Earliest programs will stop downloading applications?

[Muncus]

So I know we should submit our applications ASAP, but...

Theoretically, when is the earliest time programs will for sure stop looking at/downloading more applications? Of course they all have their official deadlines like October 31, but any insight from PDs on how it actually goes down would be appreciated.

Like, can I submit my app 1 week late (Sep 22) without risking anything? 2 weeks late?

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[AdmiralChz]

I tell students all the time to apply ASAP the day ERAS opens. There is no easy way to answer this as there are some programs that get < 100 applicants and some that may approach 10,000+.

You are absolutely risking getting lost in the shuffle if you wait more than a day or two. Dont do it - have all your ducks in a row (namely LORs, usually the limiting step) by the time the application comes due. There is no excuse.

But to answer your question from Amy experience... For my program specifically after the initial rush we shut it down after about 3 weeks, we usually have a TON of qualified applicants we could interview and we send out invites in waves. We do occasionally go back and check the applications into late October and even early November - but that's because we get some really stellar late applicants in Anesthesiology who switch specialties or get exposure fairly late in the game. We use very high filters at that time, though.

 

[mcl]

So I know we should submit our applications ASAP, but...

Theoretically, when is the earliest time programs will for sure stop looking at/downloading more applications? Of course they all have their official deadlines like October 31, but any insight from PDs on how it actually goes down would be appreciated.

Like, can I submit my app 1 week late (Sep 22) without risking anything? 2 weeks late?

Semantic point: Programs no longer download applications via ERAS--new applications just appear automatically every time we refresh the page. There's an application count at the top so we keep track, and multiple ways to filter to get to the new applications quickly. In the more-distant past then I care to admit, it wasn't unusual for the first few days after ERAS opened to see a trickle of applications with the majority coming about a week later. (Admittedly, this was when ERAS opened on 9/1 instead of 9/15). Now, of course, we are inundated with applications on day 1, and it takes time to sort through all of those before I start looking for new applications to review.

There is absolutely no advantage to waiting to submit your application. Even if it isn't complete (you are waiting for a letter, or you know your Step score isn't available), having your application will get you on my radar if the elements of your application that I can see indicate you are likely to be offered an interview. I don't think a day or two will likely hurt you, but these days I wouldn't recommend waiting more than a week. It makes you look unprepared for something you should have been prepared for.

 

[xffan624]

So I know we should submit our applications ASAP, but...

Theoretically, when is the earliest time programs will for sure stop looking at/downloading more applications? Of course they all have their official deadlines like October 31, but any insight from PDs on how it actually goes down would be appreciated.

Like, can I submit my app 1 week late (Sep 22) without risking anything? 2 weeks late?

No reason to submit late as stated. I added a couple late applications (ie about 2 weeks late) out of panic last year as my interview offers slowed down and I got one very late interview offer out of the 3-4 extras I submitted. They were all places that I probably would have been competitive for. You put yourself at a serious disadvantage. If you're waiting on letters, don't. The other items are in your control and should be completed on Sept 15th.

 

[Muncus]

Thank you all for the replies!

 

[anupam2666]

I tell students all the time to apply ASAP the day ERAS opens. There is no easy way to answer this as there are some programs that get < 100 applicants and some that may approach 10,000+.

You are absolutely risking getting lost in the shuffle if you wait more than a day or two. Dont do it - have all your ducks in a row (namely LORs, usually the limiting step) by the time the application comes due. There is no excuse.

But to answer your question from Amy experience... For my program specifically after the initial rush we shut it down after about 3 weeks, we usually have a TON of qualified applicants we could interview and we send out invites in waves. We do occasionally go back and check the applications into late October and even early November - but that's because we get some really stellar late applicants in Anesthesiology who switch specialties or get exposure fairly late in the game. We use very high filters at that time, though.

Hello sir
I wanted to know something. I graduated as a medical student in december 2017, however I have been selected for some clinical elective rotations in december 2018. I have not got any elective experience yet . And I am planning to apply for ERAS in September 2019. Would it be a problem, if I submit the LORs of 2018, while my graduation date in december 2017? How badly will it affect my residency application? Will my elective experience be deemed invalid?

 

[AdmiralChz]

Hello sir
I wanted to know something. I graduated as a medical student in december 2017, however I have been selected for some clinical elective rotations in december 2018. I have not got any elective experience yet . And I am planning to apply for ERAS in September 2019. Would it be a problem, if I submit the LORs of 2018, while my graduation date in december 2017? How badly will it affect my residency application? Will my elective experience be deemed invalid?

This question has nothing to do with my previous answer or this posting, so I don’t have much advice for you sorry - I’d try utilizing the search function as such questions have certainly been asked before.