Setting Up a Dedicated Email Address for Residency Interview Invites
One of the most common pieces of advice on Student Doctor Network every interview season: set up a separate email address just for residency interview invites. It's good advice — but it's only part of the solution. Here's how to do it, and where it falls short.
Why a dedicated inbox helps
Your main email inbox during interview season is noisy. Rotation schedules, school announcements, personal emails, and newsletters compete with the messages that actually matter. When an interview invite arrives from Thalamus or ERAS, it can easily get buried.
A dedicated Gmail account — used only for your residency email address and forwarding — has one job: catch interview-related emails. With a quieter inbox and push notifications enabled specifically for this account, you're more likely to notice when something arrives.
How to set it up
Step 1: Create a dedicated Gmail address
Create a new Gmail account using a professional-looking address: firstlast.match2026@gmail.com or similar. You'll use this as your contact email for ERAS and on your application materials.
Step 2: Forward to a monitored inbox
In your dedicated Gmail, go to Settings → See all settings → Forwarding and POP/IMAP → Add a forwarding address. Enter the address you want all mail forwarded to. Google will send a verification email to confirm.
If you only want to forward invite-related mail (not everything), set up a Gmail filter first: create a filter matching keywords like "interview," "invitation," or specific sender addresses, then check "Forward it to" in the filter action.
Step 3: Enable loud notifications
In the Gmail app settings for this account, enable notifications and set them to "All new mail" rather than "Only high-priority." Turn off Do Not Disturb exceptions if you use them.
Step 4: Keep this address in sync
Make sure the email on your ERAS profile and on any scheduling platforms (Thalamus, InterviewBroker) matches this dedicated address. Update it before season starts.
What this still misses
A dedicated inbox with push notifications is better than checking a cluttered main inbox. But it still depends on one thing: you being available to see or hear the notification when it arrives.
One in three programs fills every interview slot within an hour of sending invites. If you're on rounds, in a procedure, or your phone is in a locker when the notification comes in, you may open it two hours later to find your preferred dates already gone.
This is why many applicants pair a dedicated inbox with statmail. statmail monitors your forwarded inbox and calls your phone directly when an invite arrives — a ringing phone cuts through the OR noise, a busy rotation, or a pocket-silenced phone in a way that a notification badge can't.
Close the gap the dedicated inbox can't
statmail monitors your forwarded inbox and calls your phone within about a minute of an invite landing — no checking required. One-time $39.
Add statmailFrequently asked questions
Should I set up a dedicated email for residency interview invites?
Yes — a dedicated inbox reduces noise and makes invites easier to spot. Pair it with a phone-call alerting service to cover the gap when you're not checking your phone.
How do I set up email forwarding for ERAS interview invites?
In Gmail: Settings → See all settings → Forwarding and POP/IMAP → Add a forwarding address. Enter the destination address, then confirm the verification email Google sends.
Can I forward only interview-related emails and not everything?
Yes. Set up a Gmail filter matching keywords like "interview invitation" or specific sender domains, then select "Forward it to" in the filter actions.