Review a timeline for applying for residency and fellowship positions using the ERAS system for the 2024 application season.

For Residency Applicants: 

For Fellowship Applicants: 

ERAS application fees are based on the number of programs applied to per specialty. The MyERAS portal automatically calculates your fees, and you can pay online using Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover.

In this Section:

• Residency Application Fees
• Fellowship Application Fees
• Additional Fees
• Refund Policy

Residency Application Fees

Example 1: 30 emergency medicine programs [$99.00 + (10×$19.00) + (10×$23.00)] = $519 

Example 2: 20 OB-GYN programs [$99.00+(10×$19.00)] + 10 family medicine programs ($99.00) = $388 

Example 3: 23 internal medicine programs [$99.00 + (10×$19.00) + (3×$23.00)] + 7 radiology programs ($99.00) = $457 

Example 4: 12 internal medicine programs [$99.00+(2×$19.00)]+10 emergency medicine programs [$99.00] + 8 family medicine programs [$99.00] = $335 

ERAS 2024 Residency Fee Calculator 

This fee calculator is to be used only as a planning tool. Your fees will be based on the number of programs you apply to and associated additional costs such as board exam fees and relevant taxes.  

Access the ERAS Residency Fee Calculator 

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Fellowship Application Fees

Example 1: 30 vascular surgery programs [$115.00 + (10 × $17.00) + (10 × $20.00)] = $485 

Example 2: 30 medical genetics programs [$115.00 + (10 × $17.00)] + (10×$20.00)] + 10 maternal-fetal medicine programs (10 × $27.00)] = $755 

Example 3: 23 colon and rectal surgery programs [$115.00 + (10 x $17.00) + (3 x $20.00)] = $345 

ERAS 2024 Fellowship Fee Calculator 

This fee calculator is to be used only as a planning tool. Your fees will be based on the number of programs you apply to and associated additional costs such as board exam fees and relevant taxes.  

Access the ERAS Fellowship Fee Calculator 

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Additional Fees

United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Transcript: $80 (assessed once per season) 
Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the United States (COMLEX-USA) Transcript: $80 (assessed once per season) 

Tax 

AAMC publications, products, and services are taxable in various jurisdictions throughout the United States. Tax is determined based on the billing address of the payment you are using. For more information, please visit AAMC U.S. Sales Tax: FAQs.  

Payment Method 

Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover) 

• Note: For applicants who pay their ERAS fees using a credit card, those charges will show up as "AAMC" on their credit card statement. 

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Refund Policy 

The ERAS system does not offer refunds for any reason. Refunds will not be given for applications sent to nonparticipating programs. 
 
Although the ERAS program makes every effort to ensure that our data are up to date, programs may not always communicate to the ERAS system their intention to accept applications; or a program's status may change. Therefore, it is your responsibility to confirm that you meet all eligibility requirements and program deadlines before applying by contacting programs directly.  
 
The ERAS system's primary role is to deliver your application and supporting documents to designated programs. This process is no different from placing a stamp on an envelope and mailing it through the U.S. Postal Service. Once you apply to a program and submit payment through the MyERAS portal, service has been rendered and your application has been delivered. 

Consequences of Overdue Balances 

If your account has an unpaid balance, the AAMC will revoke your access to the MyERAS portal. In addition, the ERAS system will contact your Designated Dean’s Office as well as ERAS business partners, including the ERAS Fellowships Documents Office (EFDO) and the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), to prohibit your access to the ERAS system until the debt is paid in full. This policy applies to current and future ERAS seasons, as long as your debt is outstanding. Moreover, if you do not satisfy your debt, your access to other AAMC services will also be revoked. 

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In this Section:

• ERAS Data Policy
• Use of ERAS Source Documentation
• ERAS Integrity Promotion Program

ERAS Data Policy

The AAMC and the ERAS program recognize the importance of responsibly collecting and guarding the information we receive from our users. The AAMC has developed these data policy guidelines to prevent the exposure of confidential personal data without the individual’s permission. 

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Use of ERAS Source Documentation

The ERAS program strives to transmit source documentation via the ERAS system. This requires that Designated Dean’s Offices receive supporting documents that are created by the original author/owner. Designated Dean’s Office staff who transmit these documents to training programs via the ERAS system should, for example, provide medical school transcripts and Medical School Performance Evaluations (MSPEs) issued directly from the medical school. Reproductions of PDWS documentation from previous ERAS application seasons do not qualify as acceptable source documentation. Designated Dean’s Offices have been instructed not to accept printed PDWS documents for transmission via the ERAS system. 
 
The ERAS program prohibits the use of ERAS documents received through the PDWS for any other purpose than to review and evaluate an applicant for a training position. These documents may not be printed, faxed, emailed or otherwise transmitted to any individual or organization that is not associated with securing your training position at your institution. Documentation received via the PDWS may be used only for the review and evaluation of an applicant for a training position. 

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ERAS Integrity Promotion Program

The AAMC is dedicated to promoting integrity in graduate medical education and advocates high standards during the application process. The ERAS program has developed an Integrity Promotion Program to encourage these high standards for those engaged in the residency and fellowship application and selection process, to educate users about expectations of behavior, and to investigate allegations of fraudulent or unethical behavior. 
 
Over the past few years, an increasing number of fraudulent application allegations has been reported to the ERAS program by applicants, Designated Dean’s Offices, and training programs. Neither applicants nor programs benefit from unethical behavior in the application process, and the program discourages this behavior. The ERAS Integrity Promotion Program was created to promote integrity in the process among all participants. 

The ERAS Integrity Promotion Program has two components: ERAS Integrity Promotion — Education and ERAS Integrity Promotion — Investigation. The Education Program educates ERAS users about ethical application behavior and as outlines irregular behavior considered unethical that could lead to an investigation. Learn More  

The Investigations Program outlines the steps in the process, should a user become the subject of an ERAS investigation, as well as the consequences of a positive finding. Learn More 

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• Latest version of Chrome.  

• Latest version of Firefox. 

• Latest version of Edge. 

Note: The ERAS program does not enforce any operating system or browser restrictions; however, it does not provide technical support for Mac (Apple) users or browsers outside the supported options.  

• The ERAS program does not set fellowship or residency program application deadlines or requirements. It is not always alerted to changes made by the programs. Contact programs of interest to find out more about their requirements and deadlines. Also, confirm the program is participating in the 2024 ERAS season before sending your application materials to them via the ERAS system. 
• This information can be found on the Participating Specialties and Programs webpage. This page is updated each season. Additionally, the American Medical Association (AMA) publishes a descriptive online directory of all training programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), which can be found at www.ama-assn.org/go/freida. 
• Some programs have state requirements they must adhere to that prevent selection of international medical graduates (IMGs). Contact the programs directly to find out their requirements before you apply. 
• Contact your Designated Dean’s Office for processing instructions and to receive your ERAS token to access the MyERAS® portal. 
  • Note: Each Designated Dean’s Office establishes their own procedures for fellowship and residency applicants who use the ERAS program. These procedures include the schedule for distributing tokens, providing resources, and uploading and processing documents. 
  • Note for IMGs: Visit the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) website or contact the ECFMG for information on how to obtain an ERAS token via ECFMG’s On-line Applicant Status and Information System (OASIS) to access the MyERAS portal and to check the ECFMG’s schedule and procedures. 

• Register for the MyERAS portal using your ERAS token obtained through your Designated Dean’s Office. 
• Complete and submit your MyERAS application and assign personal statements using the MyERAS portal. 
• Authorize USMLE and/or COMLEX-USA transcripts and assign, along with your LoRs, photo, and any additional documents. 
• Send Letter Request Forms to LoR Authors. 
• Pay fees and apply to programs. 
• Track the status of documents by program under the Programs Applied To page in the MyERAS portal and monitor the Message Center for information from fellowship and residency programs, the ECFMG (IMGs only), the EFDO, and the ERAS program. 
• Return to the MyERAS portal to update your personal information as needed, resend your updated USMLE and/or COMLEX-USA scores, and make changes to program selections and assignments as needed. 
• If you have not already done so, certify and submit your application by the end of the season if you intend to import or access your application information in future seasons. 
• Visit the EFDO website for processing instructions and to receive your ERAS token to access the MyERAS portal.  
  • Note: The EFDO establishes their own processing procedures for fellowship applicants who use the ERAS program. These procedures include the schedule for distributing materials and uploading and processing documents. Visit the EFDO website or contact the EFDO to check the schedule and procedures.  
  • Note: The participation status is set by the programs directly and determines whether they are open for applicants to apply. Make sure to thoroughly research your chosen programs, particularly their participation status, before applying.  
• Track the status of documents by program under the Programs tab in the MyERAS portal and monitor the Message Center for information from fellowship programs, the EFDO, and the ERAS program.

• Establish policies and procedures for document processing. 
• Provide tokens to third-year medical school students, seniors, and graduates from previous years no matter how long ago they graduated from medical school (from their institution only) applying to residency programs. 
• Upload applicants’ MSPE and MS transcript.  
• Maintain confidentiality of applicant information. 
• Provide support and guidance for applicants on the recruitment process.

• Establish policies and procedures for document processing. 
• Provide ERAS tokens to IMGs applying for residency positions in U.S. programs. 
• Support ECFMG’s On-line Applicant Status and Information System (OASIS), which allows specific documents to be uploaded and processed. 
• Upload and process all supporting documents received from applicants and medical schools. 
• Process USMLE transcript requests for programs designated by the applicant, including requests for updated scores. 
• Send ECFMG Status Report. 
• Support applicants and provide guidance in the application process. 
• Maintain confidentiality of applicant information. 

Note for IMGs: ECFMG has requested that IMGs adhere to all guidelines published on its ERAS Support Services website. Failure to read and comply with all ECFMG published guidelines may result in processing delays. Please visit the ECFMG website to review the guidelines and a complete list of services. 

• Establish policies and procedures for document processing.
• Provide ERAS tokens to fellowship applicants.
• Support EFDO On-line Services, which allows applicants to upload and then process specific documents.
• Upload and process all supporting documents received from applicants and medical schools.
• Support applicants in the application process.
• Maintain confidentiality of applicant information.

• Process USMLE transcript requests (for U.S. medical graduates [USMG] and fellowship applicants only) for programs designated by the applicant, including requests for updated scores. 

• Send NBME Part exam scores, Irregular Behavior Letters and Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) reports to programs, if applicable. 

• Maintain confidentiality of applicant information. 

• Process COMLEX-USA transcript requests for programs designated by the applicant, including requests for updated scores. 
• Provide NBOME Part exam scores to programs, if applicable. 
• Maintain confidentiality of applicant information. 

• Registration with the ERAS system does not register you for any established match. The ERAS system is a separate entity and does not provide matching services.  
• To participate in The Match® with the National Resident Matching Program®, you must register with the NRMP®. Learn more by visiting nrmp.org. To learn more about matching services for residencies, visit this webpage: Matching Services for Residencies | Students & Residents (aamc.org).

*Trademarks are the property of the respective trademark owners.

• Establish requirements and deadlines for the receipt of applications. 
• Update program contact and listing information, such as requirements, deadlines, or participation status. 
• Communicate with applicants about preferred application requirements and process. 
• Maintain confidentiality of applicant information. 

• Provide resources such as those found on the ERAS website, including user guides. 

• Provide technical support to applicants, Designated Dean’s Offices, LoR Authors, and programs. 

• Ensure reliable and secure delivery of application materials. 

• Communicate known issues with the ERAS system along with any known solutions to affected users. 

• Maintain confidentiality of applicant information. 

To access the MyERAS application, first contact your Designated Dean’s Office; they will issue you an ERAS token, a one-time access code for registering on the MyERAS portal. 

• Note: Your Designated Dean’s Office establishes their own processing procedures for ERAS applicants. 

These procedures include the schedule for distributing materials and uploading and processing documents. Contact your Designated Dean’s Office to check their schedule and procedures. 

What You Should Know Before Registering for the MyERAS Portal 

• Residency applicants must obtain an ERAS token from their Designated Dean’s Office. For fellowship applicants this is the EFDO. If you use an ERAS token from another school or organization, your documents cannot be accurately uploaded. 
• The system will not allow you to use an ERAS token from a previous season. 
• An ERAS token can be registered only once. Be sure to enter all requested information accurately. 
• You need an AAMC account to register your ERAS token. If you do not have an AAMC account from a previous ERAS season or use of another AAMC service, you will need to create an account. 
• Third-year medical school tokens will only allow you to update the Personal Information section and upload LoR in preparation for the following season. The rest of the application will become active at that time. 

Note: Registration with the ERAS program does not register applicants for any established match. The program is a separate entity and does not provide matching services. If you intend to participate in a match (military, NRMP®, San Francisco, or urology), you must contact that organization for registration, eligibility, and participation information. 

How to register for the MyERAS application

1. Go to the MyERAS application. 
2. Sign in with AAMC account or register for an AAMC account if login credentials do not exist. 
3. Enter a valid ERAS token and select “Continue.” 
4. Review and accept the MyERAS portal terms and conditions. 
5. Review or enter your medical school information, review and agree to the AAMC Policy Notice and select “Continue.” 
6. Review your information and select “Continue,” if correct. 
7. If given the option to import application material from a previous season, select the appropriate residency or fellowship application or LoRs to be imported. 

Step 1: Select an available residency or fellowship application to import and select “Continue.” 

• Note: You will have access to only your most recent residency and fellowship application (ERAS 2016 application season and onward) that was certified and submitted before the season ends. 

Step 2: Select the LoR from the table to import and select “Continue.” 

• Note: LoR entry information and viewing rights will be consistent with the original and cannot be changed; however, the letter author does maintain the right to upload a new version of the LoR. 

Step 3: Verify the selections for Application Data and LoRs and select “Confirm Import” when ready. 

• Note: If you opt to skip this step or cancel the import of application data or LoRs, you may still complete the import from the History tab. Find out more information in the History section of the user guide. 

If you are applying for a residency and fellowship position during a single ERAS season, you will be able to register both a residency and fellowship token. Once you have registered your first token (residency or fellowship) and are on the MyERAS Dashboard, there will be a drop-down option at the top of the page that allows you to register your second token. Selecting this option takes you to the token entry page, where you can repeat items 3-7 in the “How to register for the MyERAS application” section above. 

After you register both tokens, you will log in to the MyERAS portal using a single AAMC account and be able to toggle between the fellowship and residency applications from the drop-down menu. 

• The MyERAS application can be viewed as a PDF by selecting “View/Print MyERAS Application” in the Application tile on the Dashboard and in the top right area of every page under the Application section. The PDF will open in a new tab. 
• This PDF shows you how the contents of the MyERAS application will be displayed to programs. 
• The PDF of the MyERAS applications is displayed in American Psychological Association style to programs.  

The Curriculum Vitae (CV) populates the information you entered in the Application section of the MyERAS portal. The CV is nothing more than the MyERAS application formatted differently for the benefit of programs that prefer to view applications in a CV format. It can be accessed by selecting “View/Print CV” in the same location as the View/Print MyERAS Application button. 

Note: This section of the application should be kept up to date throughout the application season. 

In This Section:

• AAMC Account Information
• Basic Information
• Address
• Work Authorization Information
• Match Information
• Additional Information

AAMC Account Information

You can edit any contact information, such as names, gender, email, and birth date. It may take a few minutes for an updated email to be reflected in the MyERAS application. 

• Note: You may opt to release your birth date to programs you have applied to. You may redact the birth date by unchecking the box and saving the Personal Information section. Although the birth date can be redacted after applying, programs may have already seen it. The AAMC account information is shared across all AAMC services. 

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Basic Information

You may enter contact information, such as your preferred name and preferred phone numbers, so that programs may reach out to you. 

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Address

Current Mailing Address should be used to provide your most current address to programs throughout the application season. 

• Permanent Address should be used to provide your most reliable address to programs throughout the application season. 

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Work Authorization Information

You should make these selections based on your current work authorization status. 

• Selections that are not marked as required (not denoted with an *) in this section are collected in accordance with the AAMC Self-Identification of Citizenship Data Collection Standard. 

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Match Information

You should make these selections to indicate your intentions to participate individually or as a couple, with all matching services applicable to you for the current season. 

• Match information is collected for the NRMP® Match and the Urology Match. 

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Additional Information

• Exam transcript IDs — You must enter your USMLE ID and NBOME ID (DO applicants only) to send your USMLE and/or COMLEX-USA exam scores to programs. 
• American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Member Number (DO applicants only) — You may enter this information, if applicable. 
• Life Support Certifications — If applicable, you should indicate your current status and expiration date for: 
  • Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS). 
  • Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS). 
  • Basic Life Support (BLS). 
• Honor Societies — If applicable, you should indicate your current status in: 
  • Sigma Phi (SSP) (DO applicants only). 
  • Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) (MD applicants only). 
  • Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS).

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In this Section:

• Self-Identification
• Language Fluency
• Military Information
• Geographic Preferences
• Setting Preferences
• Hometowns

Self-Identification

You may indicate to programs how you self-identify. If you prefer not to self-identify, you may skip this section. 

• Applicants who reside in the European Union are not to answer this question. 

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Language Fluency

You must enter the languages you speak, including English. You must also indicate your proficiency for each language. 

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Military Information

You must indicate any U.S. military active duty service obligations or deferments, including the branch and number of years remaining, if applicable. 

• Any other service obligations (e.g., military reserves, public health/state programs) should also be indicated and described in the associated text field. 

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Geographic Preferences

The Geographic Preferences section of the MyERAS application gives you the opportunity to communicate your preference or lack of preference for geographic divisions and urban, suburban, or rural settings.  

The Geographic Preferences section, which includes setting preferences, has two parts: 

1. Geographic Preferences. You will be asked to indicate your preferences (or lack of preference) by selecting up to three U.S. Census divisions and then to describe your preferences or lack of preference.  
2. Setting Preferences. You will be asked to indicate your preferences (or lack of preference) for an urban, suburban, or rural setting and then to describe your setting preferences or lack of preference.  

Geographic Preference Divisions Map

• New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont. 
• Middle Atlantic: New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania. 
• East North Central: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin. 
• West North Central: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota. 
• South Atlantic: Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia. 
• East South Central: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee. 
• West South Central: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas. 
• Mountain: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming. 
• Pacific: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington.  

How are geographic and setting preferences shared with programs

For geographic division preferences: 

• If you select a particular geographic division, then only the programs you apply to in that division will see your response. All other programs you apply to outside your preferred divisions will not see any information about your geographic preferences. 

• If you select “I do not have a division preference,” then all programs to which you apply will see your response.  

• If you do not respond to or skip this question, no information will be provided to any program. 

For setting preferences: 

• If you indicate a preference or lack of preference for setting, your preference (or lack of preference) and corresponding explanation will be shared with all programs to which you apply. 

• If you do not respond to or skip the question, no setting preference information will be shared with any programs. 

How will programs use geographic and setting preferences? 

Programs are instructed to use geographic and setting preferences as pieces of information to consider during the application review and interview selection process only, because applicants may change their preferences throughout the interview season. To assist with application evaluation, programs can filter applicants based on geographic division and/or setting preferences. Although programs have been advised that preferences are not to be used in isolation as a screening tool, some programs may use them during screening  

The following data on programs’ use of geographic division and setting preferences are based on answers to survey questions aimed at understanding programs’ use of the geographic and setting preference data collected during the ERAS 2023 season: 

• Some programs may give priority to applicants with a preference for their division, and some (47% of respondents) may feel that applicants who show a preference for their region are more likely to accept an offer to interview at their programs.  
• Most program directors (82% of respondents) used the Geographic Preferences section during their admissions process and reported that it helped them identify applicants whom they would have otherwise overlooked (59% of respondents). 
• Program directors using applicants’ geographic preferences during various stages of the application process:  
• As a screening tool before a more thorough application review (86% of respondents).  
• To send interview invitations to every applicant who selected their region (58% of respondents).  
• To include in a composite filter to conduct holistic review (74% of respondents). 
• As part of a holistic application review to decide whom to interview (94% of respondents). 
• As a tiebreaker to help decide whom to interview (88% of respondents).  
• To prepare for the interview (70% of respondents). 

For more detailed information on how programs and specialties used geographic and setting preferences in the ERAS 2023 season, refer to Supplemental ERAS 2022-2023 Application Season: Results of the Program Director Reaction Survey. 

If you have questions about how a program you are applying to is using these data in the upcoming ERAS season, please contact the program directly. 

Tips for Completing the Geographic Preferences Section

• Both program directors and applicants report that geographic location is one of the most important factors in residency program selection.^1,2 The Geographic Preferences section of the MyERAS application offers you a structured process for expressing your preferences to complete residency or fellowship training in particular areas of the country and/or in an urban, suburban, or rural setting. Think about where your support systems are located and where you can build a strong support system as you complete your residency and/or fellowship training. Programs emphasize the importance of a social support system throughout residency training and look for evidence of a social support system through the geographic information and geographic preferences an applicant shares. 
• Be honest when sharing your geographic preferences. Before geographic preferences, programs were left to make inferences about where you may want to live or work in the future. Geographic preferences allow you to clearly communicate exactly where you want to be and why you want to be there. Alternatively, it offers you the opportunity to share with programs that you have no geographic preference and are willing and able to go anywhere.  
• If you have no preference about where you receive residency or fellowship training geographically, you should select “I do not have a division preference” and explain why you do not have a preference. In the ERAS 2023 season, most participating programs reported interpreting “I do not have a division preference” to mean that you are willing to go anywhere. However, it is important to note when an applicant’s geographic preference aligned with the program’s location, the likelihood of an interview invitation was higher than when selecting no preference for all specialties that participated in geographic preferences except orthopedic surgery. In orthopedic surgery, the likelihood of an interview invitation was similar for applicants who indicated no geographic preference or indicated a geographic preference within the program’s region.

Consider these data from the ERAS 2023 season

Geographic preferences

• Most applicants indicated a geographic division preference.
• Approximately one third of applicants indicated no geographic preference, 90% of whom provided a description of their lack of preference.
• Approximately 96% of geographic preferences were paired with a description of their chosen geographic preferences.

Setting preferences

• Most applicants indicated a setting preference.
• Approximately 85% of setting preferences were paired with a short essay describing their setting preference.
• Of those applicants who reported no setting preference, about 80% wrote a short essay describing why they did not have a setting preference.

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Setting Preferences

• Please use the following definitions of urban, suburban, and rural as guidance for questions about setting preferences in the MyERAS application. 
• Urban: the central part of a city; high population density; high density of structures like houses, buildings, railways; public transportation more readily available for commuting; most jobs are nonagricultural.  
• Suburban: smaller urban area around a city; less populated than cities; serves mainly as residential area for cities’ workforce; mostly residential with single-family homes, stores, and services; more parks and open spaces than a city; limited public transportation; private vehicles needed for commuting.  
• Rural: large amounts of undeveloped land; low population density; open areas of land with few homes or buildings; no public transportation; private vehicles needed for commuting; main industries likely to be agriculture or natural resource extraction.  

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Hometowns

Hometown is an area where you currently or previously lived and feel strong ties or sense of belonging. You may enter up to five hometowns. 

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References

1. Kim JK, Morrison B, Bylund J, Rasper A, Dropkin BM. Influencing factors of preference signaling in the 2022 urology residency match. Urology. 2023;Feb. 18:S0090-4295(23)00158-9. doi:10.1016/j.urology.2022.12.050. Online ahead of print. PMID: 36805414. 
2. Luu Y, Gao W, Han J, Mihalic A, Vandergriff T. Personal connections and preference signaling: a cross-sectional analysis of the dermatology residency match during COVID-19. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2023;Feb. 4;S0190-9622(23)00168-8. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2023.01.032. Online ahead of print. PMID: 36746275. 

Higher Education 

You can enter information about the institution, degree, and dates of attendance for each undergraduate and graduate school attended. If you do not have at least one entry, you must select “None.” 

Medical Education 

You must enter complete information about the institution, degree, and dates of attendance for each medical school you attended. At a minimum, you must complete one entry for the medical school you graduated from. 

Postgraduate Training

You must enter each current or previous AOA internship, AOA residency, AOA fellowship, ACGME residency, or ACGME/RCPSC/UCNS fellowship in which you have trained, regardless of the length of time spent in the training. If you do not have at least one entry, you must select “None.” 

Additional Information 

You may enter information about membership in honorary and/or professional societies. 

• Additional information about medical school and other awards/accomplishments can also be entered here. 

For the 2024 ERAS season, residency and fellowship applicants may share more about themselves with programs in a newly updated experiences section. You can select and categorize up to 10 experiences and describe up to three of these experiences as your most meaningful. If you have overcome major obstacles before or during medical school you may share them in the impactful experiences section.

In this Section:

• Selected Experiences
• Experience Type
• Frequency Type
• Primary Focus Area
• Key Characteristics
• Tips for Completing the Experiences Section

Selected Experiences

The Selected Experiences section of the MyERAS application helps you communicate who you are as an applicant. The information provided should convey to programs the qualities, skills, and interests you will bring to a graduate medical education program. Your responses will help programs get to know who you are, what motivates you, and what you are passionate about. Be authentic and honest to help ensure that program directors can effectively evaluate whether you will thrive in their programs. 

The updated Experiences section has two parts: 

1. Selected Experiences. Identify and describe up to 10 experiences that communicate who you are, what you are passionate about, and what is most important to you. For each experience, you will be asked to: 
   1. Provide descriptive information, including position title, organization name, approximate start and end dates, frequency of participation, location, and setting. 
   2. Select an experience type, primary focus area, and key characteristic, as applicable. 
   3. Briefly describe your major activities and responsibilities, and any important context using the 1,020-character limit. 
2. Most Meaningful Experiences. From your 10 selected experiences, you will identify up to three most meaningful experiences. For each of these three experiences, you will be asked to write a short 300-character description, reflecting on the experience, and explaining why it was meaningful and how it influenced you.  

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Experience Type

• Education/training (includes clinical training such as clerkships, away rotations, subinternships, structured observerships).  
• Military service.  
• Professional organization (includes societies, associations, etc., at the local, regional, national, or international levels).  
• Other extracurricular activity, club, hobby (includes sports, music, theater, student government, etc.).  
• Research.  
• Teaching/mentoring (includes paid teaching positions such as high school teacher as well as teaching assistant, tutor).  
• Volunteer/service/advocacy (includes unpaid experiences).  
• Work (includes paid clinical, nonclinical, business, or entrepreneurial experiences). 

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Frequency Type

• One time (not recurring).  
• Daily (recurring) — multiple days a week during the time frame noted (e.g., full-time work).  
• Weekly (recurring) — once or twice a week (e.g., volunteering at a soup kitchen each weekend, leading a weekly tutoring session).  
• Monthly (recurring) — once or twice a month (e.g., volunteering at a homeless shelter two Saturdays a month).  
• Quarterly (recurring) — three or four times a year (e.g., volunteering at a community center during holiday events).  
• Annually (recurring) — once a year (e.g., an annual half marathon for charity). 

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Primary Focus Area

Choose the one focus area that best describes the experience and was most important to you. Programs understand that an experience may relate to more than one focus area. If no focus areas apply, leave it blank.  

• Basic science (e.g., scientific disciplines such as biology, chemistry, physics, and also behavioral and social sciences such as psychology, cognitive science, economics, or political science).  
• Clinical/translational science (e.g., diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, development of drugs).  
• Community involvement/outreach (e.g., clothing or food drives, fundraising for public education, K-12 outreach, providing tutoring to homeless youth, and social work).  
• Customer service (e.g., positions in retail, restaurant, sales, hospitality, and technical support).  
• Health care administration (e.g., hospital administrators, clinical mangers, financial managers, and patient advocates).  
• Improving access to health care (e.g., clinic work in underserved communities, organizing vaccination or health screening for a community with limited access, providing medical or health care resources to homeless populations).  
• Medical education (e.g., formal instruction to others, tutoring medical students, developing health-related curriculum, conducting research in admissions, student affairs, or educational interventions).  
• Music/athletics/art (e.g., long-term commitments in playing musical instruments or singing, sports, theater/acting, painting or drawing, and computer graphics).  
• Promoting wellness (e.g., developing a wellness program, formal coaching, or mentoring others to promote well-being).  
• Public health (e.g., biostatistics, epidemiology, global health, and nutrition).  
• Quality improvement (e.g., patient safety, such as implementing a plan to reduce secondary infections in patients).  
• Social justice/advocacy (e.g., diversity, equity, and inclusion work; worker unions; combating biased beliefs or discriminatory policies; and increasing access to educational opportunities).  
• Technology (e.g., engineering or software innovations, biomedical devices, electronic health records, and mobile or other software applications). 

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Key Characteristics

Choose the most important characteristic that best reflects what you demonstrated or developed during the experience. Programs understand that more than one key characteristic may apply to your experience. If no characteristics apply, leave it blank.  

• Communication.  
• Critical thinking and problem solving.  
• Cultural humility and awareness.  
• Empathy and compassion  
• Ethical responsibility.  
• Ingenuity and innovation.  
• Reliability and dependability.  
• Resilience and adaptability.  
• Self-Reflection and improvement.  
• Teamwork and leadership. 

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Tips for Completing the Experiences Section

• Reflect and identify experiences that communicate who you are, what you are passionate about, and what is most important to you. Programs are not interested in one type of applicant. Most programs are seeking a diverse group of applicants who have varied experiences, are passionate about different areas, and have complementary characteristics to create a well-rounded team.  
• Consider your experiences as a complete set. Use them to paint a picture of yourself. You may tag an experience type, primary focus area, and key characteristic to each experience. You do not need to tag every experience to a primary focus area and key characteristic. As a set, your experiences should communicate what is most important or has most affected you and the qualities you will bring to a residency or fellowship program. For instance, if you have a hobby or extracurricular activity that you have dedicated significant time and effort to, you may want to include it as one of your experiences.  
• Focus descriptions of your three most meaningful experiences on why they were meaningful and how they affected you. Programs are looking for you to show introspection in your most meaningful experiences descriptions. If you tag a characteristic and/or focus area to a most meaningful experience, your description should explain why you chose the characteristic and/or focus area. For each experience, programs will see the most meaningful experiences descriptions alongside all the information in the Selected Experiences section, so you should describe what you did as part of the roles, responsibilities, and context in your description. 
• Use the Experiences section to complement the other parts of your application. Ideally, your most meaningful experiences descriptions should not repeat the information from your MSPE Noteworthy Characteristics and/or personal statement. While there may be overlap in the experiences mentioned across the application, consider how to provide additional insight or emphasize how these experiences have shaped who you are and what is important to you. 

Consider these data from the ERAS 2023 season

• Seventy percent of respondents to the 2023 Program Director Survey reported that meaningful experiences responses helped them get a better picture of each applicant.
• More than 80% of respondents to the 2023 Program Director Survey used the key characteristics and primary focus areas.

*These data are from one or more of the six reports available to applicants and advisors on the Supplemental ERAS Application Data and Reports page.

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State Medical Licenses 

You must enter each state medical license. If you do not have a license to enter, select “None.” 

Additional Questions 

You must answer questions concerning medical license status, malpractice cases, and misdemeanor or felony convictions. Board certification and Drug Enforcement Administration Registration information can be entered here as well. (Board certification is a voluntary process that a physician undergoes to assure the public that they have successfully completed an approved educational program and the appropriate examinations to practice in a particular specialty or subspecialty.) 

You must enter each publication under the predetermined publication types designated by the programs. Publication types available are:

• Peer-reviewed journal articles/abstracts. 
• Peer-reviewed journal articles/abstracts (other than published). 
• Peer-reviewed book chapter. 
• Scientific monograph. 
• Poster presentation. 
• Oral presentation. 
• Peer-reviewed online publication. 
• Non-peer-reviewed online publication. 
• Other articles. 
  • Publications follow APA format and are ordered by type of publication according to the order above and then by the author last name in ascending alphabetical order. 
  • If you do not have an entry, you must select “None.” 

You will be required to acknowledge the certification statement and enter your account password to complete the submission process. 

• Certifying and submitting the MyERAS application is a one-time action that cannot be reversed. It will cause the application to lock, which ensures that all programs receive the same copy of the application. 

Keep in mind: 

• All required fields denoted by a red asterisk (*) must be completed and saved. 

• It is important to carefully review the entire MyERAS application before certifying and submitting to ensure it is complete and correct. 

• Use the Application section on the Dashboard to find sections that were not saved. 

• The MyERAS application does not include a spell or grammar check feature. 

• You cannot apply to programs until your application has been certified and submitted. 

• Once you have certified and submitted your MyERAS application, you will not be able to make any changes or updates outside the information provided under the Personal Information section. There are no exceptions. 

Note: When you select “Submit” on the final screen of the certify and submit process, a message will appear that reads: 

“Once you have certified and submitted your application, it will be irrevocably locked, and no changes will be permitted. Your application, once certified and submitted, is provided to all programs to which you apply during this ERAS season. Please take the additional time to proofread your application for any errors or omissions.”  

Personal statements may be used to customize the application to a specific program or to different specialties. 

In This Section:

• Creating the Personal Statement
• Formatting the Personal Statement
• Previewing the Personal Statement
• Reviewing/Editing the Personal Statement
• Assigning the Personal Statement

Creating the Personal Statement

You create your own personal statements in the MyERAS portal from the Personal Statements section listed under Documents. 

• Each personal statement must contain a Personal Statement Title and the Personal Statement Content. The title will be visible only to you to help you correctly assign it to programs, and the content will be visible to both you and the programs it is assigned to. 
• The personal statement is limited to 28,000 characters, which include letters, numbers, spaces, and punctuation marks. 
• There is not a limit to how many personal statements applicants can create. 
• Personal statements created outside the MyERAS application should be done in a plain text word processing application such as Notepad (for Windows users) or SimpleText (for Mac users). The statement should reflect your personal perspective and experiences accurately and must be your own work and not the work of another author or the product of artificial intelligence. 
• Personal statements created in word processing applications not using plain text may contain hidden and invalid formatting. 
• Note: A number of websites provide examples of personal statements. Do not copy any information from these sites and use it in your personal statements without giving credit to the author. Such use is considered plagiarism. 
• The ERAS program will investigate any suspected acts of plagiarism. 
• Any substantiated findings of plagiarism may result in the reporting of such findings to the programs to which you apply now and in subsequent ERAS seasons. 

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Formatting the Personal Statement

When creating a personal statement in the MyERAS application, the following formatting options will be available: 

• Bold. 
• Italic. 
• Underline. 
• Strikethrough. 
• Bullets. 
• Numbering. 
• Align left. 
• Center. 
• Align right. 
• Increase indent. 
• Decrease indent. 
• Insert hyperlink. 

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Previewing the Personal Statement

After entering the personal statement title and content, you will have the opportunity to preview your personal statement before saving it. This preview allows you to view your personal statement just as the programs will view it, including the number of pages.  

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Reviewing/Editing the Personal Statement

You are responsible for reviewing your personal statements before assigning them to programs. 

• The Preview/Print option under the Actions column will allow you to view and/or print your personal statement. 

• Personal statements can be edited at any point during the application season — even when assigned to programs that have been applied to. 

• Personal statements that have been edited will be reflected on the programs’ side by an updated status containing the date of the updated version, but programs are not guaranteed to view or review updated versions of personal statements. 

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Assigning the Personal Statement

You may designate the assignment of one personal statement for each program. 

• Personal statements can be assigned to any saved or applied to programs from the Personal Statements page by selecting “Assign” under the Actions column of the intended personal statement. 
• When assigning by personal statement, programs listed with a disabled checkbox already have the selected personal statement currently assigned. 
• When assigning by personal statement, you should review any personal statements that are listed under the Assigned Personal Statement column before making selections or changes. 
• Personal statements can be assigned by program using the Assign option under the Actions column on both the Saved Programs and Programs Applied To pages. 
• Changes to personal statement assignments can be made throughout the application season, but programs are not guaranteed to view or review newly assigned personal statements. 
• A personal statement cannot be assigned to programs that are closed. 

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LoRs must be uploaded through the ERAS Letter of Recommendation Portal by the LoR Author or their designee. It is your responsibility to follow up with LoR Authors about LoRs. 

In this Section:

• Creating LoR Entries
• Confirming LoR Entries
• Downloading Letter Request
• Emailing Letter Request
• Uploading LoRs
• Assigning LoRs

Creating LoR Entries

You must create a separate LoR entry for each LoR you intend to use during the application season. 

• Each LoR entry created can contain author name*, author title/department*, specialty to which the letter will be assigned, program director/department chair, and selection of whether to waive the right to view.* (*denotes a required field). 
• You may label LoRs you intend to assign to programs of specific specialties. The specialty field will be viewable only by applicants, their Designated Dean’s Office, and the LoR Author. Programs cannot view it. 
• The optional program director selection should be made only for LoRs written by a program director in a current or previous residency or fellowship where you trained. This selection should be used only by residents and fellows. It does not apply to rising seniors. 
• The optional department chair selection should be made only for LoRs written by a department chair where you completed a clerkship training. Group departmental letters must be signed by the team composing the letter. 
• You must indicate whether you waive your right to view the LoR for each LoR entry created. If you waive your right to view a LoR, you are not permitted to view or obtain the LoR under any circumstances. 
• For each saved LoR entry, icons will display next to the LoR Author Name – Title/Department in the LoR Information column to represent the following applicant selections:  
  • You indicated that this LoR Author is a program director in a current/previous residency or fellowship where you trained. 
  • You indicated that this LoR Author is a department chair where you completed your clerkship training. 
  • You waived your right to view this LoR. 
  • You did not waive your right to view this LoR. 
• Only LoRs that are Not Confirmed for Upload can be edited or deleted. Errors in any LoR that has been Confirmed for Upload can only be changed through creating a new LoR entry. 

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Confirming LoR Entries

You must confirm a LoR entry before an associated Letter ID can be generated.  

To Confirm LoRs: 

1. Mark the checkbox for the LoR entry/entries that need to be confirmed. 
   
   Note: Checkboxes can be marked individually or all at once by marking the ”select all” checkbox at the top of the column. 
    
2. Select “Confirm” at the top of the page to the right of the LoR selection count. 
3. Enter the MyERAS password and select “Confirm” to complete the process. 

• LoR entries can be confirmed only on the Letters of Recommendation page by either: 
• Selecting individual entries and selecting “Only checked” in the Confirm drop-down menu, then entering the MyERAS password to complete the process. 
• Selecting multiple entries by selecting “All on this page” or “All Records” in the Confirm drop-down menu, then entering the MyERAS password to complete the process. 
• Once a LoR entry has been Confirmed for Upload, a Letter ID will be generated and the option to print the Letter Request Form will become available under the Actions column. 
• The Letter Request Form is a PDF that includes the following: 
• LoR Author Details (as you entered them). 
• LoR Author Name.  
• LoR Author Title/Department.  
• Program Director/Department Chair Indicator (If applicable). 
• Applicant Details. 
• Full Name.  
• Preferred Name (If entered). 
• Contact Information.  
• AAMC ID.  
• ERAS Letter ID.  
• Specialty to which this letter will be assigned.  
• Waiver Indicator for rights to see the letter. 
• Letter of Recommendation Portal Instructions. 

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Downloading Letter Request

The Letter Request Form can be downloaded as a PDF. 

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Emailing Letter Request

The Letter Request Form can be delivered to LoR Authors via email directly from the MyERAS portal. When you choose to send the form as an email, you will have the ability to send the author a custom message. 

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Uploading LoRs

The Letter ID contained in the Letter Request Form must be used to upload the associated LoR through the Letter of Recommendation Portal (LoRP). 

• An accurate and valid Letter ID must be used to upload each LoR through the LoRP for each associated LoR entry. 
• Only LoR entries that have been Confirmed for Upload with the right to view (NOT waived) may be uploaded by the applicant. 
• All LoRs uploaded into the ERAS system will be watermarked with the full name on the AAMC account of the uploader along with the date and time they were uploaded. 
• A notification will be sent to the email address entered in the Personal Information section that alerts you when a LoR has been uploaded. 
• Once a LoR has been uploaded, its status will update to “uploaded” and the option to assign will become available under the Actions column. 

Note: Letter Request Forms should not be duplicated and distributed to multiple LoR Authors. They are customized for each letter and contain a unique Letter ID that can be used only once. 

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Assigning LoRs

You may designate the assignment of up to four LoRs to each program. 

• Only LoRs that have been uploaded can be assigned to programs. 
• LoRs assignments to programs that have been applied to cannot be changed. 
• LoRs can be assigned to any saved or applied to programs from the Letters of Recommendation page by selecting “Assign” under the Actions column of the intended LoR. 
• Programs listed with a disabled checkbox already have the maximum number of four LoRs currently assigned. 
• When assigning by LoR, you should review any LoRs that are listed under the LoRs Assigned column before making selections or changes. 
• When assigning by LoR, you will not be able to make selections for programs with a status of withdrawn. 
• LoRs can be assigned by program using the Assign option under the Actions column on both the Saved Programs and Programs Applied To pages. 
• LoR assignments can be made throughout the application season to any programs that do not have the maximum number of four LoRs currently assigned, but programs are not guaranteed to view or review newly assigned LoRs received after initial application to their program. 
• Once the maximum number of four LoRs have been assigned to any given applied to program, additional LoR assignments cannot be made during the application season. Letters cannot be replaced after being assigned to any given applied program. 
• A LoR cannot be assigned to programs that are closed. 

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Additional documents may be required by programs as part of the ERAS application. Make sure to research program requirements and check to see that you are sending all required documents to ensure a smooth application process.  

In This Section:

• USMLE Transcript
• COMLEX-USA Transcript
• Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE or “Dean’s Letter”)
• Medical School Transcript (MS Transcript)
• Photo
• American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE)
• ECFMG Status Report for IMGs Only

In this Section:

• What are program signals?
• How do I send a signal to a specific track (e.g., preliminary, categorical)?
• What is tiered program signaling?
• How are signals shared with programs?
• How will programs use program signals?
• Tips for Sending Program Signals
• View All Program Signals

What are program signals?

Program signals offer you the opportunity to express interest in individual residency programs at the time of application. Program signals are intended to be used by residency programs as one of many data points in deciding whom to invite to interview.  

You can send program signals for each specialty to which you intend to apply. The number of available signals varies by specialty. Specialties determine the number of signals based on their goals for signaling, their number of programs, and the average number of applications submitted per program in their specialty. 

Important Program Signaling Details

• Applicants should signal all programs to which they are the most interested in using the allotted number of program signals, including home and away rotation programs.
• For the ERAS 2024 season, program signals will not be available to fellowship applicants.
• Program participation within each specialty is optional. Some programs within each specialty may decide not to participate. A list of participating specialties and the number of program signals offered by specialty will be available on this AAMC webpage. In early July 2023, individual program participation will also be updated. In the interest of protecting applicants from sending signals to programs that have no interest in considering program signals as a part of their application review, applicants will not be able to send a program signal to a program that is not participating.

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How do I send a signal to a specific track (e.g., preliminary, categorical)?

Program signals cannot be sent to specific tracks. Instead, the signals are received at the institution level, meaning that all program tracks at an institution for a given specialty will see the same signal information. 

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What is tiered program signaling?

Certain specialties decided to use a tiered program signaling approach to better understand applicants’ level of interest. Tiered signaling offers applicants two levels of signals: gold and silver.  

• Gold signals are designed to identify an your “most preferred” programs.  
• Silver signals are designed to identify your “preferred” programs.  

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How are signals shared with programs?

Only programs you signal and to which you apply will see your signals.  

• Standard Program Signaling: If you signal a program, the program will see the word “Yes”. Standard signals will all be displayed as “Yes”.  
• Tiered Signaling: If you signal a program, the program will see either the word “Gold” or “Silver” rather than seeing the word “Yes”.  

If you do not signal a program, signal a different program, or skip this question, the program will receive no information.​ 

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How will programs use program signals?

Programs are instructed to use program signals as one piece of information to consider during the interview selection process only, because applicants may change their preferences after interview season. To assist with the admission process, programs can filter applicants based on program signals. Although programs have been advised that signals are not to be used in isolation as a screening tool, some programs may use them during screening. 

The following data on program signals are based on survey responses aimed at understanding programs’ use of the program signals data collected during the ERAS 2023 season: 

• Seventy-five percent of program directors agreed that program signals helped them identify applicants whom they would have otherwise overlooked. 
• Program directors reported using applicants’ signals during various stages of the application process:  
  • As a screening tool before a more thorough application review (88% of respondents)  
  • To send interview invitations to every applicant who signaled their program (61% of respondents). 
  • To include in a composite filter to conduct holistic review (78% of respondents). 
  • As part of a holistic application review to decide whom to interview (91% of respondents). 
  • As a tiebreaker to help decide whom to interview (86% of respondents).  
  • During the interview to learn more about why an applicant signaled their program (64% of respondents).  

For more detailed information on how programs and individual specialties used program signals in the ERAS 2023 season, refer to the report that includes the final results of the Program Director Survey.  

If you have questions about how a program you are applying to is using these data in the ERAS 2024 season, please contact the program directly. 

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Tips for Sending Program Signals

• Use the maximum allotted program signals per specialty to which you apply. You should use all the signals available to you. 
• Decide which programs you want to signal based on your unique situation. Consider the strength of your application, your ultimate career goals, and personal circumstances, along with a program's relative competitiveness, mission, and goals. You are encouraged to work with faculty and resident mentors as you consider where to send your signals. 
• The following resources may also be helpful as you consider where to signal: 
  • Supplemental ERAS Application Program Signal Reports. 
  • Residency Explorer™ tool. 
  • Results of the 2022 NRMP Program Director Survey. 
  • Residency Preference Exercise (sign-in required). 
• Understand that sending a program signal resulted in a higher probability of interview invitation for all participating specialties. However, programs varied widely in how they used signals, and sending a signal did not guarantee an interview invitation.  

Data listed on this page are from one or more of the six reports available to applicants and advisors on the Supplemental ERAS Application Data and Reports page. 

Consider these data from the ERAS 2023 season:

Applicants considered the following factors when selecting programs to signal:

• Alignment of program strengths with career interests (67%).
• Location of program/geographic preference (66%).
• Strength of the program's clinical training (51%).
• Program reputation/prestige (45%).
• Program culture/resident camaraderie (42%).
• Strength of program's research training (25%).
• Advice from faculty or resident mentors (21%).

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View All Program Signals

At the top of the Programs pages next to the (?) Help icon, there is a link to View All Signals. This link will bring up a modal window with a summary of the counts for all program signals for all specialties. The summary is divided into three categories with the number of specialties saved or applied to for each category in parentheses:  

1. Single Tier: These specialties have opted to use only one type of program signal. 
2. Two-Tier: These specialties have opted to use a two-tiered system for signaling: Gold (most preferred) and Silver (preferred). 
3. Not Participating: These specialties are not accepting program signals, and no signals can be assigned to programs in these specialties. 

Each participating specialty allocates a fixed number of signals to assign to programs. The Signal Count column shows three numbers for each specialty: 

• Available: Shows how many signals remain after subtracting the total signals assigned to Saved Programs and the number of signals sent to programs you have already applied to.  

• Assigned: Shows how many signals have been assigned to saved programs. You can edit or reassign these signals as much as you like. Signals assigned to saved programs are not final until they are sent to a program with the application. 

• Applied: Shows the number of signals that have been assigned to programs you have applied to. Once an application has been submitted to a program, no updates can be made to the program signal assignment for that program. If your withdraw you application from a program you signaled, that signal cannot be reassigned to another program. 

As the number of Assigned and Applied signals increases, the number of signals Available will decrease. 

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In This Section:

• Search Criteria
• Search Results
• Filtering Search Results
• Adding Programs to Saved Programs List

Search Criteria

You can search for programs of interest using one of the following options: 

• Search by Specialty. 
• Note When searching by specialty, you can narrow search results by selecting a state and/or specific program. 
• Search by Accreditation ID (ACGME ID). 

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Search Results

By default, only 10 search results will display at time. The display can be changed by selecting the “Displaying” down arrow and selecting “10,” “20,” “25,” “50,” or “All.” 

• Pagination is available at the bottom of the page when “All” is not selected. 
• Based on the search criteria, the associated specialty will display at the top of the search results list, along with the application cycle. 
• For each program in the search results, the following information will be displayed: 
  • Program Name.  
  • City.  
  • State.  
  • Signaling Status (program signal participating status). 
  • Status (ERAS participation status).  
  • Accreditation ID. 
  • Training type(s) offered by program.  
• You can follow the “Program Name” link to view the contact details and additional information specific to that program, as well as manage training selections. 
• If a program has additional information they would like to share with you, an icon (i) will display to the right of the program name. Follow the “Program Name” link to view the additional information. Programs are not required to share additional information in the MyERAS portal. 

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Filtering Search Results

You can filter your search results with the following options: 

• You can enter keywords that are in the Program Name, City, State, or Track Name to filter down to select programs within the search results. 
• Selecting the Accepting Applications checkbox will display only programs that are participating and actively accepting applications through the ERAS program. This checkbox is selected by default every time a new search is performed. You can unmark this checkbox to view all programs regardless of status. 
  • Note: If you are interested in programs that have a status other than “participating,” you will have to contact those programs directly to find out how they would like to receive applications. 
• The ACGME grants Osteopathic Recognition to programs that provide training in Osteopathic Principles and Practices. Filter for such programs by using the checkbox to show only programs with Osteopathic Recognition. 
• The Filter by Training Type drop-down list will display all training types that are available within the current search results. By default, View All is selected; however, you can select any of the available training types if you are only interested in a specific training type. You can use these filtering options one at a time or in any combination. 

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Adding Programs to Saved Programs List

You must select at least one training type for each program you would like to add to your Saved Programs list. 

• As you make training selections from the search results, the Programs Selected count at the top of the results pane will keep track of how many programs have been selected. The Programs Selected count follows you as you scroll through the search results. 
• Once you have made your training selections and are ready to save them, you must select “Save Programs” (which includes the count of selected programs). 
• You will then be presented with a list of your selections, which you must confirm to add to your Saved Programs list. If you are not satisfied with the list, you can select “Cancel” to return to your search results and modify your selections. 
  • Note: Confirming programs of interest to your Saved Programs list does not mean that you have applied to those programs. 

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You can select “Add Programs” to navigate to the Search Programs page. 

In This Section:

• Saved Signals Overview
• Signal Counts
• Search
• Saved Programs List
• Program Signal for Residency Applicants
• Add Program Signal
• Remove or Change Program Signal in the Actions Menu
• Assigning Documents
• Deleting Programs
• Apply/Preview Invoice
• Applying Before Programs Can Access/View Application Material

Saved Signals Overview

The Saved Signals Overview summary provides a quick glance of the saved specialties and how many signals remain for each. It can be collapsed and expanded using the icon in the top right corner. The specialties are divided into three categories, and the number in parentheses indicates the number of programs currently saved in each of those categories. Only five specialties of each type are displayed at one time, and additional specialties will be paginated: 

1. Single Tier: These specialties have opted to use only one type of program signal. 
2. Two-Tier: These specialties have opted to use a two-tiered system for signaling: Gold (most preferred) and Silver (preferred). 
3. Not Participating: These specialties are not accepting program signals, and no signals can be assigned to programs in these specialties.  

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Signal Counts

Each participating specialty allocates a fixed number of signals to assign to programs. The Signal Count column shows three numbers for each specialty: 

• Available: Shows how many signals remain after subtracting the total signals assigned to Saved Programs and the number of signals sent to programs that applicant has already applied to.  
• Assigned: Shows how many signals have been assigned to saved programs. You can edit or reassign these signals as much as you like. Signals assigned to saved programs are not final until they are sent to a program with the application. 
• Applied: Shows the number of signals that have been assigned to programs that you have applied to. Once an application has been submitted to a program, no updates can be made to the program signal assignment for that program. If you withdraw your application from a program you signaled, that signal cannot be reassigned to another program.  

As the number of Assigned and Applied to signals increases, the number of signals Available will decrease.  

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Search

You can enter keywords or numbers that are in the Program Name, Specialty, City, State, or Track Name and Accreditation ID to search for programs within your saved programs list. 

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Saved Programs List

Saved programs are displayed by choosing a specialty from the Select a Specialty menu. All saved programs in that specialty will be displayed. Only specialties associated with saved programs will appear in the list. The number of saved programs associated with each specialty will appear in parentheses next to the specialty name. 

• For each program in the search results, the following information will be displayed: 
  • Program Name.  
  • City. 
  • State. 
  • Signaled? (whether a program has been assigned a signal and what type). 
  • Signaling Status (whether a program is participating/accepting program signals).  
  • Accreditation ID. 
• You can follow the “Program Name” link to view the contact details and additional information specific to that program, as well as manage training selections. 
• If a program has additional information they would like to share with you, an icon (I) will display to the right of the program name. Follow the “Program Name” link to view the additional information. Programs are not required to share additional information in the MyERAS portal. 

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Program Signal for Residency Applicants

You can assign a program signal only to programs that are participating. Participating programs will be indicated by “Accepting Signals” in the Signaling Status column in the list of saved programs by specialty.  

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Add Program Signal

To assign a signal, go to the Actions menu (indicated by three vertical dots). Two-tiered programs will have the option to assign a gold or silver s. Both options will show how many signals are available (not assigned to a saved program or sent to a program already applied to) displayed in parentheses. Single-tiered programs will only have the option “Assign Signal” with the number of signals available in parentheses. The Signaled? column will indicate whether a signal has been assigned to a program and what type. For example: 

• Yes for single-tiered programs.  
• Gold or Silver for two-tiered programs.  
• No if no signal has been assigned. 
• N/A for programs that are not participating. 

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Remove or Change Program Signal in the Actions Menu 

For single-tiered specialties, there will be an option to remove an assigned signal. When all available signals have been assigned, the option to assign will be grayed out, and the number available will be 0. 

For two-tiered specialties, there will be an option to assign a gold or silver signal . Once a signal has been applied, there will be an option to remove that signal or switch to the other type of signal.  

For specialties or programs that are not participating in program signals, there will be no options related to assigning signals. 

If no signals are available, but they have not all been assigned to programs applied to, signals assigned to saved programs can be removed and reassigned. Sorting the Signaled? column will make it easier to assess which saved programs have signals assigned to them.

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Assigning Documents

You must designate the assignment of documents to each program. It is important that you know the program requirements so you can keep them in mind while making your assignments. 

• Documents can be assigned to any saved program by selecting “Assign Documents” under the Actions column of the intended program. 
• Document assignments can be modified at any time for a program that you have not applied to. 
• Documents assigned to a program are the same for all training within the program. 
• Note: You cannot assign documents to programs that are closed.  

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Deleting Programs 

You can delete programs only from your saved programs list. Once a program has been applied to, it cannot be deleted. 

• A program can be removed from the saved programs list by selecting “Delete” under the Actions column of the intended program. 

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Apply/Preview Invoice

You should review the application timeline to see when you can begin applying to programs. 

• To apply to programs or just preview an invoice, you must mark the checkbox for each program they would like to select and then choose “Apply/Preview Invoice.” 
• Program signal assignments will be submitted with an application. You will have an opportunity to confirm the signals that will be submitted before being prompted to enter payment information.  
• A summary of all costs for the selected programs and any associated transcript fees will be displayed with the option to apply, which will take you through the payment process. 

Note: The ERAS program uses a secure server for your credit card information and does not retain the information for future use. 

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Applying Before Programs Can Access/View Application Material

• Applicants applying to September cycle residency programs: MD and DO residency applicants can begin applying to ACGME-accredited programs on Sept. 6. However, programs will not be able to view these applications until Sept. 27. All applications sent between Sept. 6 and Sept. 27 will be date stamped Sept 27 on the program’s side. 
• Applicants applying to July cycle fellowship programs: 
  • Applicants can begin applying to July cycle fellowships on July 5. However, programs will not be able to view these applications until July 19. All applications sent between July 5 and July 19 will be date stamped July 19 on the program’s side. 
• Applicants applying to December cycle fellowship programs: 
  • Applicants can begin applying to December cycle fellowships on Nov. 15. However, programs will not be able to view these applications until Dec. 6. All applications sent between Nov. 15 and Dec. 5 will be date stamped Dec. 6 on the program’s side. 

Note: Although we make every effort to ensure that our data are up to date, programs may not always communicate to the ERAS program their intention to accept applications, or a program's status may change. Therefore, it is your responsibility to contact programs before applying to confirm that you meet all eligibility requirements and program deadlines. 

Note: The ERAS program does not give refunds for any reason. You are advised to research and contact programs before applying to minimize the risk of applying to a program that is no longer accepting applications or not participating in the ERAS program. 

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Search — You can enter keywords or numbers that are in the Program Name, Specialty, City, State, and Accreditation ID to search for programs within your Programs Applied To list. 

In This Section:

• Programs Applied To List
• Track Assigned Documents
• Assigning Documents
• Withdrawing From Programs

Programs Applied To List 

For each program in the Programs Applied To list, the following information will be displayed: 

• Program Name.  
• Specialty.  
• City.  
• State.  
• Signaled? (shows whether a Program was Signaled and what type of signal).  
• Accreditation ID. 
• Applied Dates.  
• Training Type Selections.  

You can follow the “Program Name” link to view the contact details and additional information specific to that program, as well as to manage training selections. 

Note: You can select additional training types at any time. However, training selections cannot be removed once you have applied to a program. You must contact the programs directly if you no longer wish to be considered for a training type you previously selected. 

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Track Assigned Documents

Expanding Track Assigned Documents for any program allows you to track the status of the application and all documents assigned to that specific program. 

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Assigning Documents

You must designate the assignment of documents to each program. It is important that you know the program requirements so you can keep them in mind while making you assignments. 

• Documents can be assigned to any program applied to by selecting “Assign Documents” under the Actions column of the intended program. 

• After applying to programs, document assignments are locked. Except for the personal statement, which can be changed at any time throughout the season. However, keep in mind that it is not guaranteed that programs will view newly assigned personal statements. 

Note: You cannot assign documents to programs that are closed. 

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Withdrawing From Programs

You should withdraw from programs you are no longer interested in. Informing the program you no longer wish to be considered for a position, especially if you have been granted an interview, allows the program to invite another candidate to interview. 

• To withdraw from programs, you must mark the checkbox for each program from which you would like to withdraw and choose “Withdraw.” Then review the programs selected and withdrawal information and confirm by selecting “Withdraw.” 
• When you withdraw from programs in the MyERAS portal, the programs will still display in your Programs Applied To list but will be labeled “You have withdrawn from this program.” 
• Withdrawing from a program in the MyERAS portal does not remove your application from the program’s PDWS system view. It will just mark your application as Withdrawn by Applicant. Keep in mind that this will apply to all training types selected. In addition to withdrawing in the MyERAS portal, you should contact the program directly and make them aware of your decision, in the event that they overlook the Withdrawn by Applicant indicator in the PDWS system. 
• If you inadvertently withdraw or later change your decision to withdraw, you can reinstate your application for any program on the Programs Withdrawn From page. You should also contact the program directly and make them aware of your decision. 

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Search — You can enter keywords or numbers that are in the Program Name, Specialty, City, State, and Accreditation ID to search for programs in your Programs Withdrawn From list. 

Programs Withdrawn From List

For each program in the Program Withdrawn From list, the following information will be displayed: 

• Program Name.  
• Specialty.  
• City.  
• State.  
• Signaled? (Residency applicants only). 
• Accreditation ID. 
• Training Type Selections. 

You can follow the “Program Name” link to view the contact details and additional information specific to that program, as well as to view training selections that were made when you applied to the program. 

You will not be able to manage or make any changes to your training type selections or document assignments for a program you have withdrawn from. 

Reinstating an Application

If you inadvertently withdraw or later change your decision to withdraw, you can reinstate your application on the Programs Withdrawn From page. 

• To reinstate an application, you must mark the checkbox for each program with which you would like to reinstate your application and choose “Reinstate.” Then review the programs selected and confirm by selecting “Reinstate.”  
• You should also contact the program directly to make them aware of your decision. 

Provides a summarized history of all ERAS fees, exam transcript fees (USMLE and/or COMLEX-USA), and tax (where applicable) paid for the current ERAS season.

Provides a report listing the number of programs with or without documents assigned (including the COMLEX-USA transcript (DO applicants only), American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE) (DO applicants only), ECFMG Status Report (IMG applicants only), MSPE, MS transcript, personal statement, photo, USMLE transcript, and LoRs).  

• The LoR assignments are separated by programs with the maximum four LoRs assigned and programs with fewer than four LoRs assigned. 

• Please check the requirements of the programs you wish to apply to. Many programs require four LoRs to be assigned while some programs allow only two or three LoRs to be assigned. Use this report to ensure that all documents are properly assigned to programs and avoid missing documents. Some documents are automatically assigned to all applied programs and do not require any action to assign these documents. You may select the highlighted number icons to display the programs with or without the respective document assigned. You may bulk assign documents from the Documents tab. 

Provides a detailed report of training selections and document assignments for programs you have saved and applied to. Use this report to ensure that the documents assigned to the program meet their application requirements.

Program directors may contact applicants at any time about their application via the MyERAS Message Center, email, telephone, or regular mail. Programs may use your email address to send invitations to interview and to ask for additional information. You should be sure to check your email regularly while your applications are active. The MyERAS Contact email address entered under the Personal Information section needs to be up to date and active. If you will not have access to your email, you should make arrangements to have someone keep you updated. 

The Message Center displays messages sent by programs applicants have applied to, the ECFMG (IMGs only), the EFDO (fellowship applicants), and the ERAS program. The Message Center can only display messages sent through the ERAS program. Messages sent outside the ERAS system (e.g., emails from the program’s institution/personal email account) will not be captured in the Message Center. 

In This Section:

• General
• Inbox
• Reading Messages
• Replying to Messages
• Deleting Messages

General 

• You cannot initiate messages with programs you have applied to, the ECFMG (IMGs only), the EFDO (fellowship applicants), or the ERAS program. You can only reply to messages that are received in the MyERAS Message Center. 
• When a new message is received in the MyERAS Message Center, a notification will be sent to your listed personal email address listed in the AAMC account information of your personal information. 
• A count of unread messages is available next to the Message Center menu item at the top of the page and in the left navigation next to the Message Center’s Inbox. The count is updated as you open/read messages. 
• Any new messages received while in the Message Center will only be reflected in the count of unread messages when you refresh the Message Center page. 

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Inbox

• Inbox List View: All messages in the Inbox List View will display: 
  • From. 
  • Subject.  
  • Date (message was received). 
• All new unread messages will be in bold text. 
• Twenty-five messages at a time will display. Use the refresh button to load new messages. 

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Reading Messages

To read a message, choose anywhere in the message row to open the message in reading view. 

• Note: Be sure to check if messages include any attachments that can be opened from the reading view. 

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Replying to Messages

While a message is in reading view, select “Reply” in the top right corner of the message. 

• Attachments are allowed but are limited to PDF and JPEG. 
• You can reply only to the original message sender. Additional recipients cannot be added to messages. 

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Deleting Messages

While a message is in reading view, select the down arrow next to “Reply” in the top right corner of the message and select “Delete.” This will move the message to Trash.

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Sent List View

All messages in the Sent list view will display: 

• To.  
• Subject. 
• Date (message was sent). 

25 messages will display at a time. 

Reading Messages

To read a message, choose anywhere in the message row to open the message in reading view. 

Attachments can be opened from the reading view. Sent messages cannot be deleted. 

Trash List View

All messages in the Trash list view will display: 

• From (message sender). 
• Subject.  
• Date (message was received). 

All new unread messages will be in bold text. 

25 messages will display at a time with the ability to paginate 

Reading Messages

To read a message, choose anywhere in the message row to open the message in reading view. 

• Attachments can be opened from the reading view. 

Restoring Messages

While a message is in reading view, select the down arrow in the top right corner of the message and select “Restore.” This will move the message back to the Inbox. 

Begin by selecting Create New Folder. Enter a folder name and select “Create.” Folder names are limited to a maximum of 50 characters. 

Edit a Folder Name 

Begin by selecting the pencil icon to the right of the folder name. Make edits in the Folder Name field and select “Update” to save your changes. 

Delete a Folder 

Begin by selecting the X icon to the right of the folder name. 

Note: Consider moving messages out of a folder before deleting it. Messages in the folder being deleted will automatically be moved to Trash. You will receive a warning message asking you to confirm before the messages are moved to Trash. 

The Interviews area displays all interview invitations sent to you by ERAS participating programs using the ERAS Interview Scheduler tool. You will have the ability to schedule, waitlist, and decline interview invitations.

In This Section:

• General Information About Interviews
• Interview Calendar

Applicants who register a token for the current application season have the option to import their application data from the most recent previous season into their active application. After being prompted to import, 

• Select the residency or fellowship application you would like to import your application information from and select “Continue.” 

• You can choose to import later from the History tab. 

• Verify that the selected options are correct, and select “Confirm Import.” 

Once the import is complete, each application section (Personal Information, Biographic Information, Education, Licensure, Publications) will be transferred to the current application. The application information can be revised after importing. Each application section must be reviewed and saved before you can certify and submit your application. Once an application is certified and submitted, it will be irrevocably locked, and no changes will be permitted (with the exception of the Personal Information section). 

• Note: The experience section and hometown section will not be importable for the 2024 ERAS  application season given the new content field updates and limited number of experiences. 

• Note: The application, once certified and submitted, is provided to all programs to which you apply to during this ERAS season. Please take the additional time to proofread the application for any errors or omissions. 

Applicants who have at least one LoR from a previous application season also have the option to import their LoRs from the most recent certified and submitted residency and fellowship applications into their active application. After selecting “Import Letters of Recommendation,”  

• Mark the checkbox for the LoRs that you would like to import and select “Continue.” You can choose to import later from the History tab. 
• Verify that the selected options are correct, and select “Confirm Import.” 

Imported LoRs can be found in the Letters of Recommendation section of the Documents tab. Once the LoRs’ status is “imported,” you can assign them to specific programs. These letters count toward the total of four LoRs that can be assigned to designated programs. Changes cannot be made to the LoR information. The LoR Author maintains the right to upload a new version of the LoR. LoRs can be imported at any time during the season regardless of whether the MyERAS application has been certified and submitted. 

Note: Applications from previous seasons must have been certified and submitted to be eligible for import. 

Note: When importing application information from the previous season, only the application data will be re-uploaded to the MyERAS application. The LoRs will need to be imported. Documents such as the photo, personal statements, medical transcript, and MSPE will not be imported from the previous season and will need to be re-uploaded to be assigned to programs.