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DOCUMENTS FOR ERAS

How to get your medical school transcripts as a US applicant.

How a US medical student or resident requests a medical school transcript for residency or fellowship, how it reaches ERAS, how it differs from a USMLE transcript, and a timeline to avoid delays.

Programs expect a transcript from your medical school in your ERAS application. For students at U.S. and Canadian schools, the document is normally sent by your school's registrar or dean's office, not by you. This guide covers the steps, and also applies to residents who need transcripts again for a fellowship application.

Two different transcripts

  • Medical school transcript: your courses, clerkships and grades, issued by your school.
  • USMLE or COMLEX transcript: your examination results, issued by the testing organization. See our results, rechecks and transcripts guide for how to request it.

Do not mix the two. Programs ask for both, and each comes from a different source.

How to get the medical school transcript to ERAS

  1. Learn your school's process. Contact the registrar or the dean's office and ask how transcripts are provided for residency applications, and who the school's ERAS contact is.
  2. Check that your records are complete. Make sure all grades are posted, including late clerkships, and resolve any holds such as unpaid fees.
  3. Assign the document in MyERAS. After you start your application, you indicate in the documents section who will provide your transcript. Follow the instructions for your school and request a transcript through the system when it is required.
  4. Track the status. MyERAS shows whether a document has been received. If it has not appeared after the school's stated timeline, contact the registrar politely and promptly.
  5. Allow time. Registrars handle many requests at once during the application period. Ask early, and ask for the school's estimate.

Residents and past graduates

  • If you have already graduated, request an official transcript from the registrar, who may require identification and a fee.
  • For fellowship applications, check the fellowship application service and each program for what they require, and ask the registrar whether the school can send documents electronically.
  • For a name change or a school that has closed or merged, ask the registrar who now holds the records.

Common problems

  • Holds on your record, usually fees or missing forms, which block release of the transcript.
  • Missing or incorrect grades, which are best corrected well before the document is sent.
  • Waiting for the last moment. Programs may begin reviewing as soon as applications open, and an incomplete file can delay your review.

Always confirm the current instructions, dates and fees with your school and with the AAMC, since processes change from year to year.