Freddie Hetzel, a fourth-year Michigan State University College of Human Medicine student, was chosen by the Electronic Residency Application Service, or ERAS, of the Association of American Medical Colleges to represent the perspective of medical students on its advisory committee.

The committee serves to ensure that ERAS is responsive to the needs of the residency and fellowship recruitment community while aligned with the mission and strategic priorities of the Association of American Medical Colleges, also known as AAMC.

Medical students use ERAS to apply to residency programs and submit supporting documentation such as letters of recommendation and board scores. ERAS also has an interview scheduler that can be used to set up interviews with applicants who have applied to various programs.

The residency application process is complex and can be stressful for all stakeholders, and ERAS strives to streamline that process.

“Scheduling interviews can be a very stressful time,” Hetzel said.

He will share his expertise about some of the stress students face as they juggle interviews while keeping up with their studies.

“I plan on using this position to recommend improvements,” he said.

One improvement he mentioned would be creating a centralized data base that would make it easier for students to schedule multiple interviews in one area of the country, saving time and money.

“I think that would alleviate some of the anxiety,” Hetzel said, who is based in Flint and has served on the AAMC’s Organization of Student Representatives Administrative Board since his first year of medical school.

According to Hetzel, this most recent appointment is especially important because all medical students use the service to further their careers.

“I think this is great timing,” he added. “I’ll be applying through the service myself this year.”