ERAS Residency Headshots
One less thing to worry about this application season.
Your ERAS photo goes in front of every program that reviews your application... often before anyone reads a word of your personal statement. After four years of work, it deserves better than a cropped phone photo or an AI headshot that looks almost like you.
I photograph residency applicants at my studio in East Brunswick, minutes from Rutgers and RWJ. Your session covers more than the application itself... you'll walk away with images ready for your program's website, Doximity, and LinkedIn once you match. And you'll see your photos before you leave, so there are no surprises.
MyERAS validates your photo before it ever reaches a program. If the file is the wrong size or format, the system rejects it... usually while you're racing a deadline. Every session includes a file built to pass on the first upload:
- ✓ Sized to exact ERAS specifications: 2.5 x 3.5 inches, portrait orientation
- ✓ Under the 150 KB file size limit, without sacrificing image quality
- ✓ Delivered as an upload-ready JPEG
- ✓ Head and shoulders, face centered, neutral studio backdrop
- ✓ Natural retouching that still looks like you on interview day
- ✓ Plus your full-resolution image for Doximity, LinkedIn, and your program's website after you match
Getting a professional image under 150 KB without it falling apart is harder than it sounds... it's the step where most do-it-yourself photos fail. You won't have to think about it.
- ✓ 45 minute studio session, guided posing from start to finish
- ✓ Two looks... shoot your suit and your white coat, then decide with the images in front of you
- ✓ In-studio image review and selection before you leave
- ✓ Two fully retouched images
- ✓ Your upload-ready ERAS file, formatted to spec
- ✓ Full-resolution versions of both images for everything after the application
- ✓ Delivery within two business days
This photo has a longer life than most applicants expect. The same face that goes on your application ends up on your program's website, your Doximity profile, and your LinkedIn once you match. One session covers your application and the career it starts... so you're not scrambling for a second photo in July of intern year.
Want more than two images? Additional retouched
Applying from Rutgers?
Rutgers medical students qualify for my $95 student session with a valid Rutgers ID... a quick 15-minute studio session with one look, one retouched image, and your ERAS file included. The studio is minutes from campus. All the details are here.
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Four to six weeks before your submission deadline is the sweet spot. That gives you breathing room for delivery, uploading, and any last-minute changes without racing the clock. For most applicants, that means booking in June or July. If your timeline is tighter than that, reach out anyway... I'll do my best to fit you in.
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This is the question everyone asks, and the honest answer is that program directors are split on it. That's exactly why your session includes two looks... we shoot both, you review them side by side before you leave, and you decide with the actual images in front of you instead of guessing in your closet the morning of. For what it's worth, a well-fitted suit is never the wrong answer.
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Solid colors, nothing busy. Navy, charcoal, or black over a white or light blue collared shirt or blouse photographs beautifully and reads exactly right for this context. Skip bold patterns and anything with a logo. If you're unsure, bring options... we'll figure it out together before we start shooting.
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Enough to make you look like yourself on a great day, and not one bit more. Blemish removal, softening under the eyes, evening out skin tone... all standard. What I won't do is heavy smoothing or anything that changes how you actually look. The person in your photo needs to be the person who walks into the interview. Programs notice when it isn't.
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Yes. Your ERAS file is sized and formatted to current AAMC specifications, including the file size limit that trips up most do-it-yourself photos. One tip from applicants who've been through it: upload from a computer, not your phone, and don't AirDrop the file to yourself first... it can alter the file in ways that cause problems. Download it directly to your desktop and upload from there.
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Absolutely. I photograph residency and fellowship applicants from all over Central New Jersey, including international medical graduates. The Rutgers rate is specific to students with a valid Rutgers ID & email address, but the session itself is open to everyone applying.
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Within two business days of your session. If you're in a genuine time crunch, tell me when you book and I'll see what I can do.
One session. One thing off your list.
You've spent four years earning this application. Give the photo the same care... and then stop thinking about it. Summer dates fill first, so if you're applying this cycle, sooner is better.
Book Your SessionQuestions first? Reach out anytime... jennifer@fotoplicity.com or 732-917-7748.