The Abdominal Transplant Surgery Match is administered by SF Match. ASTS sponsors the matching process and the TACC is responsible for the enforcement of the application rules.
About the Match
The match takes place in June and will be used to process all applicants who want to start their Abdominal Transplant Surgery Fellowship training in July/August of the following year. Applicants are responsible for ensuring they meet all prerequisites for eligibility prior to registering for the match. All match participants must agree and abide by the SF Match rules and policies as well as any additional rules stated by ASTS and the TACC. Please review the Rules page prior to registering.
Eligibility
Candidates for training in an Accredited Abdominal Transplant Surgery Fellowship Training Program must have satisfactorily completed a residency which satisfies the educational requirements for certification by the American Board of Surgery, American Board of Urology, American Osteopathic Board Certification, or foreign equivalency. Individual training programs may also have additional requirements.
Central Application Process
SF Match’s Central Application Service (CAS) distributes complete applications to programs electronically. The use of CAS is mandatory for both programs and applicants.
Matching Rules
The Matching Process was developed to allow applicants to Residency and Fellowship training to visit and evaluate various training programs is a systematic fashion without the pressure of being asked for a commitment before the evaluation process is completed. At the conclusion of their evaluation process, applicants can rank programs in a confidential fashion with the opportunity to match to the best available program.
These rules were prepared to ensure the integrity of the Matching process. Violations may well result in Loss of opportunity for both applicants and programs to achieve the best possible match. If one becomes aware of violations of these rules, they should be reported to the SF Match Office. All reports regarding violations will be kept confidential. Violations of these rules by program directors or faculty may result in penalty actions regarding participation in the Matching process.
Rules For Program Directors
Appointments
The participating programs agree not to make any appointments prior to the match. Positions that remain vacant after the match may be filled by direct negotiation between program directors and applicants. These positions may be listed on the Vacancy Information System.
Confidential Rank List
All ranking lists are confidential. The matching program will not reveal how any applicant ranked any program, nor how any program ranked any applicant.
Statements Of Intent
If made, such statements must be unilateral, voluntary, and unconditional. Neither party may ask the other for a commitment. A statement like: "I will rank you first if you rank me first" is against the matching rules. A statement like: "You are among the best programs/applicants I have seen so far; I appreciate meeting you regardless of how you will rank me" is permitted.
Binding Commitment
Both the program and the applicant formally commit to accepting a position with any one of the rank choices listed. Both parties are bound by the results of the match. However, an applicant’s actual entry into the training program (and continuation in it) is contingent upon satisfactory completion of the prerequisite training, any special requirements the program may have stated explicitly for all applicants and satisfactory performance during training.
Violations
Observed violations of the matching rules must be reported to the SF Match Director, who will forward information to the sponsoring organization.
Rules For Applicants
Match participants make the following binding agreement:
- I am solely responsible for the choices on my rank list and for the match outcome resulting for those choices.
- I understand that no participating training program has the right to require that I state how I shall rank that program on my confidential rank list, nor do I have a right to demand that any program inform me how it plans to rank me.
- I understand that I cannot avoid accepting an appointment to which I have been matched without a written release from the applicable program. I also understand that another program cannot offer a position to me unless I have this release. I understand that releases are not automatic and my actions may be challenged.
- By submitting a rank list, both the applicants’ choices and the fellowship directors’ choices make the match result a binding commitment. However, any offer made is contingent upon satisfactory completion of the prerequisite training as generally required and special requirements if specified by a particular training program.
- If I obtain a position in this match, I will withdraw from all other matches in post-graduate medicine that compete and conflict with this match. I agree that match results may be sent to other formal matching programs as notice of action under their respective rules.
- I declare that I have no obligations (e.g. military) which might prevent me from accepting a position if offered.
- I authorize the SF Match the use of any information I have provided in any study approved by the SF Match, provided that no information clearly and uniquely identifying me is disclosed in reports resulting from such a study.
TACC Match Violation Policy and Procedures
All match participants and Fellowship Training Programs should review the TACC Match Violation Policies and Procedures before entering into the match.