I guess I got my answer 🙂
"One of the most frequently asked questions that APPIC receives at this point is, "Why do we have to wait nearly two weeks to get our results?". This e-mail provides details about what happens during this time.
IMPORTANT: If you receive a call or e-mail from NMS in the coming days, PLEASE RESPOND TO NMS IMMEDIATELY.
Basically, NMS is extremely busy throughout this period, providing extensive checking and re-checking of the data to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the Match results. For example:
1. NMS works very hard to ensure that no one "falls through the cracks" in the process. They do their best to see that each of the approximately 3,800 applicants and 800 internship sites have submitted either a Rank Order List or a formal withdrawal from the Match. They attempt to contact Training Directors and applicants from whom they are expecting a response, but who have not submitted either a Rank Order List or a withdrawal.
2. There are a significant number of sites with very complex requirements that submit multiple Rank Order Lists for individual programs and contingency-based instructions in order to fill their positions. NMS must carefully review and analyze each of these submissions to ensure they will accomplish the training site's objectives. NMS contacts a significant number of Training Directors to ensure that their Rank Order Lists accurately reflect their preferences and have been set up and entered properly for the Match.
3. Once all rankings have been finalized, NMS performs a number of integrity checks on this data. These checks allow them to identify potential inconsistencies in rankings between lists submitted by applicants and those submitted by programs (e.g., applicants ranking the wrong program at a site, programs ranking the wrong applicant). They are able to catch some (but not all) errors made by sites and applicants, and it does take a significant amount of time to reach these participants to follow-up, verify, and correct these mistakes. Training Directors and applicants are generally busy and can be very difficult to reach.
4. Once the Match has been run, another set of integrity checks are conducted by the NMS staff to ensure that the Match has been processed correctly, and that every applicant and every training program has received the best possible match.
5. Then, the results and statistics must be prepared for distribution via the various methods available.
6. An additional set of tasks are the preparations that must be made for Phase II of the Match. These tasks include generating a master list of available positions and providing information to the AAPI Online Service that will allow unmatched applicants and Training Directors at programs with available positions to participate in Phase II (which begins immediately after the release of the Phase I results).
This is only a partial list of NMS' activities during this period. And, they are able to do all of this in an amount of time that is equal to or less than that of other matching programs of comparable (or even smaller) size in other professions.
This is the 21st year that NMS has conducted the APPIC Match, and we continue to rely upon their thoroughness, attention to detail, and commitment to accuracy. While the next few weeks may require what seems like an extraordinary amount of patience, we hope that you can appreciate the importance of allowing NMS and APPIC the time to get the job done accurately.
Thanks for your patience and understanding."
