Send Update Letter Now?

[kirtip]

So I just recently got a new full-time, clinical job that I did not list on any of my applications. I am still waiting to hear from 20 schools pre-interview. Do you think I should send this update letter now? Should I include a personalized letter of interest with each?

Or should I give it a little more time before sending them out?

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[gyngyn]

So I just recently got a new full-time, clinical job that I did not list on any of my applications. I am still waiting to hear from 20 schools pre-interview. Do you think I should send this update letter now? Should I include a personalized letter of interest with each?

Or should I give it a little more time before sending them out?

Would this job convince a screener to give you an interview?
LOI's before an interview are ineffective btw... The fact that you are sending several reinforces the general opinion.

 

[kirtip]

Would this job convince a screener to give you an interview?
LOI's before an interview are ineffective btw... The fact that you are sending several reinforces the general opinion.

Though I have had a lot of clinical experience, I didn't do too much shadowing before applying. I think that the clinical job strengthens my gap year and one of the weaker areas of my application.

 

[Goro]

Does the new job have shadowing in it?

Make sure the schools you wish to send updates to actually welcome them. Schools like people who follow the rules.

Though I have had a lot of clinical experience, I didn't do too much shadowing before applying. I think that the clinical job strengthens my gap year and one of the weaker areas of my application.

 

[kirtip]

Does the new job have shadowing in it?

Make sure the schools you wish to send updates to actually welcome them. Schools like people who follow the rules.

No it doesn't explicitly have shadowing, but I will be working closely with physicians and gain a lot of clinical experience. I will be a full-time medical assistant.

 

[Catalystik]

Reporting on a potential opportunity for shadowing isn't going to help you much, since it may never come to pass. I suggest you wait until you've racked up some significant hours and then let schools know.

 

[Goro]

Concur. Consider an Admissions dean reading the following:

"I have just started a new clinical job doing X"

vs

"Over the past three months I have been working at Y Hospital, performing > 500 hrs of Z clinical activities."

Which one sounds better?

Reporting on a potential opportunity for shadowing isn't going to help you much, since it may never come to pass. I suggest you wait until you've racked up some significant hours and then let schools know.

 

[bluemachine]

on this same vein, if my research was just published in a relatively high impact journal as second author (IF ~5), should i update schools pre-interview?

 

[LouDog1989]

I'm curious about this one too, bluemachine. I expect the paper I'm on to be published in the next month, and plan to update schools that accept updates as soon as the paper comes out. Any senior folks have any words of wisdom on this topic? Thanks in advance.

 

[breakintheroof]

I'm curious to hear wisdom about this as well, bluemachine and LouDog.

Here's my own experience in this application cycle so far: I had two publications accepted right after submitting secondaries. I sent update letters in August to several schools that seemed to accept them. Two of those schools have since offered me interviews, though of course I can't say if the letters had any effect.

 

[areserine]

I'm curious to hear wisdom about this as well.

Here's my own experience in this application cycle so far: I two publications accepted right after submitting secondaries. I sent update letters in August to a several schools that seemed to accept them. Two of those schools have since offered me interviews, though of course I can't say if the letters had any effect.

+1 I think pubs are probably worth sending sooner, since they don't really appreciate in value like working does. The exception might be if you're working on multiple things at once, I ended up sending an update about a pub, and getting two abstracts accepted the next week, but didn't want to update again. The negative would be that you can't send them later like if you're put on a waitlist.