Update from Leadership
Dear Colleagues,
Better-informed recruitment decisions start with useful data. As we approach the two-month mark since the 2027 Electronic Residency Application Service® (ERAS®) residency season opened, our team is looking beyond participation numbers to see what the data tells us about application trends. More than 47,000 applicants have submitted 3.4 million applications, and we’re seeing a meaningful shift in application behavior.
In last month’s ERAS Insights leadership update, I noted that applicants were submitting fewer applications on average. We now have a clearer picture of that change: applicants have submitted an average of 72 applications each, an 11.3% decrease from last season. The average varies by applicant type, with MD applicants submitting an average of 52 applications and DO applicants submitting 63.
It’s encouraging to see this change as we make timely, meaningful data more accessible. We want applicants to have the information they need to make informed decisions and manage application costs, while helping programs and institutions better understand application trends and plan their recruitment efforts.
Having access to this kind of data matters, and we’re adding new ways for the community to explore it. The new Latest Day in Cycle filter on the ERAS Statistics page lets users compare application activity at the same point across residency and fellowship seasons. The new Interview Likelihood feature in Residency Explorer™ offers another resource to help applicants and programs make informed decisions.
I hope you’ll take some time to explore the latest statistics for the 2027 ERAS residency and fellowship seasons. We’ll keep updating the data as the seasons progress so you can follow trends as they emerge and see what they might mean for your work.
Lastly, we hope to see many of you at Learn Serve Lead 2026: The AAMC Annual Meeting in Anaheim next month, and we encourage you to find us and say hello. Stop by an ERAS program breakout session (details below) or visit the AAMC Downtown to share your experiences and ideas. We always value these conversations and look forward to seeing you!
Patrick Fritz
AAMC Senior Director for Residency and Fellowship Services
New Point in Time Filter Added to ERAS Statistics Dashboard
The AAMC continues to expand the data available to the transition to residency community. The Specialty Applicants and Applications dashboard on the ERAS Statistics page now includes a Latest Day in Cycle filter. Users can compare the same point in the cycle across seasons, making it easier to put current application activity in perspective.
The interactive dashboards cover both residency and fellowship data, with specialty-specific views and program signaling data by applicant type, plus cross-specialty information to help track broader trends. Updated monthly, they are designed to give programs, schools, and applicants the insights they need when they need them.
ERAS System Updates Scheduled for Oct. 31-Nov. 1
To prepare our systems for the December fellowship cycle, the AAMC will perform routine updates on a staggered schedule. Please plan ahead as the systems will be unavailable during the following windows (all times ET):
- Dean’s Office WorkStation (DWS) and the MyERAS® application: Saturday, Oct. 31 at 9 p.m. - Sunday, Nov. 1 at 3 a.m.
- Program Director’s WorkStation (PDWS): Saturday, Oct. 31 at 9 p.m. - Sunday, Nov. 1 at 2 p.m.
During this update period, programs may continue to use Thalamus Core and Cortex, as well as the Cerebellum Data & Analytics Dashboard.
We appreciate your patience as we work to enhance your experience for the upcoming cycle.
Upcoming Webinars for Advisors and Programs
As the 2027 recruitment season continues, these upcoming webinars offer opportunities to explore useful data, get answers to common questions, and make the most of ERAS program tools and resources to support your work.
- Advisors: Join the AAMC ERAS team Nov. 18 at 1 p.m. ET for Using DWS Analytics to Support Students: Exploring Interview Data and More to learn how the DWS analytics dashboards can help you better understand applicant activity and trends throughout the application season.
- Programs: Join the ERAS PDWS Q&A Session on Dec. 3 at 1 p.m. ET to hear the team answer frequently asked questions about the PDWS and get answers to your own questions.
Visit the ERAS Team at Learn Serve Lead 2026
Heading to Learn Serve Lead 2026: The AAMC Annual Meeting Nov. 6-10 in Anaheim, California? We hope to see you there! Say hello to the ERAS team in the AAMC Downtown and connect with the Thalamus team at their booth in the Exhibit Hall.
Don’t miss these ERAS program sessions (all times listed in PT):
- AAMC Services Update for Advisors: Nov. 8, 7:15-8:15 a.m.
- Services Update: ERAS and Thalamus: Nov. 9, 7:15-8:15 a.m.
- What Programs are Learning from Specialty-Specific Essay Pilots in the Electronic Residency Application Service: Nov. 9, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
We hope you will join us!
New Video Explores the ERAS Program's Support of the Academic Medicine Community
The AAMC has developed a new video to highlight the value of the ERAS program and how it supports the academic medicine community. Watch the video.
What We’re Hearing About the ERAS Program
"The new ERAS statistics portal is AMAZING! Fantastic data for programs!"
Rebecca Johnson, Graduate Medical Education (GME) Program Coordinator, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Connect with Thalamus at Learn Serve Lead
Team Thalamus is heading to Anaheim for Learn Serve Lead Nov. 6-10. Stop by the Exhibit Hall to connect with the team, explore the latest enhancements across the Thalamus platform, and discover how they're helping shape the future of residency and fellowship recruitment.
Join the ERAS and Thalamus teams on Monday, Nov. 9 at 7:15 a.m. PT for the Services Update: ERAS and Thalamus. We'll reflect on the latest recruitment season, share key innovations and insights, and offer a look at what's ahead as we work together to make recruitment more efficient, transparent, and mission-aligned for applicants, programs, and institutions.
2027 VSLO® Season: Key Milestones Ahead
For the next Visiting Student Learning Opportunities™ (VSLO®) season, we are planning a phased launch that reflects how VSLO users work. Host institutions will publish their catalogs first before advisors and students gain access, giving them more time to explore their away rotation strategies before beginning to submit applications.
October 2026: Home and Host institution training resources are now available.
Late December 2026: The current VSLO system will go offline for two weeks (at a time when we have the lowest usage every year) to enable final data transfer and prepare for the new season.
January 2027:
- Host institutions will gain initial access to make their catalogs and electives for the season visible.
- Home institutions and students will gain access a few weeks later, enabling Home institutions to invite new students to explore available opportunities and prepare with their advisors.
Early February 2027: Students can begin submitting their applications.
America’s Newest Doctors, by the Numbers
The latest data about the medical school graduating class of 2026 show why they got into medicine and what they hope to achieve in their careers. Read More.
New Study Examines Institutional Retention from Medical School to Residency
A new national, cross-specialty study examines institutional retention among U.S. MD-granting medical school graduates entering GME. Among 69,860 graduates across five cohorts, 24.2% entered a home institution-affiliated GME program. Retention varied by specialty, ranging from 18.8% in emergency medicine to 48.1% in integrated thoracic surgery, and was higher among more recent cohorts. The findings provide medical school and GME leaders, residency program directors, and educators with national data to contextualize retention patterns by specialty, while recognizing that no single retention rate is universally appropriate across institutions or programs.
Virtual Events
Using DWS Analytics to Support Students: Exploring Interview Data and More
Wednesday, Nov. 18, 1 p.m. ET
ERAS PDWS Q&A Session
Thursday, Dec. 3, 1 p.m. ET
Recent Webinar Recordings
ERAS PDWS Q&A Session
Access the Recording
Navigating the PDWS to Drive Mission-Aligned Selection and Retention
Access the Recording
Upcoming Meetings
Learn Serve Lead 2026: The AAMC Annual Meeting
Nov. 6-10, Anaheim, CA
View the agenda for more details on the transition to residency sessions below.
Preparing for the Next Phase of USMLE Testing: Implications for Medical Education
Saturday, Nov. 7, 10:15-11:15 a.m. PT
Understanding Interview Likelihood in the Residency Explorer Tool
Saturday, Nov. 7, 3-4 p.m. PT
AAMC Services Update for Advisors
Sunday, Nov. 8, 7:15-8:15 a.m. PT
Geographic Preferences in Residency Selection: Insights from Research and Community Input
Sunday, Nov. 8, 1:15-2:15 p.m. PT
Competition for Clinical Rotations and How to Handle It
Sunday, Nov. 8, 3-4 p.m. PT
The Careers in Medicine® and Residency Explorer Tool: Evolving Tools for the Transition to Residency
Sunday, Nov. 8, 3-4 p.m. PT
VSLO Program and Modernization Brief
Sunday, Nov. 8, 6-7 p.m. PT
Services Update: ERAS and Thalamus
Monday, Nov. 9, 7:15-8:15 a.m. PT
Aligning UME and GME Goals for a Stronger Residency Match
Monday, Nov. 9, 3-4 p.m. PT
What Programs are Learning from Specialty-Specific Essay Pilots in the Electronic Residency Application Service
Monday, Nov. 9, 4:30-5:30 p.m. PT
NBME & USMLE Update Session
Monday, Nov. 9, 4:30-5:30 p.m. PT
Defining and Evaluating Merit Across the UME Continuum
Monday, Nov. 9, 4:30-5:30 p.m. PT
Society of Academic Associations of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine (SAAAPM) Annual Meeting
Nov. 13-14, Chicago, IL
Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS) Annual Meeting
Nov. 18-20, San Diego, CA
SUO AADO OPDO 2026 Otolaryngology Combined Meeting
Nov. 20-21, Phoenix, AZ