ERAS
Source: AAMC ERAS website
ERAS Overview and Required Documentation
Source: AAMC ERAS website
About ERAS®
The Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS®) streamlines the residency application process for applicants, their Designated Dean's Offices, Letter of Recommendation (LoR) authors and program directors. By providing applicants the ability to build and deliver their application and supporting materials individually or as a package to programs, ERAS provides a centralized, but flexible solution to the residency application and documents distribution process. You can read the ERAS User Guide, along with checklists and worksheets here.
How Does ERAS Work?
Applicants receive a token from their Designated Dean's Office and use it to register with MyERAS.
Applicants complete their MyERAS application, select programs, assign supporting documents, and apply to programs.
Applicant’s Designated Dean’s Office and LoR authors upload supporting documents.
Examining boards receive and process requests for transcripts.
Programs receive application materials through the Program Director's WorkStation (PDWS).
ERAS Fees
ERAS Residency application fees are based on the total number of programs per specialty, applied to within an ERAS season. MyERAS will automatically calculate processing fees and collect payment information for valid Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover credit cards at the time programs are applied to. For more detailed information, visit the Fees for ERAS Residency Applicants page.
ERAS Requirements:
General Application
Personal Information (contact info, citizenship info, etc.)
Biographical Information (Gender, DOB, Self-identification, language fluency, military info, etc.)
Educational Information (Undergraduate, Medical School, other degrees, interruptions/extensions, honors/awards)
Experiences
Up to 10 Experiences
3 Most Meaningful Experiences
Impactful Experiences encountered or overcome
Hobbies/Interests
Licenses and Certifications
Publications
Journal Articles/Abstracts/Poster Presentations/Oral Presentations/Online Publications
Specialty Specific Supplemental Questions (only certain specialties)
Signals
Certify and Submit
Documentation
Personal Statement (uploaded by student)
Letter of Recommendation (uploaded by faculty after student submits Letter Request Form)
USMLE Transcript (student must authorize the release and assign transcript to programs)
Transcript (uploaded by the Registrar)
MSPE (uploaded by the Office of Medical Student Affairs)
Photo (uploaded by the student)
What happens when you apply to programs?
All programs to which you applied will receive your MyERAS application, as well as any Personal Statements that you created and assigned to them.
If you authorized the release of your USMLE transcript, assigned it to at least one program to which you applied and paid the transcript fee, the NBME will receive a request for the transcript and a list of programs to which you assigned your transcript.
If you grant permission through ERAS, the Office of Medical Student Affairs will be able to see a list of programs that you applied to and signaled and the documents you assigned to these programs.
Using the Program Director’s Workstation (PDWS), participating residency programs view application documents. Program directors may print, review, and evaluate applications using criteria they establish
Note: Programs do not receive any information regarding other programs to which you applied, or the number of applications you have submitted.
Residency programs must log into the Program Director’s Workstation (PDWS) to view application material. Applications sent after a program’s deadline may not be considered by the program. It is the applicant's’ responsibility to ensure that application materials are sent to programs before their deadline(s). Refunds will not be given if residency programs decide not to consider an applicant’s application.
Changing Application Information:
Personal statement: Once you have sent a personal statement to a program, you may no longer make changes to that specific document. If you want to make a change, you must un-assign the original document, create a new personal statement, and assign the new document. However, un-assigning a personal statement does not erase it from a program’s records. A program may already have downloaded and printed a hard copy of your file. Do not assume they will not be able to reference your original document in the future.
Letters of Recommendation: Once an LOR is made available in ERAS and you have assigned it to a program you have applied to, you will not be able to un-assign that specific LOR from those programs.
There are dangers associated with “over-tweaking” your application. You have put a lot of thought already into writing your personal statements and in selecting your letter writers. A last-minute change may not be as well thought-out as the choices you have already made. Finally, programs will see your changes and may interpret your behavior as indecisive.
Withdrawing Your Application:
Applicants should withdraw from program(s) if they determine that they are no longer interested in a program and would like to inform the program that they no longer wish to be considered for a position. This is especially true if an applicant is granted an interview. Alerting the program allows them an opportunity to provide the interview slot to another worthy candidate.
When an applicant withdraws from program(s) in MyERAS, the program(s) will still display in the applicant’s Programs Applied to list but will be marked: You have withdrawn from this program.
Transcripts:
Medical School Transcript: Students do not need to obtain an ISMMS transcript. The Registrar will upload it to ERAS, ResidencyCAS or the SF Match website.
USMLE Transcript: ERAS participants will be able to electronically request that their scores be sent directly from the NBME. The NBME states that it will process your request in 5 working days (although it generally takes much less time, depending on the traffic on the server).
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