I Submitted My ERAS Application: Now What?

You clicked "Certify and Submit," paid your fees, and sent your application to programs. After months of work on your personal statement, experiences, and program list, it is natural to feel both relief and anxiety. Many applicants I advise tell me the waiting is harder than the work on the application

As a former Associate Residency Director at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, I sat on the other side of this process. I can tell you that your candidacy does not end when you submit. What you do between now and Match Day still matters a great deal. Here is what I recommend you focus on next.

First, Understand What You Can and Cannot Change

Once you certify and submit your ERAS application, it is locked. According to the AAMC, you cannot make changes outside of the Personal Information section, and there are no exceptions. The same locked application goes to every program you apply to for the rest of the season.

That said, several things remain in your control. You can keep your Personal Information current, including your phone number, email address, and mailing address, and programs will see those updates once you save them. This is more important than it sounds. An interview invitation sent to an outdated email address is an invitation you may miss. If you later decide to apply to a specialty that requires specialty specific questions, you can add those responses before you apply to programs in that specialty.

If you discover a typo, do not panic. I have reviewed thousands of applications, and a minor error will not cost you an interview. In fact, in the age of AI, I would argue that a typo makes it clear you composed your application materials on your own which could be a good thing! If you find a substantive error, such as an incorrect date or a misattributed publication, speak with your advisor about whether and how to notify programs.

Signals: Can You Change or Add?

This is one of the most common questions I hear after applicants submit. The answer depends on whether the signal is attached to a program you have already applied to or one you have not.

Changing a signal you already sent

If you applied to a program and assigned it a signal, the AAMC allows you to change that signal until residency programs open on September 23, 2026, at 9 a.m. ET. After that moment, signals attached to programs you have applied to are final. The AAMC also notes that if you withdraw your application from a program you signaled, you cannot reassign that signal to another program. Withdrawing from a program does not give you a signal back.

Using signals you have not yet assigned

If you did not use all of your signals, you have not lost them. The AAMC allows applicants to assign remaining signals to saved programs and apply to additional programs throughout the season, although signals cannot be used in SOAP. Signals assigned to saved programs can be edited as often as you like until you actually apply, because a signal is not final until it is sent to a program with your application. In MyERAS, the Signal Count display shows how many signals are Available, Assigned, and Applied for each specialty, so you can see exactly where you stand.

If you have unused signals, I recommend you decide where to send them now rather than holding them in reserve. The AAMC advises applicants to use every signal available to them, and programs are instructed to use signals only when deciding whom to invite to interview. Programs begin making interview decisions shortly after they open applications, so a signal that arrives weeks into the season is likely to carry less weight than one that arrives on opening day.

Keep a few rules in mind when you assign a late signal. You cannot signal a program that is not participating in signaling. Signals go to the institution, so every track at that institution in the same specialty, such as preliminary and categorical, sees the same signal. In specialties that use tiered signaling, programs see "Gold" or "Silver" rather than a simple "Yes," so decide which tier each program deserves. For the 2027 cycle, anesthesiology, integrated plastic surgery, PM&R, and radiation oncology also require a Program Signal Explanation of up to 300 characters, and the AAMC notes that a signal will not save without one.

For signal counts by specialty and my approach to allocating them, read my guide to ERAS program signaling.

Confirm That Every Document Has Arrived

Most residency programs will not review your application until it is complete. Log in to MyERAS and confirm that your letters of recommendation, MSPE, medical school transcript, and USMLE or COMLEX transcripts have been received and assigned to every program on your list.

Letters of recommendation are the most common source of delays. If a letter writer has not yet uploaded a letter, send a polite reminder now. For the 2027 cycle, all letters must come through the AAMC Letter Writer Portal, which I discussed in 4 Residency Match Changes You Need to Know for 2027. If you need more guidance on managing letters, read my guide to residency letters of recommendation.

The Dean's office releases MSPEs to programs on September 23, 2026, the same day programs may begin reviewing MyERAS applications. If you are awaiting a Step 2 CK or Level 2 CE score, confirm in MyERAS that your updated transcript will be transmitted to programs once the score is released.

Decide Whether to Add Programs

Submitting your application does not limit you to your original program list. You can apply to additional programs throughout the season, as long as those programs are still accepting applications. Your locked application, along with the documents you assign, goes to each new program.

Keep in mind that fees are cumulative by specialty and nonrefundable. You pay $11 per program for up to 30 programs in a specialty and $30 per program beyond that. Adding programs later does not reset those tiers.

My advice is to take an honest look at your list now rather than in November. Applying early matters, and programs extend many interview invitations in the first weeks of review. If your list is top heavy, or if you are an applicant with a lower board score, a DO or IMG applicant, or someone applying to a competitive specialty, adding programs soon is far better than waiting to see how interview season unfolds. My ERAS and NRMP Residency Match Timeline explains why timing is so important.

Register for the NRMP Match

ERAS is the application system. The NRMP is the matching system, and you must register with it separately. NRMP registration for the 2027 Main Residency Match opened on September 15, 2026. The standard registration deadline is January 29, 2027, and applicants who register after that date pay an additional $50 fee.

If you haven't done so already, register now so you do not have to think about it again. When you do, make sure you enter your AAMC ID correctly and that your date of birth matches in both systems. If you are unsure how ERAS and the NRMP work together, read Residency Match: How It Works and How To Get Matched.

Prepare for Residency Interview Invitations Before They Arrive

Interview invitations are typically extended from October through December, and interviews take place from October through January or into early February. Invitations can arrive at any hour, and at many programs, interview dates fill quickly. Applicants who respond within minutes often have their choice of dates, while those who respond the next day may find only a waitlist.

I recommend you enable notifications for your email and check MyERAS frequently. Keep a calendar of your rotation schedule so you can accept an interview date immediately rather than deliberating. If you are on a demanding rotation, speak with your clerkship director now about how you will handle interview days.

Understand, too, that silence is not necessarily a rejection. Programs that are not ready to invite you may place your application on hold, and most programs do not notify applicants who will not receive an interview. Some programs continue to extend invitations into December and even January as other applicants cancel.

If you receive more invitations than you can attend, cancel interviews you do not plan to keep with as much notice as possible. This is a professional courtesy, and it frees that spot for another applicant.

When Will Interview Invitations Arrive? Release Dates by Specialty

Programs may begin reviewing applications on September 23, 2026, but that does not mean every specialty begins sending residency interview invitations that day. Several specialties have adopted coordinated interview release dates. On these dates, participating programs send their first round of invitations at the same time, often with a set window for applicants to respond. Other specialties leave timing to each program, and invitations can arrive at any point once review begins.

Participation in a coordinated date is voluntary for individual programs, so always confirm on each program's website. Based on specialty organization guidance and program announcements for the 2026 to 2027 cycle, these are the coordinated dates I am aware of.

General surgery programs have followed a recommended release window in recent cycles. In the 2025 to 2026 cycle, the Association of Program Directors in Surgery recommended releasing invitations between October 22 and 24, although not every program complied. Check for this year's guidance. Emergency medicine applicants, who now apply through ResidencyCAS rather than ERAS, should check CORD guidance and each program's website for release dates.

Specialties without a coordinated date, including internal medicine, leave timing to individual programs. If you are applying in one of these specialties, invitations may begin to arrive soon after programs open applications and typically come in waves through the fall. Many internal medicine programs publish their own release schedules, so check the websites of the programs you care about most.

Whatever your specialty, enable notifications for your email and check MyERAS frequently. At programs without a structured response window, interview dates can fill quickly, and applicants who respond first often have their choice of dates. Keep your rotation schedule handy so you can accept a date immediately. If you are on a demanding rotation, speak with your clerkship director now about how you will handle interview days. For specialty specific strategy, see my guide to matching in orthopaedic surgery and my ERAS and NRMP Residency Match Timeline.

Start Preparing for Interviews Now

Once you receive an interview, how you perform on interview day becomes the most important factor in how you are ranked. When I interviewed residency applicants, I already knew their scores and grades. What I wanted to know was whether they were committed to the specialty, whether they understood what practicing it really means, and whether they would be a good colleague at 3 a.m. on a difficult shift.

Do not wait until your first invitation to prepare. Review your own application carefully, since interviewers will ask about anything you included. Be ready to discuss every experience, every research project, and any gaps or weaknesses in your record. Behavioral questions are now common across specialties, and most interviews are virtual, which requires its own preparation. My guide to the residency interview covers what interviewers are looking for, and if you are interviewing in person, read what to wear to your residency interview.

Practice matters. Many applicants are uncomfortable talking about themselves, and the only way to improve is to rehearse out loud and receive honest feedback. Our residency mock interviews are conducted by physicians who have interviewed residency applicants and are tailored to your specialty.

Keep Your Fourth Year Meaningful

Programs notice how you spend your time after you submit. When I reviewed applications, I was always impressed when applicants still had substantive rotations scheduled for the rest of their fourth year. Strong performance on a sub internship or an away rotation can also generate a late letter or an interview.

If you have a meaningful new accomplishment after submitting, such as a publication acceptance, a new score, or an award, you may share a brief update with programs where you are especially interested. Keep it short and relevant.

Be Professional in Every Interaction

Everyone you encounter during this process has influence. When I was an Associate Residency Director, if our residency coordinator had a concern about an applicant, I listened. Be courteous in every email, phone call, and scheduling exchange. Respond promptly. Proofread everything you send. Review your social media presence as well, since programs can and do look.

Plan Your Communication With Your Top Choice

After interviews, you will want to communicate genuine interest to the program you hope to match with. At MedEdits, we recommend sending a letter of intent to your top choice program by mid January, before programs finalize their rank order lists. Never tell more than one program that it is your first choice. It is unethical and can damage your professional reputation. You can read an example in How To Write the Residency Letter of Intent.

Know the Remaining Dates

Rank order list entry opens in the NRMP system on February 1, 2027. You must certify your rank order list by 9 p.m. ET on March 3, 2027, which is also the late registration deadline and the withdrawal deadline. Match Week begins on March 15, 2027, when applicants learn at 10 a.m. ET whether they matched, and eligible unmatched applicants may enter the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program. Match Day is March 19, 2027, when results are released at noon ET.

Take Care of Yourself

The months ahead involve a lot of uncertainty, and comparing your interview count with classmates on social media or group chats rarely helps. Every applicant's timeline is different, and every specialty moves at its own pace. Focus on what you can control: your documents, your responsiveness, your preparation, and your performance.

If you would like guidance through interview season, rank list decisions, or communication with programs, learn more about our Residency Match Advising or schedule a free 15 minute consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit my ERAS application after I submit it?

No. Once you certify and submit your MyERAS application, it is locked. The only section you can update is Personal Information. You can, however, apply to additional programs and add responses to specialty specific questions before applying to programs in a new specialty.

Can I apply to more programs after submitting ERAS?

Yes. You can apply to additional programs throughout the season while those programs are still accepting applications. Fees are cumulative by specialty, so programs you add later are charged according to the same tiers.

When do residency programs start reviewing ERAS applications?

For the 2027 cycle, programs may begin reviewing MyERAS applications and MSPEs on September 23, 2026.

When will I receive residency interview invitations?

Most interview invitations are extended from October through December, though some programs continue to offer interviews into January. Many invitations arrive in the first weeks after programs begin reviewing applications.

Will programs tell me if I am rejected?

Often not. Many programs place applications on hold or decline to interview without notifying the applicant. A lack of response does not always mean a rejection, particularly early in the season.

Do I need to register separately for the NRMP Match?

Yes. ERAS and the NRMP are separate systems. For the 2027 Match, NRMP registration opened September 15, 2026, and the standard registration deadline is January 29, 2027.