Dear Colleagues,
The new year is off to a busy start for the AAMC! I hope you saw the recent announcement from David J. Skorton, MD, AAMC president and CEO, regarding the new fee structure for 2025 ERAS residency applicants. When applicants start applying in September 2024, they can apply to up to 30 programs for $11 each and pay $30 for each additional application in that specialty. The structure restarts for those who choose to apply to more than one specialty.
Also this month, the AAMC shared a research update for the 2024 ERAS residency season, Decoding Geographic and Setting Preferences in Residency Selection. I hope you’ll take time to review this update and explore how residency applicants shared geographic and setting preferences with programs in the 2024 residency application season.
We’re continuing to share findings from the 2024 ERAS residency season, including insight on how applicants used program signals. If you didn’t get a chance to join our recent webinar, New ERAS Research Findings and Next Steps for the ERAS 2024-25 Application Season, we hope you’ll watch the recording to learn more.
Our team is hitting the road for meetings this spring, and we welcome the chance to engage with you, either during presentations or in exhibit settings. We also welcome invitations to present or discuss the great work we have underway for the 2025 ERAS season. Please reach out if you’d like us to add your meeting to our travel schedule.
Sincerely,
Patrick Fritz
Senior Director
AAMC Admissions and Selection Application Services
Program Directors: Please Complete the 2024 ERAS Program Director Feedback Survey by Feb. 2
If you are a residency program director, please share your feedback with the AAMC by completing the 2024 Program Director Feedback Survey. You should have received an email from ERAS Communications with the subject line “Please Complete the 2024 ERAS Program Director Feedback Survey by Feb. 2.” If you did not receive this email, or if the link is not working, please contact the AAMC Support Center.
Your feedback will help the AAMC better understand program directors’ experiences using the Program Director’s WorkStation (PDWS) during the 2024 ERAS residency recruitment season. The survey should take no more than 15 minutes to complete, and your responses will help drive improvements to both the MyERAS® application and the PDWS for future application cycles.
The survey has been extended and will remain open through Friday, Feb. 2 at 5 p.m. ET.
Program Directors Invited to Join Focus Groups to Help Strengthen the Residency Explorer™ Tool
The AAMC is recruiting program directors for focus groups to inform future development and enhancement of the Residency Explorer™ tool. As the residency selection process has undergone multiple changes including updates to the MyERAS application and transition of Step 1 and Level 1 scores to pass fail, Residency Explorer is also evolving.
Program directors are in an ideal position to provide us with valuable information. Their perspective will help us explore enhancements to the tool and better meet the needs of students, programs, and advisors.
The focus group will last approximately 1 hour and take place virtually during the following dates.
- Mon., Feb. 5, 2-3 p.m. ET
- Wed., Feb. 7, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. ET
- Thu., Feb. 8, 1-2 p.m. ET
- Mon., Feb. 12, 12-1 p.m. ET
If you are interested in participating, please provide your availability by completing this questionnaire. The research team will follow up with a calendar invitation to confirm your participation.
Additionally, the team is also conducting focus groups regarding Residency Explorer with PGY1 and PGY2 residents. If there are residents in your program who would like to participate in one-hour focus groups scheduled for Feb. 5 through Feb. 8, please ask them to complete this questionnaire. It includes the schedule of available dates and times.
AAMC Information Highlight VSLO® Resources and Report on Residents
The AAMC provides all members of the medical education community with a wide range of data information and resources.
The Visiting Student Learning Opportunities™ (VSLO®) team created new resources that provide information to assist students (and advisors guiding students) as they develop their away rotation strategies. The new VSLO student infographic illustrates a range of data points, including specialty data, average time between application submission and elective start dates, and cadence of student and Host institution activity in the VSLO application service. Learn more about organizing away rotations through the VSLO program.
Additionally, the AAMC’s annual Report on Residents shows an increasingly diverse cohort of medical residents, trends within specialties, and preferred locations for physicians to practice after residency, among other findings. Read More
ERAS Client Technical Support Becomes AAMC Support Center
The AAMC is optimizing and merging its client support services, including ERAS Client Technical Support (CTS), into the newly formed AAMC Support Center (ASC). We are unifying the support teams to enhance operational efficiencies and provide our audiences with a more streamlined experience as they engage with the AAMC.
While the name is changing, the quality of the service that you receive and the way that you access ERAS CTS will remain the same. You’ll still use the same URL (aamc.org/contact-eras) and the same phone numbers (202-828-0413 for programs; 202-862-6249 for medical schools) and get the same great assistance in using ERAS tools and platforms.
ERAS Program Resources
Upcoming Webinars
New ERAS Content Updates for the ERAS 2024-2025 Application Season
Webinar
Wednesday, Feb. 21, 1 p.m. ET
The ERAS Program and the NRMP® offer SOAP® 101
Webinar
Tuesday, March 5, 1 p.m. ET
Navigating Match Week and SOAP
Webinar
Wednesday, March 6, 1 p.m. ET
Resources
- New ERAS Research Findings and Next Steps for the 2025 ERAS Application Season Webinar
Webinar Recording - ERAS Statistics
New residency cross specialty application data. - ERAS News and Announcements