Who is running the match?
The orthopaedic sports medicine fellowship match is sponsored by the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) and will be administered by SFMatch, a wholly owned subsidiary of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, which has provided matching services for over 50,000 residents and fellows since 1977. The Society is establishing a 5 person Fellowship Match Committee, comprised mostly of leaders who are not running a fellowship program, to administer and police the Match.

Who may participate in the orthopaedic sports medicine fellowship match?
All orthopaedic sports medicine fellowship programs that are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or the Canadian Orthopaedic Association (COA) or who have formally applied to the ACGME for accreditation prior to August 15, 2008 can participate in the match. In addition, non-accredited programs that are AANA recognized fellowships or who have applied for recognition by August 15, 2008 can participate in the match.

There presently are 79 accredited programs with 175 fellowship positions who qualify for the match. There are 6 non-accredited programs that are AANA recognized fellowships with 6 positions that also qualify for the match. Programs that are not accredited will be clearly identified to all match participants since their fellows will be ineligible for ABOS subspecialty certification in orthopaedic sports medicine.

Can a participating program commit only some of its positions to the match?
No. The leadership feels strongly that those who want to participate in a match must fully commit to the match. It also feels strongly that candidates who commit to the match can only select their position through the match. Exercising other options only undermines participation. The only exceptions are for positions that by definition do not qualify as a fellowship position under the match agreement: 1) research fellowships that exceed the one year training period, and 2) international positions that are available only to non-US candidates and are so designated upon signing the match agreement.

Are programs required to participate?
No. Each year programs will have the option to participate. The AOSSM and AANA Boards strongly encourage participation and provide incentives for those who do participate. Once committed, however, programs are required to participate in the program for the duration of that term – 1 year.

What are the incentives and benefits of participating in the Match?
The Society believes participation in the Match is important for a thorough and fair selection of candidates/programs, and wants to ensure its success. AOSSM and AANA are providing the following benefits to encourage a large number of applicants and programs to participate:

• The Match will include a Centralized Application Service (CAS) that will allow candidates to complete one application and to distribute it to any programs participating in the Match, online. Non-participating programs and applicants will not be able to use the CAS.

• The Society will pay the application fee for each fellowship applicant for the first 10 programs to which they apply.

• AOSSM and AANA will publicize participating programs’ names, contact information and selected program information on the AOSSM and AANA websites, in advertisements in AJSM and in Sports Medicine Update so that applicants have ready knowledge of the number and quality of programs participating. This publicity – including listing on the AOSSM and AANA websites -- will not be available to programs that choose not to participate in the Match.

• AOSSM will send a mailing to residents and residency directors further promoting the availability of the match, its benefits and the programs that are participating in the match.

• The Society will limit eligibility to the Young Investigator Grant to participants in the Match.

Does the match have disincentives (teeth)?
Yes. Before programs can participate in the match, they must sign a detailed contract with the Society obligating them to select their positions only through the Match. Failure to adhere to the commitment incurs the following penalties:

• A $7,500 fine.

• Exclusion from participating in the Match for 2 match cycles.

• Exclusion from presenting at the AOSSM and AANA Annual Meeting and Specialty Day by Program Directors for 2 years and by other program faculty for 1 year.

• Exclusion from serving on the AOSSM and AANA Board and committees by Program Directors for 2 years and by program faculty for 1 year.
Note: The AOSSM and AANA remain strongly committed to blinding abstracts during the grading process, so “policing” of this provision will not be integrated into the grading process.

Will applicants be penalized if they withdraw from the Match or if they fail to accept a matched position?
Yes. An applicant who registers with the match cannot withdraw from the program without violating their commitment to the program. Applicants who do not follow through on their commitment:

• Forfeit their ability to become AOSSM Candidate Members or AANA Associate Members

• Disqualify themselves from receiving certain AOSSM grants

• Must reimburse AOSSM for each application submitted on their behalf through the CAS

When will the Match occur?
The Match timeframe has been consolidated from previous iterations to focus the interview and selection process and to limit the waiting period for applicants and programs. Following is the timeline that is being established for the Match.

July 15 – August 15, 2008 - Fellowship Programs submit signed contracts to AOSSM

September 1, 2008 – Programs complete their profile for the SFMatch

October 1, 2008 – Advertisements promoting participating programs are placed in AJSM and SMU

October 1, 2008 – Applicants are permitted to sign-up for the match, complete the on-line application and submit them to programs of interests

January 1, 2009 – Interviews begins

March 20, 2009 – Rank order lists submitted by:
• Fellowship Programs
• Applicants

April 15, 2009 – Match Day

How can I make an informed decision about participating in the Match?
Given the uneven history under the former match program, the Society is taking several steps to ensure the new program is fully developed and program directors are fully informed of how the program works and who intends to participate.

• The attached Program Agreement outlines in detail the obligations and responsibilities that program directors must sign before they can participate in the match. It is based on the Match that was sponsored by the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society and is comprehensive.

• Between June 15 and July 1, programs are requested to submit a non-binding letters of intent if they plan to participate in Match. A listing of participating programs expecting to be in the Match, as well as the number of positions offered in the Match will be made available by the Fellowship Directors meeting on July 9, 2008.

• At the Fellowship Directors meeting on July 11, 2008 (during the AOSSM Annual Meeting), the AOSSM and AANA leadership and Match Committee will be available to present the programs expected to participate and address questions or concerns presented by program directors. Participants also will be provided with information related to the universal orthopaedic sports medicine application, the Centralized Application Service, the SF Match and other critical information related to implementation of the program.

• On August 15, the Programs wanting to participate in the Match will sign the Agreement and complete their profile on-line.

How much will it cost to participate in the Match?
The cost of the Match is minimal. Each program must submit $150 to be enrolled in the program. Applicants must pay $100 to register with the SF Match. AOSSM will pay their fee for the first 10 applications they submit to participating sports medicine fellowship programs. If residents decide to submit more that 10 applications, they will be assessed an additional fee by the SF Match’s Centralized Application Service, ranging from $10 to $35 dollars depending on the number of applications they choose to submit.


For further questions please contact Laura at the Society Office, laura@aossm.org.