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The Graduate Health & Life Sciences Research Library at Georgetown University Medical Center

Specialty Selection and Residency Resource Guide

Match Timeline from Careers in Medicine

Class Year Period Suggested Activities and Tasks
Year 3  September- March
  • Begin working on your curriculum vitae (CV). Crafting a high quality CV can take 8-10 hours, so begin early. Information for the CV can be used in the ERAS application and provided to those writing your letters of recommendation
  • Review the "Charting Outcomes in the Match" report to assess qualifications and competitiveness for different specialties

February - June

  • Review residency programs and physician workforce data through the Specialty Pages and AMA's FREIDA
  • Between April and June, meet individually with your Clinical Advisor.
  • Write your personal statement and have your advisor review it
  • Review the Guide to Fourth Year
Summer
  • Obtain your ERAS token (a special code) from the Registrar's office
  • Register with the NRMP for the Main Residency Match
  • Register for early Match, if applicable (Ophthalmology, Urology)
Year 4  June-August
  • Obtain your ERAS token (a special code) from the Registrar's office.
  • Complete the ERAS application, including the designation of programs where your application is to be transmitted
  • Identify additional faculty for writing letters of recommendation
September-October
  • Begin preparing for residency interviews
  • If you haven't taken the USMLE Step 2, consider using this time to prepare. Deadline for Step 2 CS and CK is December 31st.
October-January
  • MSPE released October 1
  • Residency interviews
  • Evaluate and compare residency programs by completing the Residency Preference Exercise
  • Early Match deadlines usually occur in early or mid-January
January-February
  • Begin entering your Rank Order List for the NRMP match
March
  • MATCH DAY -- Typically the third Friday in March; results are formally announced at 12:00pm EST
April-June
  • Sign the contract with your residency program
  • Graduate and prepare to begin residency. Congratulations!
  • Begin preparations for moving
June-July
  • Residency begins!!!

 

Adapted slightly from AAMC's Careers in Medicine
See also the GUSoM M3 Timeline and the GUSoM M4 Timeline