Update from Leadership
Dear Colleagues,
If you’ve attended any of our team’s presentations to academic societies and organizations this spring (there have been more than 45!), you’ve likely heard us talk about the the benefit of the Electronic Residency Application Service® (ERAS®) program’s being part of the AAMC. Our organization’s government relations team works every day to help members of Congress and other policymakers understand the vital role that the nation’s medical schools, academic health systems, and teaching hospitals play in the health of patients and communities nationwide. As part of this work, they drive home the critical need to preserve federal funding for biomedical research, graduate medical education, student aid programs, and workforce development programs. Learn more about their work by subscribing to AAMC Washington Highlights.
Last week we hosted a webinar recapping the 2025 ERAS residency recruitment season and looking ahead to 2026. I encourage you to watch the recording as it provides 2026 season updates, including:
- Automatic opt in to participation in Thalamus and program signaling (for programs in participating specialties).
- Expanded custom statuses and tighter integration between Thalamus and the ERAS Program Director’s WorkStation.
- Complimentary access to Thalamus’ Cortex application screening and review platform and a Cortex sandbox environment that will give users the chance to become comfortable using this technology-assisted platform before the application review season begins.
We look forward to working with you in the 2026 ERAS season. As always, feel free to share your questions or feedback on how we can better support you in your work.
Patrick Fritz
AAMC Senior Director for Residency and Fellowship Services
Specialty Spotlight Webinars Series for Residency Applicants and Advisors
The AAMC is hosting a series of webinars featuring specialty-specific guidance for medical school advisors and 2026 residency applicants. Each webinar features a program director and an advisor who will share best practices in preparation for the 2026 ERAS application season. The webinars also include time for Q&A and will be recorded for later viewing. The series kicks off on Tuesday, May 20 with an inside look at Neurological Surgery. To see the full schedule, visit the AAMC website.
What We’re Hearing About the ERAS Program
“[The AAMC] ERAS [program] makes [the] recruitment season seamless and easy. The collaboration with Thalamus makes it even more efficient.”
--Jen Zarko, Program Manager, Geisinger Health System
Wrapping Up the Recruitment Season with Thalamus
As the 2025 recruitment season comes to a close, Thalamus is here to help programs wrap up smoothly. Take the following steps to ensure your records are complete and ready for next season.
These insights are key for reflection and powering analytics in Cerebellum, and will help programs and institutions evaluate recruitment outcomes and plan ahead for next season.
Preparing for the 2026 Recruitment Season
Cortex, Thalamus' technology-assisted applicant screening and review tool, will be available to all ERAS programs for the 2026 season. Learn more on the Thalamus website.
To assist in the transition to Cortex, a sandbox environment will be available to programs in late spring/early summer 2025 to ensure time to feel comfortable on Cortex prior to the start of the season.
Explore the Thalamus training opportunities to equip your program with cutting-edge tools and techniques. Contact customercare@thalamusgme.com with questions.
Let's work together for a successful 2026 recruitment.
New AAMC Artificial Intelligence Resources for Admissions and Selection Now Available
Utilizing the AAMC’s Principles for Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Medical School and Residency Selection, the AAMC – together with its AI in Admissions and Selection Technical Advisory Committee – has developed a collection of resources designed to support medical schools, residency, and fellowship programs in effectively understanding and integrating AI into their selection processes. To assist schools and programs in leveraging AI capabilities, the AAMC has developed resources to support institutions in determining the readiness of their institution, evaluate possible vendors, and understand AI terms and definitions.
Read More: Artificial Intelligence Resources for Admission and Selection Processes
Residency Explorer™ Tool Enhancements: Coming Summer 2025
Launching in summer 2025, new features for the Residency Explorer™ tool will include program-level interview data, licensure score ranges, and personalized comparisons. Built with eight collaborating organizations, these updates reflect user feedback and expand transparency—helping applicants develop more informed, targeted application strategies.
2025 VSLO® Away Rotation Season Underway: New and Updated Student Resources
The 2025 AAMC Visiting Student Learning Opportunities™ (VSLO®) away rotation season is now underway, marking an important time for medical students seeking clinical rotations at institutions in the U.S. and internationally. As students are developing their away rotation strategies, they can take advantage of new and updated VSLO resources. These include the updated student infographic, applicant checklist, a new webinar recording about the Host institution perspective, and recent student training videos to help students learn how to navigate the VSLO application service. View these resources and more on the VSLO Resources webpage.
AAMC Resource Features State-by-State Graduate Medical Education Data
Visit a new resource on the AAMC website to view state-by-state data on Medicare-supported graduate medical education (GME). The resource includes individual data with physician training data for each U.S. state, along with information on the importance of additional Medicare support for GME, background information on academic medicine, and an overview of the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act.
Now Available: Advancing AI Across Academic Medicine Resource Collection
Hosted by the AAMC, this collection includes timely, freely accessible tools from across academic medicine to help medical schools, academic health systems, and teaching hospitals effectively integrate AI into their educational environments. It is intended to address the immediate need to share practical resources and will be updated periodically through future calls for submissions.
Events and Resources
Supporting Your Students in the 2026 ERAS Season: DWS Training and Residency Explorer Tool Updates
Webinar for Medical School Advisors
Tuesday, May 13, 2:30 p.m. ET
Utilizing Reports to Support Students in the 2026 ERAS Season: DWS Analytics for Schools
Webinar for Medical School Advisors
Thursday, May 15, 1 p.m. ET
Specialty Spotlight on Neurological Surgery
Webinar for Medical Students and Advisors
Tuesday, May 20, 1 p.m. ET
Specialty Spotlight on Child Neurology
Webinar for Medical Students and Advisors
Thursday, May 22, 2 p.m. ET
Residency Recruitment Recap: Transparency and Collaboration Across the GME Community
Webinar Recording
Enhancing your Residency Application Experience: MyERAS® Application and Residency Explorer™ Tool Updates
Webinar recording
Graduate Medical Education: Training Tomorrow’s Physician Workforce
AAMC data sheet