Residency matches endangered by Trump's immigration policy
In a recent statement, the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) voiced its concerns regarding the Trump administration's visa policies and plans to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and the implications it may have for the 2018 Main Residency Match. The Match, which takes place in March, is when medical students find out which residency training program they have been accepted to.
"Applicants affected by the visa restrictions or who are beneficiaries of the DACA program are already applying for and interviewing at residency and fellowship programs, even though it is not certain they will be permitted to enter or remain in the US by the start of training," the statement said. The NRMP fears that the uncertainty will leave many programs the choice of either not ranking qualified applicants or risking empty training slots on their program start date.
The recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling does little to assuage the NRMP's fears, as it allows the Trump administration to enforce its travel ban on citizens of six predominantly Muslim countries in the Middle East, as well as Venezuela and North Korea. NRPM stated that training programs should be able to select applicants based on skill—not nationality. Left with very little choice, the NRMP encourages applicants and programs to make the best decisions they can under existing circumstances.