Introduction

The Genetic Counseling Admissions Match (GC Admissions Match) has been established to place applicants into positions in masters-level genetic counseling programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC). For many years, similar matching programs have been used throughout North America in the annual recruitment of trainees in medicine, psychology, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, and other professions.

How It Works

• 1. Register for the Match

  Each applicant and program that wants to participate in the Match must register online in the NMS Match System.

  • Applicant Registration
  • Program Registration

• 2. Apply to and Interview with Programs

  Applicants must apply directly to programs in which they are interested, and applicants and programs interview and evaluate each other independently of the Match. Applicants must be registered for the Match in order for their applications to be considered by participating programs.

  No offers are made to applicants by programs during the interview period. Applicants and programs can evaluate each other fully before the programs must decide on their preferences for applicants, and before applicants must decide on their preferences for programs.

• 3. Submit Your Rank Order List of Preferred Placements

  Each program will offer one or more tracks in the Match. A track refers to a type of position or stream of training at a program (e.g., positions with different financial support, or positions with different start dates , may be offered as separate tracks).

  After all interviews are completed, each applicant confidentially submits a Rank Order List in the NMS Match System on which the applicant lists the tracks they desire at each program of interest, in numerical order of preference (first choice, second choice, etc.).

  Similarly, each program confidentially submits a Rank Order List in the NMS Match System for each of its tracks on which the program lists the desirable applicants for that track, in order of preference. Each program also indicates the number of positions available in each track.

  Programs offering more than one track can rank the same applicant on different Rank Order Lists, and assign a different preference ranking to the applicant on each track's list, if desired.

• 4. The Matching Algorithm is Run

  NMS uses a matching algorithm to process the preferences stated in the Rank Order Lists and place individuals into positions.

  • Read about how the Matching Algorithm works

• 5. Get Your Result

  The result of the Match is that each applicant is placed with the most preferred track on the applicant's Rank Order List that ranks the applicant and does not fill all its positions with more preferred applicants. Similarly, each track offered by a program is matched with the most preferred applicants on its list, up to the number of positions available, who rank the track and who do not receive positions in tracks at programs they prefer. Results are available by email and online in the NMS Match System.

• 6. Post-Match Process (Unmatched Applicant Program)

  It is possible that all of a particular program's positions will not be filled in the Match, and that some applicants will be left unmatched. When the results of the Match are released, information regarding positions that remain available is provided by NMS to applicants who are not matched. Similarly, information regarding unmatched applicants is provided by NMS to programs with unfilled positions.

  These unmatched applicants and programs with unfilled positions are free to contact each other and to negotiate directly with each other, independently of the Match, to fill available positions. NMS is not involved in the filling of positions in the Post-Match Process.

Read more about each stage of the Match process:

Advantages of the Match

The Match simplifies the process of making and accepting offers of admissions. Since all offers, acceptances, and rejections occur simultaneously, the Match is an effective and fair means of implementing a standardized acceptance date. The Match guarantees that each applicant and program will get the best possible result that is available to them.

The Match allows programs and applicants to evaluate each other fully before determining preferences, so there is no pressure to make premature decisions based on incomplete information. Applicants and programs can list their desired placements in order of their true preference, without worrying about how they will be ranked by the other party.

The Match ensures that programs will not overfill their positions. It also eliminates unfair behavior that occurs in many typical recruitment processes, like programs issuing extremely time-limited offers, applicants hoarding multiple offers, and programs or applicants reneging on a prior acceptance because a more preferred option has become available.

Governance

The Association of Genetic Counseling Program Directors also known as Genetic Counseling Educators Association (AGCPD/GCEA) established the Match and is responsible for setting the Rules of Participation and for monitoring its implementation.

The administration and conduct of the Match is carried out by National Matching Services Inc. (NMS), on behalf of AGCPD/GCEA.