Formatting Headache: Application and PS

[54578]

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My apologies if this has been addressed elsewhere. I had three questions:

1) PS: Is the word count ballparking 750 to fit 1 page? Mine is around 800; want some estimate of what is too excessive. Regarding formatting, from what I understand of previous threads, does it mean if you set .3 margins on L and R and .8 on top and bottom in Word, and set font to Courier, that is an approximate of what the PDs will see? I'm assuming there is no way to actually change formats/etc in the ACTUAL ERAS.

2) CAF vs. CV: So what in the world is the difference?! Will PDs see only the CAF? I ask only because (as I'm sure others know by now) if you try to create "resume style" bullets for your experiences, the formatting WORKS for CAF but NOT for CV. I ended up just writing my experience descriptions in paragraph format like I did for AMCAS.

3) MISC, Leaving stuff blank: I ended up doing it; there no need for me to give reasons for "why I left" every since experience, especially when it is entirely irrelevant. Also, (to add to my bitterness) I have publications which do not fit the "format" for how they can be entered into ERAS. GRRR!

That's it for now. What a headache.

 

[54578]

bump

 

[NotAProgDirector]

My apologies if this has been addressed elsewhere. I had three questions:

1) PS: Is the word count ballparking 750 to fit 1 page? Mine is around 800; want some estimate of what is too excessive. Regarding formatting, from what I understand of previous threads, does it mean if you set .3 margins on L and R and .8 on top and bottom in Word, and set font to Courier, that is an approximate of what the PDs will see? I'm assuming there is no way to actually change formats/etc in the ACTUAL ERAS.

I think people are being a bit too focused on the "one page" issue. A little over one page is fine. 1.5 pages is fine.

But, I just checked with my new apps. If you set Word 2007 to:
New Courier 10
Left/Right margins 0.3 inches
Top/Bot margins 0.8 inches
Line spacing 1.0
Remove any "insert space after/before paragraph" (same dropdown on the ribbon as the line spacing choice)

then you get basically what it looks like to me, +/- one line.

2) CAF vs. CV: So what in the world is the difference?! Will PDs see only the CAF? I ask only because (as I'm sure others know by now) if you try to create "resume style" bullets for your experiences, the formatting WORKS for CAF but NOT for CV. I ended up just writing my experience descriptions in paragraph format like I did for AMCAS.

we see whichever we want. I expect most PD's use the CAF, since it's much better formatting, but that might be my bias.

3) MISC, Leaving stuff blank: I ended up doing it; there no need for me to give reasons for "why I left" every since experience, especially when it is entirely irrelevant. Also, (to add to my bitterness) I have publications which do not fit the "format" for how they can be entered into ERAS. GRRR!

That's it for now. What a headache.

I personally don't care, but would it really be that much trouble to write "started new job" or "went to medical school", or perhaps "incarcerated, unable to continue"?

Not sure why you can't put your pub in ERAS. Seems like there are plenty of choices.

 

[54578]

Thanks for the reply! I helped write a book about Homeland Security (non-fiction); not sure where that would go in😀