Ordering Your AMCAS Activities and ERAS Experiences

I've recently received a few questions about how best to order the AMCAS activities and the ERAS experiences. You do not have a choice in how you list your accomplishments. The computer will arrange them chronologically. This is one less thing to worry about!

Be a Minimalist

Just a reminder that AMCAS activities character limits are 700 (with up to 15 activities total) and ERAS experience character limits are 1020 (with a limitless number of activities). (The ERAS "reason for leaving" is 510.)

You do not need to write up to the character limit! In fact, brief, streamlined writing makes a much bigger impact. Your written materials are critical to your application; ensure you submit your best work.

Optional Secondary Essays: Are They Really Optional?

I've recently received several questions about optional secondary essays and their necessity. I would recommend completing these essays if you have something new or important to say. Writing these essays just to have more "stuff" on your application won't further your candidacy.

Another tip on secondaries: Start early. Although there is overlap among schools, you may have twenty to thirty of these to write, depending on the number of applications you send.

California Licensure for IMGs

Today I have a guest blogger. Daniel Louvet worked in my hospital's emergency department before he left to go to medical school. Daniel is super talented, smart and an all-around nice guy :).

Below is some very helpful and detailed information for IMGs interested in the requirements for California licensure.

As a native California resident and a recent IMG from Ross University
School of Medicine, I have often been asked by my fellow colleagues
about the process of becoming a licensed physician in the state of
California. The answer is as follows:

(A) First, the international medical school MUST be recognized by the
state of California and MUST be listed on their website PRIOR to starting medical school. NO EXCEPTIONS.

(B) Second, the student's United States clinical rotations MUST fulfill these requirements:

1) A total of 70 weeks of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) clinical rotations MUST be completed by the time the application for licensure in California is submitted.

2) Of the 70 weeks of ACGME clinical rotations, 40 weeks of the 70 weeks MUST come from CORE rotations. The minimum number of weeks for each of the respective CORE rotations are as follows:

Internal medicine - 8 weeks
General surgery - 8 weeks
Ob/Gyn - 6 weeks
Pediatrics - 6 weeks
Family medicine - 4 weeks
Psychiatry - 4 weeks

While these CORE rotations only add up to a total of 36 weeks, an additional 4 weeks to complete the total of 40 weeks MUST come from any of the CORE rotations listed.

3) Of the 70 weeks of ACGME clinical rotations, 30 weeks of the 70 weeks MUST come from ELECTIVE rotations.

4) At the end of each ACGME clinical rotation, an L6 form must be completed PER clinical rotation as part of the application process for California licensure. The L6 form can be found here.

In the event that some of the requirements are not fulfilled by your medical school graduation date, it is highly recommended you complete these rotations after graduation and prior to starting residency, through your medical school.

If you happen to do a residency outside of California and have yet to fulfill all the requirements, it is possible to count the respective rotations done while in residency towards obtaining California licensure through a petition by contacting the California medical boards at (916) 263-2382. For instance, if you had a non-approved/non-ACGME Family Medicine rotation during medical school, and you matched into a Family Medicine residency, it is possible to count the Family Medicine rotation completed during residency to obtaining California licensure in the future.