city of birth on ERAS

[peedr]

So, ERAS asks for your birth place on the application--what exactly do they do with this information? I have heard it gives you an "in" at programs in the same region based on the assumption that you are more likely to go to that region because you have family there, but not everyone grows up where they were born. Has anyone just put down the city where they grew up in as their birth city to gain from this regional bias? Is that wrong? I have no ties to my birth city other than that it is where I was born and lived for 2 years, and I don't have any desire to match in that region.

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[belle54321]

So, ERAS asks for your birth place on the application--what exactly do they do with this information? I have heard it gives you an "in" at programs in the same region based on the assumption that you are more likely to go to that region because you have family there, but not everyone grows up where they were born. Has anyone just put down the city where they grew up in as their birth city to gain from this regional bias? Is that wrong? I have no ties to my birth city other than that it is where I was born and lived for 2 years, and I don't have any desire to match in that region.

I would just answer it honestly. I don't think anyone will really look at or care where you were born.

 

[PMPMD]

So, ERAS asks for your birth place on the application--what exactly do they do with this information? I have heard it gives you an "in" at programs in the same region based on the assumption that you are more likely to go to that region because you have family there, but not everyone grows up where they were born. Has anyone just put down the city where they grew up in as their birth city to gain from this regional bias? Is that wrong? I have no ties to my birth city other than that it is where I was born and lived for 2 years, and I don't have any desire to match in that region.

This comes up on many applications, not just ERAS. I wouldn't look into it too much. I don't think they look at my birthday at determine my astrological sign, then look up my horoscope to see what my future holds.

 

[Roguelyn]

This comes up on many applications, not just ERAS. I wouldn't look into it too much. I don't think they look at my birthday at determine my astrological sign, then look up my horoscope to see what my future holds.

Ah, but maybe they should.

 

[mcl]

Please don't put false information in your ERAS application, no matter how minor. It would be better to leave the answer blank if you object to the question (if that's an option).

I don't think I've ever used birthplace demographic info for interview invitation decisions, but I do need the date and place of birth in order to start the hiring process for my matched applicants. Not having it would cause a short and insignificant yet somewhat annoying delay in completing some routine yet crucial tasks.

 

[gutonc]

The only reason anybody would ever care about this is if you lied about it. When you certify ERAS you are certifying that everything you put in there is true to the best of your knowledge. Deliberately lying on your app (even for something this dumb and meaningless) is grounds for a program to nullify your match agreement. Don't ever give anyone a chance like that.

 

[peedr]

Will not put my home city as my birth city on my app. Thanks for your input everyone.

 

[mlw03]

The only reason anybody would ever care about this is if you lied about it. When you certify ERAS you are certifying that everything you put in there is true to the best of your knowledge. Deliberately lying on your app (even for something this dumb and meaningless) is grounds for a program to nullify your match agreement. Don't ever give anyone a chance like that.

Yeah, agree with this. An application is not an opportunity for creativity. Answer the questions honestly or risk major consequences. What they do with the info is not your issue.

 

[Buzz Me]

Just answer all questions honestly.

 

[killerleaf]

It is asked because behind the scenes, there is a ton of reporting that programs do, and this is just one of the things we report on. I don't think anyone looks at it during the interview process; only after you match and we are doing all the reporting.