Purpose
The AMIA Clinical Informatics Fellowship Match is designed to provide a fair, transparent, and equitable process for matching applicants and participating fellowship programs. While a successful match creates a binding agreement between the applicant and program, fellowship appointments remain subject to any institutional employment, credentialing, and onboarding requirements established by the sponsoring institution.
To help applicants make informed ranking decisions, AMIA encourages participating programs to clearly communicate any requirements or contingencies that could impact an applicant's ability to begin fellowship training.
Guidance for Programs
Programs should disclose significant post-match requirements as early as possible during the recruitment process, preferably before applicants submit their rank order lists.
Examples may include:
- Criminal background checks
- Drug screening requirements
- Medical staff credentialing requirements
- State licensure requirements
- Visa or employment authorization requirements
- Institutional health screening or immunization requirements
- Other onboarding, employment, or credentialing requirements that could affect appointment eligibility
Programs are encouraged to discuss these requirements during interviews, include them in recruitment materials when appropriate, and provide applicants with an opportunity to ask questions before ranking decisions are finalized.
Guidance for Applicants
Applicants are responsible for understanding and satisfying all institutional requirements associated with a fellowship position. Before submitting a rank order list, applicants should:
- Ask programs about any employment or onboarding requirements that may apply
- Confirm their eligibility to meet licensure, credentialing, or employment requirements
- Understand any deadlines associated with institutional onboarding processes
- Ask whether fellowship appointment, clinical credentialing, and any associated clinical employment processes are managed separately, and clarify which office or department is responsible for each process
- Seek clarification regarding visa sponsorship, state licensure, or other requirements if applicable
Applicants who have questions about a program's onboarding process are encouraged to contact the program directly before submitting their rank order list.
Shared Responsibility
Transparency benefits both applicants and programs. Clear communication regarding hiring contingencies and onboarding requirements helps reduce unexpected issues after Match Day and supports successful fellowship appointments.
AMIA encourages all participating programs and applicants to engage in open and timely communication throughout the recruitment and Match process to ensure that expectations are understood before rank lists are submitted.