ERAS

Letter of Recommendation (LoR) Portal

User Guide
ERAS

is a program of the
Association of American Medical Colleges
www.aamc.org/eras
2014

ERAS2014LetterofRecommendationPortal(LoRP)UserGuide
2013AAMC.Maynotbereproducedwithoutpermission.

TableofContents
AbouttheLetterofRecommendationPortal.........................................................................................................1
BeforeYouGetStarted...................................................................................................................................1
NewfortheERAS2014LoRP..........................................................................................................................1
RegisteringforanAAMCAccount..........................................................................................................................2
LettersofRecommendation(LoR)Manager..........................................................................................................4
UploadingaLoR..............................................................................................................................................4
UploadingaNewVersionofanExistingLoRorUploadingaLoRAfterChoosingtoUploadLater...............7
LoRPFAQ...............................................................................................................................................................9
ERASHelpDeskContactInformation...................................................................................................................11

ERAS2014LetterofRecommendationPortal(LoRP)UserGuide
2013AAMC.Maynotbereproducedwithoutpermission.
1

AbouttheLetterofRecommendationPortal
TheLetterofRecommendationPortal(LoRP)isatoolthatenablesLoRAuthorsandadministrativeusersto
uploadletterstoERASdirectly.Thistoolisdesignedtoreducethescanninganduploadingburdenfor
DesignatedDeansOffices,whileprovidingaddedflexibilityforLoRAuthors.Thisguideexplainshowitworks
andoutlinesstepsforusingtheLoRP.
BeforeYouGetStarted
YouwillneedaLetterRequestFormfromtheapplicantwhorequestedtheletter.TheLetterRequest
FormcanonlybeobtainedfromtheMyERASapplication.
TheLoRPuploadrequirements/guidelinesareasfollows:
- AllfilesmustbeinaPDFformat.
- Filesizemustnotexceed500KB.
- Filecannotbepasswordprotected.
- Filepagecannotexceedamaximumsizeof8.5x11inches.
- Itisrecommendedthatalllettersbewrittenandsubmittedonprofessionalletterhead.
- LoR(s)shouldbesignedbytheLoRAuthor.
Oncealetterhasbeenuploaded,itcannotbedeletedoralteredinanyway.Tomakechanges,you
mustsubmitanewversionoftheletter.Medicalschoolswillbeabletoviewallversionsoftheletter
startingwiththemorerecentversionfirst.Programswillonlybeabletoviewthemostrecentversion
ofaLoR.
NewfortheERAS2014LoRP
ForERAS2014,DesignatedDean'sOfficesmayhaveelectedtheoptiontoperformaqualityassurance
reviewofLoRsuploadedviatheLoRPbeforebeingreleasedtoprograms.
BeforeassigningLoRstoprograms,applicantsmustfinalizeLoRAuthorsinMyERAS,andLoRsmustbe
uploadedtotheERASPostOfficeviatheDWSorLoRP.Toavoiddelay,itisimportanttoupload
applicantLoR(s)totheLoRPassoonaspossible.
PreviouslyuploadedandcurrentseasonLoRsarenowviewableintheLoRP.
ALetterWritercolumnwasaddedtotheLettersofRecommendation(LoR)Manager.Thiscolumnwill
displaytheletterwritersnameastheapplicantentereditontheinMyERASandtheLetterRequest
Form.
YouarenowabletosortinformationbyanycolumnintheLoRManager.

ERAS2014LetterofRecommendationPortal(LoRP)UserGuide
2013AAMC.Maynotbereproducedwithoutpermission.
2

RegisteringforanAAMCAccount
BeforeusingtheLoRP,youmustcreateausernameandpasswordbyregisteringforanAAMCaccount.Ifyou
alreadyhaveanAAMCaccount,youmayuseyourcurrentusernameandpasswordtoaccesstheLoRP.Ifnot
youmaybeginregistrationviathefollowinglink:https://services.aamc.org/eras/lorportal.
ToRegisterforanAAMCAccount:
1. SelecttheRegisterforanAAMCAccount.

2. CompletetherequiredpersonalinformationfieldsandclickNext.

ERAS2014LetterofRecommendationPortal(LoRP)UserGuide
2013AAMC.Maynotbereproducedwithoutpermission.
3

3. CompletetherequiredaccountinformationfieldsandclickRegister.

4. Aconfirmationofregistrationwillbesenttotheemailaddresslistedduringregistrationforyour
AAMCAccount.Followtheinstructionsinyouremailtocompletetheregistrationprocess.
5. UsetheusernameandpasswordyoucreatedwhenregisteringforanAAMCAccounttologinto
theLoRP.IfyouareanadministratoruploadingLoRsonbehalfofmultipleauthors,youonlyneed
tocreateonecentralaccount.YoucanlogintotheLoRPusingthefollowinglink:
https://services.aamc.org/eras/lorportal.

ERAS2014LetterofRecommendationPortal(LoRP)UserGuide
2013AAMC.Maynotbereproducedwithoutpermission.
4

LettersofRecommendation(LoR)Manager
LoRManagershowstherosterofapplicants.UsetheSeasondropdownlistatthetopoftheLetterof
Recommendation(LoR)Managergridtotogglebetweenseasons.YoumaysorttheinformationintheLoR
Managerusinganycolumnheader.

UploadingaLoR
First,locatetheERASLetterIDontheLetterRequestFormyoureceivedfromtheapplicant.Then,click+Add
NewLoR.

ERAS2014LetterofRecommendationPortal(LoRP)UserGuide
2013AAMC.Maynotbereproducedwithoutpermission.
5

Step1of4:EnterLetterIDEntertheLetterIDandclickContinue.

Step2of4:VerifyApplicant&LoRAuthorDetailsMarkthecheckboxinthelowerleftcornerofthe
windowtoindicatethattheinformationiscorrectandthenconfirminthepopupwindow.

ClickCanceliftheApplicantand/orLoRAuthorDetailsareincorrect.Iferrorsexist,pleasenotify
theapplicant.HavethemmakecorrectionsandprovideyouwithanewLetterRequestForm
andLetterIDthatdisplaythecorrectionsmade.
ClickUploadLaterifyourletterisnotcomplete;thiswilladdtheapplicanttoyourLetterof
RecommendationManagersothatyoumayreturnanduploadyourletteratanytimeusingthe
Uploadiconintheactioncolumn.
ClickUploadNowifyourletteriscompleteandreadytobeuploaded.

ERAS2014LetterofRecommendationPortal(LoRP)UserGuide
2013AAMC.Maynotbereproducedwithoutpermission.
6

Important: Usingtheircentralaccount,administrativeusersmayrepeatthisprocessforeachletter/Letter
IDcombinationthatisprovidedtothem.

Ifanyinformationisinaccurate,clickCancelandcontacttheapplicantdirectlytomake
correctionsinMyERAS.Donotuploadyourletteruntiltheapplicantmakesthecorrectionsin
MyERASandprovidesyouwithanewLetterRequestFormandLetterID.
Step3of4:UploadLetterClickBrowsetolocatethePDFfilefortheletter.ClickContinue.

Note: AllfilesmustbeinPDFformatandmaynotexceed500KB.PDFswithencryption,passwordprotection,
ordigitalsignaturescannotbeprocessed.Anylettersthatdonotmeettheseguidelinesmustbe
revisedandresubmitted(SeeBeforeYouGetStartedonpage1forfulllistofupload
requirements/guidelines).
Step4of4:Confirmthatyouinsertedthecorrectletteranddoafinalreviewbeforeuploading.Ifyou
aresatisfiedwiththeletter,clickFinishtoproceedwithuploadingtheletter.
ReadthefinalconfirmationmessagebeforetheletterisuploadedandclickOKwhenready.
AfterclickingOK,youwillbereturnedtotheLoRManagerwhereyouwillseeasuccessfully
uploadedconfirmationmessageandyourLoRwillnowbelistedwithanuploaddate.
Important: Onceyouuploadaletter,nodeletionsormodificationscanbemade.

ERAS2014LetterofRecommendationPortal(LoRP)UserGuide
2013AAMC.Maynotbereproducedwithoutpermission.
7

UploadingaNewVersionofanExistingLoRorUploadingaLoRAfterChoosingto
UploadLater
First,locatetheapplicantintheLoRManager.Next,clicktheUploadiconintheActionscolumnforthat
applicant.

Step1of3:VerifyApplicant&LoRAuthorDetailsMarkthecheckboxinthelowerleftcornerof
windowtoindicatethattheinformationiscorrectandthenconfirminthepopupwindow.
ClickCancelifyouselectedthewrongapplicantfromyourLoRManager.
ClickUploadNowifyourletteriscompleteandyouarereadytoupload.

Important Ifanyinformationisinaccurate,clickCancelandcontacttheapplicantdirectlysotheycanmake
thecorrectionsinMyERAS.Donotuploadyourletteruntiltheapplicantmakesthecorrections
inMyERASandprovidesyouwithanewLetterRequestFormandLetterID.

ERAS2014LetterofRecommendationPortal(LoRP)UserGuide
2013AAMC.Maynotbereproducedwithoutpermission.
8

Step2of3:UploadLetterClickBrowsetolocatethePDFfilefortheletter.ClickContinue.

Note AllfilesmustbeinPDFformatandmaynotexceed500KB.PDFswithencryption,passwordprotection,
ordigitalsignaturescannotbeprocessed.Anylettersthatdonotmeettheseguidelinesmustbe
revisedandresubmitted.(SeeBeforeYouGetStartedonpage1forfulllistofupload
requirements/guidelines)
Step3of3:Confirmthatyouhaveinsertedthecorrectletteranddoafinalreviewbeforeuploading.If
youaresatisfiedwiththeletter,clickFinishtoproceedwithuploadingtheletter.
ReadthefinalconfirmationmessagebeforetheletterisuploadedandclickOKwhenready.
AfterclickingOK,youwillbereturnedtotheLoRManagerwhereyouwillseeasuccessfully
uploadedconfirmationmessageandyourLoRwillnowbelistedwithanuploaddate.
Note Onceyouuploadaletter,nodeletionsormodificationscanbemade.

ERAS2014LetterofRecommendationPortal(LoRP)UserGuide
2013AAMC.Maynotbereproducedwithoutpermission.
9

LoRPFAQ
HowdoIregister?
1. GototheLoRP(https://services.aamc.org/eras/lorportal).
2. SelecttheRegisterforanAAMCAccount.
3. CompletetherequiredpersonalinformationfieldsandclickNext.
4. CompletetherequiredaccountinformationfieldsandclickRegister.
5. Aconfirmationwillbesenttoyourregisteredemailaddress.Followtheinstructionsinyouremail
tocompletetheregistrationprocess.
Note: Forregistrationhelp,pleasecontactaccounthelp@aamc.org.
WhatisaLetterRequestForm?
TheLetterRequestFormisaPDFthatincludesinstructionsonhowtoaccesstheERASLoRPand
informationsuchastheapplicantsname,AAMCID,andLetterID.YouwillneedtheLetterIDonthisform
inordertouploadaLoR.Additionally,thisformwillincludeinformationaboutwhetherornotanapplicant
haswaivedtheirrighttoviewtheirLoR.
DoIhavetoconvertmyLoRtoaPDFformatbeforeuploadingorwilltheLoRPconvertthedocumenttoa
PDFfileforme?
InorderforaLoRtobeuploadedintotheLoRP,itmustbeplacedinaPDFformat.TheLoRPwillnot
convertyourfileintoaPDFformat.
Also,PDFswithencryption,passwordprotection,ordigitalsignaturescannotbeprocessed.Anyletters
thatdonotmeettheseguidelinesmustberevisedandresubmitted.
FormoreinformationonthePDFfileformat,pleaseseewww.adobe.com.
HowcanIviewanexistingLoRforanapplicantlistedinmyLoRManager?
ClicktheAdobeiconlocatedundertheActioncolumnoftheLoRManager.
Imistakenlyuploadedthewrongletterforanapplicant.WhatshouldIdo?
Oncealetterhasbeenuploadedforanapplicant,itcannotberemoved.Youwillhavetouploadthe
correctversionoftheletterusingtheinstructionsunderUploadingaNewVersionofanExistingLoRor
UploadingaLoRafterChoosingtoUploadLater.LoRAuthorsandDesignatedDeansOfficeswillbeableto
viewallLoRversions.ProgramswillonlybeabletoviewthemostrecentLoRversion.
CanIfindinformationontheERASWebsiteregardingtheLoRP?
Yes,LoRPinformationcanbefoundat:https://www.aamc.org/eras/lorp

ERAS2014LetterofRecommendationPortal(LoRP)UserGuide
2013AAMC.Maynotbereproducedwithoutpermission.
10

Icannotmeetthe500KBfilesizelimitformyLoR,whatshouldIdo?
Ifyouarestrugglingtomeetthe500KBfilesizelimit,pleasetryusingablackandwhitedocument,
minimizingorremovinggraphics,and/oradjustingyourAdobe(PDFcreator)settings.

ERAS2014LetterofRecommendationPortal(LoRP)UserGuide
2013AAMC.Maynotbereproducedwithoutpermission.
11

ERASHelpDeskContactInformation
Email:eraslorportal@aamc.org
Phone:2028626249
Website:https://www.aamc.org/eras/lorp