Why Residency Headshots Fail MyERAS Upload Validation
Residency photographers typically export portraits at print dimensions and multi-megabyte sizes. Uploading those originals directly into MyERAS or ECFMG/Intealth triggers dimension, byte-ceiling, or orientation bugs.
Confusing Inch Dimensions, DPI, and Pixel Count
AAMC lists the ceiling as 2.5×3.5 in at 150 DPI, which equals 375×525 px. If an editor leaves the resolution at print density while keeping 2.5×3.5 in, pixel dimensions double and push the file past 150 KB (153,600 bytes) or trigger a dimension rejection. Locking pixel output to 375×525 px and writing 150 DPI in the JFIF header satisfies both checks simultaneously.
Sideways Previews Caused by EXIF Rotation Flags
Phone and mirrorless cameras often store vertical portraits sideways in raw pixel order and rely on an EXIF orientation tag to rotate them on screen. When a portal viewer ignores EXIF tags, your residency headshot renders sideways to program directors. Re-drawing onto an upright browser canvas bakes rotation into the pixels and removes EXIF and XMP segments.
Avoiding Blurry Compression and Unsaved Uploads
- Maximize quality near the byte cap: Shrinking dimensions below 375×525 px makes facial features look soft in program views; binary-searching JPEG quality at full 375×525 px keeps detail crisp under 150 KB.
- Use sRGB color: Studio exports saved in CMYK or Adobe RGB fail browser and portal color rendering.
- Click final Submit in MyERAS: After previewing the uploaded file in MyERAS, click the final confirm/submit button and assign the photo to programs so it actually transmits.