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Reviewed by:
Former Chief Resident in Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, & Admissions Officer, Columbia University
Reviewed: 08/08/23
Are you a budding physician applying for your residency? If so, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the ERAS timeline.
The road to becoming a successful physician typically involves completing a robust residency program. While you can complete and use your MD without a residency, doing so will limit your options and opportunities. To secure a residency program, you need to prepare well in advance with careful forethought and a solid application.
This involves giving yourself ample time to collect strong letters of recommendation, create an impactful personal statement, and gather everything you need for your application.
Following a road map for your application will help you get organized and ensure you don’t miss a thing. This guide will lay out the best residency application timeline by highlighting important dates and an effective schedule you can follow.
Read on to learn more about the different sections of the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) application and to stay on track with an effective, month-by-month ERAS timeline.
Refer to the following ERAS timeline to stay organized:
Source: AAMC
Keep these key ERAS residency dates and deadlines in mind to ensure you stay on top of everything!
In the months leading up to the ERAS application season, there are aspects of the application process that you need to be mindful of, in addition to these dates and deadlines. We'll outline your priorities for your residence application month-by-month below.
Here is what we advise doing in the months before application season:
Once you submit your ERAS application, it cannot be changed. Programs can send interview requests very soon after they receive applications, so be proactive and submit your application at the beginning of September.
During the third week of March, Match Week, the NRMP will release the results that indicate if you are matched into a residency program.
Certain changes have been made to the 2024 ERAS application to decrease redundancies and gather more in-depth information about each applicant. Here are the main changes to the 2024 application:
Overall, these changes eliminate the need for a secondary residency application, as these features are now built into the main ERAS application.
ERAS is an essential platform for medical students applying to residency programs, and the MyERAS portal is a vital component of the application process. Now that you have a good understanding of the application timeline, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the platform’s eight sections.
This section is designated for your demographic and biographic information, any military service commitments you may have, and whether or not you are couples matching. You can also provide your NRMP match ID, which you will receive when registering for the NRMP Match.
The CV is comprised of several subsections for information on your:
This section provides an opportunity for you to showcase personal qualities and attributes that are not covered in other parts of your application. You can use this space to describe your accomplishments and defining characteristics, giving insight into your unique identity.
It's crucial to utilize this section to distinguish yourself from other applicants. It allows evaluators to understand whether your values align with the program's mission. So, avoid simply stating your accomplishments. Take the time to add depth to your experiences that will help evaluators fully grasp your experiences.
Your application will need to stand out to have a chance of getting into the best residency programs. The personal statement provides another opportunity to let your personality and experiences shine. It’s your chance to explain why you want to enter your specialty by highlighting how your goals and passion align with it.
Some programs will offer instructions on what to include in your personal statement. Personal statements should be formal, well-structured, and around three to five paragraphs long. Effective personal statements begin with an engaging introduction, which includes a clear thesis.
The body paragraphs should discuss a few significant experiences, such as patient encounters or clinical rotations that have influenced your decision to pursue the specialty or research experiences.
For example, if you're applying to a pediatrics residency, you could discuss a patient encounter that solidified your interest in pediatrics. On the other hand, if you’re applying to a psychiatry or neurology residency, you can share more about the related research you collaborated on during your undergrad.
In the conclusion, you should tie everything together and connect it back to your thesis. It's crucial that your personal statement is cohesive and demonstrates your value as a candidate. Use this space to articulate your passion for the residency program you're applying for and how you can contribute to it positively.
Having strong letters of recommendation is crucial for your ERAS application. While you can upload a maximum of four LoRs to each application through ERAS, submitting that many is unnecessary. You cannot add or delete LoRs from a program after they have been allocated to it.
When it comes to choosing the best recommender for your ERAS application, it's important to select individuals who know you well and can speak to your abilities and potential as a physician.
This could include attending physicians who have worked closely with you and can attest to your clinical skills, work ethic, and professionalism. It's also important to choose recommenders who are familiar with the specialty you are applying to, as their insights and observations may carry more weight with program directors.
In addition to LoRs, it’s also recommended to submit two Standardized Letters of Evaluation (SLOE), which are acquired at the end of each fourth year EM clerkship. Be sure to submit your applications while you wait for SLOEs to be submitted. More letters can be added as they become available.
Candidates must input their USMLE ID and pay a one-time transcript $80 fee to consent to the release of their Step scores from the NBME. Logging into ERAS again will allow you to check the progress of your transcript request.
The MSPE, also known as the Dean's Letter, is an important component of your ERAS application that provides a comprehensive overview of your performance during medical school. It showcases your achievements and highlights your personal attributes while addressing any concerns or issues.
The MSPE evaluates your qualities demonstrated throughout your medical education and may include your class rank to help assess your competitiveness. Check with your Dean to understand your school's procedures.
Although the MSPE is less heavily weighted by training programs when selecting candidates for interviews, it remains an important factor in how applicants are ranked. This is because it is made available later than other components of your residency application.
This section is a summary of your preclinical and clerkship grades, which are made public before the MSPE. More specific information regarding your performance during your clerkship will be available in your MSPE.
While adding a photo to your ERAS application is not required, the majority of applicants choose to include one. Having a professional photo can add a personal touch to your application and make it easier for interviewers to recognize you.
Still feeling nervous about submitting your application? You can get comprehensive residency application support from our team of admissions experts!
If you have more questions regarding the ERAs timeline, read on to learn more.
You should begin the residency application process in the third or early fourth year of medical school. Early September marks the start of ERAS's application submission period for residency programs.
You should apply for Match 2024 in September, 2023.
The ERAs application process takes a few months to complete.
The timing of interview invitations varies depending on the specialty for which you are applying. Most specializations send out invites in November or October. Some invitations for specializations will be sent out in December or possibly January.
Now that you have a solid understanding of the residency application timeline, you can set yourself up for success. By planning your application well in advance of the deadline, you can ensure that you remain well-organized and avoid last-minute stress.
Be sure to refer to this ERAS timeline throughout the year, so you can stay on top of every deadline. Familiarize yourself with the residency application sections, so you know exactly what’s expected of you.
Best of luck!
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