RAMS SPECIAL FEATURE
Introduction to Preference/Program Signaling in Emergency Medicine SAEM PULSE | JULY-AUGUST 2022
By Elizabeth Barrall Werley, MD; Melanie Camejo, MD, MHPE; Ryan D. Pappal, Hamza Ijaz, MD; and Alexis Pelletier-Bui, MD, on behalf of SAEM Residents and Medical Students
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Introduction
Emergency Medicine (EM) will be participating in Preference/Program Signaling (PS) as a pilot in the 20222023 residency application cycle through the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) Supplemental Application (SuppApp). Our specialty will be joining 15 other specialties in utilizing the ERAS SuppApp, but is one of only two specialties that will only be participating
in the PS component and not the past experiences or geographic preferences sections. PS gives EM applicants the option to signal their genuine interest in up to five participating residency programs.
What is Preference/Program Signaling? What is its goal and how does it help applicants and residency programs? PS was first implemented in labor economics in 2006 after experiencing
issues similar to the increasingly complex residency application process. Applicants were overapplying for positions and employers were struggling to holistically review applicant files and identify truly interested candidates who were a good fit for their organizations. PS provided applicants the ability to denote genuine interest in a limited number of potential employers, helping them gain better visibility with the organizations in which they were most interested. In turn, employers
