Fourth Year Checklist
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A CHECKLIST OF THINGS TO DO IN FOURTH YEAR 

Spring 3rd Year

  • Sign up for electives - PEP form, elective forms. NB electives in some competitive fields fill EARLY 
  • If you think there is going to be any additional paperwork needed for your medical license application (eg if you have anything more than a traffic ticket) start getting the paperwork together NOW. 

Summer 4th Year 

  • Register for ERAS (registration is FREE - ideal mid-July; strategic deadline mid Oct). 
  • www.aamc.org/students/eras/start.htm with token you'll get in your email 
  • Register for NRMP (registration is $40 - do it in Aug - deadline without late fee Dec 1) 
  • Register for Step 2 CK (see guidelines) www.usmle.org Most programs want to see a score BEFORE ranking. This means taking it by mid-Dec for most students (Step 1 score <200 take it by mid Aug). 
  • Register for Step 2 CS (see guidelines) - sign up EARLY - sites can book up 9 months ahead of time. 
  • Make a dean's letter appointment with Dr Rogoff or Dr Peterson (late June-Sept). 
  • Write "initial paragraphs for dean's letter" and email them to Dr Rogoff (late June-Sept). 
  • If going into Internal Medicine or a field with an Internal Medicine prelim year, make appointmentfor Chairman's letter with Drs Glew AND Finberg (Aug-Sept). NB: list as one of your LOR's. 
  • Print out ERAS requests for letters of recommendation and ask for them EARLY (ideal by end of Sept; letters are due to Judy Holewa by late Oct). It is the STUDENT'S responsibility to see that they get in on time and you may need to remind your letter-writers. Max # LOR's sent to any one program via ERAS = 4 INCL the Chair's letter if needed; more may be uploaded to/ held in ERAS system. 
  • Answer ERAS questions and generate CV (ideal by Sept). 
  • Write personal statement, get it read by others (ideal by Sept). 

Fall 4th Year 

  • Sign up for ACLS/ BLS (one sign-up on list in Student Affairs alcove if you do it in a student slot or sign up for each course separately at www.umassmed.edu/cme ONLY if you can't do a student slot). 
  • If you might be in the top half of the class, print out ERAS CV and send to Student Affairs in case you are nominated for AOA (mid Sept). 
  • Get a 2.5x3.5 or 3x4 color photo with a light-colored background and send to Judy Holewa for ERAS application (mid Oct) Can be sent as a JPG attachment formatted to max 3x4 @300 dpi. 
  • Sign a release for transcript to be uploaded to ERAS (registrar's office; mid Oct). 
  • Complete ERAS application, certify it and APPLY (earliest = just after labor day; ideal = mid Sept;absolute deadlines vary by program, most are btw Nov 1 and Dec 1). 

Winter 4th Year 

  • Interviews (Nov, Dec or Jan - rarely even Oct or Feb) 
  • File Rank list (Feb) 
  • Submit yearbook half-page (by Match day - third Thursday in March) 

Spring 4th Year 

  • Check on the rules for the state where you matched and apply for a temporary/ training medical license as soon as you can (March-May) 
  • Make sure the name on your transcript (registrar) and graduation program/ diploma (Student Affairs)all match (April) 
  • Return pager to Judy Holewa (May or when you finish your last rotation in the area) 
  • Order Regalia/ request extra graduation tickets (Student Affairs - early May) 
  • Clean up any traffic tickets, library fines etc (by end of May) 
  • Certify for graduation (registrar - week before graduation) 
  • Graduation week activities and GRADUATE! CELEBRATE! (first Sunday in June)