ERAS Support Services for Applicants

About ERAS Support Services | ERAS Eligibility | Irregular Behavior | Selecting a Residency Program | Application Process | Token Request | ERAS Registration | NRMP | SOAP | Supporting Documents | Frequently Asked Questions

International medical students/graduates and Fifth Pathway graduates planning to participate in ERAS 2012 must read these important announcements.

• ERAS 2012 Return of Document Service (RODS) Closes May 30, 2012 (MAY 2, 2012)
• Announcement Regarding ERAS 2012 Token Issuance (APR 11, 2012)
• NRMP Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP) (FEB 3, 2012)
• ERAS 2012 Return of Document Service Now Open (JAN 17, 2012)
• ERAS Support Services to Launch Live Chat Service September 1 (AUG 25, 2011)
• Additional Information on Delay in Score Reporting for USMLE Step 2 CK (AUG 16, 2011)
• Providing Information about Your LoR Authors in AAMC’s MyERAS (AUG 25, 2011)
• ECFMG ERAS On-line Letter Writer Portal Now Available (JUL 14, 2011)
• ERAS 2012 Repeat Applicants Can Reuse Some Supporting Document Types (JUL 5, 2011)
• Reminder: IMGs Participating in 2012 Match Should Apply for Step 2 CS Now (JUN 23, 2011)
• ERAS 2012 Residency Tokens Now Available (AUG 16, 2011)
• NRMP to Replace Post-Match Scramble with Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP) (JUN 9, 2011)
• An Announcement Regarding Fraudulent Letters of Recommendation (JUN 9, 2011)
• ECFMG Original Document Policy Updated (JUN 9, 2011)
• Changes to USMLE Procedures for Reporting Scores (MAY 10, 2011)
• ERAS Support Services at ECFMG Extends Telephone Support Hours (MAY 10, 2011)
• ECFMG Medical School Web Portal (EMSWP) ERAS Service (MAY 10, 2011)
• Telephone Number for ECFMG’s Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) Support Services Has Changed (FEB 10, 2011)

ERAS 2012 Return of Document Service (RODS) Closes May 30, 2012

(Posted May 2, 2012)

ERAS Support Services at ECFMG is currently accepting requests for the return of eligible paper ERAS 2012 supporting documents through the Return of Document Service (RODS). RODS is an optional service that allows ERAS participants to request the return of certain documents that were sent to ERAS Support Services by mail or courier service for the current ERAS application season. For information on the documents that are eligible for return and instructions on how to submit a RODS request, visit the RODS page.

The deadline to submit RODS requests for the ERAS 2012 application season is May 30, 2012. After this date, paper documents will be destroyed.

Please note that RODS will be discontinued at the close of the ERAS 2012 season. This means that paper documents sent by mail or courier service to ERAS Support Services at ECFMG for the ERAS 2013 application season will not be eligible for return.

Announcement Regarding ERAS 2012 Token Issuance

(Posted April 11, 2012)

Please note that you can no longer use ECFMG’s OASIS to request a Token for the ERAS 2012 season. If a program requests you to submit an ERAS application for the 2012 season and you do not already have a 2012 Token, please call (215) 966-3520 to reach an ERAS Support Services representative to request a 2012 Token.

For the remainder of the ERAS 2012 season, new users will only be able to register with AAMC’s MyERAS website on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time in the United States. Once registered, MyERAS users will have access to MyERAS 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except for periods of site maintenance.

If you plan to apply to a residency position that starts on July 1, 2013, you can request a 2013 Token via ECFMG’s OASIS starting at the end of June, 2012.

NRMP Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP)

(Posted February 3, 2012)

The NRMP is implementing the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP) for the 2012 NRMP Match. SOAP replaces what was known formerly as “the Scramble.” The NRMP has developed this standardized and uniform process for those applicants who do not secure a residency position or who are only partially matched through the NRMP Main Match and for those residency training programs that have training positions unfilled by the Main Match and are seeking eligible applicants.

For more information, view the full announcement.

ERAS 2012 Return of Document Service Now Open

(Posted January 5, 2012; updated January 17, 2012)

ERAS Support Services at ECFMG offers the Return of Document Service (RODS), an optional service that allows international medical students and graduates (IMGs) participating in the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) to request the return of eligible documents.

RODS is now available for the ERAS 2012 application season. IMGs participating in ERAS may request the return of documents submitted for the current ERAS application season only.

For additional information, refer to the RODS page of the ECFMG website.

ERAS Support Services to Launch Live Chat Service September 1

(Posted August 25, 2011)

ERAS Support Services at ECFMG is pleased to announce that it will offer Live Chat as a method of communicating with international medical students/graduates participating in ERAS 2012. Using Live Chat, you will be able to engage in a one-on-one conversation with an ERAS Support Services representative using on-line technology. ERAS Support Services at ECFMG expects to launch its Live Chat service on September 1, 2011.

Via Live Chat, ERAS Support Services representatives will be able to answer general questions, such as questions about the ERAS application process, policies, and timelines or about the ECFMG or AAMC’s MyERAS websites. Representatives will be available to chat Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time (ET) in the United States. To access the Live Chat service, visit ERAS Support Services for Applicants; beginning September 1, you will find a button linking to the Live Chat service on every web page.

If ERAS Support Services representatives are unavailable, you will be able to leave a message through the Live Chat service. Please allow ERAS Support Services up to two business days to respond to your message.

Please note that applicant-specific questions, such as those related to an individual ERAS application, can be addressed only via e-mail or telephone. You can reach an ERAS Support Services representative with such questions via e-mail at eras-support@ecfmg.org and via telephone at (215) 966-3520, Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET, and Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET.

ERAS Support Services at ECFMG encourages you to use the Live Chat service for prompt responses to your general inquiries.

Additional Information on Delay in Score Reporting for USMLE Step 2 CK

(Posted August 16, 2011; updated October 20, 2011)

On June 16, 2011, an announcement was posted to the USMLE website at www.usmle.org introducing the new test items with an associated drug ad or abstract into the USMLE Step 2 CK examination starting on or around August 3. A description of the purpose of these new item formats is provided in the Comprehensive Review of USMLE update available on the USMLE website at www.usmle.org/CRU/.

Because of the large number of centers—more than 450 worldwide—and the need to deal with some amount of variation across centers in the process of making changes, the introduction date needs to be approximate. Although the transition occurs quickly at many test centers, there may be some locations where the implementation either starts early or takes longer to complete. The USMLE website announcement regarding the introduction of new item formats indicated that this transition would begin on or about August 3; there were some testing locations in which the transition occurred on August 2.

All examinations that include the drug ad or abstract format will be affected by the previously announced score delay. The target date for reporting Step 2 CK scores for most examinees testing during that time will be Wednesday, September 28, 2011.

This score delay does not affect your ability to apply to residency programs of your choice via ERAS. All residency program directors participating in ERAS will be notified of this Step 2 CK score delay. International medical graduates participating in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) 2012 Main Match will be required to meet the NRMP’s examination requirements.

We recognize that this delay may inconvenience some examinees; however, USMLE is committed to processing results as quickly as possible for all its examinees and will do its best to complete the process as soon as possible.

Providing Information about Your LoR Authors in AAMC’s MyERAS

(Posted August 16, 2011; updated August 25, 2011)

In order for ERAS Support Services at ECFMG to process and transmit your LoRs to the ERAS PostOffice—where they can be downloaded by program directors—you must login to the AAMC’s MyERAS website and create an electronic list with specific information about your LoR Authors and finalize your LoR Authors. This electronic list is not viewable by program directors, but it assists ERAS Support Services in managing your LoRs. You can create your electronic list and finalize your LoR Authors in the “Documents” section of MyERAS under the “Letters of Recommendation” tab. Information in this list includes the names and institutions of your LoR Authors as well as the specific specialty mentioned in the letter. If the letter does not reference a specific specialty, select “General”.

You must create a slot in this electronic list of LoR Authors for each LoR you wish to add to your MyERAS application. If you plan to submit a Postgraduate Training Authorization Letter (PTAL), which is issued by the Medical Board of California and required to apply to programs in California, you must create a slot for this document as well. A slot must be created for each LoR, regardless of whether it is submitted to ERAS Support Services at ECFMG via mail or courier for scanning, or electronically via the ECFMG ERAS Letter Writer Portal (LWP) or the ECFMG Medical School Web Portal (EMSWP). This list can be created before your LoRs are received by ERAS Support Services at ECFMG. If you have not created and finalized your list, you are strongly encouraged to do so as soon as possible.

For complete instructions on how to create your electronic list of LoR Authors, refer to the step-by-step tutorial available on the AAMC website at https://www.aamc.org/services/eras/255382/documentstabdemo.html.

ECFMG ERAS On-line Letter Writer Portal Now Available

(Posted July 14, 2011)

ERAS Support Services at ECFMG is pleased to announce the availability of a new on-line Letter Writer Portal (LWP), which provides letter of recommendation writers with the ability to upload original letters of recommendation (LoRs) directly to ERAS Support Services on behalf of an applicant. In order for a letter writer to upload an LoR on your behalf using LWP, you must send an electronic request to the letter writer using OASIS.

For more information, visit the Letter Writer Portal Requests page in the ERAS Support Services section of the ECFMG website.

ERAS 2012 Repeat Applicants Can Reuse Some Supporting Document Types

(Posted July 5, 2011)

If you participated in the ERAS 2011 season and also participate in the ERAS 2012 season, ECFMG considers you to be a Repeat Applicant. You will be identified as a Repeat Applicant at the time you make an ERAS 2012 Token request via ECFMG's OASIS.

As a Repeat Applicant, you are not required to resubmit:

• Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE)
• Medical School Transcript
• Photograph
• Letters of Recommendation (LoRs) that were transmitted to the ERAS PostOffice during ERAS 2011

View the full announcement for information on how to reuse these document types.

Reminder: IMGs Participating in 2012 Match Should Apply for Step 2 CS Now

(Posted June 23, 2011)

International medical students/graduates and graduates of Fifth Pathway programs who plan to participate in the 2012 Main Residency Match (in March 2012) are reminded that they must take Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) by December 31, 2011. As published in the 2011 Schedule for Reporting Step 2 CS Results, if you do not take Step 2 CS by December 31, 2011, your result will not be available in time to participate in the 2012 Match.

View full announcement.

ERAS 2012 Residency Tokens Now Available

(Posted June 22, 2011; updated August 16, 2011)

Residency Tokens for the ERAS 2012 application season are now available through ECFMG’s OASIS. You can use a 2012 Token to register with AAMC’s MyERAS beginning on Friday, July 1, 2011.

If you plan to apply for U.S. residency positions that begin in July 2012, visit the ECFMG ERAS Support Services website for important information and instructions on how to obtain an ERAS Token.

The ERAS Token fee of $90 is non-refundable and non-transferrable. Before you request a Token, please ensure that you understand the ERAS process and that you need an ERAS 2012 residency Token.

NRMP to Replace Post-Match Scramble with Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP)

(Posted June 9, 2011)

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.

An Announcement Regarding Fraudulent Letters of Recommendation

(Posted July 18, 2007; updated November 3, 2010, June 9, 2011)

International medical students/graduates who participate in the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS®) are reminded that the submission of altered or falsified letters of recommendation to ECFMG constitutes irregular behavior, as defined by ECFMG. Irregular behavior includes all actions or attempted actions on the part of applicants, examinees, potential applicants, others when solicited by an applicant and/or examinee, or any other person that would or could subvert the examination, certification or other processes of the ECFMG. Examples of irregular behavior include, but are not limited to, failing to comply with a USMLE or ECFMG policy, procedure, and/or rule; falsification of information on application forms; submission of any falsified or altered document to ECFMG; or submission of any falsified or altered ECFMG document to other entities or individuals.

• Download / print full announcement in PDF format

ECFMG Original Document Policy Updated

(Posted June 9, 2011)

In concert with the existing policy established for all U.S. medical graduates applying for residency programs and to maintain the integrity of documents reviewed by program directors via ERAS, ERAS Support Services at ECFMG requires that all letters of recommendation (LoRs) and Medical Student Performance Evaluations (MSPEs) submitted as part of an ERAS application be original documents. This policy applies both to paper documents submitted to ECFMG via mail or courier for scanning and to electronic documents submitted to ECFMG by third parties, such as medical schools, on behalf of applicants.

The submission of copies will not cause processing delays at ECFMG nor will documents be rejected by ECFMG if copies are submitted. Additionally, this is an ECFMG requirement only. Programs have been instructed not to disregard an ERAS application based on a copy annotation.

ECFMG’s Original Document Policy, which outlines these policies and requirements, has been updated for ERAS 2012. Refer to the Original Document Policy for more information.

Changes to USMLE Procedures for Reporting Scores

(Posted May 10, 2011)

Starting July 1, 2011, USMLE transcripts reported through the ERAS reporting system will no longer include score results on the two-digit score scale. USMLE results will continue to be reported on the three-digit scale. This affects the Step 1, 2 CK, and 3 examinations only; Step 2 CS will continue to be reported as pass or fail. These changes do not alter the score required to pass or the difficulty of any of the USMLE Step examinations.

The full announcement is available on the ECFMG website.

ERAS Support Services at ECFMG Extends Telephone Support Hours

(Posted May 10, 2011)

Effective July 1, 2011, applicants will be able to reach an ERAS Support Services at ECFMG representative by telephone Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time in the United States. The ERAS Support Services direct telephone number is (215) 966-3520. Applicants also can reach an ERAS Support Services representative by e-mail at eras-support@ecfmg.org.

ECFMG Medical School Web Portal (EMSWP) ERAS Service

(Posted June 10, 2010; updated October 5, 2010, May 10, 2011)

EMSWP ERAS is a web-based service through which international medical schools have the ability to upload medical student performance evaluations (MSPEs), medical school transcripts, and letters of recommendation (LoRs) through a secure site; track receipt of ERAS supporting documents received by ECFMG; and verify the ERAS registration activity of students and graduates. This service is available to international medical schools at no cost. Schools that use EMSWP ERAS can eliminate the costs associated with providing documents by mail or courier service. Providing documents via EMSWP ERAS also reduces processing time significantly. Documents mailed to ECFMG require up to four weeks to process. Documents uploaded through EMSWP ERAS require only 24-48 hours to process.

For more information on how to establish an EMSWP ERAS account, international medical schools should contact ERAS Support Services at erasadmin@ecfmg.org.

Telephone Number for ECFMG’s Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) Support Services Has Changed

(Posted February 10, 2011)

The telephone number for ERAS Support Services at ECFMG has changed from (215) 386-5900 to (215) 966-3520. International medical students and graduates contacting ECFMG’s ERAS Support Services can reach a representative directly at this new number.

Complete contact information is available on the ECFMG website.

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