A step-by-step guide to register, create your profile, select programs and maintain your application materials.
If you will be applying for osteopathic training positions, the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) will assist you with the application process for training programs that use them. Use the steps below to get started, and visit the ERAS website for complete details.
You can check the AMA’s FREIDA Database for information on all ACGME-accredited programs. The FREIDA database allows users to sort programs by 30-plus categories, including the percentage of DO residents enrolled in the program. You can also go to the AOA’s Opportunities Database to view AOA-accredited programs, along with their ACGME status. You can find programs that were accredited by AOA and are now accredited by ACGME here. Contact the programs you are interested in to find out more about their program, requirements and deadlines. Also, confirm that the program is participating in ERAS before sending your application materials to them via ERAS.
Note: It is your responsibility to ensure the program’s participation in ERAS and to meet all eligibility requirements and deadlines of the programs you select. ERAS does not offer refunds for any reason.
Contact your designated dean’s office for your token. Only your own designated dean’s office can generate a token that you can use.
Each designated dean’s office establishes processing procedures for ERAS applications, including the schedule for distributing materials, downloading applicant files, scanning transcripts, attaching documents, processing letters of recommendation, and sending files to programs. Contact your designated dean’s office to verify their schedule and procedures. Do not expect your designated dean’s office to attach or transmit your files at the last minute. Processing may take a week or longer. If there is a problem with transmissions, you may miss a deadline. Give your designated dean’s office and yourself ample time to meet deadlines.
It is important to register early. Your designated dean’s office cannot scan your documents until you have registered. After receiving your token from your designated dean’s office, visit the ERAS registration page. Type your token in correctly, and carefully complete the remaining fields. You may only register once; therefore, carefully enter all information and review it to ensure accuracy before submitting.
We recommend that you complete as much of your profile as you can right away. Have this information handy when you’re ready to enter your profile:
To assist you in completing your online application, you may download and print a MyERAS Application Worksheet. The worksheet contains every question asked in the application, so you can fill it out ahead of time to allow you to complete the online application more quickly. You will still need to complete the application online. Programs will not receive any information about you until you select and apply to them (see Step 7: Select Programs).
If you have taken the USMLE, you should report that on your application.
In the Documents section of MyERAS, you may create personal statements, a list of recommendation writers, and authorize transmission or retransmission of your COMLEX-USA scores transcripts.
If you elected to take USMLE, please see this note from National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME): Be very careful when selecting the automatic retransmission option – it cannot be changed. Once you select this option, it is permanent. By selecting this option, you forego the right to see any newly included examination results before the transcript is sent to programs. If you are unsure, do not select automatic retransmission. You may resend your updated transcript later by going to the Documents section and choosing the “Retransmit USMLE Transcript” option, at no extra cost.
To begin selecting programs, click on the Programs tab in MyERAS. From there, you may search for programs, review Programs Selected, and/or Programs Applied to.
You may delete any program that is in your Programs Selected list, but you cannot delete a program to which you have already applied.
At any time, you may edit the type of training for programs that are selected or to which you have applied. If the program has already been applied to, changes to your document assignments and type of training selections will be transmitted immediately.
All programs to which you apply will receive the same Common Application Form (CAF) Dean’s Letter/MSPE and transcript. Your personal statement(s), letters of recommendation, COMLEX transcript, USMLE transcript (if you took USMLE), and photograph are assigned to programs according to your instructions. You will also be able to assign different combinations of recommendations to programs.
To transmit your application to programs, you must make a payment in MyERAS. Before you complete the payment process:
You may apply to additional programs at any time. Use the Program Search tab in MyERAS to make additional selections just as you did previously and do not forget to make your document assignments before you transmit the applications.
Changes to Documents and Document Assignments:
Information in your Profile is very important to programs you have applied to, and it is essential that you keep this information up-to-date.