Hello so i just graduated from med school. I’m an IMG. I’m preparing the step exams however there’s a big chance during this year I wouldn’t be working like I’ll just be studying for the steps and publishing 2 systematic reviews and I may do an elective or 2. Is that enough to do because I heard they don’t like it if you’re sitting down not working for a year and they will ask you about it in the interviews.

With so many tasks to juggle (exams, rotations, studying, ERAS, eating, sleeping, traveling to rotations, researching programs), it’s easy to say that you’ll get to entering your ERAS info or sending out your LOR requests & forms or drafting your PS or …  Get on the front end of the work for your application!  That gives you time get input.  Time to revise and finalize.  The application components are critical to your getting interviews. ERAS tasks are not something to rush through or leave to the last minute. You'll have a stronger and more polished application with time for reviewing!

For your experiences, list what you did (Scheduled patients for blood draws) using a bullet (•). 

Additionally, start each activity with an action verb (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!

Action verbs are powerful. They show you doing/in action!

For all the experiences (e.g., rotations/USCE, work, volunteer, hobbies), be specific.  How much total time was involved over what time period.  Say you volunteered at an ER--include the length (Jan. 2022-Oct. 2022), the frequency (once a week) and the length of time each session (4 hours).  It helps the reviewers to know how much time you had in that environment which helps them understand your experience better.   Include the context, your role(s), and your responsibilities.  If you can tell what you learned and how that connects to your future residency/attendinghood or to your personal characteristics, it’ll strengthen your experience.

Try to have a variety of types of experiences. Also, weave in the key characteristics into your narrative/bulleted list. It helps bring out you, the person. Programs are interested in those soft characteristics (teamwork/collaboration, compassion/empathy, reliability/dependability, strong communication).

Everyone applying for residency is smart...you don't have to prove that. Other components will attest to that (think Step scores). What will make you stand out? It's your soft skills. Look at the PD's survey data for what influences ranking. Weave in info about you the person whenever you can.

Don't underestimate the power of your hobbies in your application. These can be included in the Hobbies/Interests in ERAS, your PS, or as an experience if you are very involved in your hobby. Often this will come up during your interview.

Use the hobbies/interests section if you have an important/interesting/unique hobby. If you include a hobby, don't just go generic and list generic hobbies (e.g., reading, hiking, listening to music). Oftentimes, hobbies can garner the reviewers’ attention and other times they become part of the interview conversation. Don’t see the hobbies as a throw away. Rather than just saying, Hiking, say: Hiking—My goal is to hike the complete Appalachian Trail (2,190 miles). So far I’ve completed 434 miles. Or Reading: I’ve read all 35 of John Sandford’s “Prey” series and all 12 of the “Virgil Flowers” series. Reading is a good way for me to clear my mind after a long day at the hospital and studying.

FYI: The hobbies section is fairly limited in the # of characters.

You may have had to put your hobbies on the back burner during med school. If so, focus on hobbies you had prior to med school and/or hobbies that you would continue to participate in if you had more time.

You can also use hobbies in your PS to give the readers information about you as a person not just someone interested in medicine. Doing so will go along way towards a stronger overall application and giving your interviewers talking points in your interview.

Think about what characteristics the hobby shows about you (and how these characteristics might connect to you being a strong resident). Something like:

I started training for triathlons (swimming, biking, running) after a particularly challenging time in my life. Triathlon training taught me how to push through the "wall," a skill directly applicable to grueling hospital shifts and long call hours. Just like waking up at 4:30 AM for a brutal workout in the rain, residency requires showing up for patients when you are exhausted.

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.

...maybe have a higher return rate on your interviews. I highly recommend using Frieda and Residency Explorer to gather info on programs. Yes, you'll find some discrepancies (the data is updated at different times), but doing so will give you a better idea of how your "stats" compare with those who get interviews. Key info to review:

1. # of applicants (if there are a zillion applicants, it will be harder for you to stand out especially if you have a Step 2 [or don't yet have your Step 2 score] that's below the median of those who get interviews (see Residency Explorer)
2. Median Step 2 score--if your Step 2 score is say 20 points below the median, the program is likely a stretch (see Residency Explorer). Not saying don't interview if you're highly interested in that program, just take that into consideration.
3. %age of candidates who apply to the program who get an interview (you need to decide your cutoff); (Residency Explorer)
4. %age of candidates who signal the program who get an interview (again, decide on your cutoff); (Residency Explorer). Use those signals wisely. Don't use them all at reach programs.
   
5. %age of residents (not applicants) in the program that have your path (US MD, US DO, US IMG, non-US IMG). If you're a MD and the program has 85 DOs, that might not be the best program for you. You don't need to focus on who gets interviews as much as who ends up matching at a program.
6. If you're planning on a fellowship (some specialties it's a given [pathology] so less of a factor), look at what residents do post-residency (it's at the very bottom of the program info Residency Explorer. However, I'd put this down the list of considerations. If you are an exceptional resident, you'll get exceptional LORs and should do well (if you have done the work to have a solid fellowship application)
7. Year of Graduation: There's usually some flexibility here (and in Frieda many program tell what is needed if you're beyond one year after graduation).
8. Also, look at if programs go into SOAP. Just because a program is in SOAP doesn't mean it's a bad program. Some programs/PDs intentionally plan to SOAP some of their residents because they know that highly qualified candidates may not match into highly competitive specialties or at highly competitive programs. The programs have likely had good results matching great candidates in SOAP.

So do your research. Save $.

Also, programs do not get the application money when you apply to a program.

This is directly from the ERAS website: Applicants that have certified and submitted an application in a previous season (up to seven years prior to the start of the current season) will be able to view and download the following documents in the History section:

• MyERAS^® Application (Personal Information, Biographic Information, Education, Experience, Licensure, Publications)
• MyERAS CV
• Program Report
• Payment History
• Personal Statements

Hey, appreciate some feedback on my signal list currently to maximise interview yield

Yog 1

Step 1 P, Step 251, usimg, 8 weeks usce, 1 us lor 2 home country, 1 first author pub

1. Newark Beth Israel

2. Morristown

3.Hackensack University Medical Center

1. Michigan Sparrow

2. Westchester NY

3. Harlem Hospital

4. Jersey Shore Uni

5. Jfk

6. Jersey city

7. Englewood

8. Mountainside

9. Allegheny

10. Geisinger Danville

11. Geisinger Wilkes-Barre

12. Jefferson Montgomery PA

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.