ERAS question

Arctic Char · Jul 16, 2008

when selecting programs on ERAS, there is a box to check to indicate which specific pathway you'd like to apply to. e.g. most programs have simply one box that says "categorical", but other programs have additional boxes for "AP only", "AP/NP", "CP only" etc etc

if i'm applying for AP/CP, do i just check the 'categorical' box? i figured this was the right thing to do. but if i want to try my luck at AP only (this may be my ideal approach), can i check TWO boxes, one for "categorical" and one for "AP only"? does this mean i will have to pay for two applications? will this confuse PD's and/or hurt my chances for either pathway?

thanks for the help gang

-AC

KeratinPearls · Jul 16, 2008

Arctic Char said:
when selecting programs on ERAS, there is a box to check to indicate which specific pathway you'd like to apply to. e.g. most programs have simply one box that says "categorical", but other programs have additional boxes for "AP only", "AP/NP", "CP only" etc etc

if i'm applying for AP/CP, do i just check the 'categorical' box? i figured this was the right thing to do. but if i want to try my luck at AP only (this may be my ideal approach), can i check TWO boxes, one for "categorical" and one for "AP only"? does this mean i will have to pay for two applications? will this confuse PD's and/or hurt my chances for either pathway?

thanks for the help gang

-AC

if you are applying for AP/CP, check the categorical box. i don't think checking two boxes (ie. AP and AP/CP) will increase your chances for an interview. Check one only. If PDs see you've checked two boxes, they would assume one of two things: 1) they probably think you don't know what you want to do (a bad thing), or 2) you are desperate and want an interview.

Arctic Char · Jul 16, 2008

KeratinPearls said:
if you are applying for AP/CP, check the categorical box. i don't think checking two boxes (ie. AP and AP/CP) will increase your chances for an interview. Check one only. If PDs see you've checked two boxes, they would assume one of two things: 1) they probably think you don't know what you want to do (a bad thing), or 2) you are desperate and want an interview.

well, #2 isn't so far off the mark lol

i see what you mean, though. thanks for the help

docbiohazard · Jul 16, 2008

I think I picked Categorical when it was there, or maybe AP/CP when it was specifically a choice.

I did have one place that did AP / CP by year long blocks suggest at my interview that if I wanted to guarantee I did a year of CP first, I might want to rank them for a CP only spot, then I could declare my AP / CP interest, because they couldn't guarantee me CP first if I matched AP/CP. That was more about rank lists tho, and really so convoluted it worried me in general about the program. That was rank list time, tho, not application time...

DBH

Sean2tall · Jul 17, 2008

I don't think it matters too much. For example, a lot of the programs when I was filling it out would have both "Categorical" and "AP/CP Combined" as separate options, probably because Categorical is the default on the ERAS Template and they input AP/CP themselves. Which one you selected didn't seem to matter.

Then, on interviews some programs seemed to be open to me doing AP only even though my application said AP/CP.

In other words, I don't think it will hurt you to check both. (Don't know about paying double though?) It may just spur the conversation that you are open to AP only. Alternatively you could put AP/CP, and then strike up the conversation on interviews like I did. But I was only briefly considering AP only.

If you put only AP, then they will probably assume that it's AP or nothing for you. If they aren't offering that, perhaps they would decline to interview you.

yaah · Jul 17, 2008

I think that most programs consider AP only and AP/CP residents in the same overall group. That is, whether they take a total of 1 AP only + 5 AP/CP or 3 AP only + 3 AP/CP isn't that important. CP only is definitely different though and you have to be cautious about selecting that unless you really mean it.

Most programs won't ask you to pick at all. There are also some that ask you if you want to select a research track up front (I think Northwestern did this, maybe UPenn). Those spots are probably filled separately.

raspberry009 · Jul 17, 2008

My experience:
I checked both AP/CP and AP only whenever I had a chance. Most programs that have the option will think of you as AP/CP anyway and they might discuss it a little further with you. Wasn't that big of a deal... for the most part. However.... I did have a problem at one of the Harvard hospitals (Beth Israel). They put me down as AP only. A faculty member took me aside and told me to switch to AP/CP instead because the competition was less and I would most likely match in this instance. He told me that AP is more for those that are interested in research and those with a PhD (which I do not have) would most likely get that spot. But I should also mention, that even though I did switch, I didn't think it was frowned upon (but I didn't hear what was said behind closed doors).

malchik · Jul 17, 2008

I had a similar experience. I was told at two fancy places that if I did AP/CP I would match, if I did AP only I likely would not. I don't think it mattered at application time so much, but it mattered a lot at rank list time.

pathgrrl · Jul 20, 2008

That's the advice I got from faculty who were AP only, even those that were very successful academics suggested that they would do both if given a second chance.

flybutter · Oct 8, 2008

glad i found this thread, thanks for the words of wisdom. as an md/phd i'm definitely heading the academic route, but i still have a lot of questions about where i want to end up and how much i want to go clinical vs. gung ho researcher. i had a really up and down experience (heavy on the DOWN) during my phd, soured me a bit on the whole idea. but i like to think that my phd will be put to good use somehow.

i think i'll apply ap/cp and check the ap only boxes (?), hopefully that won't hurt, i am a good candidate for AP only and i'm tempted...but i don't want to regret not doing cp - i don't think i'm actually all that interested in cp, but it would be a really cush year based on what i have seen of my workload and my lab experience. keep my options open i guess?

flybutter · Oct 8, 2008

also, fyi, harvard BI now has combined AP or AP/CP as a single option (making things easier on me), so hopefully the incident raspberry009 encountered is now a non-issue.

advice i got from a very cool program director:
PRAGMATICALLY either checking ap/cp & ap+research is fine or ap/cp &
discuss the matter at interview.

however, to explain: regarding the check-off box - its'a a test of the program & program director: if they think your ambivalence about your direction is an "unsure/negative" (by checking off two boxes) - they flunk & are far too rigid for you to consider going there or be forewarned; if they are flexible to work out what your career requires, how many boxes you check is no matter.

spongioform · Nov 9, 2009

What if your interest is primarily in Dermatopathology and you know this prior to applying for residency? In this case, it seems like AP only would make more sense, as you can get to the fellowship sooner...thoughts?

ERAS question

Arctic Char

Full Member

KeratinPearls

Full Member

Arctic Char

Full Member

docbiohazard

Highly ranked amateur

Sean2tall

Pathology Resident

yaah

Boring

raspberry009

Beam me up Scotty

malchik

New Member

pathgrrl

PGY-5

flybutter

Perplexed Pre-Pathologist

flybutter

Perplexed Pre-Pathologist

spongioform

Full Member

Similar threads