Applying has 3 steps.
1) Submitting your application. This means you have entered all of the necessary information on the "Application" tab; ie, personal info, experiences, educational background, etc. This does not require LOR's or personal statement. Once you are finished, you submit the application to ERAS. This is not sent to programs until you authorize that.
2) Completing your documents. This entails certifying your USMLE transcript release, doing your pers statement, and entering your LOR writers.
3) Applying to programs. Once you apply to programs, your app and personal statement are uploaded to the ERAS postoffice. Your deans office is then notified to begin uploading LOR's and transcripts to the post office for programs to download.