Residency Applications: Submitting Your Medical School Transcripts

As an international medical graduate (IMG), one of the supporting documents you’ll need to submit with your residency application is your medical school transcript, which shows your academic background. While the transcript may not be considered the most important part of the residency application, it can still help program directors learn about the subjects you studied in medical school, how long you studied each subject, and how well you did on your exams.
Here are a few things you’ll want to know about getting your medical school transcripts into the hands of program directors during the residency application process.
 

• The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) is the designated dean’s office for all IMGs who use the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) to apply for U.S. residency positions. You’ll provide your supporting documents—including your medical school transcript—to the ECFMG to transmit to your ERAS application.

• Keep in mind that if your medical school takes part in the ECFMG Medical School Web Portal (EMSWP) ERAS program, you need to contact the school to have your transcripts submitted through EMSWP ERAS on your behalf.

• Contact your school early to request the transcript with plenty of time to spare. Once you have the transcript, submit a copy to ERAS Support Services via ECFMG’s On-line Applicant Status and Information System (OASIS) (ECFMG’s web-based information service for ECFMG applicants).

• The transcript needs to include your full name. You’ll also want to avoid using “security paper” with a busy background, because it makes the scanned image illegible. Ask your school to copy your transcript onto plain paper.

• If you’re a transfer student and would like to submit more than one medical school transcript for your ERAS application, scan all the pages of all the transcripts as one file, and upload that file.

• If your medical school transcript isn’t in English, prepare an English translation. Have it certified as correct by any one of these entities:
  • a medical school official such as a dean or registrar
  • a government official (for example, a consular agent)
  • a professional translation service

You’ll submit only the English translation to ERAS Support Services at ECFMG.
Although you may have provided a transcript for ECFMG Certification, you’ll need to resubmit a copy to ERAS Support Services. You can ask the ECFMG to transfer a copy of that document to your ERAS application.
If you can’t provide a medical school transcript at all, show this on the Additional Documents page of the MyERAS application. Once you do, a neutral placeholder letter will be provided in place of the transcript to all the programs you’re applying to.
The letter will state, “This document is provided in lieu of the applicant’s medical school transcript. Please contact the applicant with any questions you may have.” This makes sure your application appears complete for programs that require a medical school transcript.
One last note: ERAS Support Services at ECFMG strongly recommends that you make copies of all your documents for your personal records.