Tips on writing ERAS App (1)

Use a personal email address on the ERAS application

Use a U.S. Address

Use a U.S. Phone Number

Your application photo matters. Provide a good one! Description of experiences

Spell, Capitalize and Punctuate Correctly

Use gapping and parallelism.

Gapping is the use of incomplete sentences to present your information concisely.For example, you might write: Composition Instructor (2000–2004). Planned course activities. Graded all assignments.”By using incomplete sentences, you cut out unnecessary words but convey the responsibilities of the position.

Parallelism means keeping the structure of your phrases consistent throughout a document.For example, if you use verb phrases in one portion of your CV to describe duties, use them throughout your CV. Verb phrases are a strong way to describe responsibilities. Use the present tense for roles you currently hold and past tense for former roles.

An example of parallelism could be:

Taught a class of 20 students
Graded all assignments.
Planned course activities

You should use both gapping and parallelism when writing a successful CV. Reader should understand the extent of your experience in terms of: Settings

Whom you worked with (types of specialists, researchers, etc. you worked with)

Populations served (adults, children, underserved, bilingual)

Clinical issues you addressed

Skills developed/demonstrated during the experience

Achievements/Accomplishments gained during the experience

Extracurricular activities and interests. Briefly focus on how activities helped you develop skills.

OK to use bullets

Use action-oriented verbs

Don’t use the first person. I distributed medications at . . .” vs. “Distributed medications at . . .”

Keep structure of phrases and sentences consistent throughout

Avoid acronyms

Avoid listing one-time activities unless significant

DO NOT list anything that is untrue, exaggerated, or not something you want to discuss in an interview

Avoid self-congratulatory statements and hyperbole when describing your work. Common questions

Where do we put electives in my ERAS CV? Work experience.

Can you include non-medical volunteer experience in your ERAS CV? Yes

Can we write about any of the articles that are submitted for publication? But bot published yet? Yes.

What about Oral / PowerPoint presentations done during electives? Mention them in the work experience under respective elective

How should we write an internship in work experience? Write it as one year experience. Do not make it monthly wise.

Was your medical education being extended? If it was for electives then the answer is NO, for other reasons it is yes