On September 4 (two plus weeks from today) at 9 am EST residency applicants may begin submitting MyERAS® applications to programs. Residency candidates often ask me about the timing of ERAS submissions. These are my thoughts:
1. Yes, getting your ERAS in early helps. As one of my program director friends wrote to me, since the residency application is arguably one of the biggest steps in one’s medical career, getting the application in as early as possible should be a given.
2. On the other hand, if your application is not in its best shape, waiting a few days is preferable to submitting a suboptimal ERAS that will be tossed into the “do not invite” pile. Having said that, you still have 16 days to get your written materials in tip top shape, so there’s no need to plan for a late submission :).
Contact me ASAP for help with your residency application.