# Match Checklist

## February – March (3<sup>rd</sup> Year/Phase 2)

* Work toward narrowing your specialty choice.
  * Attend Residency Information Sessions to hear from the ISMMS Program Directors about application guidance for their specialty and get an opportunity to ask questions
  * Take the AAMC’s Careers in Medicine Assessments: Medical Specialty Preference Inventory, Specialty Indecision Scale
  * Determine if you need or want to complete an away rotation. Review information on other medical schools’ website, paying attention to deadlines for applications. Note: some specialties require away rotations, please consult with the Electives Director, Specialty Advisor, CaPD Team, and/or your Career Advisor
  * Meet with specialty advisors to get a sense of what is needed for your application, how to prepare for aways if required, LoRs

## April – June (3rd Year/Start of Phase 3)

* Finalize Year 4/Phase 3 Schedule
  * Most interviews will occur in October, November, December and January, so keep your schedule light and flexible during those months.&#x20;
  * Sign up for Step 2  after discussing timing for with Dr. Linkowski or Dr. Lassman. Step 2 scores can take 4 week or more to be released. Keep this in mind so you know when you need to take it for programs to be able to see your score when applying.
* Work toward narrowing your specialty choice.
  * Attend departmental grand rounds and other seminars and use electronic resources (<http://www.careermd.com>; Careers in Medicine:[ ](http://www.aamc.org/cim)[www.aamc.org/cim](http://www.aamc.org/cim); FRIEDA:[ ](https://www.ama-assn.org/go/freida)<https://www.ama-assn.org/go/freida>, Residency Explorer Tool: <https://www.residencyexplorer.org/>)
  * Attend Specialty Match panels hosted by Specialty Interest Groups to talk to recently matched fourth years about applying to that specialty.
* Career advising
  * Mid-May through the end of June: meet with your career advisor to review career choice, your Medical Student Performance Evaluation(MSPE), 4th Year/Phase 3 schedule, (elective choices, flexible time for interviews), letter writers, CV, and personal statement.&#x20;
* Get started on your personal statement. Get lots of feedback on your statement from your Career Advisor and specialty advisor, in that order.

## June–August (4<sup>th</sup> year/Phase 3)

* Start filling out your ERAS application (a token to allow you to register will be emailed to you in November/December).
  * Update your CV&#x20;
  * Identify faculty who will write your letters of recommendation (LORs). Remember, letter writers will need your CV and a draft of your personal statement. You should give your writers at least 6 weeks to complete their letters by mid-September, so ideally ask them before mid-July. Generate a Letter Request Form in ERAS and email it to your letter writers so they can upload their LOR directly to ERAS.
* Choose programs to which you wish to send applications.
  * Apply to enough programs so that you have choices. It is better to cancel interviews than to not have enough scheduled. Review the [NRMP Charting Outcomes](https://www.nrmp.org/match-data/2025/07/charting-outcomes-applicant-survey-results-2025-main-residency-match/) to get a sense of how many programs past applicants applied to and interviewed with.  &#x20;
  * Ensure that you have a list of programs that is long enough to cover the categories of Dream Programs, Hope Programs and Safety Programs.
  * Speak with Specialty Advisor to come up with strategy regarding signals, geographic preference,  programs, LoRs
* Review your Transcript and complete the Transcript Release Form
* Attend Residency Headshot Session

## September–October (4<sup>th</sup> year/Phase 3)

* MSPE Review
  * In September, you will be contacted when your MSPE is ready to be read. You will then have to complete a form acknowledging you have reviewed it and it can be submitted to the application portal-deadline will be given via email.
  * The MSPE will be released to program directors on September 24 per requirements for all US medical schools.
* Complete ERAS application and apply!&#x20;
  * Complete ERAS early, but not hastily. Your ERAS application cannot be changed once it is submitted.
  * See the Specialty Specific Information Section for when programs in that specialty release interview invitations.&#x20;
  * The Registrar will begin to upload your transcript after you have completed the Transcript Release Form. Your LOR authors will upload your letter based on the Letter Request Form you have sent them. All MSPEs will be uploaded in advance of the September 24 release date.
  * Check ERAS regularly to monitor the status of your LORs.
  * If you are doing an away rotation in August or September, be sure that all of your letter writers have been contacted, that you have reviewed your MSPE, and have taken your photo for your application before then.
  * Assign and send your USMLE Transcript to programs in ERAS
  * Register for the NRMP (<http://www.nrmp.org>).
* If you may be at risk of not matching or are worried and think you may want to pursue a Scholarly Year the following year and reapply, meet with Jillian Palmer to ensure your schedule for the next year allows for this. You must have at least two curricular weeks saved for after Match Week to ensure you do not complete your graduation requirements and are eligible for this plan.&#x20;
* Prepare to interview.
  * Meet with your career advisor and specialty advisor to discuss interview strategies&#x20;
  * Sign up for a Mock Interview in October/November
  * Accept interviews quickly, most specialties allow 48 hours for students to accept or decline an interview.
  * Develop a calendar or personal system for the interview dates you have accepted.
  * Contact students who have graduated and who are in the various programs in which you are interested to determine whether they can give you any insights or suggestions.
  * If interviews are in person- save money by using ISMMS[ Recreation Office ](https://recreation.mountsinai.org/discounts/)when you rent cars, purchase plane tickets, and stay at hotels.
  * As a Sinai Student, you have access to discounts at specific vendors. The list of hotels, car companies and airline companies is not long, but it’s worth peeking at if you are interested in cutting costs this interview season.

## October–December (4<sup>th</sup> year/Phase 3)

* Interview!
  * Be proactive in obtaining interviews.&#x20;
  * Contact your Career Advisor if you have less than two scheduled by November.

## January–February (4<sup>th</sup> year/Phase 3)

* Continue to Interview
* Meet with your specialty advisor and career advisor after you are done interviewing to discuss how to rank your programs.
* Decide on your rank order list.
  * Many specialties recommend sending a 1st choice email to the specialty you are ranking #1. Only do this if you are absolutely sure you'll be ranking that program #1.&#x20;
  * Enter and certify your final Rank Order List a few days-a week before the deadline to be assured that your list will be in if the server crashes on final submission day later in the month. You can change your ROL up until the final deadline, but the servers get very slow in the last week. Print out a copy of your certified ROL for your records.

## March (4<sup>th</sup> year/Phase 3)

* All students must complete the AAMC Graduation Questionnaire.&#x20;
* Plan on being on campus for all of Match Week.
* On the Monday before Match Day, the Icahn School of Medicine will receive information about students who have not matched. We will contact unmatched students by phone (and at their homes) at 10:00 am. At 11:00 am, the list of unfilled programs will be posted and ERAS will open in SOAP (Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program) mode.
* Throughout the week, the ISMMS staff, deans, and career advisors will work with SOAP students to secure a residency position.
* On the third Friday in March, the Department of Medical Education will host a Match Day Celebration.&#x20;
* Two to three weeks following the Match, students will receive contracts from their matched programs.
* Fill out your Match Survey sent from the Office of Medical Student Affairs.

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