Residency Application (ERAS) Experiences Guide 2025
Are you feeling overwhelmed by the residency application process? Unsure how to turn your experiences into compelling descriptions? You’re not alone. Many students struggle to showcase their achievements effectively, and as a result, their applications get lost in the pile. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Imagine having a guide to:
- Writing ERAS activity descriptions that grab attention
- Highlighting your research in a way that impresses program directors
- Crafting the perfect hobbies section to stand out from the crowd
I’ve been where you are—applying for residency, trying to figure out how to highlight years of hard work in just a few short sentences. After going through the process myself, successfully matching into general surgery, and helping many students do the same, I developed a clear, repeatable strategy to make your application shine.
This guide walks you through my proven system to:
- Turn every activity into a powerful narrative
- List research publications that make an impact
- Create a hobbies section that shows your personality in a professional light
The guide includes sections addressing:
- Which ERAS experiences to include
- Breakdown of filling out the Experiences section and crafting clear, effective descriptions
- Choosing and explaining most meaningful experiences
- Methods for listing research publication and presentations
- Tips on how to choose and describe hobbies that make program directors take notice
- Strategies to approach “Impactful Experiences”
- Filling out geographic and setting preferences
- Bonus tips for ERAS success
Almost every section includes examples - mostly from my own ERAS application.
The guide is full of my expert advice on avoiding common mistakes that could hurt your chances.
By the time you finish applying the strategies from this guide, you’ll have:
- A fully optimized ERAS application
- Confidence in how your experiences and skills are presented
- A solid framework to use for future applications, interviews, and beyond
Don’t leave your residency match to chance. With this guide, you’ll have everything you need to make a lasting impression on program directors. Take control of your MATCH today!
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