Generating an ERAS token

[JPmamd09]

This might not be exactly the right crowd for this question, but I'll give it a shot, and I appreciate you all taking the time to read this.

As I've stated in previous posts, I'm a US citizen/US allo grad from this year (09) applying for the 2010 match. For some reason, my dean's office appears to be having difficulty generating an ERAS token for me. Could it have something to do with the fact that I participated in ERAS last year (I didn't go through the match, though I recognize NRMP is a totally different group)? Or should I direct this question to the powers that be at ERAS? (Note: our new ERAS coordinator is still learning how ERAS works, so she's not so helful right now).

Thanks all.

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[NotAProgDirector]

This might not be exactly the right crowd for this question, but I'll give it a shot, and I appreciate you all taking the time to read this.

As I've stated in previous posts, I'm a US citizen/US allo grad from this year (09) applying for the 2010 match. For some reason, my dean's office appears to be having difficulty generating an ERAS token for me. Could it have something to do with the fact that I participated in ERAS last year (I didn't go through the match, though I recognize NRMP is a totally different group)? Or should I direct this question to the powers that be at ERAS? (Note: our new ERAS coordinator is still learning how ERAS works, so she's not so helful right now).

Thanks all.

Your Dean's office should have no trouble doing this. Whether you applied last year or not should make no difference. Sounds like your ERAS coord need to talk to ERAS.

 

[marathidoc]

Can anyone give me an idea of how ERAS handles re-applicants? With amcas, if you reapply or turn down acceptances, thats gets reported when you reapply to medical school.

Does ERAS have a similar mechanism for re-applying, or for declined acceptances from either med schools or dropping from the match?

 

[derm83]

There's an option in myERAS about releasing my USMLE transcript. What's that for? Thanks.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Can anyone give me an idea of how ERAS handles re-applicants? With amcas, if you reapply or turn down acceptances, thats gets reported when you reapply to medical school.

Does ERAS have a similar mechanism for re-applying, or for declined acceptances from either med schools or dropping from the match?

Nothing is reported. Obviously if you applied to my program last year, I might remember that, but I'll have no idea that you're a re-applicant nor where you were rejected from in the past.

There's an option in myERAS about releasing my USMLE transcript. What's that for? Thanks.

Your USMLE transcript (or COMLEX for DO) is a required part of your application. ERAS is quite handy, in that it will send your scores for you to all of your programs for a single fee.

The major question you need to answer is whether you want your USMLE scores automatically transmitted. If you choose yes, then whenever you apply to a program, or if a new score comes in, the scores are sent automatically to all programs. If you choose "no", then you have to go into MyERAS and manually re-send your USMLE scores if you get a new score. This is free. In general, it's probably better to not automatically yupdate your scores. If you do poorly on Step 2 after applying, then you can choose not to send those scores to programs. If you're sure you will do well, it's easier to automatically release.

 

[derm83]

Nothing is reported. Obviously if you applied to my program last year, I might remember that, but I'll have no idea that you're a re-applicant nor where you were rejected from in the past.



Your USMLE transcript (or COMLEX for DO) is a required part of your application. ERAS is quite handy, in that it will send your scores for you to all of your programs for a single fee.

The major question you need to answer is whether you want your USMLE scores automatically transmitted. If you choose yes, then whenever you apply to a program, or if a new score comes in, the scores are sent automatically to all programs. If you choose "no", then you have to go into MyERAS and manually re-send your USMLE scores if you get a new score. This is free. In general, it's probably better to not automatically yupdate your scores. If you do poorly on Step 2 after applying, then you can choose not to send those scores to programs. If you're sure you will do well, it's easier to automatically release.

Thanks. I will be done with all the Steps before Sep 1st and hopefully have my ECFMG certification by then. So I believe I have to send all my scores. So my options are either to send my scores automatically for a certain fee or send them manually for free? Also, when should I do that? Sep 1st?

 

[gutonc]

Thanks. I will be done with all the Steps before Sep 1st and hopefully have my ECFMG certification by then. So I believe I have to send all my scores. So my options are either to send my scores automatically for a certain fee or send them manually for free? Also, when should I do that? Sep 1st?

No...your options are to send them automatically for a fee or send them manually for the same fee (that only gets paid once, regardless of how many times you release your scores). NBME charges the fee, not ERAS.

As an I/FMG, you should probably just send them automatically. You can't re-take an exam if you pass but get a low score and since you need all your scores to get your ECFMG cert you won't be able to sit on a bad score anyway.

aPD may have a different view on this and it would be worth listening to that.

 

[derm83]

No...your options are to send them automatically for a fee or send them manually for the same fee (that only gets paid once, regardless of how many times you release your scores). NBME charges the fee, not ERAS.

As an I/FMG, you should probably just send them automatically. You can't re-take an exam if you pass but get a low score and since you need all your scores to get your ECFMG cert you won't be able to sit on a bad score anyway.

aPD may have a different view on this and it would be worth listening to that.

Thanks. The fee shouldn't be a problem. The question now is when should I do that? Sep 1st?

 

[gutonc]

Thanks. The fee shouldn't be a problem. The question now is when should I do that? Sep 1st?

Now is fine.

 

[derm83]

I just went through the transcript section at myERAS more carefully and here's what they say:

"If you took an NBME Part examination, your USMLE transcript will indicate that you have Part history, but will not provide your results or other details of this examination. For students/graduates of international medical schools, passing NBME Part results will be included in your ECFMG status report, provided you were certified by ECFMG based on these examinations; ECFMG will send your ECFMG status report automatically to all of the programs you designated. If you were not certified by ECFMG based on NBME Part examinations and want to report your Part results, you must request and pay for an ECFMG Examination History Chart. The history chart provides a complete history of all non-USMLE examinations taken with ECFMG, including failing attempts."

It seems that If I get certified before Sep 1st, then I don't need to make a request. So I believe I will wait to see if my certificate will be available before 1st, otherwise will make the request. However, I'm considering Step 3 in somewhere between October-Novermber, so do you believe I'd still have to make that request if I want my Step 3 result to be sent to programs once available?

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Whoa! You're totally jumping off the rails here.

The stuff about NBME above probably doesn't apply to you at all. The NBME exams were given before the USMLE exams. I doubt you took the NBME exams.

Here's the scoop:

1. You must send your USMLE results to programs which you apply. ERAS does this for you.
2. When you apply, a copy of your USMLE will be sent to the program.
3. If, after you have applied, you get a new USMLE score, you have two choices:

A. Automatically send that score to all programs which you have applied, or
B. Do not automatically send it. In this case, you can decide whether you want to send it or not, and use MyERAS to send out new copies of your USMLE scores.​

The cost is the same either way.

If you plan on having all of your scores resulted by Sept 1st, then it does not matter at all, as you will not have any new scores returning after you apply.

 

[derm83]

The stuff about NBME above probably doesn't apply to you at all. The NBME exams were given before the USMLE exams. I doubt you took the NBME exams.

Whooops. To be honest, that "NBME" confused me big time, but I thought it was silly to ask about the difference between NBME and USMLE. Thanks for pointing that out, now I know.

If you plan on having all of your scores resulted by Sept 1st, then it does not matter at all, as you will not have any new scores returning after you apply.

The only score that may return after I apply is Step 3. Would you advise sending my Step 3 result? Thanks.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

The only score that may return after I apply is Step 3. Would you advise sending my Step 3 result? Thanks.

Depends on how good it is. Thus, I would not choose "automatic release", wait to see what your score is, and decide whether to release it or not.

 

[rox]

Makes sense. Thanks big time.