Fellowship Match Program Agreement

Fellowship Match Program Agreement

2021 Match for 2022 Training

All Fellowship Programs are required to read this Program Agreement and submit the Exhibit A Form. 

NOTICE: Adult Reconstruction and Musculoskeletal Oncology Fellowship Programs must submit the Exhibit A form for the 2021 Adult Reconstructive Hip and Knee Fellowship Match Program/Musculoskeletal Oncology Fellowship Match Program Agreement with the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS), The Hip Society, The Knee Society, and the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (the “Organizations”) before they can participate in the orthopaedic hip and knee surgery match for appointment year starting in July 2022. In addition, they must complete and submit the form to the Organizations before they will be listed as a participating program with the SF Match (SFM).

The term “Fellowship” shall mean a Clinical Fellowship Training Program for Adult Reconstruction or for Musculoskeletal Oncology with a minimum Fellowship length of 12 months. We have submitted the Exhibit A Form for the 2021 Adult Reconstruction and Musculoskeletal Oncology Fellowship Match to the Organizations, the sponsors of the Match. By submitting the Exhibit A Form, you affirm your program’s commitment to follow the rules for Fellowship Programs laid out below. 

Program Obligations

As consideration for the Organizations’ efforts to facilitate placement services for Applicants and Participating Programs, the Program shall adhere to the conditions set forth below:

1. The Program shall honor its commitments to the SFM and Applicants under its Participation Agreement.
2. The Program shall not accept a fellow for its Fellowship who is not a participating Match Applicant. All Fellowship positions offered by the Program shall be filled through the SFM, with the following exceptions:
   – Any Fellowship position that is “unmatched” through the SFM;
   – A Fellowship position reserved only for International Fellows, provided the position is designated for International Fellows only by the 15th of August preceding the applicable “Match Day.”
   – A Fellowship position reserved only for Research Fellows, provided the position is designated for Research Fellows only by the 15th of August preceding the applicable “Match Day.”
3. The Program shall not pressure Applicants to commit to a Fellowship prior to the Match.
4. The Program shall not seek assurances from Applicants as to an Applicant’s intent to “rank” a Program’s Fellowship in a certain order and shall similarly not state or imply in any way that the Applicant’s position on the Program’s SFM Rank List is at all dependent upon the Applicant’s relative level of interest in the Program’s Fellowship. No verbal or written communication between the program and applicants is binding.
5. The Program shall not withdraw any Fellowship positions from the Match at any time prior to “Match Day,” nor offer any Applicant, irrespective of whether or not the Applicant has signed a Participation Agreement, any position as a Fellow prior to Match Day, except as provided in Section 3.2(b) of the previously signed agreement.
6. The Program shall not interview any Applicant for a Fellowship position prior to executing its Participation Agreement and the Program Agreement with the Organizations corresponding to the year the Fellowship is being offered by the Program.