ERAS info submission question.

[WeirdAl]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I am a current 3rd year in medical school who will be applying for residency via ERAS in summer 2010 and I have a question about how to report my medical education.

I began medical school in 2005 and left due to my father's death early in the first semester. What started as a year of deferment became a withdrawal. I matriculated to school but did not receive any grades. I reapplied and began at a new medical school in 2007. When applying for ERAS I report my matriculation but, since there are no grades, I have no "transcript" per se. Reapplying to med school all I needed was a simple letter outlining my "time" at the first school. Will this suffice for PDs?

I would like to know what kind of letter is required from my first medical school. My student affairs office told me to ask program directors specifically to find out what is needed since it is such a unique situation but I also wanted to see if anyone here can shed some light on the situation.

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

I am a current 3rd year in medical school who will be applying for residency via ERAS in summer 2010. I am writing because your program is one of my top choices for residency and I have some questions about how to report my medical education.

??

 

[WeirdAl]

I fixed the OP so it makes more sense. All i did was copy/paste from a letter I sent out to PD's about the issue so some parts were out of context.

If there is anyone here who can offer any insight/guidance to the process, let me know.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

You only have the second transcript to upload, so that's it.

You'll need to explain this. It will likely be in your MSPE so you might want to leave it at that. It might end up as part of your personal statement. Or, there's a box for "Was your medical training interrupted or extended?" and you can answer "yes", and then there's a box for an explanation. Any (or all) will do.

 

[WeirdAl]

You only have the second transcript to upload, so that's it...

I spoke with my Dean of students ealeier this year and he was not even aware of my previous matric and had no plan on including something like that unless I asked him to. I agree with your idea or writing it into my PS but I wanted to know if my past matrics will be cause for worries with PDs. The letter from my first school is pretty simple. X maticulated in fall xxxx and withdrew in xxxx for personal reasons.

I never bothered to reapply b/c the fiancee moved for a new job OOS so I found the closest school I could to our new home. See, it's a long story. Would it raise fewer eyebrows if my MPSE mentioned it? Will PD's be wary of my change the more I try to explain it? Would it be better not to mention it at all? My own dean wasn't aware of it so should I just put yes I delayed my education and leave it at that? Will PD's go crazy calling my first school with such a simple letter?

Sorry for all the Q's but getting back into med school was not so terrible but I know PD's are ALWAYS looking for reasons to weed out even mroe than medical schools. Thank you for your help.

 

[howelljolly]

I spoke with my Dean of students ealeier this year and he was not even aware of my previous matric and had no plan on including something like that unless I asked him to. I agree with your idea or writing it into my PS but I wanted to know if my past matrics will be cause for worries with PDs. The letter from my first school is pretty simple. X maticulated in fall xxxx and withdrew in xxxx for personal reasons.

I never bothered to reapply b/c the fiancee moved for a new job OOS so I found the closest school I could to our new home. See, it's a long story. Would it raise fewer eyebrows if my MPSE mentioned it? Will PD's be wary of my change the more I try to explain it? Would it be better not to mention it at all? My own dean wasn't aware of it so should I just put yes I delayed my education and leave it at that? Will PD's go crazy calling my first school with such a simple letter?

Sorry for all the Q's but getting back into med school was not so terrible but I know PD's are ALWAYS looking for reasons to weed out even mroe than medical schools. Thank you for your help.

Explain it. PDs will notice the two med schools on your CV. If you don't clarify upfront, they will have to assume the worst.... an academic or mental health issue.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Explain it. PDs will notice the two med schools on your CV. If you don't clarify upfront, they will have to assume the worst.... an academic or mental health issue.

Agreed. Your medical training was interrupted. Explain and be brief. Most PD's will not care, as above you don't want them thinking the worst.

 

[WeirdAl]

Will there be an issue if I mention and explain the matriculation but there is no mention in my dean's letter? The dean didn't even know about it until I mentioned it and once I was accepted, what did it matter?

Will the PDs want my new school to adress it in some way? If I don't have it included in my letter will programs think it's a case of one hand not knowing what the other is doing?

Can the residency programs I apply to confirm my short matriculation for themselves online or do they have to call my old school? I just want to be sure this isn't going to be some crazy bureaucratic nightmare that makes me look bad.

Essentially I am asking if I am the only one attempting to explain it ( the 1st school letter just states dry fact, nothing delving into my personal affairs) will there be difficulty?

Anyone out there know of a similar situation?

 

[howelljolly]

Will there be an issue if I mention and explain the matriculation but there is no mention in my dean's letter? The dean didn't even know about it until I mentioned it and once I was accepted, what did it matter?

Will the PDs want my new school to adress it in some way? If I don't have it included in my letter will programs think it's a case of one hand not knowing what the other is doing?

Can the residency programs I apply to confirm my short matriculation for themselves online or do they have to call my old school? I just want to be sure this isn't going to be some crazy bureaucratic nightmare that makes me look bad.

Essentially I am asking if I am the only one attempting to explain it ( the 1st school letter just states dry fact, nothing delving into my personal affairs) will there be difficulty?

Anyone out there know of a similar situation?

That is an awful lot of questions.

No PD is going to do any legwork to confirm anything. The PD is not going to eat you up, and they have better things to do with their time than to investigate you.

1. You will list 2 medical schools on your ERAS application

2. You will check the box to indicate that your medical education was interrupted

3. You will type in the explanation box, something like: "I withdrew from school when my father died, and began at another school to be closer to my family"

4. You will address the same, in a sentence or two, in your personal statement

5. When your residency interviewer poses the opening statement: "Tell me about yourself/med school", you will insert the issue in a sentence in the appropriate chronology.

6. You will clarify any questions our doubts posed by your interviewers,


If you do not carry out steps 2 and 3, your application will be thrown in the trash immediately. You will not have to worry about steps 4 through 6.

It doesnt much matter if its in your MSPE or not. Why? Because the MSPE is sent to programs 2 months after your application. If your application is already in the trash, it doesnt matter what your MSPE says.

If you get an interview, and do not do step 5, the interviewer may bring it up themselves, or they may not. Either way, you are at a disadvantage compared to if you very simply explained the issue away in a few words.

Dont make it more complicated than it needs to be. Yes, you are in a difficult situation. The ERAS application has a specific step which allows you to address it. Do it properly, and that is the end of the story.

Follow steps 1 through 6. Thats all you have to do.