The match rules related to preemptive offers can also be found on the Applicants FAQ page.

If I receive an offer from a program that is not participating in the match, what should I do?

First, you need to consider how you would rate this program among the other programs. Make a list and determine whether you have sufficient information at the stage of the process to make your decision.

1. If you are not ready to make a decision or are not interested in the non-participating program, thank them for their interest and tell them you are remaining in the match due to your interest in other programs.
2. If you are interested in the non-participating program, but you are interested in other programs as well, tell the non-participating program the following:
   1. You are participating in the APPCN Match and are interested in other programs as well as the non-participating program.
   2. You have included the non-participating program in your rating list, and you will not rank programs that you are not as interested in as highly as theirs, if they commit to holding your offer until after the Match results are announced. In this situation, you are encouraged to get their commitment in writing. In this option your best interests are served as you are able to consider all training opportunities according to your true preferences.
   3. You may contact the program director of your preferred program. In this situation, the applicant can approach their number one rank site and inform them that they are the preferred site but that they have received an offer from their second choice program that is not participating in the match. The program director can tell you if they plan to rank you high enough to match with them if you were to rank them first. Therefore, if you have received an offer outside of and before the match, we encourage you to contact your preferred program(s) that are participating in the match and inform them of your situation.
3. If the offer is from your most preferred program, you may accept the offer and withdraw from the match if it is prior to the day to submit your rank order list. If you have submitted a Rank Order List, you are bound to respect the results of the match and there can be professional consequences to you as the site you are matched with will not have a resident if you withdraw at this time.

We encourage all Training Directors to remind applicants as to rules related to non-match offers.

Also, below is the current member and applicant registration data as of this week. The numbers are likely to change some, and you can find historical data here. There does appear to be an increase in available positions from 126 last year to 155 this year.