There are a lot of steps in a student’s medical education journey. When you fill out your MyERAS Application, it can be hard to decide what to include. This is your opportunity to show who you are alongside the metrics, so don’t be hasty. In this blog, we will discuss what not to include your MyERAS Application.
What should you NOT include in the MyERAS Application?
- Irrelevant Details: A common mistake that is made is watering down your application with extraneous information. Often our inclination is to share everything about ourselves, but that isn’t that case with your MyERAS Application. Focus on relevant information that will give residency programs the information they need to understand you. This will help get your point across more clearly.
- Overly Clinical Language: It is a common misconception that using mainly clinical terms will show off your expertise. This is a great place to showcase what skills you developed, what was learned and how it impacted you. Try to find a good balance using clinical language, while sharing your experiences.
- Arrogant Attitude: Arrogance and self-importance imply a lack of humility, a turn-off to every program. It is important that you come off as competent, confident in your abilities, and are willing to learn and grow as a team member.
- Negative Commentary: Similarly, you want to maintain a positive outlook in any of the written portions of the MyERAS Application. Programs are looking for candidates they would enjoy being around, and can connect with patients or co-workers. Be sure you aren’t criticizing others or speaking about situations in a negative way.
What Types of Experiences should NOT be included?
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- Irrelevant Experiences: Do not cast too wide of a net; avoid highlighting experiences that are not beneficial to your application. For example, experiences that don’t show you in the best light or are irrelevant to your professional development are not helpful to include.
- Experiences before Medical School: While it may be tempting to mention an award you are proud of from high school, it won’t score you any points. It is more important for a residency program to understand the factors in your medical education journey specifically. In other words, do not include any experiences prior to medical school.
- “Filler” Experiences: It is better to have 1-2 activities you were deeply involved in, than 8 groups you were only a member of. Programs prefer a candidate who is genuinely dedicated and focused, as opposed to a candidate who is clearly filling up space on a CV/Resume.
If you’d like help optimizing your MyERAS Application, our experts are here for you! You can reach out to our support team by calling (858)-221-8580 or email support@residencyexperts.com.