How to Explain a Red Flag on ERAS in Three Sentences

Three sentences can turn a failed Step 1 into evidence of strength. When my students must answer Yes to an interruption question, we write the explanation together, using the same framework every time.

The framework

1. What happened: the timeframe and the event. Factual, neutral, no drama.

2. What you did: the specific steps you took to address it. Use action verbs.

3. What you learned: how you grew and moved forward.

That is it.

Examples

The two extremes to avoid

• Over-explaining: five sentences of apology read as panic.

• No resolution: a story that ends on the problem leaves the reviewer holding it.

Do not over-explain. Do not apologize excessively. Always end on the lesson. The event was one moment in your history. The framework shows who you became after it.

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