FELLOWSHIP Information

1. FELLOWSHIP Information Chief Resident: Michael Kim, M.D. Fellowship Cycle 2012

2. FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION • The majority of the information regarding fellowship application can be found at this website: • https://www.aamc.org/students/medstudents/eras/fellowship_applicants/

3. STEP 1: Know What Fellowship you are applying to • Look up the Fellowship Cycle You are applying to at the website listed here: • https://services.aamc.org/eras/erasstats/par/

4. STEP 2: KNOW THE IMPORTANT DATES Even if your specialty follows the July OR December Application Cycle, it is still your responsibility to follow-up on all the programs that you want to apply to and make sure that they do not follow another timeline (in case they do not go through the match and have an outside application process).

5. STEP 2: Know the important dates • MyERAS will open for applicants on JULY 1stto sign up and work on their profile, upload documents, upload personal statement(s).  • However, you cannot apply to programs until July 15th, and the programs can download your application on the same opening day.  It's a good idea to register for ERAS and upload your documents on opening day JULY 1st because it may take a few weeks to gather all your transcripts/dean's letter, and you want all your documents ready to go ASAP

6. STEP 2: Get everything in Early • There is an advantage to applying early • You can schedule your interviews earlier and the pool of applicants will only become more competitive as time progresses • GET YOUR PAPERWORK IN ASAP – give your LOR writers a gentle nudge to get things done in a timely manner

7. STEP 3: Process of Applying through ERAS • The next slides consist of the step-by-step explanation of the ERAS application process.  This will be a quick summary so you know what it entails, but I recommend that you look through it carefully and to go online to look through all the links as well:

8. EFDO TOKEN • Obtain EFDO Electronic Token • This needs to be done before you can even get an ERAS account.  • EFDO is basically a service (that you pay $90 for) so that they can receive all your documents, scan your documents, and then distribute them to the programs that you want to apply to.  • In the past, when you applied for residency, your Dean's office did most or all of this.  However, now that we're in a residency program, we don't have a Dean's office, so we need to pay $90 for someone else to do this for us. 

9. REGISTER MyERAS • Register on MyERAS • After you get your EFDO Electronic token, you can register for MyERAS.  • You can work on your profile, mention all your great publications and volunteer work that you did/are doing.  • You can work on your profile but just remember that before you can apply to any programs, your ERAS profile needs to be certified/submitted.  • Once it is certified/submitted, then it cannot be altered, so just make sure everything you put is accurate, check your spelling, etc. 

10. DOCCUMENTS • Obtain/upload documents • You need to get these documents in order for your file to be complete: • USMLE - For the USMLE scores, you don't have to contact NBME or anything.  There's a box that you can check when you apply to programs, and if you check that box, then they will release all your scores to the programs.  You just have to pay $50.  • Personal Statement • Letters of Recommendation • Medical School Transcript • MSPE (Med school performance evaluation) • Photo (optional)

11. LETTERS of RECOMMENDATION • For the Letters of Recommendation, print out the coversheet for the LOR.  You can download the cover letter by searching “cover letter” at the AAMC website  it can be downloaded as a PDF file • On the coversheet, you can put your name, your AAMC number, and the name of your letter writer.  • You have to then check whether or not you waive the right to view your letter and then sign it.  Give the letter writer the LOR coversheet and (if you want) your CV and personal statement. 

12. Chief Residents Recommendations RE: LOR • How to ask? • You would be surprised at how brutally honest some LOR writers can be. The best approach I have found is to ask in the following manner: • “Hey Dr. Faw, I am pursuing my career interest in gastroenterology and was wondering if you could possibly support my career endevours by writing me a strong letter of recommendation. I can provide a rough draft of a personal statement as well as a CV to help in the letter writing process. Thanks!”

13. Chief Residents Recommendations RE: LOR • Who to ask? • Obviously a letter from the specialty you are applying to (Quality of Letter is more important than Quantity) • Program Directors LOR – Be good in front of Dr. Rucker • Clinic Mentor • Ward Attending • Subspecialty elective

14. 4 or More LORs??? • For every program you apply to, they say that there is a maximum of 4 LOR that you can send to the program, but that's not true.  • It's just that you can only send 4 LOR AT A TIME.  If you wanted to send more than 4 LOR, you can pick the first 4 LOR that you want to send.  • Once July 15th comes around and the programs have downloaded your application including the 4 LOR, then at that time, you can upload more LOR.  The programs will periodically check your EFDO and download any additional documents that you upload.

15. What to give LOR Writers • Large Manilla envelope with the following items • Stamped and addressed envelope to EFDO • EFDO Cover Letter • CV- they will be able to write more about you if you give them more information! • Personal statement - will give the letter writer more background information about you that they may use in their letter, so it's generally a good thing. Like your future career plans etc

16. Message to LOR Writers • Make sure to ask the letter writer to send the letter of recommendation directly to EFDO/ERAS so that you never see the letter and it can remain "official”

17. Following up with the LOR • I have personally found it useful to give my LOR writers a thank-you card or a small thank-you present for the LOR about a week or two after giving them the packet • It serves a gentle reminder to them to get the LOR in faster than later. • Once the EFDO receives any LOR for you, they will send you an email to let you know that they received it.  However, they won't tell you who the letter is from.  You can call them directly and ask which letters have come in, and then kindly harass the ones who may be a little slower in getting their letters in.

18. DON’T FORGET!!! • Don't forget to get a Med School Transcript AND a MSPE (Med School Performance Evaluation).  You need both.  • An MSPE at most schools was equivalent to a "Dean's Letter", which basically summarized how well you did in med school in comparison to other people in your class.  Ask your med school for both of these, and they should be able to send it directly to EFDO for you.

19. APPLYING TO PROGRAMS • Apply to Programs • The simple part.  After all the documents are uploaded, your profile is submitted/certified, then all you have to do is to click on the programs that you want to apply and then pay lots of money (again).  • I am not sure but I believe that it costs $100 for the first 10 programs, then $10 each for programs 11-20, $15 each for programs 21-30, $25 each for programs 31+.  • Remember to assign all the necessary documents (LOR, MSPE, transcripts, etc) for each program for which you are applying.

20. REGISTER FOR MATCH • Register for NRMP • This happens much later, in August of 2012.  • You pay approximately $40 and register for the match process • You can also go on NRMP to see which programs participate in the match and how many positions they are going to fill through the match. • But I have listed below for you the Dates:

21. Links to websites • TOKEN REQUESTS: • https://www.erasfellowshipdocuments.org/tokendisclosure.asp • NRMP: • http://www.nrmp.org/ • ERAS: • https://www.aamc.org/students/medstudents/eras/fellowship_applicants/ • Application Process: • https://www.erasfellowshipdocuments.org/instructions.asp?typ=appprocess • Timeline: • https://www.erasfellowshipdocuments.org/instructions.asp?typ=impdates