What Should You Include In The ERAS Experiences Section Of Your Residency Application?
Applying to a residence program involves many steps to be followed and information to be provided. The ERAS experiences section requires your special attention. It gives you the opportunity to showcase yourself as an outstanding candidate. The article will offer you insights on how you can utilize the section to your benefit.
Applying to a residence program involves many steps to be followed and information to be provided. The ERAS experiences section requires your special attention. It gives you the opportunity to showcase yourself as an outstanding candidate.
The article will offer you insights on how you can utilize the section to your benefit.
Why is the ERAS Experiences Section Important?
ERAS is a platform that streamlines the residency application process. The experiences section is vital as the residency faculty can better understand you and what unique skills you bring to the table. Refrain from writing fluff content, mention experiences using meaningful keywords.
A well-written experiences section has the capability of swinging the decision in your favor.
What To Write In The ERAS Experiences Section Of Your Residency Application?
If you want to distinguish yourself from other applicants, the experiences section can help you do so. Note down the information in bullet points to improve readability and also draw attention to significant achievements.
You can add context and let the reviewer know what you learned and grew from the experience. Also include details like dates of involvement and the number of hours you spent on the program.
Individual Strengths And Interests
If you are good at a skill, have specialized knowledge about the topic, or excelled in an experience before, mention it under your strengths. Including other areas of interest can work in your favor.
Through your application, you need to show the faculty that you are willing to go the extra mile, spend time and learn additional skills that could compliment your current specialization area.
Research Experience
If you have any clinical or shadowing experience, it definitely deserves mention under the research category. You could start by mentioning why you chose to pursue a particular research topic and your roles and responsibilities.
Receiving a research scholarship or fellowship is an impressive feat for medical students. Remember, this section is different from the Published section. You can mention your published works but do not go into detail here.
Volunteer Work
If you have participated in any volunteer programs, you can mention them in the experiences section. The type of volunteering and community projects you can work on can help portray the values you believe in.
Be specific when mentioning volunteer work. Concentrate on questions like why you picked the cause, what your responsibilities were, and what you take away from the experience.
Medical School Awards
Awards are proof that your skills and efforts are being recognized. In addition, your application becomes more credible as superiors vet your work in the form of awards.
If you have won any awards in medical school, do mention them in the experiences section to boost your application.
Final Thoughts
When filling up the ERAS experiences section, ensure you include noteworthy information. For example, if you have worked on clinical, volunteer, or research programs, it should be in the experiences section.
If you have grants or awards, mention them too. When providing context, focus on why the experiences were important to you, what work you put in, what you learned, and how they can add to the specialization you are applying for.