FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF PHYSICIANS
INTERVIEWS & TRAVEL

From application to interview day.

Prepare with a plan, learn about each program, assemble your documents, follow up well and manage the cost of travel. International graduates will find their own section at the bottom.

Interview preparation

Your scores and application earned the invitation. The interview shows how you communicate, reflect and work with others, and it is also your chance to judge whether you could train and live there. Start about four weeks ahead: reread your own application, build a bank of short stories, practice with timed mock interviews, and set up your space or travel in advance.

Learn about the program and show your interest

Programs can tell the difference between an applicant who read the website and one who thought about fit. Research each program through its website, FREIDA, ACGME data, faculty profiles and conversations with residents. Put what you learn on a one-page brief, and use it to explain your interest in specific, honest terms. Prepare to be competitive by strengthening what you can still influence: clinical performance, letters, mock interviews and a professional online presence.

Read: learn about a program, show interest and be competitive

Create a resume or CV

Your ERAS application is the main document programs read, but a clear resume or CV helps with away rotations, observerships, research positions and letter writers, and it keeps your story organized. It must match your ERAS application exactly. Use reverse chronological order, action-verb bullet points with results, and a plain format saved as a PDF.

Read: how to create a resume or CV for residency

Get your Dean's letter (MSPE)

The Medical Student Performance Evaluation is your school's official summary of your performance. Request it early in the spring or summer before you apply, meet the person who writes it, review it for accuracy and confirm how and when it will be sent to ERAS. If you have already graduated, or your school is far away, write a formal request to the registrar or dean's office and allow extra time.

Read: the Dean's letter (MSPE) and how to request it

Medical school transcripts for US applicants

For students and residents at U.S. schools, the registrar or dean's office normally sends the medical school transcript through ERAS, and you assign and track it in MyERAS. Your USMLE or COMLEX transcript is a separate request, covered in our results and transcripts guide. Clear any holds on your record and ask early.

Read: how to get your medical school transcripts

After the interview

Write down your impressions the same day, decide which one or two strengths you want to reinforce, and send brief, individual thank-you notes within 24 to 48 hours to the program director, each interviewer and the program coordinator. Do not promise how you will rank a program or press for a promise in return, and follow the NRMP code of conduct. Then use your notes to build a rank list that reflects where you would truly want to train.

Travel and costs

Interview and exam travel adds up. Book in the right order, compare the total door-to-door cost instead of the headline fare, cluster interviews by region when programs allow in-person visits, and ask programs about lodging, shuttles and reimbursement.

Read: save money on USMLE and interview travel

For international medical graduates

International graduates follow the same interview process but handle documents, questions and travel differently. Your ERAS token comes through ECFMG and MyIntealth, and your medical school provides the MSPE and the transcript, which reach ERAS either through you or through ECFMG's service for schools. Prepare to explain your path, your US clinical experience and any gap, know which visas each program sponsors, and plan time zones for virtual interviews and a visitor visa for in-person ones.