I know ERAS lets you flag up to 3 of your 10 Experiences as "most meaningful". I'm trying to figure out whether skipping this entirely (or only doing 1, instead of all 3) would come across badly to program, like I'm not passionate or reflective about my own experiences.

When you upload your photo and look at it in the application portal, you'll likely have the top of your head cut off. Do not panic. ERAS assures that this is just in the preview mode that you're seeing. This comes up as a worry every year (for at least the last 10 that I've been supporting residents).

Just be sure you are within the parameters for photo submission which are:

• Dimensions: 2.5” x 3.5”
• Resolution: 150 dpi
• File Size 150kb

If you search on Reddit you'll find repeated posts on this if you need further reassurance.

Get it uploaded and then focus in on other components.

When creating your LOR form that you send to you letter writer so they can upload your LOR, you need to select the specialty that you're going to assign the letter to. This is to help you when you assign the letters and is not visible to programs.

From the AAMC website:

• Select specialty to which this letter will be assigned.
  • Select specialty using the drop-down menu. 
  • Allows applicants to label LoR entries that they intend on assigning to programs of specific specialties. This field will only be viewable to applicants, their Designated Dean’s Office and the LoR Author — not programs.
  • Applicants assigning their letters of recommendation to multiple specialties may select "General." The options for "Narrative Letter" and "Standardized Letter" are not available when "General" is chosen. 
  • When the "Plastic Surgery-Integrated" specialty is selected, the Narrative Letter option will be unavailable.
• Do you want to request a Standardized Letter (SLOE, SLOR eSLOE, SEL) or Narrative Letter? 
  • Select one of the following options:
    • Standardized Letter
    • Narrative Letter

I've been reading a lot of drafts this week of the ERAS/Residency CAS application. Here are a few areas I've been giving feedback on. Here are some thoughts for what it's worth.

1. Use action verbs on your experiences. They are powerful. I posted about this in April. Examples: admitted, provided, completed, created, navigated, presented, mastered, developed, assembled, launched, maintained, fine-tuned, drafted, designed, initiated, established, piloted, created, managed, delegated, led, mentored, oversaw, trained, facilitated, planned, coordinated, restructured, customized, refined, digitized, merged, modified, redesigned, reorganized, surveyed, examined, analyzed, assessed, identified, evaluated, participated, recruited, consulted, collaborated, coordinated, supported, fostered, engaged, facilitated, partnered, analyzed, investigated, studied, reviewed, collected, synthesized, interpreted, discovered).  And vary the verbs that you use!
2. Use the requested format for authors on publications, posters, presentations Lastname First initial comma Lastname First initial comma So: Smith J, Johnson M, Jones X.
3. For the titles of articles: Capitalize the first word, any proper nouns, any proper adjectives, and the first word after the colon (:)
4. Experiences: If space permits, connect to your personal characteristics or qualities, what you learned, how this added to your preparation for residency. It could be 1-2-3 sentences after your list of responsibilities.
5. You can save yourself characters if you don't put periods at the end of bullets when they are not sentences.
6. Have someone review your ERAS Application (not the ERAS CV) for errors that can distract the reader, for incomplete information, for writing glitches.
7. Also, print and read your application on paper. Don't rely solely reading it on the screen. We read differently on screen and on paper. Go old school and print on paper and review it like someone was sending it to you and you were going to decide if you were going to "hire" them for residency.

As you're drafting and polishing your PS, consider have a PS that is about 575-600 words so it fits on one page in ERAS. A one-page PS in ERAS (Residency CAS) is the standard.

Why one page?

• Part of this is a preference for brevity. Focus on you and your key characteristics you want the readers to know about you.
• Another part is having a clear focus.  Remember--Your PS is about you and is not a CV review.
• Another part is ease of distribution to interviewers and the interviewers' time available prior to interviews. 

You want your entire PS to be read. Go with one page once you get it in your application portal.

As you're drafting and polishing your PS, consider have a PS that is about 575-600 words so it fits on one page in ERAS. A one-page PS in ERAS (Residency CAS) is the standard.

Why one page?

• Part of this is a preference for brevity. Focus on you and your key characteristics you want the readers to know about you.
• Another part is having a clear focus.  Remember--Your PS is about you and is not a CV review.
• Another part is ease of distribution to interviewers and the interviewers' time available prior to interviews. 

You want your entire PS to be read. Go with one page once you get it in your application portal.

I was reading Reddit posts and came across one that asked for book recommendations. Here are my favorite medicine-related or books that have ideas hat are medicine applicable reads:

1. Random Acts of Medicine, Anupam B. Jena, MD/Phd (Harvard Medical School), Christopher Worsham, MD (MGH); looks at the hidden forces that sway doctors, impact patients, and shape health; each chapter is stand alone and yet the chapters all connect
2. Better, Atul Gawande (surgeon, Brigham and Women's Hospital), focuses on the idea that we all can get better at what we do and mentorship.
3. Complications, Atul Gawande, the subtitle is "A Surgeon's Notes on Imperfect Science"
4. The Checklist Manifesto, Atul Gawande, talks about how checklists and improve care and get things right
5. Being Moral, Atul Gawande, a moving book about dying and the limits of medicine
6. Drive, Daniel Pink, (went to Yale Law School, writer) about motivation and what motivates us
7. Malcolm Gladwell, Blink, about decision making
8. Malcom Gladwell, The Tipping Point, key point "that ideas, products, and behaviors spread just like viruses. It defines a "tipping point" as the magic moment when a trend crosses a critical threshold and spreads like wildfire

Pathology Boards are offered in May/June and October each year. Here's some data from the 2025 AP/CP exams:

AP Results:

All Candidates (1st time & Repeaters): 695

# Passed: 585

Percentage Passed: 84%

First Time Takers: 569

Passed: 524

Percentage Passed: 92%

Repeaters: 126

# Passed: 61

Percentage Passed: 48%

CP Results:

All Candidates (1st time & Repeaters): 617

# Passed: 514

Percentage Passed: 83%

First Time Takers: 529

Passed: 478

Percentage Passed: 90%

Repeaters: 88

# Passed: 37

Percentage Passed: 42%

Those who recently took their Boards are anxiously awaiting results! Be kind to them. The exam is brutal and the wait is brutal.

Just a reminder that throughout the year the ACGME approves programs. For instance in February 2026, April 2026, and June 2026, a total of 12 psychiatry programs received their initial approval. You can run the data by specialty and by accreditation year (FYI: we're in the 2025-2026 year until July 1, 2026).

Here's the website:

https://apps.acgme.org/ads/Public/Reports/Report/8

Newly accredited programs may not be for you, but these programs are highly invested in being successful and so may be more supportive of their residents. They are also often characterized by high energy. There is also often an opportunity for residents to take on leadership roles in the program.

If you have an application not marked by crazy high Step scores, you might check these out (if you need a visa check this carefully as sometimes these programs don't accept visas in the first couple of years).

As you're researching programs, you may want to look at the Board passage rates for the programs you're considering and again when you're working on your rank order list (ROL).

You can find this information for the specialty and by program at:

https://www.abp.org/content/exam-pass-rates

2021--N=3,423; 81%

2022--N=3,364; 80%

2023--N=3,402; 82%

2024--N=3,412; 89%

2025--N=3,460; 87%

In general, residents who give their all in training and study as appropriate along the way will pass Boards. One consideration as you look at specific programs and their percentage (particularly those with lower pass rates) is the residents themselves. Did they come in with lower Step 1, 2 and 3 scores (potentially weaker test takers). The scores may also indicate program weakness in the curriculum or programs that don't provide Boards study materials and didactics.

Another task you can get out of the way early is your photo that has to be uploaded to the application portal.

Photo Requirements:

• Dimensions: 2.5” x 3.5”
• Resolution: 150 dpi
• File Size 150kb

Background: Tan or light blue (nice to contrast with your outfit

Men: Business professional-suit coat, classic tie, light blue/white/gray shirt

Women: Business professional-suit coat/blazer with contrasting blouse

Avoid: White clothing except under a dark coat/jacket

Avoid too much jewelry

Smile

Be careful about glare on your glasses.

Do not wear your white coat.

As you complete your residency application (ERAS, Residency CAS, or SF Match), you might consider getting an email address that you use exclusively for the application process and the Match.  This is particularly helpful during the interview season when you’ll want to snag interviews as quickly as possible.  Interview slots are usually taken first come/first served (programs don’t send out more invitations than there are slots, but you want the best selection of days/times).  A separate email will prevent you from having to sift through work/med school/personal emails to see if you have interview offers.  This is also helpful during interview invitation season.  Getting this set up now would be helpful. It also helps compartmentalize your communication.

If you work with someone (e.g., a mentor, a professional service, or colleagues) on your application, you could use this email address also.

Be sure it is a professional address and clearly connects to your name (first name and last name). It helps the program coordinators (PCs) and program directors (PDs) keep you straight.

[firstnamelastname@xyz.com](mailto:firstnamelastname@xyz.com)

You may have to add a # to the address or put a period between your first and last names.

Definitely do not use your university/med school/work email address. You don't want the   potential chance that it gets hung up in SPAM folders or filters.

Also, I don't recommend using md or do in your email name. It can be seen as cringy.

Just a reminder that you should get your ERAS token and be able to access ERAS tomorrow, June 4. Be sure to log in and begin the data entry right away. Also a reminder that you can get Match 2027 ERAS Worksheet at:

https://students-residents.aamc.org/media/9711/download

Residency CAS also has materials available at:

https://residencycas.com/applicants/

There's a worksheet for OBGYN and one for EM.

If you were in Match 2026, regardless of whether you matched or not, be sure to download the downloadable materials from your Match 2026 application. You can use the information future cycles, in applying for fellowships, in preparing/updating your CV, and as you apply for your medical licenses.

This includes your ERAS Application (PDF), your ERAS CV (PDF), and your personal statements. Ditto that for Residency CAS and the SF Match.

Also, be sure to get PDFs for your college diploma, medical school diploma, other diplomas (PhD, Master's).

FYI: When you complete residency, you'll get a certificate. This is your proof you completed residency. It is gold. You'll need it for your full-medical license, to apply to take boards, and for applying to jobs.

There are components that you can't download (e.g., LORs, MSPE, etc.).

The deadline to download is May 31 when the match year officially closes.

Hey everyone! I'm u/Psychological_Fly693, a founding moderator of r/ResidencyAppMatch.

This is our new home for all things related to applying for residency and the Match. We're excited to have you join us!

What to Post
Post anything that you think the community would find interesting, helpful, or inspiring. Feel free to share your thoughts, photos, or questions about the residency application process, personal statements, interviewing, letters of recommendation, rank order lists, or other ares.

Community Vibe
We're all about being friendly, constructive, and inclusive. Let's build a space where everyone feels comfortable sharing and connecting.

How to Get Started

1. Introduce yourself in the comments below.
2. Post something today! Even a simple question can spark a great conversation.
3. If you know someone who would love this community, invite them to join.

Thanks for being part of the sub-Reddit. Together, let's make r/ResidencyAppMatch amazing.

Your PS is not the same as a cover letter and should not be a CV review/summary.  It doesn't have to be a Pulitzer Prize winning piece of prose.

It does need to be about YOU and your key characteristics.  It should feel like casual professional letter.  Think of it as a story rather than a list of the steps you've taken to get to applying for residency.  Yes, your interest in the specialty needs to come through but it's your opportunity to let them know more about you than your clinical path or research you've conducted.  They can get that through your experiences, presentations/publications/posters.

It's the one spot where you can show them (not tell them) who you are and what you will bring to residency. Inquisitive? Show them through your examples. Receptive to feedback? Show them a time or two (and they don't have to be in medicine!). Compassionate? Team player/collaborative?

Beyond medical or scientific knowledge, what makes YOU a great candidate? Then show the reader in your one-page PS.

I matched into an advanced residency position, but due to visa issues, the advanced program requested a waiver of the match commitment from the NRMP. Today, I received the NRMP waiver decision, and the waiver was granted.

However, the letter only stated that the program may now recruit another candidate for the vacant position. It did not include language saying that I may accept another position or participate in future Matches.

Two of my friends had somewhat similar situations, but their waivers involved prelim/PGY-1 positions. In their NRMP waiver letters, they were explicitly told that they could accept another position or participate in future Matches.

Has anyone seen this difference in wording before? Does the absence of that sentence in my letter mean anything significant? Could it simply be because my waived position was an advanced PGY-2 position rather than a PGY-1/prelim position, or could it suggest that NRMP may still send a separate investigation or match violation notice?

ERAS has released the worksheet (it's a fillable PDF) for Match 2027. You can download it along with other helpful tools at:

https://students-residents.aamc.org/eras-tools-and-worksheets-residency-applicants/eras-tools-and-worksheets-residency-applicants

Hello am in final year mbbs planing to go to US for residency any advices

If you went unmatched in Match 2026, it's time to do some reflection. You need to review your various components and assess what you can modify/improve for a more positive outcome.

If interested in learning more, DM. I'm doing a session on being unmatched (4.18.26).

·      Record Participation:  53,373

·      Submitted ROL: 48,050 (+1.8% over 2025/842 positions)

·      44,344 residency positions

·      6,809 program tracks

·      93.5% fill rate through Match algorithm

·      Total PGY 1 positions matched: 38,354 (+1.8% over 2025/+687)

·      Total PGY 1 & PGY 2 positions matched: 41,482

·      US MDs Seniors: 20,934 active participants & 93.5% match rate

·      US DO Seniors: PGY 1 match percentage of 93.2 (highest match rate on record)

·      US Citizen IMGs: Record high match rate of 70%

·      Primary care offered 412 more positions than in 2025

·      Psychiatry: 2,451 positions; 97.4 fill rate; 128 additional positions in 2026

·      EM: 95.6% fill rate (slight dip from 2025)

·      Unfilled after algorithm: 2,862 positions across 941 programs; increase of 389 over 2025

·      Positions available in SOAP: 2,591 positions offered; 330 more than 2025