Questions Regarding ERAS and Fellowship Application Process?

[Jay2910]

Hi everyone,
Couple of questions:

I have a copy of the USMLE transcripts but they want me to pay $80 for it. Is there anyway possible to just have them use the transcripts that were uploaded when you applied for residency? Or can I just email them my official transcripts and ask them to put it on file for me?

Also, is there a top 10 To Dos on these fellowship applications? Or a Top 10 "Don't do" for these fellowship applications?

They asked this time around to name hometowns . . .its impossible for my hometown to be next to like 20-30 programs. . . does this mean that the program filters out applicants who did not put hometowns near them?

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[NotAProgDirector]

USMLE: No, there is no way around this. $80 is a small amount in the grand scheme of things. I agree it's a ripoff, but there will be many more. There is no way to upload a USMLE transcript either, and no secure way to do so. Plus, uploading it as a document would not enter it into the database that ERAS is based upon.

I don't think there's a huge list of dos and don'ts. Be honest, don't fabricate anything. Otherwise your ERAS app is basically your CV, so it's mostly fact based. Use the explanation sections of your experiences judiciously - tell me what you did in the space provided.

I wouldn't worry about your hometown. More important is your geographic preferences - either pick the three you're most interested in, or choose "no preference". Lots of people don't want to move back to their hometown.

Personal statement - lots of advice, hard to know which is best. Some will tell you to take the safe route and write about why you're interested in the field. personally I think that's boring, your reasons are likely no different than anyone else's. I'd recommend you write about something "personal" - make me want to meet you. Might have nothing to do with medicine at all. But, if you're creative like this you do need to be careful and make sure it's not too crazy.

Some people decide to try to personalize their personal statement to programs. They try to work in items from their websites to show how they would fit. I think this is a mixed bag. if it comes across as cut-and-paste from the web site, I don't think that helps much. If it shows good introspection into a program, then a positive. If you name the wrong program, which happens every year to someone, then it's a big negative - not because I really care that you named another program (I know you're applying to a bunch, I wouldn't expect anything else), but usually because you describe why you want to be at that program and it doesn't at all mesh with ours.