Nervousness and confusion about residency applications

 Medpage Today has the story, which has been active on medical twitter for a while--some residency candidates are finding that their applications are incomplete, and blame the common application service ERAS, which in response reports that incomplete applications are the result of errors by the candidates.

Is ERAS Glitch Impeding Residency Interviews?  — Several students are missing letters of recommendation, but AAMC calls reports "unsubstantiated"

"MedPage Today spoke to several residency applicants who believe they experienced ERAS tech issues when submitting their applications. A majority of these applicants requested anonymity due to fear of retribution.

While many say a potential bug is not surprising, students are frustrated that they cannot pin down when "their documents went missing -- and whether or not it jeopardized their chances of matching with some programs.

"In each case, the glitch is almost identical: an applicant's letters of recommendation (or other documents) were uploaded to ERAS, and the applicant was certain they assigned the right materials to each program before they hit submit. But weeks later, applicants checked the platform to see that these documents had never been assigned nor delivered to the right programs -- rendering their applications incomplete."

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Related:

Med Students Filed Nearly 70 Residency Applications Each— "I don't think this is sustainable at all" by Amanda D'Ambrosio, MedPage Today October 27, 2021

"Across all medical specialties, this cycle MD applicants submitted an average of 68 applications, DO applicants submitted 92, and international medical graduates submitted 139, according to data provided to MedPage Today by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).

"Medical graduates applying to orthopedic surgery in the 2022 cycle submitted an average of 88 applications -- the highest across all medical specialities. Candidates to urology, otolaryngology, and dermatology -- some of the most competitive specialties -- all applied to around 80 programs each.

"More than 46,000 medical graduates have applied for the 2022 residency match so far: approximately 23,000 MDs, 8,000 DOs, and 15,000 international graduates. The preliminary data from ERAS -- the centralized system that medical graduates use to apply to residency -- includes all applications submitted through the beginning of October."