Are you applying for ERAS Residency? Your photo is a vital part of your application. Faculty members will view your photo as they’re deliberating your candidacy for residency. Here is all you need to know about the Photo Requirements for your ERAS Residency Application. (published in April 2021)

1. The Photo sizing requirements are as follows:

• Dimensions: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
• File size: 100 KB
• Resolution: 150 dpi
• The photo must be in color.
• Frame must include a frontal view of the person’s head and shoulders.
• And it requires that you center your face in the middle.

2. Hire a Professional Photographer!

We are experts at capturing this type of professional portraiture! Boston Portrait company is a full-service photography studio! We use top-of-the-line lighting equipment and DSLR cameras. We also offer professional advice on what to wear, portraying the appropriate expression, and selecting the final image that best represents you. This helps you put your best foot forward for your application. The faculty team viewing your application will know the difference between a candidate that invested in their future and a candidate that did not.

3. Do not miss the deadline!

There is a lot of useful information in this post however, most importantly, DO NOT BE LATE. Deadline information can be found here! Our sessions are quick and easy to schedule and offer fast turnaround times! However, do not wait until last minute to schedule your session! COVID has left many industries faced with uncertainty photography, makeup, and hair styling. It is impossible to know what upcoming scheduling and regulations will bring.

4. Setting Matters!

A plain white, light, or grey background is recommended and even required by some programs. Please check with your program and communicate the requirements to your photographer. In addition, your background should be lit appropriately and even in color. These requirements are something a professional photographer will be able to achieve for you! In our studio, we have pure white, cream, grey, and natural white backgrounds.

5. Research says look the part!

It would be best if you appeared in your photo how you would go to a residency interview. That means no white coat, graduation garment, or dressy attire. The University of North Carolina Dermatology Department analyzed and found a few physical characteristics that predicted a positive match outcome: suit jacket, glasses, and for women hair down and styled. Jewelry didn’t seem to make a difference, and neither did male-specific grooming/styling practices such as facial hair.

It is best to look professional and polished but still an accurate representation of your everyday appearance. For example, the study postulates that glasses make candidates appear “intelligent, successful, and hardworking.” However, you should not wear a pair of fake glasses if you have perfect vision. You want to appear as the best and most put-together version of yourself!

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6. Smile!

You want to portray an approachable and friendly expression. Although you have to be square to the camera, this is not a passport photo, and it is best to show your personality through your image.

7. Photo Retouching is your friend!

At Boston Portrait company, we retouch and enhance all final images before we send them to clients. Some basic retouching is to help each client be the best version of themselves. Life happens, and sometimes you do not get the full night’s sleep you had hoped for before your photo session. Or the stress of the application process makes your skin react unfavorably. It is because of these everyday occurrences that we retouch images! Basic retouching includes the evening of skin tone, softening dark under-eye circles, removing blemishes, removing stray hairs and flyaways, and other minor adjustments. As a result, photo retouching helps you to be the best version of yourself!

Ready to book your ERAS Photo session? Reach-out to the Boston Portrait Company Team via email at service@bostonportrait.com or contact us!