Empty Scholarly Work Section? 12 Deadlines You Haven't Missed Yet (2027)

If your scholarly work section is thin — or empty — and ERAS opens in days, this is the most important thing you need to know: you have not missed the window... yet.

Most applicants in this position either assume it's too late and do nothing, or panic and submit to the first journal they find online. Both are mistakes. The first leaves a gap that program directors will notice. The second often means paying $1,000+ to a predatory journal that provides no real peer review — and a publication from one of those can hurt your application.

What's inside:

12 conference deadlines still accepting submissions right now

5 journals that publish case reports free or near-free, with the real costs (not the advertised ones)

4 tools to verify any journal yourself before submitting.

And the critical ERAS mechanic most applicants overlook: you do not need publication or acceptance by September. ERAS accepts scholarly work marked "submitted" or "in progress." One case can produce two CV lines — a conference abstract and a journal submission.

We verified every deadline and fee in this guide against official sources in August 2026. Dates, fees, and eligibility change without notice — always confirm directly on the official submission page before you submit.

Questions about which of these fits your specific case and specialty?

We offer a free 15-minute strategy call to talk it through your issues.

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