support@cmanamerica.org

ERAS

MyERAS Application

What is ERAS?

  • The Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).
  • A service of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).
  • Used to apply for medical residencies, and fellowships in the USA. (NB: Some residencies and fellowships use other websites).

What is NRMP?

  • The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).
  • Provides an orderly and fair mechanism for matching the preferences of applicants for U.S. residency positions with the preferences of residency program directors.

Who uses ERAS?

  • Applicants-> MyERAS (This is our focus here)
  • Medical schools-> Dean’s Office Workstation (DWS)
  • Training programs-> Program Director’s Workstation (PDWS)
  • LoR Authors-> ERAS Letter of Recommendation Portal (LoRP)

What are the main components of MyERAS?

  1. Application: CV
  2. Documents: LoRs, Personal statement, USMLE request, ECFMG status report, Transcripts (Not Diploma), MSPE, and photo.
  3. Programs: Saved programs, and programs applied to.

What should I do before starting MyERAS application?

  1. Read the LAST UPDATED ERAS user guide very well. Process and dates do change every year.
  2. Obtain an ERAS token, to get AAMC ID and password for MyERAS.
  3. Make sure you have all your required documents ready or at least expected to be ready soon.
  4. Be aware, and follow the time line (as mentioned below).
  5. Go through our guide. This guide is only a personal opinion. It is the candidate’s responsibility to complete the application the way he/she prefers.

Timeline for MyERAS

  • Although you are allowed to apply for any program at any time from September to February, but Applying early is a crucial step in the whole process.
  • Please make sure you submit your application to the programs before the starting date of these programs to receive their applications (e.g in 2017 application, you should start applying on Sept 6th and not later than Sept 15th)
  • Applicants will be able to begin applying to programs 10 days in advance of programs being able to access/view applications and supporting document.
  • It is not recommended to submit your application before September, because once you submit your application, you will not be able to edit it.

Capture

 

Helpful Tips for Using MyERAS

  • ERAS will not collect or process any applicant documents. Supporting documents are received and processed by your Designated Dean’s Office. LoRs must be uploaded by the LoR Author via the ERAS Letter of Recommendation Portal (LoRP).
  • In order to begin using MyERAS, you must obtain an ERAS token from your Designated Dean’s Office.
  • ERAS does not retain documents for reuse in subsequent seasons. Applicants who plan to use ERAS in subsequent seasons are advised to print or save necessary documents prior to season close.
  • ERAS does not set program application deadlines or requirements as they are set and communicated by the individual programs themselves. Applicants are advised to contact programs directly for relevant information.
  • You must certify and submit your MyERAS application before you can apply to programs.
  • Once you have certified and submitted your application, you will not be able to make any changes to your application outside of the information contained under the Personal Information page of the MyERAS application.
  • For LoRs, you must add and confirm LoR Author(s). When you confirm a LoR Author, the system will generate a personalized Letter Request Form, which you will need to provide to the LoR Author. You can do the letter request form to your author via email, postal mail, fax, or in person.
  • Once you have released your USMLE and/or COMLEX-USA transcript, assigned it to program(s) and paid the transcript fee, ERAS will send your transcript requests for those programs to the NBME, ECFMG (for IMG Residency) or NBOME.
  • Exam transcript requests are usually processed on the same-day but under special circumstances, it can take up to 5 business days from the date of your request for exam score transcripts to be processed and made available to programs. When new transcript scores are uploaded, the most recent upload date will display in MyERAS.
  • When searching for programs in MyERAS, if a program has a status other than Participating, you should contact the program directly regarding their participation status with ERAS.
  • Some programs have state requirements to which they must adhere to that prevent selection of IMGs. Contact the programs directly to find out their requirements prior to applying.
  • Remember to check the Message Center and to track the progress and status of your application and documents frequently.

Guidance to complete your application

  • You can start working on your application any time after registration. It is always
    preferable to start early.
  • You do not have to complete the entire application at one time and it can be
    completed in any order that works best for you.
  • Remember to press save after you enter any information.

 

Profile and Personal Information

  • It is essential that personal information is kept up-to-date throughout the application season.
  • If updates are made after programs have been applied to, they will be available to programs after clicking “Save Personal Information”.
  • Name: Make sure your name in the application match your name in your passport, Visa, ECFMG certificate, and Medical school transcripts.
  • E-mail: Preferable if you have work, or university email. If not, please choose a
    professional email, not a funny one.

 

Education

  • It stands for Premed College, usually not applicable for foreigners.
    Masters, or PHD may be mentioned here

 

Medical Education:

  • Egyptian degree after Medical school: B.B. Ch. B.
  • Degree Month/ Year: There are 2 theories; some people put the date of completing the 6th year of their medical school, others put the date they finished their Internship year, and received the final certificate (El Shehada el Cartoon).
  • The second option is preferred by many because this is the exact official date that we received our degree. It is up to you to use whichever you prefer.

 

Training

  • Residency in Egypt, or USA.
  • Type of training: MD residency.
  • Reason of leaving: Completed the program or
  • Internship may be put here -> Specialty will be transitional year.

 

Experience

  • Research experience: Please do not leave it blank. Think of any research or academic activity during your medical school; Community trips to some villages, presentations, etc
  • Work experience (Include clinical, and teaching): May include Residency, internship, observership, and externship.
  • Volunteer experience (All Unpaid extra – curricular activity): Please do not leave it blank. Think of mission trips, free clinics, nursing home service, etc.

 

Publications

  • Please do not leave it blank. Most likely you did many things, but think about it!! At least you did oral presentations during your medical school years.
  • Please follow the instructions to add the information.

 

Licensure Information

  • Most of the answers are “No”, except if you have something specific.
  • DEA number: It is the license to prescribe narcotics.

 

Medical Licenses

  • Add your license information if you have had a license in the past

 

Self Identification

 

Language fluency

  • Mention all languages including English.
  • “Advanced” level is highly recommended. You may consider “Native” if you are
  • exceptionally excellent in English.

 

Miscellaneous: Very Important!!! Don’t underestimate!!!

  • Would you provide MSPE to ERAS: Yes
  • Would you provide Transcripts to ERAS: Yes
  • Hobbies & Interests: Very Very important!!! Try to mention something interesting, and be more specific. e.g. Missions with CMANA.
  • Medical School Awards: e.g. Excellent with Honors, Ranked top 5% of my class.
  • Other Awards & Accomplishment: Any award; e.g. from company, syndicate, government, church, sport team. You may mention BLS, and ACLS here.
  • Memberships: Any American, or Egyptian society, or syndicate. You can also mention any other social media membership e.g. CMANA.

 

Document

USMLE Transcripts:

  1. Do you authorize the ECFMG to transmit your USMLE transcripts to designated programs? -> Yes
  2. Do you authorize the ECFMG to automatically transmit your updated USMLE transcripts to all designated programs when a new step result becomes available? -> It is up to you, but my personal opinion is “yes”.

COMPLEX: N/A

Personal Statements

  • Please review separate document for “ Personal statement
    preparation”
  • It is better to write it as a separate word doc. then paste on ERAS, because my ERAS will time out after 15 minutes of inactivity.
  • Make sure you save your doc. as “Plain text”, then paste it on my
    ERAS:

    • On Word doc. Go to File Save as Type: “Plain Text”
  • You can add as many personal statements as you want.
  • You may name it with any title you prefer. Programs have no access to the name of your personal statement. They only see the personal statement that you submitted for that particular program.

LOR

  • Fill out the LOR author information. It will take few days to receive the “Letter request from “ from ERAS
  • Print the “Letter request form”
  • Provide or email the form to the LOR author
  • LOR will submit and upload the letter to ERAS (The letter request form has instructions to authors on how to submit, and upload letters).
  • It is better to make the letter “Waived”
  • If the letter is not waived, you can upload it to ERAS by yourself. But you still need to open a new letter request form for any LOR.
  • PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE , If you are planning to request a LOR from someone, do it very early, and give him/her enough time to write this letter for you. Average time needed to write a good LOR is 4-8 weeks depends on the author, time availability, and many other things. So the role is “ The sooner the better”

Programs

  • Please take the time, and effort to do your homework, and search the requirements of each program (e.g. USMLE scores, VISA type, IMGs percentage,etc). It is not wise to apply to a program that will never invite you for an interview.

 

Search Programs

  • You can search by specialty.
  • Applicants can click the Program Name link to view the contact details and additional information specific to that program.
  • For each program, you have to choose only one personal statement (From whatever number you have), and 3 or 4 LORs (From whatever number you have).
  • Photo should be sent to all programs.
  • Click “Save”, so this program will be saved under “Saved Programs”

 

Saved Programs 

  • It shows the list of all your saved programs.

 

Programs Applied To

  • It shows the program that you applied to.

 

What Happens When You Apply to Programs 

  • All programs to which you applied will receive your Myers application as well as any Personal Statements that you created and assigned to them.
  • If you authorized release of your USMLE transcript, assigned it to at least one program to which you applied and paid the transcript fee, the NBME or ECFMG (IMG Residency) will receive a request for the transcript and a list of programs to which you assigned your transcript.
  • Using the Program Director’s Workstation (PDWS), participating residency programs view application documents. Program directors may print, review, and evaluate applications using criteria they establish.
    • Note: Programs do not receive any information regarding other programs to which you applied, or the number of applications you have submitted.
  • Residency programs must log into the PDWS to view application material. Applications sent after a program’s deadline may not be considered by the program. It is the applicants’ responsibility to ensure that application materials are sent to programs before their deadline(s). Refunds will not be given if residency programs decide not to consider an applicant’s application.

 

Fees for ERAS Residency Applications

  • ERAS application fees are based on the number of programs applied to per specialty. MyERAS automatically calculates your fees and you can pay online using Visa or MasterCard.
    Capture+_2017-08-23-12-39-52
  • Example 1: 30 Emergency Medicine programs [$99.00 + (10 x $12.00) + (10 x $16.00)] = $379.00
  • Example 2: 20 OB/GYN programs [$99.00 + (10 X $12.00)] + 10 Family Practice programs [$99.00] = $318.00
  • Example 3: 23 Internal Medicine programs [$99.00 + (10 X $12.00) + (3 X $16.00)] + 7 Radiology programs [$99.00] = $366.00
  • Example 4: 12 Internal Medicine programs [$99.00 + (2 X $12.00)] + 10 Emergency Medicine [$99.00] + 8 Family Practice programs [$99.00] = $321.00
  • Example 5: 3 ACGME-accredited Family Medicine programs [$99.00] + 3 AOAaccredited Family Medicine programs [$99.00] = $198.00
  • Additional Fees: USMLE Transcript: $80 (assessed once per season)
  • Payment Method:Credit Card (Visa or MasterCard only)