General Procedures and Timeline to Apply for Residency

article 2 picture

This guide provides an overview of the steps and timeline needed for medical students to successfully plan for their residency application. During your fourth year of medical school, you should begin your residency application process no later than the month of May. Along with your application, you will need to complete your required electives and US Clinical Experience (USCE). USCE improves your candidacy for residency in US hospitals. This experience not only strengthens your application but also leads to Letters of Recommendation (LoRs) upon good performance. Research will also add supplemental value to your CV and authorship credit.

May:

  • Comfirm your specialty

  • Sign up for Step 2 CS. If you haven’t already done so
  • Complete your residency survey/schedule Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE)

June:

  • Ask for letters of recommendation (LoRs)

  • Start working on your personal statement

July/August:

  • You still have time to determine what specialty you want but should make your decision at this point

  • Complete ERAS application

  • Review Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE)

September:

  • Register for National Residency Matching Program (NRMP)

October:

  • Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE)
  • Interviews begin

November/December/January

  • Interviews

February

  • Rank order list deadline

March

  • Match week