On April 27, 2023, the AAMC and Thalamus announced a multi-year strategic collaboration to accelerate innovation and ease the transition to residency for medical students, medical schools, and residency programs. The following FAQs answer questions about this initiative and what it means for the graduate medical education (GME) and undergraduate medical education (UME) communities.
Last Updated: May 21, 2024
General
Complimentary access is provided to all ERAS®residency and fellowship programs:
- Thalamus Core: Thalamus interview management platform.
- Itinerary Wizard: Easily generate applicant/faculty interview day schedules with meeting links.
- Cerebellum: Data/analytics dashboard to assess diversity, equity, inclusivity, and geographic recruitment outcomes at both the institutional and programmatic levels.
Offered to all ERAS residency and fellowship programs for an additional fee:
- Thalamus Video: Thalamus video interview platform.
- Cortex: Technology-assisted holistic review and application screening.
Contact sales@thalamusgme.com for more information, to schedule a demo, or to obtain a quote.
Note: Residency programs in Orthopaedic Surgery, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R),and Urology will also receive complimentary access to Cortex through an optional pilot program by opting in through ERAS Program Management (EPM) for the upcoming 2025 ERAS season. Participating residency programs in these specialties will be required to complete a survey at the end of the 2025 application cycle to share their experience with onboarding and usage as the AAMC and Thalamus consider expanding access to more specialties. If your program is in the specialties listed above and/or you have Cortex-specific questions or training needs, contact us at customercare@thalamusgme.com
The AAMC and Thalamus formed a strategic collaboration to accelerate innovation and ease the transition to residency and fellowship for medical students, residents, medical schools, and GME programs The collaboration combines the AAMC’s long-established leadership in innovation along the continuum from medical school through residency training and continuing medical education, with Thalamus’s market-leading product and software development expertise. The organizations are leveraging their data, technology, and expertise to transform the medical residency and fellowship recruitment processes for applicants and programs by increasing transparency, supporting equity through holistic review, reducing fragmentation, and improving the learner experience.
In August 2021, the Coalition for Physician Accountability’s (COPA) Undergraduate Medical Education-Graduate Medical Education Review Committee (UGRC) provided its Final Recommendation for Comprehensive Improvement of the UME-GME Transition. Recommendation 22 called for the community to “develop and implement standards for the interview offer and acceptance process, including timing and methods of communication, for both learners and programs, to improve equity and fairness, to minimize educational disruption, and to improve wellbeing.” The recommendation specifically called for the “development of a common interview offering/scheduling platform.” The COPA UGRC report was the result of years of UME-GME community interest and feedback to standardize the residency (and fellowship) interview scheduling process on a centralized platform to benefit applicants, programs, and medical schools.
Historically, the AAMC and Thalamus comprised the largest share of GME interviews on their collective platforms (achieving an average of over 80% in the majority of residency and fellowship specialties). Thalamus was built to act as a centralized interview platform, allowing applicants to visualize all interviews from all programs in a single calendar, providing an optimized and best-in-class learner-centric solution. The software also provides an enhanced interview management experience for GME programs.
The AAMC and Thalamus decided to collaborate to provide the most comprehensive solution for the UME and GME communities, including enhanced reporting through Thalamus Cerebellum, the Residency Explorer™ tool, and the Dean’s Workstation (DWS). Thus, this collaboration not only streamlines the interview management process but also consolidates data for further analysis, facilitating the study and examination of COPA UGRC recommendations 21 (Virtual Interviewing), 23 (Innovations in the Residency Application Process), and 24 (Specialty-Specific Limits on Interviews).
Collectively, the AAMC and Thalamus are well-positioned to lead this initiative through technology, data, and other innovation, driving positive change in the process. In recent years, the AAMC has completed in-depth research and enhanced the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) suite of application and selection tools. Thalamus has developed innovative solutions through Cortex, Cerebellum, and other tools while completing unique research regarding the UME-GME transition and physician workforce including how geography influences The Match® and specialty-specific interview practices. This collaboration is well-timed to further modernize the ERAS application portfolio and streamline the GME recruitment process to meet the needs of the next generation of doctors.
This collaboration is well-timed to further modernize the ERAS application portfolio and streamline the GME recruitment process to meet the needs of the next generation of doctors.
Over the years, both organizations have collaborated with others in the GME community to improve the transition to residency for all parties. For example, the AAMC and eight other organizations presently collaborate to provide the Residency Explorer tool. Thalamus has partnered with the American Medical Association to support obstetrics and gynecology programs and has conducted research with the National Resident Matching Program®. Expanding collaborative opportunities to additional organizations would be beneficial to the UME and GME communities and is likely in the future.
Over 6,500 programs (>75% of programs in the 2024 ERAS season) opted in to receive complimentary access to Thalamus Core, Itinerary Wizard, and Cerebellum through the AAMC/Thalamus Collaboration. Over 400,000 interviews were scheduled accounting for approximately 70% of all contiguous ranks submitted to The Match. More on the success of year one of the collaboration is described here.
For the 2024 ERAS application season, programs benefited from the newly updated MyERAS® application, which incorporated program signals, geographic preferences, and impactful experiences. Additionally, programs benefited from enhancements to Thalamus’ comprehensive interview management platform.
The AAMC and Thalamus began aggregating and sharing key data to improve insights into the selection process, including application and interview data, as well as outcomes, for reporting, and are working together to research the key issues in the transition to residency and fellowship to help stakeholders make informed decisions through data and analytics.
For the 2024 ERAS application season, applicants benefited from the newly updated MyERAS application, which incorporated program signals, geographic preferences, and impactful experiences. Additionally, many applicants benefited from Thalamus’ comprehensive interview management platform including enhancements around multiple interviews, social events, and more. Applicants scheduled over 400,000 interviews on Thalamus Core, which accounts for approximately 70% of all contiguous ranks submitted to The Match.
The AAMC and Thalamus began aggregating and sharing key data to improve insights into the selection process, including application and interview data, as well as outcomes, for reporting, and are working together to research the key issues in the transition to residency and fellowship to help stakeholders make informed decisions through data and analytics.
For the 2025 ERAS application season, all ERAS residency and fellowship programs will continue to receive complimentary access to Thalamus Core, Itinerary Wizard, and Cerebellum as part of the multi-year collaboration.
Thalamus Core will replace ERAS Interview Scheduler as the main interview management platform for all applicants and programs. Cerebellum will replace ERAS Analytics for Institutions as the main data and analytics reporting tool for programs. Program users will still be able to use the PDWS for pre- and post-interview activities in addition to selecting which applicants to move to Thalamus Core and/or Cortex.
A major enhancement to the upcoming season will be the release of the AAMC Thalamus application program interface (API) in July 2024. The API will allow for streamlined transfer of program data including applicant application data fields, photos and all application documents (i.e., pdfs) to Thalamus Core and/or Cortex.
The API is intended to streamline transfer of data previously accomplished via CSV export (for Thalamus Core) or bulk print of PDFs (for Cortex). The API will also allow for single sign-on (SSO), whereby ERAS PDWS users will be able to log in to all Thalamus products using their AAMC credentials (in addition to their Thalamus-specific username and password).
Given the totality of these enhancements, it is anticipated that the vast majority of programs, up to entire specialties (as much as >80-90% of programs in some specialties), will leverage Thalamus Core and other products to manage their interviews for the 2025 ERAS season.
Given the increased opt-in rate anticipated for ERAS residency and fellowship to use Thalamus products for the 2025 ERAS season as a result of broader adoption, the sunsetting of ERAS Interview Scheduler, and the release of the AAMC Thalamus API, it is expected that a large proportion of interviews (as much as >80-90% of interviews in some specialties) will be scheduled through Thalamus Core’s web and mobile applications as a centralized calendar.
Applicants using ERAS will receive their Thalamus account creation link via email upon ERAS token consumption. This differs from previous years when the account creation link was provided in an applicant’s first interview invitation email.
Additionally, it is expected that applicants will virtually interview through Thalamus (either through Thalamus Video or Zoom/Teams/Webex integrations). Applicant itineraries will display in Thalamus for easy access to video interview links and streamlined interview days, rather than aggregating schedules and video links through email.
Applicants will also be able to take advantage of single sign-on (SSO), whereby MyERAS users will be able to log in to all Thalamus products using their AAMC credentials (in addition to their Thalamus-specific username and password).
Overall, the AAMC and Thalamus aim to provide applicants with a more integrated application and interview management experience, including enhanced data to manage their interviews more easily.
Yes, data security is paramount to the GME community. The ERAS program and Thalamus will continue to prioritize data practices using industry best practices. All new systems and services, including the AAMC Thalamus API, will be continuously developed and tested to ensure data integrity and regulatory compliance.
Specific details regarding the collaboration are included on the Thalamus website and the AAMC website. For additional product information, video walkthroughs, and more, please visit the Thalamus website and knowledge base.
Thalamus also offers several complimentary and paid training options, in both live and recorded formats, which can be accessed through the Thalamus training page. New for 2024 is the Thalamus University Online Academy, a novel, virtual learning module platform, featuring complimentary, on-demand training and content available 24/7 for programs and applicants.
The Thalamus customer experience team, nearly the entirety of which are former program coordinators and administrators, can be contacted at any time through the help button at the bottom right-hand corner of any Thalamus webpage or by emailing us at customercare@thalamusgme.com. The Thalamus team is excited to continue to help and support the community make this transition to Thalamus products and services.
Additionally, there will be several webinars offered jointly by the AAMC and Thalamus through Spring and Summer 2024 to prepare the GME community to use the enhanced offerings and API.
Residency and fellowship programs using the ERAS system can opt in for complimentary access to Thalamus Core, Itinerary Wizard, and Cerebellum for the 2025 ERAS recruitment season through ERAS Program Management (EPM) beginning April 15, 2024. To register, please log in to the Program Director’s WorkStation (PDWS) with your AAMC credentials. Navigate to the Program Management tab and select the appropriate options. When accessing PDWS for the first time, you will need to agree to the Terms and Conditions before you are prompted to opt in to Thalamus. Please note: Indicating interest in complimentary access to Thalamus products is encouraged but optional. If your program indicates that it does not want to participate, then later decides to use Thalamus, you will need to contact the AAMC Support Center to request this change be made manually. If your program or institution is interested in receiving more information on Thalamus products, please complete the respective sign-up form available on both the AAMC and Thalamus websites. For information regarding purchasing Cortex and Thalamus Video for ERAS residency and fellowship programs, or all Thalamus products for non-ERAS programs, please contact sales@thalamusgme.com. Institutional licenses and discounts are also available for all ERAS and non-ERAS programs.
Bulk onboarding to Thalamus will begin on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, when the 2025 ERAS season opens. Programs will receive an email containing account and login information within 72 business hours of the season opening or the date of form submission (for opt-ins after June 5). Programs are onboarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
Program access: When a program opts in to use Thalamus through ERAS Program Management (EPM), the primary program contact (i.e., the individual who opts in) in ERAS PDWS will receive an onboarding email with access instructions within 72 business hours after opting in, starting on June 5, 2024. This user will have access to all provisioned/purchased products (both complimentary and/or add-on products as applicable). Onboarding emails for Cortex and Thalamus Video will be sent to the individual listed as the point of contact for the purchase.
Additionally, all program users assigned in the ERAS PDWS will automatically have accounts provisioned in Thalamus Core with similar permissions as in the ERAS PDWS (see below), and viewable via the “Administration” page through the API. Program users will automatically receive a Thalamus welcome email to finalize Thalamus-specific credentials but may also authenticate into Thalamus using their AAMC (ERAS PDWS) credentials through single sign-on (SSO). Once a program user exists on the “Administration” page in Thalamus Core, they will be provisioned with only Thalamus Core access. Program administrators may configure Cortex and/or Cerebellum access separately and at any time. Cortex and Cerebellum access may be assigned to individual users or in bulk as needed.
New for the 2025 ERAS season, programs will be able to bulk import a list (i.e., CSV file) of program users/interviewers into their program’s Thalamus “Administration” page to accommodate bulk account creation of users (i.e., those without ERAS PWDS access whose accounts would now be created through the API).
Institutional access: ERAS PDWS users that have roles of Institutional Super Users (ISUs) and Alternate Institutional Super Users (AISUs) will also be assigned the Institutional Manager (IM) role in Thalamus products. This is the highest-level permission in Thalamus and provides access to the IM view in Thalamus Core (which includes access to all programs) and the Institutional view for Cerebellum. For any additional institutional users that do not have access to ERAS PDWS, but require access to Thalamus products, please contact customercare@thalamusgme.com to request IM account access.
ERAS program: For all support and troubleshooting questions for AAMC login and ERAS products and services, please contact ERAS support.
Thalamus: For all support and troubleshooting questions for all Thalamus products, services, and login, please contact the Thalamus customer success team, submit a support ticket, or click the “help” button on the bottom right-hand corner of any Thalamus webpage.
Both ERAS and Thalamus support teams can assist in escalating issues to the corresponding product team as needed.
When the 2026 ERAS season begins in July 2025, all ERAS programs will have complimentary access to the Thalamus's Cortex holistic application review platform, which uses artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to streamline the application screening and review process. The process will be streamlined through the opt-in for Thalamus use through ERAS Program Management (EPM). Read the Nov. 7 press release for more information. Additional updates will be shared in the coming months.
ERAS programs that are already using and/or previously purchased Cortex as an add-on service will receive Thalamus on a complimentary basis. If your program/institution has pre-paid or already paid for a recruitment season starting in or after July 2025, you will receive a refund prior to the start of the 2026 ERAS season.
How Programs previously using ERAS Interview Scheduler can transition to Thalamus Core
ERAS Interview Scheduler users can transition to Thalamus Core for the upcoming 2025 ERAS season which includes the July (Fellowship), September (Residency), and December (Fellowship) application cycles. See FAQs regarding opt-in and onboarding for additional information.
For the 2025 ERAS season, Thalamus Core will replace ERAS Interview Scheduler as the main interview management platform for all applicants and programs.
Programs that have previously used ERAS Scheduler can transition to Thalamus Core through the following process:
- Select to opt in for complimentary access to Thalamus Core, Itinerary Wizard, and Cerebellum through ERAS Program Management (EPM) starting April 15, 2024.
- Onboarding to Thalamus products will begin on June 5, 2024, to correspond with the start of the ERAS 2025 recruitment season on a first-come, first-served basis. Programs will receive an email containing account and login information within 72 business hours of season-opening or the date of form submission (for opt-ins after June 5).
- Once access to your Thalamus program account is obtained, your program can begin setting up your program profile, calendar, email templates, and more. Specific instructions for migrating email templates and other data to Thalamus Core can be found through the Thalamus support knowledge base.
There is no cost to ERAS programs. From June 2023 on, all ERAS program-participating residency and fellowship programs are eligible for complimentary access to Thalamus’ leading interview management platform, Thalamus Core and Itinerary Wizard, as well as Cerebellum, a novel data and analytics dashboard to assess recruitment outcomes, specifically from a diversity, equity, inclusion, and geographic perspective. ERAS program-participating programs will continue to have complimentary access to all three of these products as part of the enhanced suite of ERAS tools, data analytics, and research in this multi-year collaboration.
No. There are no plans to charge ERAS program-participating residency and fellowship programs to use these tools as part of the multi-year strategic collaboration. Programs can pay an additional fee to use Thalamus Video, a virtual interview platform, or Cortex, a technology-assisted holistic review and applicant screening platform. For 2025, Orthopaedic Surgery, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), and Urology residency programs will receive complimentary access to Cortex as part of a pilot program sponsored by the AAMC.
The AAMC and Thalamus have been working to consolidate the interview management process into a centralized platform to support all applicant and program interview scheduling activities. Thalamus Core will replace ERAS Interview Scheduler in July 2024 at the beginning of the ERAS 2025 season. Offering one primary interview scheduling system reduces complexity for the applicants and better enables national research to improve the transition to residency.
Note: December Cycle fellowships still participating in the ERAS 2024 season will continue to have ERAS Scheduler until the completion of their recruitment season and respective matches.
Important: Programs should continue utilizing their preferred application review and screening processes and practices, either in ERAS PDWS, Thalamus Cortex and/or other methods (e.g. printing applications, etc.). Thalamus Core is an interview management tool and is only intended to be used for this purpose.
No. The PDWS will continue to be a central component of the ERAS system. Programs will still access and use the PDWS as part of this collaboration. The AAMC will continue to enhance the ERAS suite of tools and this collaboration with Thalamus enables significant and rapid improvements to ERAS functionality, data analytics, and ongoing research initiatives.
Beginning in the 2025 ERAS season, ERAS Interview Scheduler within the PDWS will be replaced by Thalamus Core, and ERAS Analytics for Institutions will be replaced with Cerebellum. Program users will still be able to use the PDWS for pre- and post-interview activities, as well as the option to select which applicants to move to Thalamus Core and/or Cortex.
No. The PDWS will continue to be a central component of the ERAS system. Programs will still access and use the PDWS as part of this collaboration. The AAMC will continue to enhance the ERAS suite of tools and this collaboration with Thalamus enables significant and rapid improvements to ERAS functionality, data analytics, and ongoing research initiatives.
Beginning in the 2025 ERAS season, ERAS Interview Scheduler within the PDWS will be replaced by Thalamus Core, and ERAS Analytics for Institutions will be replaced with Cerebellum. Program users will still be able to use the PDWS for pre- and post-interview activities, as well as the option to select which applicants to move to Thalamus Core and/or Cortex.
Programs using Thalamus Core in ERAS 2024 and prior seasons
For programs already using Thalamus Core, Itinerary Wizard, and Cerebellum, the collaboration between the AAMC and Thalamus will continue to offer complimentary access as part of this multi-year collaboration. Thalamus Video and Cortex can still be purchased for an additional fee.
Other Thalamus services, such as premium support, will continue to be offered to programs for an additional fee. Please contact sales@thalamusgme.com for more information.
Beginning in the upcoming ERAS 2025 season, data will be transferred from ERAS PDWS to Thalamus Core (and Cortex) via an application program interface (API). ERAS users will be able to select applicants to transfer to Thalamus Core and/or Cortex through the ERAS PDWS. Once authorized, all data for these selected applicants including any new application information and documents will automatically sync and be updated in Thalamus Core and/or Cortex. This replaces the prior need for programs to utilize the ERAS PDWS CSV export for transfer to Thalamus Core, and the PDWS bulk print feature to create application PDFs for upload to Cortex.
Programs using other interview scheduling tools
Yes, use of Thalamus is optional for programs, and you can stay with your existing system/process. As the ERAS Scheduler will not be available, some of the ERAS PDWS Interview Statuses will also no longer be available for programs to track interviews outside of ERAS PDWS. Programs that choose not to use Thalamus will have limited data available in Thalamus Cerebellum for the program and institution-specific dashboards. This will continue to cause a fragmented interview experience for applicants, who thereby will schedule interviews on multiple platforms, and make it challenging to support specialty-specific processes, research, and innovation.
Thalamus Core, Itinerary Wizard, and Cerebellum are offered complimentary to all ERAS residency and fellowship programs. Thalamus Video and/or Cortex are available for additional fees, and pricing may be obtained by contacting sales@thalamusgme.com.
Programs and institutions planning to use Thalamus Cerebellum (data and analytics dashboard)
Yes, Thalamus Cerebellum has a program-specific view optimized for Program Directors, Coordinators, and other program leadership. There is also an institutional view optimized for DIOs, GME managers, and similar institution-wide personnel/staff. For ERAS 2025, ERAS Analytics for Institutions will be sunset and all reporting for programs and institutions will be managed through Thalamus Cerebellum.
Use of the Thalamus Core software is encouraged but optional. However, to take advantage of Thalamus Cerebellum, a novel data and analytics dashboard to assess recruitment outcomes, residency and fellowship programs must at least opt-in to use Thalamus products. Programs that do not use Thalamus Core for their interview management will have minimal data and reports available in Cerebellum limited to application counts and metrics. No interview management statistics or data will be visible for programs that do not use Thalamus Core (this includes the corresponding program data in the Cerebellum DIO/institutional view).
For the ERAS 2025 recruitment season and in the future, this process has been updated. Now, all applicant data will be displayed for all programs, regardless of whether the program uses Cortex (or transfers all applicants into Cortex). This is due to the AAMC Thalamus API syncing data between ERAS PDWS and Thalamus products. Future updates to Thalamus Cerebellum are planned to provide enhanced reporting for programs using Cortex regarding application screening and review data and metrics.
In previous seasons (prior to ERAS 2025), application data and statistics for applicants were only displayed in Thalamus Cerebellum if the program utilized Thalamus Cortex and transferred all applicants into Cortex (i.e. only those applicants uploaded to Cortex would be displayed in application statistics).
It is recommended that programs continue to utilize their preferred Thalamus products to accommodate their recruitment processes. However, please note that programs who do not use Thalamus Core for their interview management will have minimal data and reports available in Cerebellum limited to application counts and metrics. No interview management statistics nor data will be visible for programs that do not use Thalamus Core (this includes the corresponding program data in the Cerebellum DIO/institutional view).
No, currently data is only reported at the aggregate program level, independent of program/applicant track. This may be explored as a future enhancement following further discussion and research in collaboration with the medical education community.
Yes, data exports are available for both the program and institutional views. Charts/graphs may be exported in multiple formats. Additionally, raw data tables may be exported for individual programs and aggregate institutional views. Similar aggregate statistics can be exported from the “Applicants” page in Thalamus Core through the “Export” button.
For institutions desiring an export of their entire institution’s Thalamus data set (i.e. all affiliated programs), please contact customercare@thalamusgme.com to inquire about enhanced data reporting and API capabilities for academic medical center/health system data warehouses or similar methods. An expanded self-service feature with enhanced data reporting is also currently in development.
Currently, Thalamus Cerebellum only fully supports residency and fellowship programs that utilize ERAS. The Thalamus team understands and appreciates the institutional need for comprehensive data for all institution-sponsored programs, including non-ERAS programs, non-ACGME accredited programs, smaller fellowships, and programs using other application services or paper applications. We have started an exploratory project for Cerebellum to serve as a centralized institutional data hub. For more information on this feature, and/or to meet with the Thalamus product team to further discuss institutional needs, please contact us at customercare@thalamusgme.com.
Programs and institutions planning to use Thalamus Cortex for Application Screening and Review.
Yes! Based on community feedback and additional functionality enabled through the AAMC Thalamus API, Track(s) Applied by Applicant will be available to view and filter in Cortex (and Thalamus Core, too)!
No, for the ERAS 2025 recruitment season, ERAS PDWS and Thalamus Cortex have independent filter sets, that are not transferred or synced through the AAMC Thalamus API. For ERAS 2025, Thalamus Cortex has been updated to accommodate a broadened and enhanced filter set, which is more closely aligned with the key/most frequently used filters in ERAS PDWS. Syncing filters between ERAS PDWS and Thalamus Cortex may be explored as a future enhancement following further discussion and research in collaboration with the medical education community.
For Medical Schools and Applicants
Thalamus products have always been, and continue to be, entirely complimentary for applicants.
For the ERAS 2025 season, integrated interview data will be available in the DWS (provided a student releases their interview data). Applicants can also self-report interview information in Thalamus Core when they receive interview invitations from other scheduler systems, which they can then opt-in to report to their medical schools in the DWS.
The AAMC Thalamus collaboration will yield a wealth of valuable data that will provide our colleagues at participating specialties, institutions, programs, and medical schools with information that will benefit them at the organization level and will contribute to our collective work to ease the transition to residency and improve graduate medical education.
In addition, applicants will be able to schedule their interviews through the Thalamus Core interview scheduling software on both web and mobile (available in the Apple iOS and Google Play stores). Thalamus data, which was previously not included in DWS reports, will now be collected, and shared with schools via DWS reports.
The AAMC and Thalamus are committed to providing a fair, equitable, and effective transition to graduate medical education. By improving the ERAS application and broadening the use of Thalamus interview management tools, both organizations are contributing to an improved process for applicants going forward. By providing data at the school, program, and institutional levels, applicants are contributing information that can be used to make further enhancements for learners in years to come. In addition, Thalamus interview data is now used to enhance tools like Residency Explorer to strengthen the information learners use to make decisions.
Given the AAMC community’s excitement about the collaboration, the AAMC and Thalamus teams will host a series of events to share information about the collaboration. Additional resources including websites, videos, webinars, and more, will continue to be shared through various channels, including the AAMC and Thalamus websites.
Information about AAMC Thalamus API
An API is essentially a “bridge” that connects two different software systems and allows them to communicate and interact seamlessly. For the medical education community, the “bridge” formed by the AAMC Thalamus API serves as a “standardized language” that will enable the ERAS PDWS and Thalamus Core/Cortex/Cerebellum applications, databases, and platforms to share and access data, functionalities and resources. This API was imagined as a powerful tool to streamline the data transfer processes, enhancing efficiency through a comprehensive user experience, and fostering innovation for the transition to residency (and fellowship).
A major enhancement to the upcoming season will be the release of the AAMC Thalamus API in July 2024. The API will allow for the streamlined transfer of program data including applicant application data fields and PDFs, photos, and all application documents to Thalamus Core and/or Cortex. The API is intended to streamline the transfer of data previously accomplished via CSV export (for Thalamus Core) or bulk print of PDFs (for Cortex). The API will also allow for single sign-on (SSO), whereby ERAS PDWS users can log in to all Thalamus products using their AAMC credentials (in addition to their Thalamus-specific username and password).
For applicants, the API will facilitate the creation of Thalamus accounts upon consumption of an ERAS token/registration for ERAS. An automated email will be sent to finalize account creation directly from Thalamus (no-reply@thalamusgme.com).
Key data will also be shared from Thalamus Core/Cortex/Cerebellum back to ERAS PDWS to provide enhanced data analytics involving applicant interview experiences in the Dean’s Workstation (DWS), power key interview analytics in Residency Explorer, streamline scoring, ranking and will start processes, and other planned innovations.
Thalamus Core: Applicants can be deleted from the “Applicants” page in Thalamus Core individually or in bulk, as long as the applicant has not been invited, sent a survey, scored, ranked, or similar actions. Applicants not meeting eligibility criteria for deletion from the program (e.g. they were invited to interview), can be withdrawn to be removed from further consideration.
If an applicant (or applicant group) is deleted, they may be re-transferred to Thalamus Core, by completing an additional authorization and export for that applicant (or applicant group) in ERAS PDWS.
Thalamus Cortex: As a new feature planned for ERAS 2025, programs will have the ability to delete applicants from the Cortex applicant list individually or in bulk, as long as the applicant has not been evaluated, scored, or other similar actions. Applicants not meeting eligibility criteria for deletion from the programs (e.g. they were scored), can be flagged as reviewed or rejected, and will not be transferred to Thalamus Core for interview management/further consideration.
If an applicant (or applicant group) is deleted, they may be re-transferred to Thalamus Cortex, by completing an additional authorization and export for that applicant (or applicant group) in ERAS PDWS.
Once an applicant or group of applicants is authorized for transfer and exported to Thalamus Core or Cortex, their application data will sync between ERAS PDWS and Thalamus Core/Cortex/Cerebellum automatically with any additional application updates (new data and/or documents, etc.). A new authorization/export does not need to be completed for applicants previously transferred.
For new applicants/applications that were received in the ERAS PDWS after a program’s initial or last data transfer to Thalamus products via the API, a new authorization and export must be completed for this subset of applicants/applications. Note: This can be accomplished by authorizing an export of just this subset of applicants or re-authorizing/exporting the new applicant group in addition to applicant groups previously transferred.
For applicants previously transferred from ERAS PDWS to Thalamus products, re-authorizing/exporting an applicant or group of applicants will never delete nor duplicate any data. Once an applicant is initially authorized for transfer to Thalamus, updated ERAS application data will automatically sync. Additionally, Thalamus-specific data (such as scores, surveys, etc.) will never be deleted nor duplicated by re-authorizing/exporting an applicant or group of applicants.
Yes. Screened data fields in the ERAS PDWS, which are then authorized and transferred to Thalamus products will have a value of “screened” in Thalamus Core (web and mobile) and Cortex.
For institutions/programs that would like to unscreen previously screened fields (or screen previously unscreened fields) throughout the season, screened data fields will continue to be managed directly in the ERAS PDWS. The permissions set in the ERAS PDWS will persist in Thalamus products. Data transfer does not have to be re-authorized, but rather upon the screening permission being updated in the ERAS PDWS, the updated value will be synced and automatically updated in Thalamus products through the AAMC Thalamus API.
Additionally, Thalamus users can “blind” data fields in Thalamus Cortex and Core. This is an additional layer to shield/screen data to remove conscious/unconscious bias through application review/screening and interview management. Blinded data fields are managed exclusively in Thalamus products.
Yes, the API will be available for the 2025 ERAS July cycle fellowship programs (July 2024), as well as all September cycle residency programs, and December cycle fellowship programs.