ERAS 2013 – MyERAS Fellowship User Guide

Applicants

Research Fellowship Programs and Contact them for Information
ERAS does not set fellowship program application deadlines or requirements. Contact the programs you are interested in to find out more about their requirements and deadlines. Also, confirm the program is participating in ERAS 2013 before sending your application materials to them via ERAS.

This information can be found on the Participating Specialties and Programs Web site at http://services.aamc.org/eras/erasstats/par/. This page is updated in June each year. Many programs send brochures or have Web pages with information for prospective applicants. Another source of information is the Graduate Medical Education Directory 2012-2013 (“Green Book”). An online version of the Green Book known as FREIDA will be available at www.ama-assn.org.

Note: ERAS is not always alerted to changes by fellowship programs. Therefore, it is your responsibility to confirm the program's participation in ERAS and that you meet all eligibility requirements and program deadlines before applying.

Also, some programs have state requirements to which they must adhere that prevent selection of IMGs. Contact the programs directly to find out their requirements prior to applying.

Contact the EFDO for ERAS token to access MyERAS.

Contact the EFDO to obtain your token and begin working on your application. Only the EFDO may generate a token you can use.

Note: The EFDO establishes their own processing procedures for ERAS applicants. These procedures include the schedule for distributing materials, downloading applicant files, scanning transcripts, attaching documents, processing LoRs, and sending files to the ERAS PostOffice. Contact the EFDO to check their schedule and procedures.

Register for MyERAS.

• Remember your AAMC ID and self-created password for future access to MyERAS and the Applicant Document Tracking System (ADTS).
• Complete and submit your MyERAS application and personal statement(s) using MyERAS.
• Request and assign USMLE and/or COMLEX transcripts, LoRs, and photographs.
• Print Letter Request Forms and distribute to LoR Author(s).
• Apply to programs.
• Track documents through ADTS and monitor the Message Center for information from fellowship programs and important notices from ERAS.
• Return to MyERAS to update your Profile, request updated USMLE and/or COMLEX scores, and make changes to program selections and assignments as needed.
• Pay all fees as invoiced.

ERAS Integrity Promotion - Education Program

The Education Program is designed to educate ERAS users about the type of events considered fraudulent; discourage fraudulent activity; and encourage reporting of such activity where warranted. Types of irregularities and activities targeted for investigation include, but are not limited to:

• Omission of education extension
• Omission of previous residency training
• Submission of fraudulent publication citations
• Submission of fraudulent LoRs
• Plagiarism of personal statements

As part of our education plan, we include audience specific information about the Integrity Promotion Program.

ERAS Applicants

The ERAS Investigations Program information outlines the steps in the process and delineates specific infractions that can trigger an investigation and the consequences of a positive finding.

Medical Schools

Each year ERAS sends U.S. medical schools the ERAS applicant brochure which includes the ERAS investigations policy for distribution to applicants. Schools should review the ERAS Investigations Program information we provide for ERAS applicants to learn more about the process.

ERAS Investigations Process

Step One
A complaint is initiated by providing relevant information to ERAS in writing regarding the alleged unethical behavior.

Step Two
ERAS staff investigates the allegation by collecting information pertaining to the complaint from involved parties including, but not limited to, program(s) alleging irregular behavior.

Step Three
The applicant is informed of the complaint in writing. The applicant has two (2) weeks to respond in writing to the allegation, providing relevant supporting information and facts.

Step Four
A Preliminary Report is created and AAMC legal counsel reviews the findings and approves distribution of the Preliminary Report.

Step Five
The Preliminary Report is distributed to the applicant for review is given two (2) weeks to respond in writing to the findings "for the record." Applicant may provide additional information to include in Final Report.

Step Six
A Final Report of findings is distributed to interested parties (applicant, designated dean's office, applied to programs) and includes any written response provided by the applicant.

Step Seven
The applicant is added to the ERAS database of violators to the Integrity Promotion Policy and reports are distributed to each program to which the applicant applies - in the current season, as well as in the future. This information is also shared with ERAS' sister program FindAResident (FAR).

Note: If an applicant is considered a violator in ERAS, he/she will be unable to use FAR if they have an outstanding balance with ERAS. The applicant is also identified as an ERAS violator in FAR system.

The AAMC Polices and Procedures for Investigation Reported Violations of Residency/Fellowship Application Standards (https://www.aamc.org/download/139282/data/investigationpolicy.pdf) outlines the details of the Investigations Policy.

ERAS LoR Portal Version 1.0

ERAS is pleased to offer the Letter of Recommendation Portal (LoR Portal) Version 1.0 for the ERAS 2013 season. This new tool gives LoR Authors the option to upload LoRs on your behalf via the web, as opposed to having to mail your LoRs to your Designated Dean's Office. More information is available online: https://www.aamc.org/eras/lorp.

Medical Institution Document Upload Service (MIDUS)

The EFDO Medical Institution Document Upload Service (MIDUS) provides medical schools with the ability to upload the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) and medical school transcript directly to the ERAS Fellowship Document Office your behalf. In order for a medical institution to upload a document on your behalf using MIDUS, you must send an electronic request to the medical institution using EFDO On-line Services.

Profile

• Citizenship: Non-U.S. Citizens (Foreign National options) – By selecting Yes to Visa Sponsorship, the system will automatically list your Expected Visa/Employment Authorization as H-1B and J-1.
• NRMP Participation is now a required question.
• ECFMG Certification question has been removed. This information will come directly from the ECFMG.
• NBOME ID is now a required field for Osteopathic applicants.

Examinations

The Examinations tab has been removed. Applicants will no longer be required to self-report their USMLE and/or COMLEX scores since this information is available in the USMLE and COMLEX transcript applicants release to programs.

Race and Ethnicity

The Race and Ethnicity tabs have been replaced with the Self-Identification tab to meet AAMC Data Collection standards.

Language Fluency

The Language Fluency tab was added to allow applicants to indicate language fluency in more detail.

LoR Coversheets

LoR coversheets are no longer available in MyERAS or on our website. LoR coversheets have been replaced with Letter Request Forms. Applicants must enter and finalize LoRs on the Letter of Recommendation tab in MyERAS to generate a unique Letter Request Form for each LoR Author. The Letter Request Form provides instructions for LoR Authors on how to submit LoR(s) via the LoR Portal or by mail.

Dashboard

• The Dashboard tab was created to give applicants a better overview of the work they have completed in their MyERAS application. ERAS Resource links are also available on the Dashboard for easy access.
• Trailing links have been added to give applicants easy access to some of the most frequently used tools and features in MyERAS. These links are accessible no matter where you are in MyERAS.

Programs tab

In an effort to make the Programs tab easier to navigate and more user-friendly, we have consolidated the 9 sub-tabs into 4 sub-tabs.

MyERAS

It is important to register early. The EFDO cannot scan your documents until you have registered. After receiving your token from the EFDO, log into MyERAS at https://services.aamc.org/eras/myeras and click Register to access the registration page. Carefully type in your Token ID number and fill out all required fields. You may only register once; therefore, enter all information and review it to ensure accuracy before submitting.

Note: Registering with ERAS does not register you with the NRMP. ERAS is a separate entity from the NRMP. You may use ERAS without using the NRMP; however, if you intend to participate in the NRMP Match, you must contact the NRMP directly to ascertain eligibility and participation requirements. Visit the NRMP Web site at www.nrmp.org or call 1-866-617-5838 for further details.

AAMC ID

While registering in MyERAS, you will be asked to enter your AAMC ID. If you do not know your AAMC ID, leave this field blank. At the end of the registration process, when you click Register, the system will process your information and create or assign your AAMC ID.

Make note of your assigned AAMC ID, as it will be needed to access MyERAS and the Applicant Document Tracking System (ADTS). Print the final registration page for your records.

Note: If you have registered for NRMP, confirm that your MyERAS and NRMP AAMC ID are the same. If they are different, contact ERAS or NRMP as soon as possible so your AAMC IDs can be reconciled.

Password

During registration, you will be prompted to create and confirm a password. When creating a password, keep the following in mind:

• Passwords must have a minimum of six characters and a maximum of sixteen characters.
• Passwords must consist of a combination of both alphabetical and numeric characters.
• Passwords are case sensitive. Therefore, the passwords CARRIE and carrie are different.

If you forget or lose your password, go to the MyERAS login page and click Forgot Password and follow the prompts. Your password will then be sent to the e-mail you entered when you registered.

Trailing links

Trailing links to some of the most frequently used tools are available in the upper right hand corner of MyERAS. These links are easily accessible to you from anywhere within the MyERAS site.

Update Profile

Your Profile contains information that may be updated at any time during the application season, even after the MyERAS application has been certified and submitted. It is essential that you keep this tab updated with your most current information throughout the season.

Change Password

Use this section to change your password after registering.

Message Center

Any messages sent by a participating program via the Program Director's Workstation (PDWS) software, as well as any messages sent by ERAS staff, will be listed in the Message Center. These messages are also sent to the applicant's e-mail account on file.

ADTS

ADTS is the Applicant Document Tracking System. It allows you to track the status of your MyERAS application and supporting documents.

Logout

Use to securely exit the MyERAS application.

Dashboard

This area provides you with an overview of the progress you have made in your application, as well as MyERAS alerts, resource links, and ERAS contact information.

MyERAS application Overview

Application
provides a hyperlink for each element of the MyERAS site, as well as their completion status.

Documents
provides quick stats of document activity completed within the MyERAS Documents tab.

Programs
shows a count of the programs you have selected, as well as the programs you have applied to.

Right Navigation

• MyERAS Alerts
  Displays any alerts regarding the functionality of the MyERAS site.
• Learn More About ERAS
  Provides easy access to resources that are available on the MyERAS website.
• Do you need help?
  Should you ever need assistance with MyERAS, the ERAS HelpDesk contact information is available.

USMLE Transcript

The NBME charges a fee of $70 for transmitting USMLE transcripts for applicants to programs. This is a one-time fee regardless of the number of transcripts requested. The transcript fee will be included in your invoice when you apply to programs. This fee cannot be paid prior to applying to programs.

The Documents | USMLE tab is where you will authorize the release of your USMLE transcript and transmit your requests to the NBME. Your transcript will only be transmitted to programs to which your USMLE transcript has been assigned.

COMLEX Transcript (Osteopathic Applicants)

Under this tab, you will authorize the release of your COMLEX transcript and transmit your requests to the NBOME. Your transcript will only be transmitted to programs to which your COMLEX transcript has been assigned.

Personal Statements

Your personal statements may be created, viewed, edited, and printed in this tab.

To Create a Personal Statement:

1. Go to the Documents tab and select the Personal Statement tab.
2. Enter a title in the Personal Statement Title field.
3. Enter or copy/paste your personal statement into the Personal Statement Content field (see the More about formatting link for copy/paste information).
4. Click Save.
5. Carefully review your personal statement and click OK, if satisfied with your personal statement.

A list of all saved personal statements will display at the top of the page. You will have the ability to edit them prior to assigning it to a program you have applied to. Once it has been sent to a program, the Edit link in the Action column will no longer be available. You may print your personal statement and view a list of programs you have assigned your personal statement to, using the links in the Action column.

We recommend you create your personal statement(s) in Notepad and then copy and paste the text into the box provided for the body of the personal statement. Do not use bold, italic, or special characters, as these may show up as unreadable characters in the programs software (PDWS). Also, be descriptive in the title of your personal statement. Since programs will not be able to see the title of your personal statement, use the title to help identify the document when you are assigning it to programs later in the process. Upon completing the personal statement, you should print copies for your records.

Any suspected acts of plagiarism will be investigated by ERAS. Any substantiated findings of plagiarism may result in the reporting of such findings to the programs to which you apply now and in subsequent ERAS seasons.

Note: There are a number of Web sites that provide examples of personal statements. Do not take any information from these sites and use them in your personal statements without giving credit to the author. This is considered plagiarism.

Letters of Recommendation (LoRs)

The Letters of Recommendation tab allows you to create a list of people who will write letters on your behalf. You also have the ability to print Letter Request Forms and view a list of programs to which you have assigned your LoRs. Contact the EFDO for any special processing instructions for LoRs that are submitted via mail.

You will need to finalize your LoR Authors in order to generate Letter Request Forms. LoR Authors can submit your LoRs using the ERAS LoR Portal to upload LoRs themselves, or they can mail LoRs to the EFDO and have them upload it. You will need to provide a Letter Request Form to each LoR Author you finalize.

You may enter and finalize an unlimited number of LoR Authors; however, no more than four (4) letters may be assigned to any individual program.

The Letter Request Form is a PDF that includes the following:

• LoR Author Details (as you entered them)
  • LoR Author Name
  • LoR Author Title/Department
• Applicant Details
  • Name
  • Contact Information
  • AAMC ID
  • ERAS Letter ID
  • Specialty to which this letter will be assigned
  • Waiver Indicator for rights to see the letter

LoR Portal Instructions

Mailing Instructions

Note: Letter Request Forms should not be duplicated and distributed to multiple LoR Authors. They are personalized to address each finalized LoR Author. They also contain a unique Letter ID that can only be used once.

To Finalize Your LoR Author(s):

1. Click on the Documents tab.
2. Click on the Letters of Recommendation tab.
3. Enter LoR Author information: LoR Author Name, LoR Author Title/Department, and Specialty(s) to which this letter will be assigned (optional field).
4. Select Yes or No for I waive my right to view my Letter of Recommendation.

Note: Programs will be able to view the LoR Author Name, Title/Department, and the I waive my right to view my Letter of Recommendation response you select. However, the specialty you enter is visible ONLY to you, the EFDO, and your LoR Authors. The purpose of the specialty field is to help you identify your LoR(s) when assigning them to programs.

1. Finalize your LoR Author(s).
2. Print and distribute Letter Request Forms to each LoR Author you have finalized.

Repeat this process for each LoR Author that will be writing a letter for you.

You will have the opportunity to edit and delete before finalizing your LoR Author(s). Once you finalize a LoR Author, you cannot delete it. If it contains errors, you will need to enter and finalize a new LoR Author. You will need to print and distribute the Letter Request Form to the LoR Author for the new entry. You may also want to contact the EFDO and inform them of the error so they attach your document correctly (if the LoR Author chooses to mail-in their letter instead of using LoR Portal).

It is your responsibility to follow up with LoR Authors and confirm that LoRs reach the EFDO or are uploaded by the LoR Author via the ERAS LoR Portal in time to meet program deadlines.

California Letter (IMGs Only)
If you plan to apply to a California program, you may need to submit a California Letter. In To Finalize Your LoR Author(s)/#3 above, instead of enter the LoR Author's information, you will need to check the box which reads “This is a California Applicant Status Letter.” Once this box is checked, the remaining fields will auto-populate. Complete the rest of the steps to finalize as you would for any other LoR.

LoR from Program Director

You are able to indicate to programs if a LoR Author is a Program Director from a residency or fellowship where you trained. In To Finalize Your LoR Author(s) above, you will need to mark the checkbox which reads “This LoR Author is a Program Director in a previous residency or fellowship where I trained” when entering your LoR Author information. Complete the rest of the steps to finalize as you would for any other LoR.

Photograph

The photograph is attached and transmitted by your Designated Dean's Office. Programs use the photograph to identify you when you come to interview and as a memory aid when creating a rank list.

Photographs must:

• Be in color, not black and white;
• Show a full front view of the person's head and shoulders, with full face centered in the middle of the photograph;
• Have a plain white or light colored background as dark colored backgrounds do not display very well in the program's software; and
• Measure between 2.5 by 3.5 inches and no more than 3 by 4 inches.

Note: All of the above requirements also apply to digital photographs. In addition, ensure all digital photographs are saved in the .jpg format.

Medical School Transcript and MSPE

You will be able to assign both the medical school transcript and the MSPE to the programs you wish to receive them. Once the EFDO attaches the document(s), they will be sent to all the programs to which they were assigned.

Note: Do not expect the EFDO to attach or transmit your files at the last minute. Processing may take a week or longer. If there is a problem with transmissions, you may miss a program deadline. Give the EFDO and yourself enough time to meet program deadlines. Ensure documents are sent to the EFDO as early as possible.

You will have to make arrangements with your medical school of graduation to have your medical school transcript and/or MSPE sent to the EFDO for processing. If you would like your medical school to upload the MSPE or medical school transcript on-line through the Medical Institution Document Upload Service (MIDUS), you can fill out the on-line request in EFDO On-line Services.

Note: Make copies of all of your documents before submitting them to the EFDO. Documents will not be returned, faxed to programs, or used for the next ERAS Fellowships application season. All documents will be shredded after use.

Searching

Searching for Programs you wish to apply to:

1. Go to the Programs | Search Programs tab.
2. Enter the Accreditation ID or a State and Specialty combination using the drop-down list.
3. Click Go for the search criteria you entered.
   • Any programs that meet your search criteria will display. Programs that are grayed out are not participating with ERAS for the current season. You will have to contact these programs directly to find out how they would like to receive their applications.
   • Select the program that you are interested in applying to by clicking on the program name. This will take you to the Document Assignments and Training Selection page.
   • Make your training selection(s) and assign documents you wish to send to this program.
   • Click Save.

You will then be returned to your search results. The program you just selected and assigned documents to will be listed on the Programs Selected.

Note: On rare occasions, a program will sign up initially to participate in ERAS and later withdraw from participating. Sometimes, the program does not communicate the withdrawal to ERAS staff; therefore, it is imperative that you contact all programs to ensure that they are participating in ERAS before submitting your application materials to them.

Programs Selected

Programs Selected lists programs that you have searched and selected, and to which you are currently assigning documents. These programs have not yet received your application. You may add or remove programs from the Programs Selected tab at your discretion. You may also select programs before you certify and submit your MyERAS application.

Note: You may delete any program that is in your Programs Selected list, but you cannot delete a program to which you have already applied.

Programs have the ability to update their participation status in ERAS to inform applicants when they are no longer accepting new applications. This will be reflected in MyERAS and you will not be able to select or apply to these programs. If you applied to a program before they changed their status to “no longer accepting applications,” you will still be able to make document assignment changes.

Again, be sure to contact each program before you apply to make sure you understand and meet their requirements. When you select a program, you will be asked to assign documents to that program. It is a good idea to make your document assignments as soon as possible, so you do not forget. You may, however, assign documents later. When you click Save, the program is added to your selected programs.

Note: ERAS does not give refunds for any reason. Applicants are advised to contact programs before applying to minimize the risk of applying to a program that is no longer accepting applications or not participating in ERAS.

ERAS is not an authority on accreditation and is not responsible for any changes to residency program status after the software has been finalized. Be sure to contact residency programs for information on their accreditation status, requirements, and deadlines.

Prior to applying to programs, you may edit the type of training track you have selected for a program. However, once you have applied to the program, you will not be able to deselect the type of training track selected. You will have to contact the program directly and request they modify your track selection.

For programs to which you have already applied, changes to your document assignments and type of training selections will be transmitted immediately.

Assigning Supporting Documents to Programs

All programs to which you apply will receive your MyERAS application. Your MSPE, medical school transcript, personal statement(s), LoRs, COMLEX transcript, USMLE transcript, photograph, and ABSITE are assigned to programs according to your instructions. You cannot assign LoRs until you have finalized your LoR Author(s).

Some applicants will create one personal statement to assign to all of their programs. Some applicants applying in more than one specialty will create a specific personal statement for each specialty. Some applicants will create a personal statement for each program. It is entirely up to you. It is important to assign the documents to the correct program; you do not want to send the wrong personal statement to the wrong program. You may also assign different combinations of LoR(s) to programs.

Guidelines for Assigning Documents

• You may create an unlimited number of LoRs, but only four may be assigned to any one program at a time.
• For LoRs, you must enter and finalize your LoR Author(s) in order to assign them to programs.
• You may create an unlimited number of personal statements, but only one may be assigned to any one program at a time.
• Once you have sent a personal statement to a program, you may no longer make changes to that specific document. If you want to make a change, you must un-assign the original document, create a new personal statement, and assign the new document.
• Once an LoR is made available in the ERAS PostOffice and you have assigned it to a program you have applied to, you will not be able to un-assign that specific LoR from those programs.
• Changes to document assignments for programs to which you have previously applied are transmitted to the ERAS PostOffice as soon as you click Select.
• Once you have assigned your USMLE and/or COMLEX transcript to a program, saved the assignment, and applied to a program, it cannot be un-assigned.
• Once you have assigned your photograph to a program, saved the assignment, and applied to a program, it cannot be un-assigned.

Note: You may un-assign a personal statement and assign a new one; however, un-assigning a personal statement does not erase it from a program's records. A program may already have downloaded and printed a hard copy of your file. Do not assume they will not be able to reference your original document in the future.

Transmit your Application

To transmit your application to programs, you must make a payment in MyERAS. Before you complete the payment process:

• Make sure you have contacted the programs to confirm their participation in ERAS.
• Review your list to ensure you have met all program eligibility requirements and deadlines, including citizenship and visa requirements.
• Review the ERAS fee schedule to understand how your ERAS fees are calculated.

Note: No refunds will be given for applications sent to programs not participating in ERAS or whose deadlines have passed.

How to apply to Programs

1. Go to the Programs | Apply to Programs tab.
2. Mark the box next to the program(s) you wish to apply to.
3. Click Apply to Programs.
4. Review the preview of your invoice. Then click Apply.
5. Select a payment method (Visa or MasterCard only).
6. Enter all required fields for the Credit Card Information & the Credit Card Billing Address. Then click Continue.
7. Review and confirm that the billing information you entered is correct. Then click Continue.
8. A Final Invoice will display. This means that the transaction is complete. Click Print to print a copy of Final Invoice for this transaction.

Note: ERAS uses a secure server to transmit your credit card information and does not retain your credit card information for future use.

Programs Applied To

The Programs applied to link lists programs to which you have sent your application. Programs listed under Programs applied to cannot be removed or deleted because those programs have already received your application. You may, however, update your document assignments for these programs. Also, if you determine you are no longer interested in the program, you should inform the program that you no longer wish to be considered for a position if you were granted an interview.

Assignments Report

The Assignments Report link produces a detailed listing of documents that have been assigned to programs you have currently selected and to which you have applied. It is available under the Programs tab. Use this report to ensure that the documents assigned to the program meet their application requirements.

Withdrawing from Programs

If you determine that you are no longer interested in a program, inform the program that you no longer wish to be considered for a position. This is especially true if you are granted an interview. Alerting the program allows them an opportunity to provide the slot to another worthy candidate.

This may be accomplished by calling or e-mailing the program. You may also use MyERAS.

To withdraw from a program using MyERAS:

1. Go to the Programs tab.
2. Click on the Programs applied to link.
3. Select the program you wish to withdraw from by clicking on the program name.
4. Mark the box that reads: I would like to notify programs that I am withdrawing myself.
5. Then click Select.

This program will still display in your Programs applied to list but it will be marked: You have withdrawn yourself from this program.

Withdrawing your application from a program in MyERAS does not remove it from the program's PDWS software. It will just mark your application as Withdrawn. In addition to withdrawing your application in MyERAS, you should contact the program directly and make them aware of your decision, in the event they overlook the Withdrawn indicator in the PDWS software.