The Ideal ERAS Timeline (2024)
/What to do each month of your medical residency application year to match to your dream specialty
Learn what to do each month of your medical residency application year to match into your dream specialty
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Part 1: Introduction
So you’re halfway through third-year clinical rotations, trying to decide which specialty might be the best for you. With residency application season months away, you figure you have plenty of time to chart your career trajectory through residency and beyond. But though the ERAS season doesn’t open until June each year, and residency programs don’t receive application materials until September, it helps to start working on application materials early. But just how early should you start?
We’ve developed a recommended residency application timeline to help ensure that your materials are of the highest quality while saving you stress and anxiety. Rather than giving vague, general advice—of course your personal statement should be “well written”—this post focuses on when to complete various pieces of your applications.
That said, it’s important to be flexible with your timeline, especially because the residency application process has many moving parts. The sooner you begin your application, the more you’ll be able to draft multiple personal statements or customize your essays to programs of interest.
No matter what timeline you follow, if you work diligently and submit your highest quality work, you’ll be able to balance submitting your application materials by September with your clinical rotations and everything else going on in your life. In putting together your residency applications, you should aim for quality, not speed.
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Part 2: What is ERAS and how is it used?
The Electronic Residency Application Service (often referred to as ERAS or MyERAS®) is a streamlined system that allows applicants to residency programs the ability to complete their applications efficiently and with ease. As a central system, it also enables applicants to create their applications—and even submit any necessary documents—in one system!
Do all residency specialties participate in the ERAS program?
Simply put, No—not all residency specialties participate in ERAS or use the MyERAS application. How do you determine which residency specialties use the ERAS application? The easiest way is to review the ERAS Directory at the AAMC website. There, you’ll find a complete list of residency (and fellowship) programs that participate in the ERAS program.
At this time, the ERAS 2024 Participating Specialties & Programs list contains 53 specialties that are participating in the ERAS program. Once you find the specialty you’re interested in, you click the specialty name for further information.
You’ll first notice pointers at the top of the page, such as guidance from governing organizations for that specialty on how programs in that specialty are implementing ERAS this year. Below that, you’ll see a complete list of participating programs organized alphabetically by state. This list also indicates whether a named specialty recognizes osteopathic applicants for the program. Finally, the very bottom of the page includes a tally of the total number of participating programs.
If the program you’re interested in is not participating in the ERAS program, you’ll need to contact that program directly to inquire about applying.
What about the supplemental ERAS application?
For the 2024 ERAS application season, there will not be a supplemental ERAS application. Instead, the AAMC took its findings from the supplemental ERAS application (that it utilized for two application cycles) and incorporated them into the 2024 ERAS application.
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Part 3: The ideal residency application timeline
The timeline below is designed to begin halfway through your third year of medical school. We’ve updated it to reflect new deadlines for the 2023–2024 application season.
(Note: The military match has a different timeline—their match results are released the earliest, in December of the application year. This timeline does not apply to the military match.)
January–March of your application year
Research residency specialties and evaluate your competitiveness for specialties of interest with an advisor
(Suggested reading: The Most Competitive Medical Residencies: A Complete List)
Decide whether or not you’ll do an “away” rotation
Find opportunities to remedy any obvious gaps in your CV
Request letters of recommendation
Brainstorm and outline your personal statement(s) (you’ll need to write a statement for each specialty to which you’re applying)
April–May of your application year
Write your personal statement(s), aiming to finish by the end of August
Discuss information that may help during the match process with an advisor
Finalize senior electives (including any “away” rotations)
Arrange MSPE interview (which will depend on different schools’ schedules; some will begin setting them up as early as April, or as late as September)
Contacted your Designated Dean’s office for key ERAS and NRMP timelines
If you’re at a U.S. medical school, your Designated Dean’s Office is your medical school
If you’re outside the U.S.—i.e., you’re applying as an IMG—your Designated Dean’s Office is the ECFMG
June–July of your application year
Receive ERAS token from your Designated Dean’s Office
Register with ERAS and complete biographical information sections
Have a mentor, colleague, advisor, admissions expert, or close friend read your personal statement and give feedback
Make a list of programs; account for specialty, level of competitiveness, other professional criteria
If applying to California programs, start working on the Postgraduate Training Authorization Letter (PTAL)
Complete USMLE exams (up to Step 2) before September
July–August of your application year
Check in with letter of recommendation writers about the status of their letters and remind them to submit their work if they haven’t already
Finish writing personal statement(s)
Continue working on ERAS (do not certify until the application is complete and error-free)
Authorize release of USMLE transcript if your school does not automatically release these
Upload a professional photo
Request an MSPE from your school if you are an IMG (if you are at a medical school in the U.S., you shouldn’t need to)
If your school cannot provide an MSPE, inform ECFMG so that you can upload a placeholder with an explanation
Review MSPE and correct for errors, if possible
Submit documents in OASIS at least two weeks prior to application opening (if applying with ECFMG’s OASIS)
Assign documents (transcripts, letters of recommendation, personal statement(s)) to specific programs as necessary in MyERAS
Start working on your supplemental ERAS application if you are applying in one of 16 participating specialties (opens August 1st)
September of your application year
Register with NRMP (opens September 15th)
Complete the supplemental ERAS application by September 16th
Make sure all letters of recommendation are uploaded before September 27th
Submit/certify your ERAS application before September 27th to maximize odds (you may submit beginning September 6th; programs begin receiving applications September 27th)
MSPE/Dean’s Letters released to programs on September 27th
Assign documents to residency programs as necessary in MyERAS
Continue to submit applications throughout the residency application season
October of your application year
Check on status of application and messages in MyERAS
Send follow-up letters to programs that haven’t contacted you
Schedule interviews as necessary
November–December of your application year
Check in with an advisor if you have not yet secured interviews
Continue sending follow-up letters to schools that haven’t contacted you
Send thank-you notes to interviews you’ve completed
January–February of your application year
Make a pro/con list of programs
Register with the NRMP by January 31st to avoid late fees
Make and submit your NRMP Rank Order List by the March 1st deadline (ranking opens February 1st)
Contact your top choice program (at which you’ve interviewed) with a letter of intent (this is dependent on specialty and situation)
March of your application year
Make sure you’ve registered for the NRMP by the Rank Order List deadline (March 1st) in order to eligible for SOAP
Check whether or not you’ve matched on the Monday of Match Week (March 13th)
SOAP process opens Monday of Match Week (March 13th)
Find out where you’ve matched on Match Day (March 17th)
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Part 4: Updates to ERAS for 2024
Each year, the AAMC takes data from surveys and other reports and analyzes it for ways it may improve the process for students. Though lengthy, these reports make for an interesting read and, to some degree, help explain why the AAMC implements some of the changes it does from year to year.
For the 2024 ERAS season—which began Jun 7, 2023—updates to the 2024 MyERAS® application enable applicants to share more information about past experiences and future career goals with residency and fellowship programs.
Changes include:
Revisions to the Experiences section: Applicants can now hone in on 10 experiences they feel represent who they are and what they are interested in. Of those, applicants can designate three as the “most meaningful” experiences they choose to elaborate on. In addition, applicants will find new experience types from which to choose. (Note: Each experience has a 1,020-character limit, and the most meaningful experiences allow for an additional 300 characters per experience.)
Impactful experiences: For applicants who have had to overcome serious hardships and adversities on the path to residency, the application process will now include an opportunity to elaborate on that.
Geographic preferences: Whether applicants have a desire to serve in a particular geographic region or not, the application will include an opportunity to illustrate that.
Program signals: Applicants interested in participating in program signals will be able to express their interest in the residency program when they complete their application
Supplemental ERAS application: There will be no supplemental ERAS application for the 2024 application cycle.
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Part 5: Frequently asked questions
How do I find out which programs and specialties are participating in the ERAS program?
A list of participating programs and specialties is available on the ERAS website. The majority of the programs and specialties listed also participate in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), though some (marked by an asterisk) do not.
Is there a deadline for applying to ERAS programs?
While each individual program and specialty has its own deadline, the ERAS season ends on May 31 of each year. At that time, you will no longer be able to apply to any new programs, nor will programs be able to receive any new applications or even supporting documents.
When should I take the USMLE exams?
The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) has three steps. Passing Steps 1 and 2 CK is a graduation requirement for most U.S. medical schools.
However, you’re responsible for scheduling your exam dates, and USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK can be taken in any order (you can only take Step 3 after passing the aforementioned steps). You are also limited in the number of times you can take each step. This makes it tricky to say when, exactly, you should take the different parts of the USMLE.
That said, most students take the USMLE Step 1 at the end of their second year of medical school. There’s no best time to take Step 2 CK, but in general, it’s best to take it before beginning residency interviews for flexibility in terms of scheduling and travel.
(Note: Step 2 used to include an additional exam, Step 2 CS, but USMLE announced in January 2021 that they were permanently discontinuing Step 2 CS.)
Step 3 can be taken after some or all of your first year of residency. More information about Step 3 can be found on the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) website.
When is it too late to submit residency applications?
We strongly encourage you to submit your applications before September 28th for the highest chances of receiving interview invitations. Residency programs are able to begin viewing applications at 9 a.m. ET on September 28th, and many will send out invitations quickly thereafter. Thus, it’s highly advantageous to have all of your application materials in by this date (including your letters of recommendation) so you can be included in the first round of invitations.
That said, you can continue to submit applications past this date (typically into December or January), and you might find, for various reasons, that you want to add new programs as the application season goes on. Most programs will extend second or even third rounds of interview invitations, so it is possible to submit a late application and receive an invitation. If you’ve submitted a healthy number of applications by September 28th and are simply tacking on additional programs, you can do so through October and November, bearing in mind that sooner is better.
Nevertheless, the reality is that the overwhelming majority of applications come in by September 28th, so the further you are from this date, the lower your chances are of receiving an invitation. That’s why, to reiterate, we strongly urge you to plan ahead and get your initial applications in by September 28th.
Which match do I choose?
You should definitely enter the NRMP Match, regardless of your situation (all U.S. MD applicants must secure their PGY-1—Postgraduate Year 1—training through the NRMP’s Main Residency Match). However, you are allowed to enter more than one match and doing so may increase your chances, depending on the competitiveness of the specialties you choose and the number of applications you submit.
The vast majority of residency positions are offered through the NRMP (39,205 in 2022), but more than 1,000 are offered through the San Francisco Match, AUA, and Military Matches.
Both MD and DO fourth-year students and graduates can participate in the NRMP, San Francisco, AUA, and Military Matches. (In the past, DO students used to also participate in the AOA match; however, as of July 2020, the NRMP Match has become the primary match for all MD and DO students.)
Fourth-year medical school students with a U.S. government obligation (those who attended Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, for example) must enter the Military Match unless they are released from their government obligation.
Finally, if you want to enter the San Francisco, AUA, and Military Matches, these typically have earlier deadlines and match days than the NRMP Match so that those who matched with the “Early Matches” can withdraw from NRMP. As such, if you’re interested in these “Early Matches,” plan accordingly.
What are the deadlines for the different medical residency applications?
Here are links through which you can find relevant timelines for specific applications:
All residency applicants:
Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) (for graduates of U.S. medical schools, both MD and DO)
Foreign applicants applying to U.S. residencies:
Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) (for IMGS, i.e. graduates of international medical schools)
Applicants applying for residencies in ophthalmology and plastic surgery:
Applicants applying for urology residencies: