Applying To Programs

Decoding Program Types

Categorical (C): A Categorical position is one that offers a full residency training required for board certification in that specialty. A preliminary year is not required for these programs. 

Advanced Program (A):  An Advanced position is a PGY-2 position that begins 1-2 years after the match and requires completion of one or more years of preliminary training. The following specialties offer advanced positions (some have both advanced and categorial): Anesthesiology, Dermatology, Neurology, Ophthalmology, PM&R, Radiation Oncology and Diagnostic Radiology.  

Preliminary Program: A Preliminary position is PGY-1 position that offers 1-2 years of generalized training prior to entry to Advanced specialty programs. Many Internal Medicine and General Surgery training programs offer preliminary positions in addition to categorical positions. Transition year programs are also considered preliminary programs.  

Transitional Program:  Also a PGY-1 position that is 1 year of training similar to a “rotating” internship.

Creating a List

Creating a list of programs is one of the most important things you will do in the residency application process. Students are encouraged to consult multiple resources when creating their list of programs to make informed decisions regarding program fit, program and location preferences, and your comparative strength as an applicant.

• AMA | FREIDA
• AAMC | Residency Explorer Tool
• ResidencyCAS | Alignment Insights

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General Recommendations:

Most specialty programs: The total number of programs to apply to will vary considerably based on specialty, your comparative standing as an applicant, and the make-up of your list. In general, we recommend that students apply to enough programs to secure an interview at 12-14 programs and have at least 11 programs on their rank order list.

Preliminary programs: This number depends on whether you are applying just locally or also in locations where you are looking for a PGY-2, as well as your personal competitiveness and the competitiveness of your specialty. Many students will apply locally (5-7) or in locations where you are looking for a PGY-2 (10 – 15). Some students will use a preliminary year as a back-up plan (10-15). If you have applied to only highly desirable community programs, you may need more applications to gather more interview opportunities.

• We recommend that all UMSOM students apply to the respective preliminary programs offered at University of Maryland Medical Center. 

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How to Explore:

• The AMA FREIDA (Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database Access) and AAMC Residency Explorer may be a good place to start when researching programs. FRIEDA and Residency Explorer include an extensive list of programs with information about location, program type, salaries, and benefits.
• Some specialties have specialty-specific lists; students are encouraged to consult with their Advisors regarding specialty-specific resources.
• Alignment Insights is a feature in the ResidencyCAS application portal that shows how closely your application aligns with the profiles of past applicants who were invited to interview by participating OB-GYN programs.
• We also recommend research programs of interest directly by reviewing their website or contacting programs for additional information. The program and program website are the ultimate and most up to date source of information for a specific program.

OSA and Specialty Advisors, as well Alumni Network, are additional resources to consult when creating a list.  

• Students should discuss their program lists, including the number of programs to apply to, with OSA and Specialty Advisors. Your OSA Advisor can review past years MedScope data with you to gauge comparative strength as an applicant.
• Specialty Advisors have more intimate knowledge of programs in their field and can offer a specialty-specific perspective.

 

 

Signaling

Program Signaling occurs at the time of application and provides the applicant an opportunity to express interest in programs. Program signals are used in turn by residency programs, as one of many factors they consider when deciding whether to interview an applicant. 

• More than 20 specialties are participating in Program Signaling.
• Applicants are allotted a varying number of Program Signals based on Specialty.
• Applicants can send program signals for each of the specialties to which they apply

A list of specialties participating in program signaling can be found on from ERAS for the 2026 season.  An up-to-date list of individual programs participating in signaling will be available from ERAS in June.  The AAMC encourages applicants to signal home and away programs unless otherwise stated. ResidencyCas does participate in signaling.

AAMC | 2025 MyERAS Applicant User Guide – Program Signals Overview for Residency Applicants

AAMC | ERAS Exploring the Relationship Between Program Signaling & Interview Invitations Across Specialties  

AAMC | Program Signaling for the 2026 MyERAS Application Season

AAMC | ERAS Preliminary Program Signaling Data and Their Impact on Residency Selection

Program Signaling for the 2026 Match Cycle
Residency Specialty	No. of Program Signals
Anesthesiology	5 Gold; 10 Silver
Child Neurology	3
Dermatology	3 Gold; 25 Silver
Emergency Medicine	5 *
Family Medicine	5
Internal Medicine	3 Gold; 12 Silver
Internal Medicine & Psychiatry	2
Neurological Surgery	25
Neurology	8
Obstetrics & Gynecology	3 Gold; 15 Silver
Ophthalmology
Orthopedic Surgery	30
Otolaryngology	25
Pathology	5
Pediatrics	5
Physical Medicine & Rehab	20
Plastic Surgery	5*
Public Health/Preventive Medicine	3
Psychiatry	10
Radiation Oncology	4
Radiology, Diagnostic and Interventional	6 Gold; 6 Silver
Surgery, General	15
Thoracic Surgery	3
Urology

*Emergency Medicine – do NOT signal home or away programs.

Signaling Tips

Tips and Considerations for Signaling

• We recommend that you use all available program signals for each specialty to which you apply.
• Selecting which programs to signal is an important consideration – students should plan to include programs for which they are competitive and should discuss signaling strategy with the OSA and Specialty Advisors.
• Applicants should expect a higher interview rate for programs they signaled. However, students still receive interviews from non-signaled programs but at a lower rate (particularly for small signal specialties). This is likely to influence the total number of applications, however, in many cases, students should expect to apply to more programs than they signaled.
• Program signals must be assigned on the Saved Programs page or your MyERAS application (Programs Menu) before applying to programs. 

Geographic Preference

*Note that ResidencyCAS does not include a section for Geographic or Setting Preferences.

AAMC | MyERAS Applicant User Guide - Geographic Preferences

Geographic Preference:

Applicants can indicate a preference (or lack of preference) for geographic regions in ERAS through the Geographic Preferences section.

• Applicants may select up to three U.S. census divisions, or indicate a lack of preference, and can describe their preferences.
• Geographic signals may be used by residency programs when deciding on applicants to interview – often identifying applicants that may have otherwise been overlooked.  
• Only programs within the division selected will see your response. If you select ‘no preference’ all programs will see your response.

We recommend that students discuss their geographic preferences and responses in this section with their advisors. Generally, being honest with your preferences (or lack of) is a tool to help you in ensuring a good fit with your future residency program and increasing the likelihood of interview offers in locations of interest.

Setting Preferences:

Applicants may also select a setting preference including urban, suburban, rural and no preference. If you indicate a preference or lack of preference this information will be shared with all programs to which you applied.

 

 

Acuity Insights Assessments 

Acuity Insights Assessments

What is Acuity Insights Assessments? Acuity Insights Assessments is a collection of assessments that give applicants the opportunity for programs to get to know them better, earlier on in the admissions process to stand out from the crowd, by demonstrating their unique competencies and attributes that showcase who they are, beyond their grades.

• Casper – an online open-response, situational judgment test that evaluates aspects of applicants’ social intelligence and professionalism such as ethics, empathy, problem-solving and collaboration. Results shared with programs on your list within 2-3 weeks of completion.
• Duet – an untimed value-alignment assessment that compares what applicants value most in a program to what the programs have to offer (only applies to applicants to US undergraduate and graduate medical programs). Results shared with programs on your list in 24 hours of completion.
• FAQ for Casper and Duet: https://intercom.help/acuityinsights/en/articles/8381195-essential-information-on-casper-and-duet

Is Acuity Insight Assessment required?  It depends and may be based on a specific specialty and program. Unfortunately, the best way to determine if it is required is to check individual program requirements. The list of programs below is not comprehensive, and you should check out the main website to check programs that require the Acuity Insight Assessments. If you take this series of assessments, only participating programs will see your results.

How to sign up for the assessment? Information for registration and other logistics can be found here: https://acuityinsights.app/dates-times/

How to prepare for the assessment? Information on preparation including practice tests and practical  strategies can be found on their test prep page.

• Casper: https://acuityinsights.app/test-prep-casper/
• Duet: https://acuityinsights.app/test-prep-duet/

How much does Acuity Assessment cost? This can be found at https://acuityinsights.app/dates-times

Specific GME programs noted in the beginning of the application season.

Please check with the website to see if your interested program is listed | https://acuityinsights.app/

In the past, these are examples of programs/specialties requested Acuity Insights. This may not be up-to-date.

Anesthesiology:

• Beth Israel Deaconess
• Emory
• Rush
• UConn Health
• University of Florida Gainesville
• University of Arizona
• University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
• University of Utah

Internal Medicine

• Sinai Grace Hospital/Detroit Medical Cetner-Waynes State University
• Mary Mercy Hospital
• University of Connecticut

Interventional Radiology

• Hofstra University Northwell Health

OBGYN

• Ascension Providence Hospital
• Creighton University Phoenix
• Hofstra University Northwell Health
• OhioHealth Riverside
• John’s Episcopal Hospital South Shore
• Joseph Hospital
• The Brooklyn Hospital
• Western Michigan University
• Wright State University

Surgery

• Beth Israel Deaconess
• Northeast Georgia Medical Center