The Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) allows medical school graduates to apply to residency programs across the United States. As part of the application process, many residency programs offer interviews for prospective residents. These interviews are a critical part of matching into a residency. In order to help applicants manage the logistics and costs of interviews, ERAS coordinates interview tours at central locations where applicants can interview with multiple programs in one trip. This article will walk through the process of registering for an ERAS tour and securing interviews.
What are ERAS tours?
ERAS interview tours are centralized interview events where multiple residency programs send representatives to interview applicants from across the country. The tours are organized by geographical region, with events taking place in major cities on the east coast, west coast, midwest, and south. Programs that participate in a tour coordinate their interview dates so applicants only have to travel to one city to interview with multiple programs. This saves applicants time and money compared to arranging separate trips for each individual program interview. ERAS tours have grown in popularity in recent years as more programs recognize their benefits for applicants. They provide a one-stop shop for efficient residency interviewing.
Why register for an ERAS tour?
There are several key benefits to using ERAS tours as part of your residency interview strategy:
- Saves money on travel – One trip to a central location is much cheaper than booking flights and hotels to numerous cities across the country.
- Saves time – ERAS tours allow applicants to consolidate multiple interviews into one trip.
- Efficient scheduling – Programs on the tour align their interview dates, reducing scheduling conflicts.
- Networking – Tours provide opportunities to connect with other applicants going through the same process.
- Less stressful – Having to coordinate only one big trip is less stressful than managing many separate interviews.
For these reasons, applying for an ERAS tour can greatly simplify the residency interview process. Tour dates fill up quickly, so it is important to register as early as possible.
When do ERAS tours take place?
ERAS tours are generally scheduled between October and January during prime residency interview season. The exact dates vary by region:
- Northeast – Late October to early December
- Southeast – Late October to mid December
- Midwest – Early November to mid January
- West Coast – Mid November to late January
- Specialty-focused tours – Varies
Applicants should aim to submit tour requests as early as the application system allows, which is typically in mid to late August before interviews begin. It’s important to keep the tour timing in mind when scheduling other individual residency interviews outside of the tours.
How to register for an ERAS tour
Here are the step-by-step instructions for registering for an ERAS interview tour:
- Select a tour location – Review the list of available tour cities and dates that fit your schedule. Consider location, cost, and number of participating programs.
- Request interviews – On the MyERAS application, select residency programs at that tour location you are interested in interviewing with and request interviews.
- Submit tour request – Once you have requested interviews, go to the Tours section in MyERAS and select the tour location(s) you want to register for. Rank your location preferences if applying to multiple.
- Wait for tour assignment – ERAS will collect all tour requests and then assign applicants to one of their preferred locations. This occurs in mid-September.
- Book travel – Once assigned to a tour, book travel arrangements! Make hotel and flight reservations for the assigned date and location.
- Prepare for interviews – Review programs, practice interviewing, and get ready for your tour dates!
Key tips:
- Apply to tour locations where you have requested the most interviews.
- Have a back-up plan in case you don’t get your top tour choice.
- Book refundable travel in case your interview schedule changes.
Follow these steps and ERAS will handle coordinating the tour logistics – all you have to do is show up!
How are applicants assigned to tours?
There is an algorithm ERAS uses to optimize tour assignments based on applicant and program preferences. The priorities in the assignment system are:
- Maximize the number of applicant-program interview matches at a particular tour location.
- Assign the applicant to their highest ranked tour location choice that fits these matches.
- Minimize the number of tours each applicant must attend.
- Distribute assignments evenly across tour locations.
So in summary, ERAS tries to get applicants to the tour location where they have the densest cluster of interview requests, while also ensuring a balanced distribution across tours.
Some key stats on tour assignments:
- 75% of applicants get one of their top 3 tour choices.
- 50% get their #1 choice.
- Only 1 tour is assigned per applicant (with rare exceptions).
While not guaranteed, following the steps outlined above will maximize your chances of being assigned to your top tour choice.
How many interviews should I schedule per tour?
As a general guideline, most applicants schedule 5-8 interviews per tour location. Any more than 8 in one location can be extremely fatiguing. When deciding how many to schedule, keep the following in mind:
- Number of programs at that tour location that you are interested in.
- Your ideal total number of residency interviews.
- Your stamina for back-to-back interviews.
- Costs of additional nights of hotel and travel.
For example, if your goal is to attend 12 total residency interviews, you could plan to schedule 5 interviews at your top ERAS tour choice, 5 more at a second tour city, and 2 additional remote interviews to reach 12.
Come up with your ideal mix of tour interviews and remote interviews based on your priorities. Remember tours simplify logistics, but remote interviews allow you to customize location. Find the right balance for your needs when requesting interviews.
What are the costs associated with ERAS tours?
The main costs applicants need to budget for with ERAS tours include:
- Airfare – Flight to/from the tour location
- Lodging – Hotel for the duration of the tour (often 4-5 nights)
- Transportation – Rental car, Uber, public transit to get to interviews
- Food – Meals and snacks while traveling
- Incidentals – Printing, baggage fees, parking, etc.
Costs vary dramatically by tour location. For example:
Tour City | Estimated Cost |
---|---|
New York | $1,500 |
Chicago | $1,200 |
San Francisco | $1,800 |
Houston | $950 |
These numbers assume 5 nights of lodging with average airfare and transportation. Applicants should budget more for cities with higher travel costs.
Savings tips:
- Use travel points/miles to book airfare and hotels.
- Stay outside the city center to find cheaper hotel rates.
- Share an AirBnb with other applicants to split costs.
- Use public transit instead of renting a car.
With strategic budgeting, ERAS tours can still be cost-effective compared to financing many separate interview trips.
How are interviews scheduled at ERAS tours?
In early October, residency programs will send interview invitations to applicants they have selected from their program’s interview pool. The programs participating in a particular tour coordinate to all schedule interviews for that tour date.
As an applicant, you will receive invitations from programs via email over the course of October. For each invited program that is part of your assigned tour:
- Log into the program’s interview scheduling system.
- Select the date for when that program will be interviewing at the ERAS tour location.
- Pick a specific interview time slot.
It is critical to respond promptly to interview invites and book your time slot, as these slots fill up quickly. Some programs will even rescind an invitation if you do not schedule within a few days.
Once you have booked all your tour interviews, you will have a final schedule with times and locations for each program. You can then plan your transportation accordingly to arrive on time.
What happens if I don’t get all my desired tour interviews?
There is a chance some programs you request interviews with that are participating in the tour end up not inviting you. This leaves a gap in your tour schedule. In this scenario, you have a few options:
- Add interviews – Try to pick up more interviews at the tour location, even if they weren’t your top choices initially.
- Attend remotely – Convert the tour interview to a remote video interview on that date.
- Cancel tour – If you fall below 3 interviews, consider cancelling the tour and scheduling remote interviews instead.
- Go and explore – Keep the tour dates and explore the location when not interviewing.
The best approach depends on your specific circumstances. The key is to be flexible and have back-up plans if your ideal tour schedule doesn’t materialize.
What information do I need to register for a tour?
To complete tour registration on the MyERAS application, you will need:
- Your ERAS ID assigned during MyERAS account creation.
- List of tour location preferences, ranked if applying to multiple.
- Credit card information for registration fee payment (around $45 per tour).
You do not need to input your interview requests or schedule prior to registering for a tour. That comes later once programs start issuing interview invitations in October.
Tour registration occurs separately from adding individual residency programs to your MyERAS application. You can request interviews and rank tours before programs even download applications.
What other tips help with scheduling ERAS interviews?
Here are some additional pointers for managing interviews alongside the ERAS tours:
- Use a spreadsheet to track programs and interview details.
- Book all travel reservations early before prices rise.
- Schedule remote interviews on days outside of your tours.
- Leave buffer days between tours for travel and rest.
- Aim for interviews between late October and mid-January.
- Follow up promptly with unresponsive programs.
- Send thank you notes to programs after interviewing.
Strategic planning and organization are key to minimizing stress around coordinating interviews. Leverage tours to simplify logistics and allow you to focus on your performance.
Conclusion
Registering for ERAS residency interview tours is an efficient way to streamline the interview process and reduce costs. By bundling programs into centralized tour locations, applicants save substantial time and money over arranging countless individual trips. Tours fill up quickly, so it is essential to understand the registration timeline and process in order to maximize your chances of securing your preferred option. With strategic planning around tour locations and remote interview scheduling, applicants can craft an interview trail that meets their program priorities while minimizing stress and travel burdens.