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Frequently Asked Questions |
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We want to make this resource as helpful as possible and invite your suggestions. Please email Steve Jones with comments. QuestionsMSPE/DL (Medical School Performance Evaluation/Dean's Letter)
Early Match—SFMatch
Early Match—AUA Residency Matching Program for Urology ERAS—General Questions
Letters of Recommendation (LoR)
Applicant Document Tracking System (ADTS) ERAS Application Deadline
ERAS Fees Transcripts
Paper Applications NRMP (National Resident Matching Program)
Couples Match Contacting Programs USMLE ID Roster Photos
Resources Medical Student Performance Evaluation/Dean's LetterWhat is a Medical Student Performance Evaluation/Dean’s Letter? The Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE), also called the Dean's Letter (DL), is a letter from the Dean of Students, Dr. McNeese, and the Associate Dean of Students, Dr. Lahoti, detailing your academic history during Medical School. Please be aware that this is a letter of evaluation, not a recommendation letter.When will MSPE/DL be released? MSPE/DL for all schools are released on November 1st.
No one releases or receives the MSPE/DL before this date. What if the program that I am applying to requires a paper MSPE/DL? Print or type (no handwriting please) mailing labels and give them to Chuck Kennedy at least one week prior to the November 1st MSPE/DL release date. She will mail your MSPE/DL directly to the program. If you do not have labels, you can pick up blank ones in the Student Affairs office. Early Match—SFMatchWhat are the Early Match specialties?
Where can I find more information about the Early Match? Log on to http://www.sfmatch.org and click on your desired specialty. How do I send my MSPE/DL to the SFMatch? Your MSPE/DL will automatically be FedEx'd by Chuck Kennedy on the November 1st release date. You may choose to provide an updated transcript to be sent in the packet, but it must be received in Student Affairs by October 24th. Early Match—AUA Residency Matching Program for UrologyI’m interested in Urology; what do I need to know? This early match does process documents through ERAS; however, the Rank Order List (ROL) is submitted through their own matching program in January. Please see their website at http://www.auanet.org/ for further details. ERAS—General questionsWhat documents are scanned and attached? Letters of Recommendation (LoR), Transcript, Photo, MSPE/DL (Nov. 1) Can I certify, submit, and assign to programs without all documents available? Yes. It is strongly recommended that you do so as this speeds the processing of your documents. The program will be able to download the rest of your document(s) at a later date. What part of my ERAS application can I change after I submit? You can update your Profile and change your LoR assignments at any time. Everything else is unalterable once submitted. Imagine sending out a paper application that you can not recall to make modifications. Letters of Recommendation (LoR) Where do I get the LoR cover sheet? Log into your ERAS and create a new LoR under MyDocuments.
You will then be offered the opportunity to print a LoR cover sheet. Charles Kennedy LoR may also be emailed to charles.kennedy@uth.tmc.edu, but only if they are on letterhead with signature in PDF or TIF format. In order to maintain legibility, LoR should be faxed only as a last resort—-if there is some urgency or reason why the letter will not reach Student Affairs in time to meet a deadline. In that case, the number is 713-500-0616. The original should then be mailed so that it can eventually replace the faxed copy. How do I know if my LoR have been received? After you have applied to at least one program through ERAS with that LoR, you can log into the ADTS (Applicant Document Tracking System) to retrieve detailed information about the availability of each document. Unless it is urgent, please try not to ask us to sift through unscanned documents as it slows the scanning process. How long does it take for documents to be scanned? Though LoR are usually scanned more often, they will at least be scanned in within three business days of receipt (barring unforseen technical difficulties). Scanning time will be reduced to one day by mid-October. On and after October 31st, LoR will be scanned and attached the same day they are received. How do I have paper copies of LoR sent to programs that are not accepting ERAS applications? Provide mailing labels to the letter writer so that they can mail original copies of your LoR to the program. Please do not ask us to send out paper LoR as we can not do so for legal, ethical, and logistic reasons. Applicant Document Tracking System (ADTS) How do I know which of my documents have been received? If you have already assigned a document to at least one program and want to know which ones have been received, please refer to the Applicant Document Tracking System (ADTS). If you have not yet assigned, email jimi.l.ripley@uth.tmc.edu for an update. After programs start donloading documents on September 1st, the ADTS can be accessed through the link below your login on the MyERAS login page or directly at https://services.aamc.org/eras/adts2008/. ERAS Application DeadlineHow do I know when my ERAS application is due? Check with the programs you are interested in to find out their deadlines, then set your personal deadline at least one week before the earliest date you are given. This will give you time to track down any documents still missing at that time. Do all ERAS documents have to be in for my application to meet the deadline? Yes, all documents must be available and assigned by the program deadline in order for a program to consider your application. This includes your CAF (Certified Applicant File), Personal Statement, LoR, Transcript, and Photo. (Note: If the deadline is before November 1st, the MSPE/DL will be the exception to this rule.) Where can I find the ERAS Applicant Manual? You can access the online Applicant Manual, along with other useful information, at http://www.aamc.org/students/eras/resources/start.htm, or you can view a hard copy by seeing Jimi Ripley in Student Affairs (MSB G.400). ERAS FeesHow much does it cost to apply to programs through ERAS? This depends on the number of programs applied to. Up to 10 programs cost $60; after that 11-20 programs cost $8 each, 21-30 programs cost $15 each, and 31 or more programs cost $25 each. TranscriptsWill my medical school transcript be sent automatically? No. The Registrar's office cannot release transcripts unless they are personally requested and the $5 fee is paid. This can be done online (UTLink.uth.tmc.edu) or by contacting them at 713-500-3361. Transcripts for ERAS should be sent to Jimi Ripley in MSB G.400. When ordering, please note "on scan-able paper" or "for ERAS" so that it can be put on paper that doesn't show 'copy, copy, copy' in the background when we scan it. This also results in a smaller file that is more easily retrieved by programs. When should I request my transcript for ERAS? Ideally you should request your transcript as soon as ERAS opens. However, if you are waiting for a particular grade that you think will help you in the Match, you may request it later. Just make sure that the transcript is requested at least two weeks before your program deadlines. How many medical school transcripts do I need to send? Only (1) official copy is needed for your ERAS application. Early Match participants should send one copy directly to the SFMatch and may choose to have an updated copy sent with their MSPE/DL on November 1st. Yes, you may do so at any time. Just request a new copy of your transcript for ERAS and pay the $5 fee. How do I send my USMLE Transcript to programs through ERAS? This can be done through the Documents section of your ERAS. A fee of $50 will be assessed when you certify and assign your ERAS and the transcripts will be sent out electronically. Information on sending paper USMLE Transcripts can be found at http://www.nbme.org/programs/faqs.asp. Do I need to provide undergraduate transcripts? No, in most cases you will not have to provide undergraduate transcripts for ERAS. However, if a program specifically requests transmittal of this information, you can have a paper copy sent to Chuck Kennedy for scanning and create and assign an "Undergraduate Transcript" LoR slot for that purpose. Paper ApplicationsHow do I have paper documents sent to programs that do not use ERAS You will have to obtain a copy of each of your documents from the source. For the MSPE/DL: If mailing is required, print or type a mailing label (or labels) and give it to Chuck Kennedy. If the program prefers an email, send the email address with your MSPE/DL request to Chuck Kennedy in an email. You should also provide mailing labels to your LoR writers; letters must go directly from them to the programs. A transcript can be obtained from the Registrar's Office through UTLink or by contacting them at 713-500-3361. A copy of your roster photo can be obtained from the Office of Communications at 713-500-5530. You should check with the program to find out in what format they would like to receive your application and personal statement and provide those documents yourself. Details on obtaining a paper USMLE Transcript can be found on the USMLE website. Further details about many of these documents can be found throughout this web page. NRMP (National Resident Matching Program)NRMP stands for National Resident Matching Program. This is the program that is used to submit your Rank Order List (ROL), which says which programs you would like to go to and in what order. You must register before November 30th in order to participate in the Main Match. After this date, a late fee of $50 will be assessed. No one will be able to register after the ROL deadline on February 27. Go to http://www.nrmp.org and click on Register/Login > Applicant Registration, then follow directions. How much does it cost to register for the NRMP? The cost to medical students is $65. Graduates must pay $90. Where can I find more information about the NRMP process? The NRMP Applicant Registration Guide and User Guide are located at http://www.nrmp.org/res_match/user.html. Couples MatchWhat if I want to match as part of a couple? You should designate yourself as such in ERAS and let programs know that is what you are doing. Applicants notify the NRMP of their desire to participate in the Match as a couple by providing their partner’s AAMC ID number and paying a $15 fee per partner. Matching couples can link their program choices so that they can be matched into a combination of programs suited to their needs. Please review the relevant section of the NRMP Applicant User Guide at http://www.nrmp.org/res_match/tables/appl.pdf for more detail. Contacting ProgramsIs it okay for me to contact residency programs? Yes. You should be appropriately aggressive in following up with programs regarding the status of your application and whether they are interested in interviewing you. It might be helpful to make sure that you note such things as being part of a couple when your partner is interviewing there, having family in the area, etc., as appropriate. If you have an advisor or faculty member with a personal contact at that program, you can invite them to call on your behalf. USMLE IDThis is the number that identifies you for Step 1-3. How do I find out what my USMLE ID is? Contact Chuck Kennedy at charles.kennedy@uth.tmc.edu or Steve Jones at stephen.w.jones@uth.tmc.edu from your school email account, or include your SS# for verification if you are emailing from an alternate account. You may also stop by MSB G.400 or phone 713-500-5166. Senior Roster PhotosWhat is a Senior Roster Photo? This is the class photo used to form a pictorial class roster for hanging in the hallway on the ground floor of the Medical School building. It is also recommended that this photo be used for Match purposes. This photo is a graduation requirement. How do I have my Senior Roster Photo taken? Chuck Kennedy will notify you of dates and times when sessions are being held. You should then call Communications at 713-500-5530 to set up an appointment. This should not take more than 15 minutes of your time. If you miss all of the scheduled sessions, you may be required to set up and pay for your own personal session. How should I dress for the photo? You should dress professionally. The photo is a head and shoulders only shot, so this means shirt, tie, and suit coat for men and a nice blouse or dress for women. How do I get my Roster Photo into ERAS? An electronic copy of all Senior Roster Photos will be given to Chuck Kennedy, following the final photo session. If you want to use that photo for ERAS, you do not have to do anything. It will be automatically uploaded and attached for you unless you provide an alternate photo (see below). Do I have to use my Senior Roster Photo for the Match? No. You may substitute a professional photo measuring between 2.5” x 3.5” and 3” x 4” for your Match application only. However, your Roster Photo must be taken by the Office of Communications. ResourcesWhat resources can I use to find out more about residency programs?
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