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Eras Başvuru Süreciyle İlgili Genel bilgiler
12 years 10 months ago #1
by kerim
Dr.Kerim Karaoğlu
Eras Başvuru Süreciyle İlgili Genel bilgiler was created by kerim
About ERAS
The Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS®), developed by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), allows medical school students and graduates to apply electronically for first- and second-year (PGY-1 and PGY-2) residency positions in U.S. programs of graduate medical education (GME). ECFMG serves as the designated Dean’s office for all international medical students and graduates (IMGs) who use ERAS. As your designated Dean’s office, ECFMG is your primary contact for assistance and information throughout the ERAS application process.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are a student or graduate of a U.S. (LCME- or AOA-accredited) medical school/program, you must apply for residency positions through the Dean’s office at your medical school. If you are a student or graduate of a Canadian medical school/program, the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) acts as your Dean’s office for the purpose of applying to positions in the United States; for more detailed information, go to www.carms.ca .
Your pursuit of a residency position involves three separate organizations:
ERAS Support Services at ECFMG
AAMC’s Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS)
National Resident Matching Program (NRMP, or “the Match”)
It is vital that you read all websites carefully to understand the role of each organization and to understand the intricacies of resident recruitment, eligibility criteria, and what is expected of you as a prospective candidate for a residency position.
ERAS Support Services at ECFMG will issue your ERAS Token, which you must request via ECFMG’s OASIS and which will allow you to access the AAMC MyERAS website to complete your residency application. ERAS Support Services will also transmit to the ERAS PostOffice your supporting documents along with your ECFMG Status Report and, if requested, your USMLE transcript.
AAMC operates MyERAS, the website that ERAS applicants use to complete their residency application materials. Most residency programs participate in ERAS. The list of ERAS participating specialties and programs is published on the AAMC ERAS website. You must use ERAS to apply to participating programs. You cannot use ERAS to apply to programs that do not participate in ERAS; ERAS will not forward supporting documents to such programs.
ERAS Support Services at ECFMG strongly encourages you to read the AAMC publication, Roadmap to Residency: From Application to the Match and Beyond (Second Edition), which provides an overview of U.S. medical education recruitment processes.
NRMP matches applicants with available positions in programs. Applying at MyERAS and submitting supporting documents to ERAS Support Services at ECFMG do not register you with the NRMP Match. You are required to register with NRMP in order to be a participant in the 2012 Match. Additionally, you must meet NRMP’s examination requirements, and your passing examination results must be available in time to participate. If you are not matched to a position through the Match, you may be eligible to participate in the NRMP’s Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP), which replaces the former post-Match Scramble. Like the post-Match Scramble, SOAP will occur annually during Match Week.
ERAS Support Services at ECFMG strongly encourages you to read the 2010 NRMP Program Director Survey. This publication provides insight into the factors program directors use in selecting applicants for an interview and in ranking applicants for their programs. Additionally, you are encouraged to read the 2011 NRMP Main Residency Match: Match Results by Specialty and State, which details the number of positions secured by IMGs through the Match by specialty and by state.
It is important to know that programs may participate in ERAS but not in the Match. The reverse holds true; programs may participate in the Match but not in ERAS. You will need to research this information on your own.
There are fees associated with the services provided by ECFMG, AAMC, and NRMP. You must ensure that you satisfy all fee requirements; otherwise, a hold may be placed on your ERAS application and NRMP activities, and ECFMG will not process your requests.
It is important to know that ECFMG and AAMC are not associated with other services seeking to assist you with the ERAS application process for a fee. As the designated Dean’s office for IMGs, ECFMG is here to assist you with the ERAS application process.
Eligibility
To participate in ERAS, you must have a USMLE/ECFMG Identification Number.
To participate in the Match, NRMP requires that you have passed certain exams. Refer to the NRMP website for specific requirements. To maximize the chances that the results of these exams will be available in time to participate, you should be familiar with the standard registration and score reporting turnaround times for the required examinations. You can find information on registration turnaround times in the ECFMG Information Booklet. For score reporting turnaround times for USMLE Step 1, Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK), and Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS), refer to the USMLE Bulletin of Information, available on the USMLE website. For Step 2 CS, updated information on the score reporting schedule is available on the USMLE website.
It is solely the responsibility of the applicant to complete and pass the required exams in time to meet deadlines imposed by NRMP and/or GME programs. Since the number of applicants seeking to complete these exams may exceed the spaces available in time to meet those deadlines, there is no guarantee that sufficient spaces will be available for all applicants to meet deadlines imposed by NRMP and/or GME programs.
Important Note About U.S. State Medical Licensure Requirements
In the United States, a license to practice medicine is granted by individual state medical licensing authorities. Each state sets its own requirements for licensure. Depending on the state, a training or restricted license may be required to participate in programs of graduate medical education. Participants in graduate medical education programs may also be required to obtain an unrestricted medical license by a certain point in their training in order to progress in the program.
Licensure requirements vary by state. For example, some states have established additional criteria with respect to international medical schools for the purpose of eligibility for licensure. If you plan to apply to residency programs in one of these states, consult the state’s medical licensing board to determine if graduates of your medical school are eligible for licensure in that state.
Additionally, if you are certified by ECFMG based on former medical science exams (such as the Visa Qualifying Examination [VQE] or the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination in the Medical Sciences [FMGEMS]), you should be aware that these exams may not be acceptable for the purpose of eligibility for a training license. Of the states that require a training license for participants in graduate medical education programs, most do not accept these exams for this purpose.
ERAS does not preclude any students/graduates from participating in ERAS, based on their eligibility for licensure. Before applying to residency programs in a given state, it is your responsibility to become familiar with that state’s licensure requirements and to ensure that you meet any licensure requirements to enter and complete residency training in that state.
For a directory of U.S. state medical licensing authorities, visit the Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States, Inc. website.
Irregular Behavior
The ECFMG Medical Education Credentials Committee reviews allegations of “irregular behavior.” Irregular behavior includes all actions or attempted actions on the part of applicants, examinees, potential applicants, others when solicited by an applicant/examinee, or any other person that would or could subvert the examination, certification, or other processes of ECFMG. Such actions or attempted actions are considered irregular behavior, regardless of when the irregular behavior occurs, whether before or after the individual is certified by ECFMG. Examples of irregular behavior include, but are not limited to, falsification of information on applications; failing to comply with a USMLE or ECFMG policy, procedure, and/or rule; submission of any falsified or altered document to ECFMG, whether submitted by the individual or by a third party, such as a medical school, on behalf of the individual; and submission of any falsified or altered ECFMG document to other entities or individuals. A determination of irregular behavior shall be sufficient cause for ECFMG to bar you from an exam and/or ECFMG Certification, to terminate your participation in an exam, to withhold and/or invalidate the results of an examination, to withhold an ECFMG certificate, to revoke an ECFMG certificate, or to take other appropriate action. ECFMG will report findings of irregular behavior to the Federation of State Medical Boards Board Action Databank, state medical licensing authorities, and directors of graduate medical education programs, among others. ECFMG may also report such findings to the USMLE Committee on Irregular Behavior and Score Validity and to any other organization or individual who, in the judgment of ECFMG, has a legitimate interest in such information. If it is determined that you have participated in irregular behavior, an annotation to that effect will be included in your ECFMG record. This annotation will appear on your ECFMG Certification Verification Service Reports and ECFMG Status Reports.
AAMC has taken a strong position in connection with applicants engaging in irregular behavior. Copying language from any source, including the Internet, for use in your Personal Statement is considered plagiarism. Samples of published Personal Statements are found on the Internet. Although these samples may be used to assist you in writing your own Personal Statement, copying any portion of the published language and representing it as your own is plagiarism. Any reported allegations of plagiarism will prompt an investigation by AAMC and may result in your becoming ineligible to participate in the NRMP Match. ERAS participants should read and become familiar with the AAMC ERAS Integrity Promotion Education Program.
Selecting a Residency Program
Before you can begin the ERAS application process, consider your career path by researching one or more medical specialties. Selecting a medical specialty is best done with the help of advisors and mentors. It may be helpful to consult physicians practicing in the specialties you are considering. You should also consider the degree to which a given specialty would be professionally satisfying. For each specialty, it may be useful to research the overall number of positions available, the degree of competition typically experienced in obtaining a position, and the experience of prior international medical graduates, particularly graduates of your medical school, in obtaining residency positions. Detailed information on the number of positions, by specialty, offered and filled by the NRMP is available on the NRMP website.
After you have selected a specialty or specialties, you must decide to which programs within those specialties you will apply. There is no limit on the number of programs to which you can apply. Factors that you may wish to consider in selecting programs include the location of individual programs, their hospital affiliations, program and institution accreditation status, and the performance of their graduates.
ERAS Application Process
The following is an overview of the process:
Subscribe to ECFMG-ERAS News, a free e-newsletter for IMGs using ERAS, to receive important updates.
Prior to applying via ERAS, contact your programs of interest to determine their minimum eligibility criteria, ERAS application deadlines, licensure requirements, and institutional policies about visas, if applicable. Much of this information can be found on each program’s website.
Obtain a Residency Token via ECFMG’s OASIS.
Use your Token to register at the AAMC MyERAS website and obtain your AAMC Identification Number.
Once you have registered at MyERAS, you can begin to work on your MyERAS application, Profile, and Personal Statement. You can also create your personal list of authors and finalize your LoR Authors.
IMPORTANT NOTE: You will be required to certify your MyERAS application on-line at MyERAS. Do not certify your application until you are absolutely sure the information that you have provided is accurate and complete. Once you certify your application, it cannot be changed. ERAS Support Services at ECFMG does not have access to your MyERAS application.
Begin submitting your supporting documents, referenced with your AAMC Identification Number, to ERAS Support Services at ECFMG. All documents submitted to ERAS Support Services at ECFMG via mail or courier service should be accompanied by a Document Submission Form (DSF), which you can complete and print on-line using ECFMG’s OASIS. A DSF should be included each time documents are mailed to ECFMG for scanning. Documents that are submitted electronically to ECFMG should not be accompanied by a DSF.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Medical Student Performance Evaluations (MSPEs) are released to program directors on November 1. It is recommended that you submit MSPEs to ERAS Support Services at ECFMG for arrival by October 1.
Track the documents received by ERAS Support Services at ECFMG via the Verify Receipt of Documents link in ECFMG’s OASIS. Please allow five to seven business days from their receipt by ECFMG for your documents to appear in OASIS.
Register with NRMP in order to participate in the 2012 Match.
Select programs and assign supporting documents.
On September 1, at 8:00 a.m., Eastern Time in the United States, you may begin applying to ACGME-accredited programs, and ACGME-accredited programs may begin contacting the ERAS PostOffice to download application files.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Documents submitted electronically may take up to two weeks to process. Documents submitted to ERAS Support Services via mail or courier service may take up to four weeks to process. You should make every effort to ensure your supporting documents are received by ECFMG in time for program evaluation and to meet program deadlines.
A few days after applying, monitor the status of your ERAS application via the Applicant Document Tracking System (ADTS), which you can access from MyERAS. It is your responsibility to monitor the status of your ERAS application.
Token Request
You must obtain a Token in order to register at MyERAS and start your residency application. The Token is a 14-digit, alpha-numeric code that you request via ECFMG’s OASIS. There is a $90 non-refundable fee for this service. Detailed instructions for using the Token to login to the MyERAS website are included on the OASIS Token page. You can obtain a Token for ERAS 2012 beginning in mid-June 2011.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Token you request through OASIS is for residency applications only. If you are currently enrolled in a residency program and require a Token for a fellowship application, you must request your Token through the ERAS Fellowships Documents Office (EFDO).
When you request your Token using OASIS, you can pay on-line using a credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express). ERAS Support Services strongly recommends that you make the payment on-line using your credit card. Through OASIS, you can also pay by an electronic check from a checking account at a U.S. bank. To pay for your Token by check, money order, bank check, or bank draft, complete Payment Form 900 and mail it with your payment to the address at the top of the form. If you make a payment using Form 900, you must verify that this payment has been credited to your ECFMG financial account before you request your Token; you can verify the status of your ECFMG financial account on-line using OASIS. Once the payment has been credited to your account, you must request your Token on-line using OASIS.
You will have immediate access to your Token after your request and payment are made. After your payment is approved, you will receive a confirmation number for your records. Please print this page or write down your confirmation number. To access your Token, click on “Continue,” and your Token will be listed on the ERAS Token Request page.
Your Token is associated with your ERAS application, ECFMG Status Report, and USMLE transcript; therefore, do not allow any other ERAS participant to use your Token.
You need only one Token per ERAS season. You can use that one Token to apply to as many specialties and programs as you want during the ERAS season. You can also use your 2012 Token to apply for both a clinical year (PGY-1), which begins in 2012, and for an advanced position (PGY-2), which begins in 2013 (e.g., Radiology, Neurology, etc.). The Token is not transferable for future use. The ERAS software will not recognize a Token issued for previous ERAS seasons.
ERAS Registration
You can register at MyERAS using your Token beginning on July 1, 2011. You are strongly encouraged to register at MyERAS no later than mid-July.
To register means to use your Token to establish an identity with AAMC and obtain an AAMC Identification Number and password. The registration screen can be accessed only one time. Before completing your registration, please proofread the page. You cannot make changes to the information once your registration has been completed.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you receive this error message during registration at MyERAS: “Your Token does not have the correct checksum, please re-enter it,” please take a close look at the last three digits of your Token. The last three digits may consist of numbers or letters. Do not type the letter “O” instead of the number zero (or vice versa).
If you experience any technical difficulties during the registration or application process at MyERAS, contact the AAMC ERAS Helpdesk at (202) 862-6264, or e-mail your inquiry to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
After you have registered successfully, ERAS Support Services at ECFMG will be notified electronically by AAMC ERAS.
Once you have registered, you can begin working on your application. This includes completing the MyERAS application, Profile, and Personal Statement on the MyERAS website. Each time you apply to a program, these documents will be transmitted automatically for download by the program.
An Important Note About Personal Statement Plagiarism
Copying language from any source, including the Internet, for use in your Personal Statement is considered plagiarism. Samples of published Personal Statements are found on the Internet. Although these samples may be used to assist you in writing your own Personal Statement, copying any portion of the published language and representing it as your own is plagiarism. Any reported allegations of plagiarism will prompt an investigation by AAMC and may result in your becoming ineligible to participate in the NRMP Match. ERAS participants should read and become familiar with the AAMC’s ERAS Integrity Promotion Education Program.
Supporting Documents
Once you have registered using your Token at MyERAS, submit supporting documents to ERAS Support Services at ECFMG. ERAS Support Services will upload these supporting documents to the ERAS PostOffice so that they are available to the programs to which you have applied. These supporting documents include:
Original Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE)
Medical School Transcript
Original Letters of Recommendation (LoRs)
Photograph (upload through OASIS only)
Postgraduate Training Authorization Letter (PTAL) or “California Letter” (if applicable)
Fifth Pathway Certificate (if applicable)
There are different methods for submitting supporting documents, depending on the document type. Refer to the detailed pages for each document type for specific instructions. Documents submitted electronically may take up to two weeks to process. Documents submitted to ERAS Support Services via mail or courier service may take up to four weeks to process.
ERAS Support Services will also transmit your ECFMG Status Report and, if you request it, your USMLE transcript.
The following documents will be made available automatically to all programs to which you have applied: MSPE, medical school transcript, and ECFMG Status Report. Please note that MSPEs are released to programs on November 1. To make your photograph and LoRs available to the programs to which you have applied, you need to assign them to programs. Since the PTAL and Fifth Pathway Certificate, if applicable, are treated as LoRs, you need to assign them to programs. Your program selections and document assignments are posted at the ERAS PostOffice. ERAS Support Services will download your program selections and document assignments from the ERAS PostOffice on the next business day. Your USMLE transcript will be transmitted only if you request and pay for it.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you participated in the ERAS 2011 season and also participate in the ERAS 2012 season, you are considered a Repeat Applicant. As a Repeat Applicant, you are not required to resubmit your MSPE, medical school transcript, photograph, or any LoRs that were transmitted to the ERAS PostOffice during ERAS 2011. You should only resubmit these documents if content changes have been made. See ERAS 2012 Repeat Applicants for more information.
ERAS Application Tracking
You are responsible for tracking the status of your ERAS application materials via the Applicant Document Tracking System (ADTS), accessible from MyERAS. Your uploaded documents will be listed on ADTS; however, you will not be able to view the actual documents. If you have questions related to the ADTS and your ERAS application, contact ERAS Support Services for assistance.
National Resident Matching Program (NRMP)
The NRMP matches applicants with available residency positions. You are required to register with NRMP by the NRMP Late Registration deadline in order to participate in the 2012 Match.
Additionally, you must meet NRMP’s examination requirements, and your passing examination results must be available in time to participate. If you have not yet taken and passed USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS), please see the Step 2 CS Schedule for Reporting Results. You should also read this important announcement about registering for Step 2 CS. You are not required to have satisfied the medical education credential requirements for ECFMG Certification in order to participate in the Match.
If you are not matched to a position through the Match, you may be eligible to participate in the NRMP Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP), which replaces the former post-Match Scramble.
For information on Match registration and requirements, visit the NRMP website.
NRMP Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP)
(replaces the former “Scramble”)
The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) is expected to replace the post-Match Scramble with a new Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP) for the 2012 Match. SOAP will allow eligible applicants who did not obtain a residency position in the Main Match to apply for available positions that were not filled in the Match. SOAP will take place during the 2012 Match Week, March 12-March 16. For detailed information on SOAP, including eligibility requirements and schedule, monitor the NRMP website.
The Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS®), developed by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), allows medical school students and graduates to apply electronically for first- and second-year (PGY-1 and PGY-2) residency positions in U.S. programs of graduate medical education (GME). ECFMG serves as the designated Dean’s office for all international medical students and graduates (IMGs) who use ERAS. As your designated Dean’s office, ECFMG is your primary contact for assistance and information throughout the ERAS application process.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are a student or graduate of a U.S. (LCME- or AOA-accredited) medical school/program, you must apply for residency positions through the Dean’s office at your medical school. If you are a student or graduate of a Canadian medical school/program, the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) acts as your Dean’s office for the purpose of applying to positions in the United States; for more detailed information, go to www.carms.ca .
Your pursuit of a residency position involves three separate organizations:
ERAS Support Services at ECFMG
AAMC’s Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS)
National Resident Matching Program (NRMP, or “the Match”)
It is vital that you read all websites carefully to understand the role of each organization and to understand the intricacies of resident recruitment, eligibility criteria, and what is expected of you as a prospective candidate for a residency position.
ERAS Support Services at ECFMG will issue your ERAS Token, which you must request via ECFMG’s OASIS and which will allow you to access the AAMC MyERAS website to complete your residency application. ERAS Support Services will also transmit to the ERAS PostOffice your supporting documents along with your ECFMG Status Report and, if requested, your USMLE transcript.
AAMC operates MyERAS, the website that ERAS applicants use to complete their residency application materials. Most residency programs participate in ERAS. The list of ERAS participating specialties and programs is published on the AAMC ERAS website. You must use ERAS to apply to participating programs. You cannot use ERAS to apply to programs that do not participate in ERAS; ERAS will not forward supporting documents to such programs.
ERAS Support Services at ECFMG strongly encourages you to read the AAMC publication, Roadmap to Residency: From Application to the Match and Beyond (Second Edition), which provides an overview of U.S. medical education recruitment processes.
NRMP matches applicants with available positions in programs. Applying at MyERAS and submitting supporting documents to ERAS Support Services at ECFMG do not register you with the NRMP Match. You are required to register with NRMP in order to be a participant in the 2012 Match. Additionally, you must meet NRMP’s examination requirements, and your passing examination results must be available in time to participate. If you are not matched to a position through the Match, you may be eligible to participate in the NRMP’s Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP), which replaces the former post-Match Scramble. Like the post-Match Scramble, SOAP will occur annually during Match Week.
ERAS Support Services at ECFMG strongly encourages you to read the 2010 NRMP Program Director Survey. This publication provides insight into the factors program directors use in selecting applicants for an interview and in ranking applicants for their programs. Additionally, you are encouraged to read the 2011 NRMP Main Residency Match: Match Results by Specialty and State, which details the number of positions secured by IMGs through the Match by specialty and by state.
It is important to know that programs may participate in ERAS but not in the Match. The reverse holds true; programs may participate in the Match but not in ERAS. You will need to research this information on your own.
There are fees associated with the services provided by ECFMG, AAMC, and NRMP. You must ensure that you satisfy all fee requirements; otherwise, a hold may be placed on your ERAS application and NRMP activities, and ECFMG will not process your requests.
It is important to know that ECFMG and AAMC are not associated with other services seeking to assist you with the ERAS application process for a fee. As the designated Dean’s office for IMGs, ECFMG is here to assist you with the ERAS application process.
Eligibility
To participate in ERAS, you must have a USMLE/ECFMG Identification Number.
To participate in the Match, NRMP requires that you have passed certain exams. Refer to the NRMP website for specific requirements. To maximize the chances that the results of these exams will be available in time to participate, you should be familiar with the standard registration and score reporting turnaround times for the required examinations. You can find information on registration turnaround times in the ECFMG Information Booklet. For score reporting turnaround times for USMLE Step 1, Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK), and Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS), refer to the USMLE Bulletin of Information, available on the USMLE website. For Step 2 CS, updated information on the score reporting schedule is available on the USMLE website.
It is solely the responsibility of the applicant to complete and pass the required exams in time to meet deadlines imposed by NRMP and/or GME programs. Since the number of applicants seeking to complete these exams may exceed the spaces available in time to meet those deadlines, there is no guarantee that sufficient spaces will be available for all applicants to meet deadlines imposed by NRMP and/or GME programs.
Important Note About U.S. State Medical Licensure Requirements
In the United States, a license to practice medicine is granted by individual state medical licensing authorities. Each state sets its own requirements for licensure. Depending on the state, a training or restricted license may be required to participate in programs of graduate medical education. Participants in graduate medical education programs may also be required to obtain an unrestricted medical license by a certain point in their training in order to progress in the program.
Licensure requirements vary by state. For example, some states have established additional criteria with respect to international medical schools for the purpose of eligibility for licensure. If you plan to apply to residency programs in one of these states, consult the state’s medical licensing board to determine if graduates of your medical school are eligible for licensure in that state.
Additionally, if you are certified by ECFMG based on former medical science exams (such as the Visa Qualifying Examination [VQE] or the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination in the Medical Sciences [FMGEMS]), you should be aware that these exams may not be acceptable for the purpose of eligibility for a training license. Of the states that require a training license for participants in graduate medical education programs, most do not accept these exams for this purpose.
ERAS does not preclude any students/graduates from participating in ERAS, based on their eligibility for licensure. Before applying to residency programs in a given state, it is your responsibility to become familiar with that state’s licensure requirements and to ensure that you meet any licensure requirements to enter and complete residency training in that state.
For a directory of U.S. state medical licensing authorities, visit the Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States, Inc. website.
Irregular Behavior
The ECFMG Medical Education Credentials Committee reviews allegations of “irregular behavior.” Irregular behavior includes all actions or attempted actions on the part of applicants, examinees, potential applicants, others when solicited by an applicant/examinee, or any other person that would or could subvert the examination, certification, or other processes of ECFMG. Such actions or attempted actions are considered irregular behavior, regardless of when the irregular behavior occurs, whether before or after the individual is certified by ECFMG. Examples of irregular behavior include, but are not limited to, falsification of information on applications; failing to comply with a USMLE or ECFMG policy, procedure, and/or rule; submission of any falsified or altered document to ECFMG, whether submitted by the individual or by a third party, such as a medical school, on behalf of the individual; and submission of any falsified or altered ECFMG document to other entities or individuals. A determination of irregular behavior shall be sufficient cause for ECFMG to bar you from an exam and/or ECFMG Certification, to terminate your participation in an exam, to withhold and/or invalidate the results of an examination, to withhold an ECFMG certificate, to revoke an ECFMG certificate, or to take other appropriate action. ECFMG will report findings of irregular behavior to the Federation of State Medical Boards Board Action Databank, state medical licensing authorities, and directors of graduate medical education programs, among others. ECFMG may also report such findings to the USMLE Committee on Irregular Behavior and Score Validity and to any other organization or individual who, in the judgment of ECFMG, has a legitimate interest in such information. If it is determined that you have participated in irregular behavior, an annotation to that effect will be included in your ECFMG record. This annotation will appear on your ECFMG Certification Verification Service Reports and ECFMG Status Reports.
AAMC has taken a strong position in connection with applicants engaging in irregular behavior. Copying language from any source, including the Internet, for use in your Personal Statement is considered plagiarism. Samples of published Personal Statements are found on the Internet. Although these samples may be used to assist you in writing your own Personal Statement, copying any portion of the published language and representing it as your own is plagiarism. Any reported allegations of plagiarism will prompt an investigation by AAMC and may result in your becoming ineligible to participate in the NRMP Match. ERAS participants should read and become familiar with the AAMC ERAS Integrity Promotion Education Program.
Selecting a Residency Program
Before you can begin the ERAS application process, consider your career path by researching one or more medical specialties. Selecting a medical specialty is best done with the help of advisors and mentors. It may be helpful to consult physicians practicing in the specialties you are considering. You should also consider the degree to which a given specialty would be professionally satisfying. For each specialty, it may be useful to research the overall number of positions available, the degree of competition typically experienced in obtaining a position, and the experience of prior international medical graduates, particularly graduates of your medical school, in obtaining residency positions. Detailed information on the number of positions, by specialty, offered and filled by the NRMP is available on the NRMP website.
After you have selected a specialty or specialties, you must decide to which programs within those specialties you will apply. There is no limit on the number of programs to which you can apply. Factors that you may wish to consider in selecting programs include the location of individual programs, their hospital affiliations, program and institution accreditation status, and the performance of their graduates.
ERAS Application Process
The following is an overview of the process:
Subscribe to ECFMG-ERAS News, a free e-newsletter for IMGs using ERAS, to receive important updates.
Prior to applying via ERAS, contact your programs of interest to determine their minimum eligibility criteria, ERAS application deadlines, licensure requirements, and institutional policies about visas, if applicable. Much of this information can be found on each program’s website.
Obtain a Residency Token via ECFMG’s OASIS.
Use your Token to register at the AAMC MyERAS website and obtain your AAMC Identification Number.
Once you have registered at MyERAS, you can begin to work on your MyERAS application, Profile, and Personal Statement. You can also create your personal list of authors and finalize your LoR Authors.
IMPORTANT NOTE: You will be required to certify your MyERAS application on-line at MyERAS. Do not certify your application until you are absolutely sure the information that you have provided is accurate and complete. Once you certify your application, it cannot be changed. ERAS Support Services at ECFMG does not have access to your MyERAS application.
Begin submitting your supporting documents, referenced with your AAMC Identification Number, to ERAS Support Services at ECFMG. All documents submitted to ERAS Support Services at ECFMG via mail or courier service should be accompanied by a Document Submission Form (DSF), which you can complete and print on-line using ECFMG’s OASIS. A DSF should be included each time documents are mailed to ECFMG for scanning. Documents that are submitted electronically to ECFMG should not be accompanied by a DSF.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Medical Student Performance Evaluations (MSPEs) are released to program directors on November 1. It is recommended that you submit MSPEs to ERAS Support Services at ECFMG for arrival by October 1.
Track the documents received by ERAS Support Services at ECFMG via the Verify Receipt of Documents link in ECFMG’s OASIS. Please allow five to seven business days from their receipt by ECFMG for your documents to appear in OASIS.
Register with NRMP in order to participate in the 2012 Match.
Select programs and assign supporting documents.
On September 1, at 8:00 a.m., Eastern Time in the United States, you may begin applying to ACGME-accredited programs, and ACGME-accredited programs may begin contacting the ERAS PostOffice to download application files.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Documents submitted electronically may take up to two weeks to process. Documents submitted to ERAS Support Services via mail or courier service may take up to four weeks to process. You should make every effort to ensure your supporting documents are received by ECFMG in time for program evaluation and to meet program deadlines.
A few days after applying, monitor the status of your ERAS application via the Applicant Document Tracking System (ADTS), which you can access from MyERAS. It is your responsibility to monitor the status of your ERAS application.
Token Request
You must obtain a Token in order to register at MyERAS and start your residency application. The Token is a 14-digit, alpha-numeric code that you request via ECFMG’s OASIS. There is a $90 non-refundable fee for this service. Detailed instructions for using the Token to login to the MyERAS website are included on the OASIS Token page. You can obtain a Token for ERAS 2012 beginning in mid-June 2011.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Token you request through OASIS is for residency applications only. If you are currently enrolled in a residency program and require a Token for a fellowship application, you must request your Token through the ERAS Fellowships Documents Office (EFDO).
When you request your Token using OASIS, you can pay on-line using a credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express). ERAS Support Services strongly recommends that you make the payment on-line using your credit card. Through OASIS, you can also pay by an electronic check from a checking account at a U.S. bank. To pay for your Token by check, money order, bank check, or bank draft, complete Payment Form 900 and mail it with your payment to the address at the top of the form. If you make a payment using Form 900, you must verify that this payment has been credited to your ECFMG financial account before you request your Token; you can verify the status of your ECFMG financial account on-line using OASIS. Once the payment has been credited to your account, you must request your Token on-line using OASIS.
You will have immediate access to your Token after your request and payment are made. After your payment is approved, you will receive a confirmation number for your records. Please print this page or write down your confirmation number. To access your Token, click on “Continue,” and your Token will be listed on the ERAS Token Request page.
Your Token is associated with your ERAS application, ECFMG Status Report, and USMLE transcript; therefore, do not allow any other ERAS participant to use your Token.
You need only one Token per ERAS season. You can use that one Token to apply to as many specialties and programs as you want during the ERAS season. You can also use your 2012 Token to apply for both a clinical year (PGY-1), which begins in 2012, and for an advanced position (PGY-2), which begins in 2013 (e.g., Radiology, Neurology, etc.). The Token is not transferable for future use. The ERAS software will not recognize a Token issued for previous ERAS seasons.
ERAS Registration
You can register at MyERAS using your Token beginning on July 1, 2011. You are strongly encouraged to register at MyERAS no later than mid-July.
To register means to use your Token to establish an identity with AAMC and obtain an AAMC Identification Number and password. The registration screen can be accessed only one time. Before completing your registration, please proofread the page. You cannot make changes to the information once your registration has been completed.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you receive this error message during registration at MyERAS: “Your Token does not have the correct checksum, please re-enter it,” please take a close look at the last three digits of your Token. The last three digits may consist of numbers or letters. Do not type the letter “O” instead of the number zero (or vice versa).
If you experience any technical difficulties during the registration or application process at MyERAS, contact the AAMC ERAS Helpdesk at (202) 862-6264, or e-mail your inquiry to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
After you have registered successfully, ERAS Support Services at ECFMG will be notified electronically by AAMC ERAS.
Once you have registered, you can begin working on your application. This includes completing the MyERAS application, Profile, and Personal Statement on the MyERAS website. Each time you apply to a program, these documents will be transmitted automatically for download by the program.
An Important Note About Personal Statement Plagiarism
Copying language from any source, including the Internet, for use in your Personal Statement is considered plagiarism. Samples of published Personal Statements are found on the Internet. Although these samples may be used to assist you in writing your own Personal Statement, copying any portion of the published language and representing it as your own is plagiarism. Any reported allegations of plagiarism will prompt an investigation by AAMC and may result in your becoming ineligible to participate in the NRMP Match. ERAS participants should read and become familiar with the AAMC’s ERAS Integrity Promotion Education Program.
Supporting Documents
Once you have registered using your Token at MyERAS, submit supporting documents to ERAS Support Services at ECFMG. ERAS Support Services will upload these supporting documents to the ERAS PostOffice so that they are available to the programs to which you have applied. These supporting documents include:
Original Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE)
Medical School Transcript
Original Letters of Recommendation (LoRs)
Photograph (upload through OASIS only)
Postgraduate Training Authorization Letter (PTAL) or “California Letter” (if applicable)
Fifth Pathway Certificate (if applicable)
There are different methods for submitting supporting documents, depending on the document type. Refer to the detailed pages for each document type for specific instructions. Documents submitted electronically may take up to two weeks to process. Documents submitted to ERAS Support Services via mail or courier service may take up to four weeks to process.
ERAS Support Services will also transmit your ECFMG Status Report and, if you request it, your USMLE transcript.
The following documents will be made available automatically to all programs to which you have applied: MSPE, medical school transcript, and ECFMG Status Report. Please note that MSPEs are released to programs on November 1. To make your photograph and LoRs available to the programs to which you have applied, you need to assign them to programs. Since the PTAL and Fifth Pathway Certificate, if applicable, are treated as LoRs, you need to assign them to programs. Your program selections and document assignments are posted at the ERAS PostOffice. ERAS Support Services will download your program selections and document assignments from the ERAS PostOffice on the next business day. Your USMLE transcript will be transmitted only if you request and pay for it.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you participated in the ERAS 2011 season and also participate in the ERAS 2012 season, you are considered a Repeat Applicant. As a Repeat Applicant, you are not required to resubmit your MSPE, medical school transcript, photograph, or any LoRs that were transmitted to the ERAS PostOffice during ERAS 2011. You should only resubmit these documents if content changes have been made. See ERAS 2012 Repeat Applicants for more information.
ERAS Application Tracking
You are responsible for tracking the status of your ERAS application materials via the Applicant Document Tracking System (ADTS), accessible from MyERAS. Your uploaded documents will be listed on ADTS; however, you will not be able to view the actual documents. If you have questions related to the ADTS and your ERAS application, contact ERAS Support Services for assistance.
National Resident Matching Program (NRMP)
The NRMP matches applicants with available residency positions. You are required to register with NRMP by the NRMP Late Registration deadline in order to participate in the 2012 Match.
Additionally, you must meet NRMP’s examination requirements, and your passing examination results must be available in time to participate. If you have not yet taken and passed USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS), please see the Step 2 CS Schedule for Reporting Results. You should also read this important announcement about registering for Step 2 CS. You are not required to have satisfied the medical education credential requirements for ECFMG Certification in order to participate in the Match.
If you are not matched to a position through the Match, you may be eligible to participate in the NRMP Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP), which replaces the former post-Match Scramble.
For information on Match registration and requirements, visit the NRMP website.
NRMP Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP)
(replaces the former “Scramble”)
The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) is expected to replace the post-Match Scramble with a new Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP) for the 2012 Match. SOAP will allow eligible applicants who did not obtain a residency position in the Main Match to apply for available positions that were not filled in the Match. SOAP will take place during the 2012 Match Week, March 12-March 16. For detailed information on SOAP, including eligibility requirements and schedule, monitor the NRMP website.
Dr.Kerim Karaoğlu
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