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IMG Toolkit: Clinical Timeline and Resources — Start Here!

Presuming you start your 3rd year core rotations in August:

1) Start considering Letter of Recommendations in September (1-2 months into rotations). Letters of recommendation can help, but multiple SLOE-format (Standardized Letter of Evaluation) LOR’s will be needed. SLOE-format letters will be covered in a link below, but letting your letter-writers know now that you will be seeking a LOR from them is common courtesy and recommend, especially if you work well with your attending. Visit this link to learn more about SLOE-format letters. You should check in with them for the next 6-8 months and ensure that you update them on your activities.

2) Try to familiarize yourself with your school’s MSPE form, and start considering submission of that form sometime in January-February of the following year (5-6 months into third year). This is a standardized CV-style document that will highlight your scholarly and extracurricular activities while in medical school.

3) March of the following year: start to plan your away rotations. You should be finishing up your core rotations in the summer of this year (end of third year), and will want to make sure to secure away rotations at institutions that you eventually want to match in. Use EMRA Match to get a good feel of what programs you like. You should also start making lists of where you’d like to apply during this time. Program usually require at least 2 SLOE’s to be eligible for interviews, with an e-SLOE being the most desirable.

4) In April of the following year, try to plan to attend AAEM’s Scientific Assembly in-person, if feasible. This helps create lasting connections to others in the specialty, allows you to meet and work with student peers on various projects, and allows you to get involved with AAEM if you haven’t already.

5) May-June of the following year, register for Step 2 CK and the OET. OET can be taken anywhere from June-August. This is an English test for IMG students that replaces Step 2 CS, which was removed from requirements during COVID. This is also a good time to let your Letter Writers know that you will be sending them SLOE forms and/or requests for letters of recommendation. Get these in early, as some attendings can take multiple months to write letters of recommendation due to their schedules.

6) In June of the following year, ERAS tokens become available for purchase. This does not mean that you need to start working on your application right then, it is helpful to get your materials organized during this time. There are some important steps to being eligible for the Match cycle:

Step 2 CK
OET (if you are an IMG)
Visa (non-US-IMG)
ECFMG Clinical Pathways (IMG)
- Usually this is pathway #3, but your school should let you know what you need to do.
Get your CV updated around this time. While you do not necessarily need it, organizing your contributions and activities will pay dividends later.

These individual items will be covered in other steps on the timeline.

7) June-August of following year, take Step 2 CK. The score takes 2-4 weeks to come back, so it is prudent to take it with enough time before ERAS opens, which is around the end of September. This is also when most students without delays begin to do their EM away rotations. Let the rotation know you will be requesting a SLOE early in the rotation. There are resources on the AAEM/RSA site for away rotations, so we will not cover them here.

8) September of the following year, ERAS opens. This is the time to get your updated CV together, your SLOE’s if you have them, and any other materials you need. If you are doing rotations as ERAS opens, which may be a reality depending on your third year schedule, make sure to get them submitted as soon as possible. They do NOT need to be submitted as soon as ERAS opens, but the sooner the better before interviews begin to start in October.

9) Interview season starts in mid-late October of your 4^th year. Resources are included here and elsewhere in Student Resources to succeed in interviews.

10) Interview season concludes in February of your 4^th year.

11) Rank order lists open in February of your 4^th year and are due by March of your 4^th year. These are where you rank the programs you interviewed at in order of desire to match there.

12) In the first or second week of March is Match week! That Monday or Tuesday, ERAS will release your match status, and the following Friday you will find out where. Both will be by email. Congratulations!

AAEM/RSA Leadership Opportunities

Join a committee

Run for the Medical Student Council

Start an emergency medicine interest group (EMIG)

Apply to be a Medical Student Ambassador at the AAEM Annual Scientific Assembly.

Apply for an EMIG Symposium Scholarship

Become an AAEM/RSA representative at your medical school

Planning Your Medical School Path

Seven Tips for Selecting Your EM Away Rotations

Seven Tips for Succeeding on Your EM Away Rotations

How to Give a Great Presentation to Your EM Attending Physician

Applying to Residency