I think I spent most of my time working on the PS. The application itself isn't really all that time intensive. I started working on it early and then did a little of it whenever I had down time. Overall, it probably takes 5-6 hours to complete the application. But, if you do it over several days, you can look back over it with a different mind set and improve it. To actually click all the programs to apply to can also take a couple of hours (depending on the number). It's kind of a pain, since you have to select your USMLE score release, LORs, PS, tracks and whatever else for every program. My recollection is that the ERAS application overall took very little time... the PS was a different story.

I felt the most time consuming part of the process was bugging my letter writers to get the letters submitted. I think they like to string you along and watch you suffer, because they all get it in basically on the last day.

On another note I used an online PS editing website to help me. Basically you write your PS to the point you have it finished then submit it to them, pay based on the number of words, and they send you back some modifications. I am not the best writer, but they did a really good job and I felt it was really worth the money. They don't change it much, but they have some cool ways of just making things flow better. Anyways, I can't remember the site and I don't want to endorse it, but there are tons of them out there. I also asked my dean about it and said it was legal and OK by all the standards he was made aware. Just my opinion....

Your PS will probably take you the most amount of time (5-6 hours). The ERAS part including CV will take a couple of hours, even if you procrastinate on it over a few days. And, like everyone I ran into applying for ortho last year, I must have spent weeks alone (after completeing "my part" of the ERAS application) to get my letter writers to submit their stuff. Even if you give them a deadline, most will wait until an absolute deadline. So make up an absolute deadline like october 1st or 15th. Just remember that many letter writers may ask for your CV and Personal Statement before writing you a recommendation... and you need that ERAS letter writer sheet to give to them too. So, Make sure you have a rough PS, your CV, and at least logged into ERAS and started an account to print that recommender sheet before asking for any letters.