

The online system includes many Help screens that can be displayed from within the system. In addition, if you have questions concerning your use of the system, you can call NMS for technical support from 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time through 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, at 416-977-3431 or 716-282-4013. You can also send a question by e-mail to ashprmp@natmatch.com.

ROLIC System Opens For Use:	February 20, 2012
Rank Order List Deadline:	March 9, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time