Residency Application Timeline for the 2023-2024 Match Cycle

After years of undergraduate studies and medical school, the spring prior to your final year in medical school marks the beginning of the residency application journey. Given how widely the residency application process varies depending on your specialty of choice, it is critical to familiarize yourself with the application timeline to maximize your success in the 2024 match. To help you succeed in this year’s match, we’ve created the 2024 residency application timeline!

Watch our accompanying “Basic Overview of the Residency Application Process” from our 2024 cycle residency roundtable:

The residency application timeline includes all major dates, as well as a list of tasks to complete, and when we recommend completing them. Enter your email address above to receive the printable timeline and stay on track for this year’s residency match! With careful review of the required materials and deadlines of each specialty, you can be sure to entire the process as prepared as possible. Regardless of your speciality, it is highly recommended that you meet with an advisor in the field early in the year that you apply, so that they may acquaint you with the nuances of that given specialty. 

April to May 2023: Letters of Recommendation, Personal Statement, and Away Rotations

By this time, you have hopefully selected your field of entry and are in the beginning stages of preparing your application. It is important to consider the cardinal features of your application which include:

• A personal statement
• Letters of recommendation
• Your USMLE scores
• Your clerkship grades
• Your ERAS applications which includes all other activities such as research and volunteer work

Thus, it is important to start to schedule electives in your specialty and think about who can write you an excellent letter of recommendation. Note that students typically have a standard letter from their medical school, followed by two additional letters. These typically come from those in your field though can also be from other mentors with whom you worked closely.

Additionally, around this time you should begin a draft of your personal statement. This will likely be requested by your letter writers to write a unique and compelling recommendation. If you are completing away rotations, your applications should be submitted around this time (though it varies by program). Those not doing away rotations over the summer often complete their sub-internship in their area over the summer months and obtain a letter of recommendation from one of the clinicians they rotate with. Also make note that your residency interviews will typically occur during November, December, and January. Thus you will want to be on lighter rotations during this time to accommodate the interviews.

June to July 2023: Begin Eras and Create a List of Potential Residency Programs

Have your printable residency application timeline ready! We’re getting down to business. In June of 2023, you will receive an ERAS (electronic residency application system) token from your school. It’s now time to begin filling out your application with your basic information. The ERAS application will open on June 7th, 2023.

It is important to start filling out your application early. The goal is to submit your ERAS application the day that it opens (given many interviews are provided on a rolling basis). Your ERAS application will include:

• Your personal statement
• Letters of recommendation,
• Grades
• Your CV

Given you have to manually enter the components of your CV into the designated spots in ERAS, this process is time-consuming and will require several rounds of edits to ensure no errors linger.

Additionally, it is important to compile a list of residency programs to which you would like to apply. This should occur with consultation with a residency advisor to take into account how many programs to apply to, where to apply, and what backup plans to consider if necessary. It is also helpful at this point to send your personal statement to some individuals in your field for feedback prior to its submission.

Lastly, by the end of this time you will need to formally request letters of recommendation from faculty to allow them enough time (ideally >4 weeks) to complete the letter.

August to September: Submit Residency Application and Register With the NRMP

At this point of the residency application timeline, you will be uploading your letters of recommendation and your personal statement, and finalizing the details of your application. It is important to also release your USMLE scores to ERAS so programs may view them. Note that your application will require a professional photo, so be sure to set aside time to take this photo.

Your school typically will also create something called a Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE letter). This is a standardized letter of recommendation that is created by you and your medical school which includes a compilation of your clerkship evaluations and a narrative statement of your educational journey. You should have an opportunity to review these comments and make minor edits as needed.

When are residency applications due?

You will want to submit your application on the earliest date possible. For the 2023-2024 cycle that is September 6th, 2023 at 9 AM. Additionally, you will want to register with the national resident matching program (NRMP) on September 15th, 2023. This will provide you access to the software where you will eventually submit your match list. Importantly, residency programs can review applications starting September 27th, 2023. Thus, in order to maximize success with interviews you will want all materials uploaded to ERAS by this point.

October to November 2023:  Schedule Your Interviews and Prepare Accordingly

Once you have submitted your ERAS application, you will want to ensure you get notifications of your ERAS interview requests. Desirable interview slots are often taken on a first come first serve basis leaving those who review the email later at a disadvantage. For this reason, many students will have their emails forwarded to their phones and have friends or loved ones cover their inboxes during times they may be away (such as during test taking).

During this downtime, you will want to prepare for your residency interviews. Consider some responses to commonly asked questions, and ensure you have an elevator pitch for yourself when given the opportunity. Additionally, if you do not receive interview invitations from programs you are highly interested in, consider reaching out to the programs to demonstrate interest and increase your odds of receiving an interview.

December 2023 to January 2024: Complete Your Residency Interviews and Begin Ranking Programs

During this time you will be completing your residency interviews. Given you will ultimately decide between programs months after you interview there, you will want to make note of interview impressions the day of and distinguishing features of a program that may not be visible on their website or in other supporting documentation. Consider what questions you will ask programs ahead of time. Often students will take physical notes or record voice memos following these experiences. This will provide additional information with which to make a match list come February.

Many students will also send thank you notes to the interviewers who spent time speaking with them. Note that some programs explicitly request thank you letters not be sent. You will also want to check in with an advisor around this time to ensure you have secured enough interviews to have a probability of success in the match.

By the end of this period, you will want to have a preliminary rank order list of programs. Once you have decided on your top choice program where you have interviewed, it is advised to send a letter of intent. This serves to notify them that you will be ranking them first and why. Note that the deadline to register with the NRMP is January 31st, 2023. after this date, you will pay a late fee. You must register with the NRMP by March 1st, 2023 to be eligible for the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP).

February to March 2024: Submit Your Rank Order List and Then Review Your Residency Application Results!

The rank order list opens on February 1st, 2023. The deadline to certify your rank order list is March 1st, 2023 at 9PM EST. You will find out if you have matched on March 13th, 2023 at 10 AM EST. Individuals who did not match can enter the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP) at 11 AM EST on this date. The SOAP offers will be released between March 14th and 16th of 2023. Finally, match day is on March 17th, 2023 at 12PM EST, where you find out your new home for your next stage of training!

For help navigating this year’s residency application timeline including CV and personal statement review and editing, mock interviews, and more, consider enlisting the help of an Elite Medical Prep residency advisor! Schedule your complimentary consultation today to learn more!