Best Foreign Medical Schools

Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS)
The Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) was developed by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) to transmit residency applications and supporting documents, such as transcripts, letters of recommendation, and medical student performance evaluations, to residency program directors over the Internet.

As the designated Dean’s office for all international medical students and graduates, ECFMG supports the ERAS application process for these applicants. ECFMG provides each applicant with a unique identification number, known as a Token, which allows the applicant to access the AAMC’s ERAS website to complete the ERAS application. The applicant also sends supporting documents to ECFMG for scanning and transmission. ECFMG transmits an ECFMG Status Report to all of the programs to which an international medical student/graduate applies and sends an updated status report to programs automatically when there is a change in the applicant’s ECFMG certification status. Finally, ECFMG transmits the applicant’s USMLE transcript, as requested by the applicant. All documents are transmitted to the ERAS PostOffice, where they are accessible to the residency programs.

Most medical specialties participate in ERAS. For the list of specialties participating in ERAS 2009 (for residency positions beginning in July 2009), visit the AAMC ERAS website. Additional specialties may participate in ERAS for residency positions beginning in July 2010. Information on participating specialties for ERAS 2010 will be posted on the AAMC ERAS website, as it becomes available.

If you apply to programs in participating specialties, you must submit your residency applications using ERAS. If you apply to programs that do not participate in ERAS, you must contact the program directors for paper application materials and instructions.

To participate in ERAS, you must have access to the Internet. For information on ERAS, visit the AAMC ERAS website. Additional information for international medical students/graduates using ERAS is available on the ERAS Support Services section of this website or from ECFMG, upon request.

All applicants for residency positions, regardless of the method of application, should contact residency program directors for specific requirements and deadlines. Applicants should also register with the NRMP (see below).

National Resident Matching Program (NRMP)
The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), also known as “the Match,” matches applicants with available positions in programs of graduate medical education. Applicants submit to the NRMP a list of residency programs in order of preference. The programs listed are those programs to which they have applied (via ERAS or traditional paper applications). Program directors also submit to the NRMP ranked lists of the applicants they prefer for positions in their programs. These lists are referred to as rank order lists. Once the NRMP has collected all of this information, applicants and available positions are matched by computer using a mathematical algorithm. The Match results are announced in March for programs that begin in July. Both applicants and program directors agree to accept the results of the Match.

Most program directors consider the interview to be a critical part of the selection process. When compiling their rank order lists, program directors usually rank only the applicants they have interviewed. There is no guarantee that the programs to which you have applied will interview you or include you on their rank order lists. If you are ranked by programs, there is no guarantee that you will be matched to any of these programs.

You cannot match to a program if you are not ranked by that program.


You can include any or all of the programs to which you applied (via ERAS or traditional paper applications) on your rank order list, regardless of whether you have interviewed with the programs; however, it is very unlikely that a program will rank you if you have not been given an interview. When compiling your rank order list, you should consider which programs offer residencies that meet your expectations. Data from the NRMP for 1996-2008 indicate that your chances of being matched may increase with the number of programs that you rank. However, since it is possible to match with any program you rank, even if the program ranks low on your list, you should not include programs that you definitely are not willing to attend.

Important Note: The NRMP and ERAS are distinct, complementary programs. ERAS is a method of applying to residency programs. The NRMP is a method of matching applicants with positions in these programs. Registering for the NRMP is a different process from applying to residency programs through ERAS. If you wish to participate in both the NRMP and ERAS, you must register separately with each service. Applying to residency programs through ERAS does not enroll you in the Match.

Three days prior to release of the general Match results in March, applicants find out whether or not they have matched to a program, although they do not learn the specific program to which they have matched. The following day, program directors are notified whether all of their positions were filled in the Match. Also, on this day, the list of unfilled programs becomes available to unmatched NRMP registrants on the NRMP website. You must be registered for the Match by the February late registration deadline in order to have access to unfilled program information.

To participate in the Match, you will need access to the Internet and an e-mail address. Participants in the Match use the Internet to register, pay fees, and submit their rank order lists to the NRMP. They also use the Internet to access information resulting from the Match, such as whether they have matched, where they have matched, and information on unfilled programs.

You must register for the Match on the NRMP website. You must provide your USMLE/ECFMG Identification Number at the time of registration. You can register for the Match and submit your rank order list to the NRMP prior to meeting the NRMP exam requirements described below.

Students/graduates of international medical schools must have passed all exams necessary for ECFMG Certification (see Examination Requirements), and the results must be reported to the NRMP in time to participate in the Match. Students/graduates of international medical schools are not required to have satisfied the medical education credential requirements for ECFMG Certification in order to participate in the Match. Participants in Fifth Pathway programs must contact the NRMP for information on the exam requirements for Match participation. Beginning in September, the NRMP will contact ECFMG directly to confirm that you have passed the necessary exams. After the rank order list certification deadline, the NRMP will automatically withdraw applicants who have not passed the necessary examinations; however, applicants who are withdrawn still will have access to the list of unfilled programs that is made available during Match Week.

Important Note: If you have passed exam(s) through other organizations, such as the National Board of Medical Examiners or the Federation of State Medical Boards, that may be used for ECFMG Certification, you should provide this information to ECFMG well in advance of the NRMP rank order list certification deadline in February. ECFMG will not report such exam information to the NRMP for the purpose of confirming your eligibility to participate in the Match until such exam information has been verified by ECFMG with the appropriate organization and accepted by ECFMG.

Important Dates for the 2009 Match:

August 15, 2008 Registration opens on the NRMP website
November 30, 2008 Registration deadline (registrations after this date are accepted with an additional late fee)
February 25, 2009 Late registration deadline, and rank order list certification deadline
March 19, 2009 Results of Match announced

Tentative Dates for the 2010 Match:

August 2009 Registration opens on the NRMP website
November 2009 Registration deadline
February 2010 Late registration deadline, and rank order list certification deadline
March 2010 Results of Match announced

For additional information, visit the NRMP website or contact: NRMP, 2450 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20037-1127 USA; Telephone: (202) 828-0566 or toll-free (in the United States) (866) 617-5838; E-mail: nrmp@aamc.org.