ECFMG Medical School Web Portal (EMSWP) ERAS Program
June 11, 2012
Filed under: ERAS 2013
Filed under: ERAS 2013
The EMSWP ERAS program allows international medical schools to upload Medical Student Performance Evaluations (MSPEs), medical school transcripts, and letters of recommendation (LoRs) through a secure site on behalf of their students and graduates who participate in ERAS. Participating schools can also track receipt of ERAS supporting documents received by ECFMG and verify the ERAS registration activity of their students and graduates.
The EMSWP ERAS program is offered at no cost to international medical schools, and participating schools can eliminate the costs associated with submitting paper documents to ECFMG via mail or courier service. Uploading ERAS documents through EMSWP significantly reduces the processing time required by ECFMG. The standard turnaround time for documents submitted via mail or courier service for scanning is four to six weeks, and the standard turnaround time for documents uploaded through EMSWP is one to two business days.
ERAS Support Services at ECFMG works in close collaboration with international medical schools that participate in the EMSWP ERAS program to assist students/graduates with their ERAS application supporting documents. Each participating school is appointed an ECFMG ERAS advisor who provides support and personal assistance with the process. ERAS Support Services also conducts informational web-conferences for the international medical community about the EMSWP ERAS program, the Association of American Medical Colleges’ (AAMC) ERAS, and the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), as well as ECFMG updates.
For more information on the EMSWP ERAS program and how to establish an account, medical school representatives can contact Patricia Baldwin-Browns, ERAS Program Administrator, via e-mail at erasadmin@ecfmg.org.
Return of Document Service (RODS) Discontinued
June 11, 2012
Filed under: ERAS 2013
Filed under: ERAS 2013
The Return of Document Service (RODS) was an optional service that allowed ERAS participants to request the return of certain eligible paper documents that were sent to ERAS Support Services by mail or courier service for the current ERAS application season.
Please note that ERAS Support Services at ECFMG discontinued RODS 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.
ERAS Support Services for Letter Writers Now Available
June 11, 2012
Filed under: ERAS 2013
Filed under: ERAS 2013
The ECFMG ERAS Letter Writer Portal (LWP) provides letter of recommendation writers with the ability to upload letters of recommendation (LoRs) directly to ERAS Support Services on behalf of an ERAS 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. ERAS applicants can visit the Letter Writer Portal Requests page for more information.
For the ERAS 2013 season, ERAS Support Services has developed a new section of the ECFMG website, ERAS Support Services for Letter Writers, to provide information and assistance to letter writers using LWP.
ERAS 2013 Residency Token Fee
The residency Token fee for the ERAS 2013 season is $100. The Token fee is non-refundable and non-transferrable. Before you request your Token, make sure you understand the ERAS process and that you need an ERAS 2013 residency Token. For more information, see the Token Request page.
AAMC’s MyERAS PostOffice Opens September 15 for ERAS 2013 Season
June 11, 2012
Filed under: ERAS 2013
Filed under: ERAS 2013
The Association of American Medical Colleges’ (AAMC) MyERAS PostOffice opens September 15 for the ERAS 2013 season, two weeks later than last year. On this date, ERAS 2013 participating applicants can begin applying to U.S. residency programs and programs can begin downloading ERAS applications and supporting documents (with the exception of the Medical Student Performance Evaluation). For more information, see the ERAS 2013 Timeline.
Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) To Be Released on October 1
June 11, 2012
Filed under: ERAS 2013
Filed under: ERAS 2013
The ERAS PostOffice will release Medical Student Performance Evaluations (MSPEs) to U.S. residency programs on October 1 for the ERAS 2013 season, one month earlier than last year. Applicants should ensure that their MSPEs are submitted to ERAS Support Services at ECFMG in time for processing and transmission to the ERAS PostOffice. For more information on MSPEs and submitting documents in support of your ERAS application, see the ERAS Support Services for Applicants section of the ECFMG website.
IMGs Participating in 2013 Match Should Apply for Step 2 CS Now
International medical students/graduates and graduates of Fifth Pathway programs who plan to participate in the 2013 Main Residency Match (in March 2013) are reminded that they must take Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) by December 31, 2012. As published in the 2012 Schedule for Reporting Step 2 CS Results, if you do not take Step 2 CS by December 31, 2012, your result will not be available in time to participate in the 2013 Match.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This deadline applies only to participation in the 2013 Main Residency Match. For information on deadlines to participate in the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP), monitor the NRMP website.
If you need to pass Step 2 CS to participate in the 2013 Match, you are strongly encouraged to apply for Step 2 CS now. If you do not register early and schedule a test date as soon as possible, you may not be able to obtain a test date in 2012.
At the time of this writing, the earliest available test date at any test center is in August 2012. Traditionally, there has been high demand for testing dates during the second half of the year. Due to planned changes in the Step 2 CS exam, there will be no Step 2 CS examinations from May 20, 2012 through June 16, 2012; as a result of these changes, the interval between testing and score reporting for examinees testing from June 17, 2012 through November 3, 2012 will be 2-3 weeks longer than for examinees testing during other periods. Additionally, test sessions at all test centers may be subject to scheduling restrictions that may limit the number of test dates available to you.
To maximize your chances of obtaining a test date in 2012, apply for Step 2 CS now, provided you meet the eligibility requirements. Once registered, schedule your testing appointment as soon as possible. Early registration and scheduling may offer a number of benefits. If you plan to apply for Step 2 CS, you should consider the following:
- Step 2 CS sessions are opened 10 to 12 months in advance.
- Applicants registered for Step 2 CS can schedule and take the exam during the 12-month eligibility period that follows their registration. By registering early, applicants increase the likelihood they will be able to obtain a testing appointment for a preferred date/test center.
- Applicants who schedule a testing appointment can change the testing appointment without cost, provided they give more than 14 days’ notice. See Rescheduling in the ECFMG Information Booklet.
- Applicants who take Step 2 CS earlier in the year and receive a failing result are more likely to have the opportunity to retake the exam in 2012 and receive their result in time to participate in the 2013 Match.
Updated information on Step 2 CS scheduling will be posted to the ECFMG website as it becomes available. Individuals planning to take Step 2 CS should monitor the ECFMG and USMLE websites for the latest information.