Timeline

April-May (3rd Year)

  • Attend the Residency Selection Forum, the school’s orientation to residency application process and departmental specialty workshops. The Residency Selection Forum Manual is distributed with other pertinent information.
  • Begin to explore residency options with the help of family medicine advisor. To request an advisor, please contact the advising program coordinator at famed@uw.edu.
  • Register online with the National Board of Medical Examiners to take the Step 2 Clinical Knowledge and Step 2 Clinical Skills exams. Step 2 must be taken before the end of September (scores are generally received 6 weeks after the testing date). Contact Dr. MacLaren to discuss this.

June-July

  • Students continue to meet with a Family Medicine advisor regarding program choices. Information on individual programs can be found through the AAFP web site. Students should check to see if desired residency programs participate in Electronic Residency Application Service program. Students should request application materials for programs that do not participate in ERAS at this time.
  • National Residency Match Program registration information is posted to the NRMP website in July. NRMP registration beings on September 1st.
  • On July 1st, students can begin working on personal statements, curriculum vitas on the online ERAS application form. Information on the ERAS registration process will be sent to you via email with your access code. Have your advisor review your personal statement. Start requesting facultyletters of recommendation. Faculty letters should be sent to the Student Affairs office for inclusion in your ERAS application. If you are applying to programs that do not use ERAS, you provide your letter writers with a list of the programs’ mailing addresses or mailing labels for these programs.
  • If programs require undergraduate or graduate school transcripts, students should send these directly to the programs. Medical school transcripts will be printed out by Student Affairs Office and scanned into your ERAS application. For students who attended UW for undergraduate or graduate degree programs, this coursework will be included on the transcript provided by Student Affairs Office. Students can request that this information be removed from their transcript. Combined MD – graduate degree program students cannot have their graduate program information removed from the transcript. For non-ERAS programs, students should request medical school transcripts be sent to these programs through Schmitz Hall.
  • MCAT scores should be requested through the appropriate agency. USMLE scores can be transmitted through ERAS for a fee. For non-ERAS programs, you may need to request official copies of these results through NBME.

August-September

  • On September 1st, students can transmit applications through ERAS, faculty letters of recommendation can be scanned into the ERAS system, and residency programs will be able to retrieve certified applications from ERAS.
  • Draft of Dean’s letter is sent to students for review. Students can make appointments with Dr. MacLaren to discuss the letter and submit requests for modifications.
  • Students take USMLE Step 2 – Clinical Knowledge test by late September. Discuss with Dr. MacLaren if delayed beyond then.

October

  • Students make sure faculty recommendation letters have been submitted to Student Affairs Office for ERAS participating programs. For non-ERAS programs, students should contact faculty to ensure that letters of recommendation have been mailed.
  • Use ERAS for release of official USMLE scores to residency programs.
  • Residency Programs begin interviewing applicants. Military programs interview earlier.
  • Selection of seniors into AOA. If elected, this will be included in Dean’s Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE)

November 1

  • National Dean’s letter is released. This letter cannot be released earlier. Letters are transmitted electronically through ERAS for participating programs or are mailed by the Students Affairs Office to non-participating residency programs based on label lists submitted by students.

December – January

  • Interviewing continues. Students can set up “second looks” at residency programs after initial interview date.

January – February

  • Review rank order with career counselor. On January 15th at 9:00 AM PST students can begin entering their rank order lists into the NRMP website. Students must enter their rank order lists by 6:00 PM PST on February 22nd.

March

  • The 2012 scramble will be different than in past years, hopefully resulting in a more organized process. To learn more about the new process, please see this NRMP Publication or the 2013 Match Timeline Table.