RAMS ResidencyCAS Information

The ResidencyCAS Infographics, created through a collaborative effort by AEROS member organizations: SAEM RAMS, CORD, EMRA, AAEM/RSA, and ACOEP RSO, were designed to give medical students and residency applicants a clear, accessible overview of the ResidencyCAS process and updates in Emergency Medicine residency applications. This set of visuals highlight key information to help you navigate the new system confidently.

What You’ll Find:

Application Timeline
Pricing Overview
100% Participation by EM Programs
Geographic Connections & Signals
SLOEs (Standardized Letters of Evaluation)

Timeline for ResidencyCAS

Important dates for Emergency Medicine residency applicants

June 4, 2025 - ResidencyCAS is open

Create an account using an access link from your Dean’s office, ECFMG, or CaRMS.

Edit your application and upload relevant documents.

Aug 25, 2025 - 1st day to request USMLE/COMLEX transcripts

Sep 3-24, 2025 - Submit your application

Submit a complete application by September 24 for the best chance of success.

After submission, some sections will be locked while others can still be edited(such as contact information, supporting materials like SLOEs or score reports).

We recommend submitting by this date even if supporting materials will be late (e.g. SLOES).

Oct 1, 2025 - Applications are released to programs

There will not be a universal interview release day. Interviews will be offered on a rolling basis.

Historically, interview offers are initially released around the third week of October.

Pricing for ResidencyCAS

Programs 1-18	$99 flat rate
Programs 19-30	Additional $18/program
Programs 31+	Additional $23/program

Fee waivers are available if you received fee waivers for medical school applications through AMCAS/MCAT or AACOM

As an example, the average number for EM applications is 46.

#1-18		#19-30		#31-46
$99	+	12 x $18	+	16 x $23	=	$683

Remember to consider the additional cost of transmitting your USMLE and COMLEX transcripts (one-time $80 fee for each)

Geographic Connections

Select up to 3 city/state combinations where you hold a personal tie. You may include a very brief explanation for each selection.

This section is optional. It allows you to share locations you have strong connections to. These do not need to be locations where you have lived. For example:

the hometown of yourself or significant other
a permanent address different from your current address
a new location you strongly desire to move to

Geographic Connections are not equivalent to Signals or Geographic Preferences (GPs). GPs were used in prior application cycles and are now discontinued.

GPs were misunderstood by applicants and programs¹
GPs led to unintentional disadvantages for applicants¹
GPs were limited by the census map used¹

Geographic Connections represent your ties to different areas. They do not represent a “preference.” Signals do indicate a preference for a program.

¹Castro, Z., Fallon, T., McDonough, E., et al. Transition to ResidencyCAS for 2025–2026 application cycle: Deadlines and CORD updates. EMRA Medical Student Newsletter. https://www.emra.org/students/newsletter-articles/transition-to-residencycas-2025

ResidencyCAS Infographic Geographic Connections 3

Signals

Each applicant gets 5 signals. Only 1 can be sent to each program. Each signal is weighted equally. Do not signal home or away programs.

The goal of submitting a signal is to increase the chance of an interview offer.

The median rate for interview offers more than doubles with a signal.²
The median predicted probability of an interview for an in-state applicant without a signal is about equal to an out-of state applicant with a signal.²

Residency programs treat signals differently

Programs receiving a high percentage of signals more often use signals as “tiebreakers” between two equally strong applicants or to prioritize wait lists.³
Programs receiving a low percentage of signals more often respond to signals by offering interviews.³

Which programs get more signals?

The “top 10%” of signaled programs received 23% of signals²

4-year programs	>	3-year programs³
University-based	>	Community-based³
Urban	>	Rural³
West/East coast states	>	Non-coastal states³
Older programs	>	Younger programs³

So how should I use signals?

Signal only where you are truly interested.
1. Trim a “Top 10” list to a “Top 5” using tools such as AAMC Residency Explorer, EMRA Match, and Texas STAR.
Do not signal home or away programs
1. You already have a high chance of an interview offer if you rotated at that program!
Work with your medical school EM advisor.
1. Your signaling strategy will be unique to your application.
2. Your advisor can inform how to best allocate your signals.
3. If you don’t have access to an EM advisor, e-mail distanceadvising@cordjobboard.com to be connected.
Be honest regarding the competitiveness of your application against the program.
1. Do not signal unrealistic matches.

²Association of American Medical Colleges. ERAS® statistics: 2025 data and reports. AAMC. https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/data/eras-statistics-data

³Pelletier‑Bui AE, Fallon T, Smith L, et al. Program Signaling in Emergency Medicine: The 2022-2023 Program Director Experience. West J Emerg Med. 2024 Sep. PMID: 39319802.

ResidencyCAS Infographic Geographic Connections 4

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ResidencyCAS Infographic Geographic Connections 7

SLOEs

Types of Letters

Applicants can initiate letter requests for either SLOEs or Non-SLOEs

SLOEs are letters that evaluate your clinical abilities.
Non-SLOEs are narrative letters best suited for research, leadership, or work experiences.

Types of SLOEs

SLOEs are the most crucial part of your Emergency Medicine application.

eSLOE	Obtained after rotating at an EM residency program (either home or away)
Non-residency based SLOE	Evaluation by EM faculty not at an EM program (weighed less than eSLOEs)
(O)SLOE	Evaluation on an off-service rotation outside of EM
Sub-specialty SLOE	Rotation teaching EM sub-specialty content (e.g. ultrasound, pediatrics, toxicology)

How many letters do I need?

We encourage you to submit at least 3 letters: 2 eSLOEs + 1-2 letters of any type

(Sub-specialty SLOE, Non-residency SLOE, O-SLOE, and/or Non-SLOE/Narrative LoR).

Programs will not consider an application complete unless one letter is submitted. You can assign a max of 4 letters to each program. However, you can upload as many letters as you want. You can choose any combination of the letters for each program.

How do I initiate a Letter Request?

Navigate to the Program Materials / Evaluations section
Indicate whether the letter will be a SLOE or Non-SLOE
Select the evaluation due date (9/24/2025)
Assign the evaluation to programs. However, you do not need to assign it immediately.
- You should assign letters before October 1 when programs start reviewing applications.
After clicking Request, an email will immediately be sent to the letter writer with instructions and a link to the appropriate letter portal.
- SLOEs are submitted via CORD’s eSLOE portal
- Non-SLOEs are submitted via ResidencyCAS’s letter portal

What if a SLOE is late?

Submit your application by September 24, 2025 even if a SLOE will be late.

Letters can be uploaded and assigned in ResidencyCAS anytime after application submission. Do not worry if a SLOE is late 1-2 weeks. In this case, you do not need to contact programs that a SLOE has been uploaded. However, by the third week of October, the applicant review process is well under way. In this case, you should contact programs to inform them a SLOE has been uploaded.

Complete ResidencyCAS Infographic Set

AEROS ResidencyCAS Infographics

Additional Resources:

EMRA & CORD Student Advising Guide chapter on ResidencyCAS
2025 Application Process and Recent Changes for Medical Students
CORD ResidencyCAS Webinar- "Succeeding in ResidencyCAS Interviews" (September 2025)