Below are key features that enable programs to utilize Thalamus for distributing program documents to their applicants, tracking whether applicants have received the required documents, and reviewing those documents before, during, or after the conclusion of the Match. Thalamus supports the NRMP Match Policy related to the distribution of documents (contracts, institutional documents, etc.), specifically Section 6.3.1 of the Match Policy.
Document Distribution
There are 3 ways for programs to distribute documents to applicants via Thalamus:
Program Profile. Documents may be added as attachments in the About Program section of the Program Profile (Creating/Editing your Program Profile). Documents distributed in this way are available to all applicants invited to interview at your program, and are immediately accessible following invitation.
Email Templates. Documents may be added as attachments to any of the automatically or manually distributed email templates (e.g. Interview invitation, interview confirmation, etc.) that go out to applicants through Thalamus (Managing and Editing Email Templates). Documents distributed in this way are available to applicants upon receipt of your email message. The exact date and time of distribution can be tracked on the program's Applicants page, in the Email Log (Viewing Thalamus Email Log). Please note that, depending on the size of documents, some institutional email servers may block or hide attachments as part of standard data security protocols and processes.
Please note: If you are using the “Send Email” feature on the Applicants Page (i.e. which opens up your email client (e.g. Outlook, Gmail)), any emails sent to applicants will be stored in your emails sent folder or outbox. Only emails sent directly through Thalamus will be stored in each applicant's individual email log.
Calendar Events and My Schedule Page. Documents may be added as attachments to Calendar Events (Creating an Interview Day in your Calendar). Documents distributed in this way are available to the applicant immediately upon scheduling or being scheduled for your program event in the Calendar (and also display on the applicant's view of the My Schedule Page).
Document Attestation
The main workflow to collect document attestations are described below:
To collect attestations for documents distributed to applicants, programs can create a Pre-Interview Survey (or Post-Interview Survey) asking the applicant to affirm receipt, review, and/or understanding of the documents distributed (Creating a Program Survey). Based on your program's preference for the type of survey question, the applicant can either make a selection indicating attestation (e.g. multiple choice, Yes/No questions), or enter their name as a form of signature (e.g. free response question).
Pre-Interview Surveys can be distributed starting at the time of inviting an applicant to interview with the program (Inviting Applicants to Interview), and/or at any point thereafter.
Survey results can be viewed on both the Surveys page (Viewing and Exporting Survey Results (In Manage Surveys), and within your program's Reports under Survey Reports (Viewing and Exporting Survey Reports).
At the end of the recruitment season, both documents and survey reports are archived in a read-only state, which can be accessed by the program at any time following the conclusion of the season through Thalamus’s Archive Mode.
Please note: You can also manually email your applicants reminders or include messaging regarding document attestation in automatic reminders as well.