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Wednesday is Only Two Days Away, Which Means the ERAS Open Date is Fast Approaching

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Residency applicants, this is a reminder that this Wednesday, October 21 at 9am EST is when programs can begin reviewing applications. ERASes submitted today through Wednesday will still display an application date of October 21 so ensure your ERAS experience section and personal statement are in tip top shape and then, simply submit by Wednesday. (Applications submitted after that day will be date-stamped in real-time.) For help, check out “15 ERAS Tips to Boost Your Residency Application” and “5 ERAS Platform Quirks to Heed.” Then get your ERAS in and take a well-deserved break. 

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USMLE® Step 1 Scoring Will Change to Pass/Fail

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Some students were pleasantly surprised this February to find out that the USMLE will be making a major change to Step 1: The test will be scored as pass/fail starting in 2022. Despite what seemed like a bombshell announcement to some, the USMLE had been working on the transition for over a year. Check out this piece, “Step 1 Score Change: One Small Step for USMLE, One Giant Leap for Medical Student Well-Being” on why the USMLE implemented the new scoring system, what opponents had to say, and the timeline for implementation.

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Tips for Applying to Residency in a Competitive Field

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While our minds are currently focused on our changed world, first-, second-, and third-year medical students are still plodding along through classes and rotations (albeit virtually in most cases), preparing for an eventual Match Day.

For those planning to apply in competitive specialties like plastic surgery, otolaryngology, neurosurgery, interventional radiology, dermatology or orthopedics, among others, the calculus of what needs to be accomplished for a successful residency candidacy is very different and must be planned well in advance of the ERAS open date (maybe even before entering medical school).

Please check out my piece, “Luck Is When Preparation Meets Opportunity: Strategies for Competitive Specialties” for clear guidance on the needed steps. 

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The Dirt on SOAP (The Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program)

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Residency applicants are anxiously awaiting Match Week, starting next Monday. No matter where you stand with interviews, it’s important to have some basic familiarity with the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program® (SOAP). SOAP is a standardized process affording unmatched candidates the opportunity to find residency positions. It consists of three rounds during which residency programs make offers to eligible applicants who did not match for residency or who partially matched.

Check out this piece I wrote on SOAP to understand the intricacies of the program and to ensure you are prepared in the worst case scenario. As always, in the application process, it’s better to bring an umbrella and hope it doesn’t rain than get soaked in the unexpected storm.

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Your Residency Application: What to Do if You Receive No or Few Interview Invitations?

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1. Don’t panic.

2. Try contacting – in a professional manner – all institutions to which you have sent your ERAS. You can send an email and call. When you call, be calm, respectful, and enthusiastic. Do not demand to speak to the program director. Let the person who answers the phone know that you are very interested in the program and would appreciate the opportunity to interview. Offer to be on an interview wait list if necessary.

3. Prepare for the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP). Note that SOAP is not a separate program from the residency Match. So a) your main residency Match user status must be active and b) your credentials must be verified by the Rank Order List Deadline in order to participate in SOAP. Here is more information on SOAP. 

4. Make a plan for what you will do if the Match and SOAP don’t work out for you. What will you do next year? How will you improve your written materials, interview skills, and overall candidacy? If heaven forbid, you do not have success in either the Match or SOAP, please consider getting help from me or a faculty member who is experienced in residency admissions – the sooner the better to improve a candidacy and prepare for a re-application.

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About Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Finkel is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Medical School. On completing her residency at Harvard, she was asked to
stay on as faculty at Harvard Medical School and spent five years teaching at the world-renowned Massachusetts General Hospital.
She was appointed to the Assistant Residency Director position for the Harvard Affiliated
Emergency Medicine Residency where she reviewed countless applications, personal statements and resumes. Read more

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