ERAS Support Services for Applicants

Postgraduate Training Authorization Letter (PTAL) or “California Letter”

If you apply to programs in California, you must submit a Postgraduate Training Authorization Letter (PTAL) issued by the Medical Board of California with your residency applications. The PTAL was known formerly as the California Applicant Status Letter and may also be referred to simply as the “California Letter.”

The Medical Board of California will require several months to issue the PTAL. You should contact the Medical Board of California for information and apply for the PTAL well in advance of program deadlines.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Medical Board of California has 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 California, consult the Medical Board of California to determine if graduates of your medical school are eligible for licensure in California. ERAS does not preclude any students/graduates from participating in ERAS, based on their eligibility for licensure. Before applying to residency programs in any 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.

In AAMC’s MyERAS, you must include the PTAL as one of your LoRs in your applications to programs in California. As a result, you can assign up to three LoRs and the PTAL to any program in California. List the letter as one of your LoRs by checking the box that indicates “This is a California Applicant Status Letter.”

Once you obtain the PTAL, you can submit it to ERAS Support Services electronically via ECFMG’s OASIS. Documents uploaded through OASIS will take one to two weeks to process. See Electronic Document Submission for more information. You can also submit a copy to ERAS Support Services via mail or courier service for scanning, accompanied by a completed DSF. Send these documents to the appropriate address, as indicated on the DSF. Retain the original for your personal records. Documents submitted to ERAS Support Services for the ERAS 2013 season will not be returned. Paper documents submitted for scanning will take four to six weeks to process.

If you do not yet have your PTAL, you need to let programs in California know that you are working to obtain one. To do this, list the letter as one of your LoRs, as described above, and submit a temporary document, such as the receipt issued by the Medical Board of California or the “Originals Returned” letter that accompanied your returned originals, with a completed DSF. When you receive the final PTAL, submit a copy to ERAS Support Services at ECFMG.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please list “California Letter” only once in MyERAS. Do not create a second letter entry for your final letter. There should be only one slot designated for the “California Letter.”

Obtaining a PTAL (“California Letter”)

Please contact:
Medical Board of California
2005 Evergreen Street, Suite 1200
Sacramento, CA 95815
Tel: (916) 263-2382

Information and application materials are also available by visiting www.medbd.ca.gov or sending e-mail to webmaster@mbc.ca.gov.

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