2026 Residency Application Timeline and Month-by-Month Schedule

This guide outlines the residency application timeline you should follow, including key dates and an ideal preparation schedule. We’ll break things down by what you need to accomplish, when each aspect of your application is due, and what you should be working on each month as you prepare your application.

Looking for a month-by-month schedule? Scroll below for a breakdown of what you should prepare and work on each month leading up to residency.

A solid road map for the application process will help you secure a residency position without burning out along the way. We’ll cover exactly what to expect throughout the entire application process.

The Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS)

The Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) is the centralized online application service that residency applicants use to deliver their applications and supporting documents to residency programs. ERAS simplifies the application process for applicants, their program directors, the Designated Dean’s Office, and letter of recommendation authors.

ERAS has four individual but connected applications.

• MyERAS
• Dean’s Office Workstation (DWS)
• Letters of Recommendation Portal (LoRP)
• Program Director’s Workstation (PDWS)

Each application was created to meet the needs of each user group involved in the application process. ERAS provides a confidential, impartial mechanism for the transmission of all applications to residency programs.

The Steps of ERAS:

1. Applicants receive a one-time access code (token) from their Designated Dean’s Office.
2. Applicants use the token to register with MyERAS.
3. Applicants complete their MyERAS application, assign supporting documents, select programs, and apply to programs.
4. The applicant’s Designated Dean’s Office and letters of recommendation authors upload supporting documents.
5. Examining boards receive and process requests for transcripts.
6. Programs receive the application materials through the Program Director’s Workstation (PDWS).

ERAS Residency Application Dates and Deadlines

The following ERAS dates and deadlines come directly from the AAMC website. Check this resource for the most up-to-date information regarding deadlines.

Note that the following guide is for the 2026-2027 residency application cycle; however, ERAS has not yet updated the exact dates. You can expect them to be similar to the 2025-2026 dates listed below.

These dates represent the hard deadlines provided by the AAMC; however, there are several key tasks to keep in mind in the months leading up to application season and throughout the summer, when applications are open. Below, we’ll share a month-by-month breakdown of what you should be focusing on for your residency application, including applicable resources.

Changes to the 2025-2026 ERAS Residency Application Cycle

The following changes were applied to the 2025-2026 application cycle.

Each year, ERAS updates the application process, which means applicants must stay current with the latest specifications. For the 2025-2026 cycle, these are the changes and updates ERAS has announced:

1. AAMC and Thalamus are establishing a partnership to integrate their entirely separate interviewing platforms into one centralized platform.
2. Anesthesia and plastic surgery residency applicants will be able to provide more context and details on why they are choosing to signal a program.
3. For students applying to anesthesiology, neurosurgery, or plastic surgery-integrated programs, applicants will need to complete several additional “specialty-specific questions.”
4. Otolaryngology (ENT) and orthopedic surgery applicants have the option to “Opt Out” of picking a geographic preference.
5. Students can now select places they have “currently or previously lived and feel strong ties or sense of belonging to,” making it much more likely for students to match back to where they grew up.
6. AAMC renamed the “Interruptions and Extensions” section to “Interruptions or Extensions” and is allowing applicants to include non-ACGME-accredited programs

Components of the Medical School Residency Application Process

Much like your medical school application, your residency application has many moving parts that you need to work on simultaneously. The application includes familiar components, such as an experiences section, a personal statement, and letters of recommendation, as well as new aspects, such as an optional professional photo.

1. Experiences
2. Personal Statement
3. Letters of Recommendation
4. Photo
5. Transcripts

Continue reading for a breakdown of each of these components, followed by our month-by-month breakdown of what you should be working on when.

1. Experiences

The ERAS experiences section is an opportunity for you to share your experiences with volunteering, work, and research. Include all of your experiences in this section, not just the ones relevant to your specialty. It’s important to highlight and showcase all that you have learned and been up to.

You can add up to 10 experiences and self-select your top 3 most meaningful experiences.

You can use the following three questions to structure your descriptions of each activity:

• What is it?
• What did you do?
• What did you learn?

Using this three-sentence structure will help the reader quickly comprehend the activity and what the experience meant to you. This is where a lot of your interview questions will come from, so it’s a good idea to review this section before heading into your residency interviews.

2. Personal Statement

The ERAS personal statement is where you tell your story the way you see it and explain why you want—and are more than qualified—to join a particular specialty. Outside of interviews, this is your only opportunity to personally address anything you feel is underrepresented in the rest of your application.

This is the section where you can put your accomplishments and achievements into context, as much of the rest of your application focuses almost exclusively on your grades and scores.

Your residency personal statement will differ from your medical school personal statement, as you are no longer a wide-eyed premed. You have now earned your doctorate, and your residency personal statement must reflect this. Be confident but humble. You are now a young professional with a much deeper understanding of and commitment to medicine. Your residency personal statement must focus on your professional development and the experiences that have crystallized your ambition to pursue your chosen specialty.

While the residency personal statement allows for 28,000 characters, we don’t recommend filling all of this space. A single typed page, about 700-800 words, is all that’s required.

A brilliant residency personal statement can be enough to land you an interview, while a lackluster essay can ruin your chances of acceptance, regardless of your other academic achievements.

View our database of Residency Personal Statement Samples, edit carefully, ask mentors for feedback, and consider professional personal statement editing.

3. Letters of Recommendation

The ERAS letters of recommendation, much like your medical school letters of recommendation, provide residency programs with vital insight into how the professional physicians you’ve worked with see you. Your letter writers will speak to your work ethic, professionalism, and why you are a good fit for your chosen specialty.

While you’re allowed to include an unlimited number of references, you can only include four letters of recommendation per program. Your letters should be standardized and not tailored to each specific program so that your letter writers don’t have to draft multiple letters. Your Dean’s Letter and MSPE do not count as letters.

Ideally, your letter writers should be from a range of specialties and experiences, and it’s imperative that they know you well and will speak very highly of you. Include at least one letter from an attending you worked closely with, a department chair, or a mentor in your chosen specialty. Your mentor will be able to speak directly to your suitability and aptitude for that specific specialty.

It’s also possible that programs will require a letter from someone outside the medical field. Each program will list specific requirements on its website. Read these requirements carefully to determine exactly what you’ll need to include.

4. Photo

While optional, including a photo is highly recommended. A professional photo of your friendly, smiling face will help the people evaluating your application put a face to a name and make a lasting impression.

Upload your own photo in MyERAS by selecting Upload New Photo in the Actions column.

The photo file cannot exceed these requirements:

• Dimensions: 2.5 in. x 3.5 in.
• Resolution: 150dpi
• File Size: 100kb

The photo should be high-quality and look professional. Ensure you look approachable and friendly, wear professional clothing, such as your interview outfit, and keep the background subtle. You don’t want anything to distract from your face.

If you’re friends with a professional photographer, ask them to take a photo of you, but if not, we encourage you to pay for a professional photo. The cost of a quality headshot is nothing compared to the staggering amount of money you’ve already paid to attend medical school.

5. Transcripts

You must request your USMLE transcript (or COMLEX transcript for osteopathic schools) for your application, so it’s essential to authorize the release of this document during the summer. Since it can take weeks for your test results to arrive, schedule Step 2 CK well in advance of your residency application in September.

Once you make the request, your medical school will organize your MSPE (Medical School Performance Evaluation) letter and transcripts and upload them for you.

Month-by-Month Application Preparation Schedule

Jan-April 2026

Students take USMLE Step 2 CK at the end of third year or early fourth year. Decide when you will take Step 2 CK and make a plan as soon as possible. Programs use Step 2 CK as the primary objective metric to screen and compare thousands of applicants—top specialties like dermatology and orthopedic surgery now average Step 2 scores of 257.

• Read: USMLE Step 2 CK Guide: Resources and Strategies
• Read: How to Score 270 on USMLE Step 2 CK
• Read: USMLE Step 2 Mistakes
• Read: 5 Costly USMLE Step 2 Mistakes Most Med Students Make
• Read: Doctor Specialties Ranked by Step 2 Score

Begin thinking about where you want to complete your away rotations and how many you’ll do. This can vary by specialty and whether your specialty requires them.

January to February is a great time to get all your vaccinations, certifications, and other minor requirements out of the way, too. Some of these things can be time-consuming, and you’ll want to make sure you have these easy-to-check-off tasks completed before the stress of application season.

Most places also like to have your CV and Step 2 score report, so this is a great time to brush up on your CV and bring it up to date. April onwards can get very busy very quickly, and it’s much easier to get your CV updated when things are less stressful. Having a good CV setup early makes the process of pasting it all into ERAS that much easier. Plus, you’re less likely to forget things before the stress kicks in.

This is also the time to reach out to potential letter writers, including those you might want to ask on your rotations. If you already have people you want to ask, there’s no harm in approaching them and politely asking if they’re willing to write you a strong letter. Asking for letters at the last minute can hurt your residency application, as letter writers are bombarded with requests at this time. The earlier you begin reaching out, the better.

If you haven’t already, begin keeping a journal of your extracurricular experiences. The more details you can get down while you are still experiencing the activity, the better you will be able to describe what you did, learned, and accomplished when it comes time to fill out your application. Ideally, you will have kept journals of your experiences throughout your time in medical school, but it’s not too late to begin now.

• Start thinking about your away rotations and where you want to do them.
• Complete small requirements so you don’t need to worry about them later (vaccinations, certifications, reviewing your CV, etc.)
• Reach out to potential letter writers.
  • Read: How to Choose Letters of Recommendation Writers
• Keep an ongoing extracurricular journal with dates and noted experiences.

April-June 2026

• Review the residency application process.
  • Read: ERAS Residency Application Guide
• Contact residency programs you’re especially interested in to learn more about specific requirements and deadlines.
• Begin reflecting and brainstorming on your personal statement.
  • Read: Residency Application Personal Statement Guide
  • Read: 25 Personal Statement Prompts to Spark Ideas
  • Read: Residency Personal Statement Samples

In the months leading up to residency application season, familiarize yourself with the application process, components, and deadlines. When does the application portal open, and what should you prepare before submitting your application? Just like with your medical school application, submitting your application as soon as ERAS begins accepting applications is to your benefit.

It’s best to think about your personal statement ideas early so that you have time to ruminate.

Start jotting down thoughts and ideas as they come to mind, and begin completing personal statement prompts to gather more ideas. Some away rotations require one, which will help get you a kickstart on your residency application essay.

Early June 2026

• Gain access to MyERAS.
  • Obtain your token (one-time access code) by contacting your Designated Dean’s Office.
• Determine whether or not you’ll need to take the Casper test or complete any other aspects of Acuity Insights.
  • Read: Casper Test Guide: Scoring, Preparation, and FAQs
  • Read: 15 Casper Test Preparation Tips (Yes, You Can Prepare!)
  • Read: 2025-2026 Casper Residency Programs—How to Succeed

The beginning of June is when it all starts to happen. Obtain your token at this time by contacting your Designated Dean’s Office. You will need this to gain access to MyERAS.

You should also find out whether or not you will need to take the Casper test (Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics) or any other aspects of Acuity Insights, such as Duet.

June 2026

• Begin filling in your application with your work, volunteering, and research experience.
• Narrow down your programs of interest.
• Begin writing your personal statement.
• Choose your letters of recommendation writers if you haven’t already.
  • Read: ERAS Residency Letters of Recommendation Guide
  • Read: How to Get Strong Letters of Recommendation

In June, you can begin filling out your application through your MyERAS account. Start filling in your work, volunteering, and research experiences, and take time to look back at your past notes and journals from those experiences.

Search for programs you’re interested in and save them for later so that you can organize the correct documents for each program.

By now, you should be working on your personal statement and narrowing down possible letter writers. How will you use your personal statement to continue your application narrative? Focus your personal statement on your professional development and on why your experiences have led you to want to join your chosen specialty.

Narrow down your letter writers and begin asking those you believe would write you a strong letter of recommendation. The keyword here is strong. You must choose letter writers who know you well and can speak positively about your skills and character.

July-August 2026

• Fine-tune your application and compile the materials you need to complete the experiences section.
• Choose which residency programs you’re going to apply to.
• Request relevant transcripts.
• Continue editing and revising your personal statement.
  • Read: Personal Statement Editing Strategies
  • Learn more: Residency Application Personal Statement Editing
• Confirm letter of recommendation writers and follow up to ensure they submit them on time.
• Begin interview prep, especially if you struggle with interviews or haven’t interviewed recently.

During the summer, you should finalize all aspects of your application so you are ready to submit it as soon as ERAS begins accepting applications at the start of September. Choose which residency programs you want to apply to, and ensure you request all relevant transcripts and evaluations well in advance.

Continue editing and refining your personal statement, and finalize and confirm all of your letters. Interview season will begin right away, so now is also a good time to begin interview prep.

September 2026

• Be ready to submit your application when ERAS starts accepting applications at the beginning of September.
• Prepare for residency interviews and schedule them as soon as possible.
  • Read: Preparing for Residency Interviews Guide
• Apply for The Match, the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).
  • Read: NRMP Residency Match Algorithm Explained
  • Read: 7 Things You Must Know About the NRMP Residency Match

ERAS begins accepting applications at the start of September, and we highly recommend submitting your application well before the deadline. Due to a high volume of applicants, the site may crash or slow down near the deadline, so ensure you don’t leave it to the last minute.

Applications are released to programs at the end of September, and interview invitations can be sent out as early as the next day. If you submit your application close to the day ERAS releases your application, you may miss out on the first round of interviews.

This is also the time to apply for the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), also known as The Match, which requires a separate application.

October 2026-February 2027

• Schedule and complete residency interviews.
• Keep an open schedule and continually check your messages for interview requests.
  • Read: Residency Interview Questions and How to Answer
  • Read: Questions to Ask Residency Programs During Interviews
  • Read: How to Write a Residency Letter of Interest or Update Letter

Interview season will begin in October and last until February. During this time, keep an open schedule and pay close attention to your computer or phone. Ideal interview slots fill up fast, so schedule your interviews as soon as you can. Keep your calendar up to date so you can pick the optimal dates as soon as they become available.

March 2027: Match Week

• During Match Week, you will find out if you matched and into which program.
• Unmatched applicants will need to spend Match Week applying for unfilled positions.
  • Read: Residency Match Day Schedule
  • Read: SOAP Match Guide (Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program)

Match Week takes place during the third week of March. It begins Monday morning and ends at 12 pm ET on Friday, when the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) releases the Match results simultaneously to all graduating medical students.

On Monday, applicants find out if they matched, but not where they matched. Any unmatched or partially matched applicants will need to spend Monday through Thursday applying and interviewing for unfilled positions. On Match Day (Friday) at 12 pm ET, Match results are sent by email to applicants who initially matched, as well as those who matched through SOAP.

Take Your Application to the Next Level

Med School Insiders can help you prepare a standout residency application that will help you match into your ideal program. We offer a number of Residency Admissions Consulting Services tailored to your needs, including personal statement editing, USMLE tutoring, interview prep, mock interviews, and overall application editing.