The thread for mistakes you discovered after submitting - fuel for your nightmares

[Silly Goose]

Are open shoulders ok?? I have a very nice professional photo with a high neckline but it does show my shoulder. Should that be avoided? I mean obviously I think it would be the best idea to not have an open shoulder in the picture but it is a very nice photo taken by a professional photographer and I don't have another one. Putting all of my secondaries on hold to obtain a professional photo seems a little silly to me right now!

I decided to use a passport photo I had taken a few months ago for my secondaries. I didn't think to check it since it's a good quality head shot and already the right size/format. I looked at the photo a few days ago and realized I am not in professional attire at all! I'm wearing a dress with thin straps and a low neckline. It's very scandalous haha.

Fortunately I only submitted that photo to five schools. Not gonna lie, I had a mini panic attack when I realized what I had done. Hopefully it's not a big deal.

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[Sharknad0]

Not technically a mistake but the more I reuse some essays the more I find better ways to word things and rearrange sentences... Sigh

If this isn’t the biggest truth. My submissions from July 1 to August 1 look quite a bit different, but that’s the name of the game unless you somehow prewrite everything.

 

[907914]

If this isn’t the biggest truth. My submissions from July 1 to August 1 look quite a bit different, but that’s the name of the game unless you somehow prewrite everything.

Even with prewriting...I prewrote 14 of my 21 secondaries, and at submission I would have an idea on one, change that idea in the rest, have another idea at submission of a different one...

 

[GlowCloud]

Are open shoulders ok?? I have a very nice professional photo with a high neckline but it does show my shoulder. Should that be avoided? I mean obviously I think it would be the best idea to not have an open shoulder in the picture but it is a very nice photo taken by a professional photographer and I don't have another one. Putting all of my secondaries on hold to obtain a professional photo seems a little silly to me right now!

That sounds fine to me, but I'm curious to hear what others think. Some schools specifically require professional attire (looking at you Emory), in which case you would need to use another photo.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Even with prewriting...I prewrote 14 of my 21 secondaries, and at submission I would have an idea on one, change that idea in the rest, have another idea at submission of a different one...

I prewrote all my secondaries and only 1 of them was the same as the year before.

 

[deleted972488]

I prewrote... a lot... and hardly anything changed.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I prewrote... a lot... and hardly anything changed.

You're lucky. Oh, sorry. 2 of my secondaries didn't change. The rest of them were totally different. I also applied to only a handful of schools, so there's a higher probability of extreme results.

 

[ScrubswithnoSleeves]

Good Day Everyone! I would like to share the most embarrassing and damning mistakes I have ever made for your enjoyment. This is 100% the most egregious error on this thread.

While filling out the secondary app to X medical school, I checked a box stating that I was interested in a program to help the underserved, thinking it would allow me to take a few extra classes in that area. They sent me a secondary application for the program yesterday, which explained that my entire medical education would be tailored to working in those communities if I were excepted to this program. (Not what I thought it was)

I then tried to forward the email to my pre-med girlfriend to ask her opinion about what I should do, but I instead just sent the email back to the admissions committee. It read as follows:

"Hey, should I respond to this and decline? Or just bite the bullet and apply and hope I don't get selected."

The End...

 

[Cornfed101]

"Hey, should I respond to this and decline? Or just bite the bullet and apply and hope I don't get selected."

Did they respond?

 

[907914]

Good Day Everyone! I would like to share the most embarrassing and damning mistakes I have ever made for your enjoyment. This is 100% the most egregious error on this thread.

While filling out the secondary app to X medical school, I checked a box stating that I was interested in a program to help the underserved, thinking it would allow me to take a few extra classes in that area. They sent me a secondary application for the program yesterday, which explained that my entire medical education would be tailored to working in those communities if I were excepted to this program. (Not what I thought it was)

I then tried to forward the email to my pre-med girlfriend to ask her opinion about what I should do, but I instead just sent the email back to the admissions committee. It read as follows:

"Hey, should I respond to this and decline? Or just bite the bullet and apply and hope I don't get selected."

The End...

I hope you enjoy being a medical student at Y school of medicine. Because X school of medicine is out.

Really though, this pains me and I don’t know whether to put the sad or the laughter reaction. Genuinely, sir....you the MVP for sharing.

 

[deleted972488]

Good Day Everyone! I would like to share the most embarrassing and damning mistakes I have ever made for your enjoyment. This is 100% the most egregious error on this thread.

While filling out the secondary app to X medical school, I checked a box stating that I was interested in a program to help the underserved, thinking it would allow me to take a few extra classes in that area. They sent me a secondary application for the program yesterday, which explained that my entire medical education would be tailored to working in those communities if I were excepted to this program. (Not what I thought it was)

I then tried to forward the email to my pre-med girlfriend to ask her opinion about what I should do, but I instead just sent the email back to the admissions committee. It read as follows:

"Hey, should I respond to this and decline? Or just bite the bullet and apply and hope I don't get selected."

The End...

Well I think you have your answer. You responded to it and declined.

 

[coffee&scrubs]

To add to the mistakes, when writing thank you emails for my Jefferson interview, I called the school Sidney Kimmel Medical School instead of Medical College... Automatic ding? We'll see next week

 

[907914]

To add to the mistakes, when writing thank you emails for my Jefferson interview, I called the school Sidney Kimmel Medical School instead of Medical College... Automatic ding? We'll see next week

Nah, you are good. I have already interviewed at one school where I called them “School of medicine” across the entire secondary when they are really “medical school”

Those little changes in name don’t seem to matter (although it may very well be school specific).

 

[deleted688779]

Reread my application with fresh eyes. I severely undersold myself and my ECs, especially the unique ECs I would say were my "wow-factors". Thinking back, I was afraid of being called out for being a fraud, or that I was worried adcoms would think this kid from a disadvantaged background couldn't have possibly done those things, thus intentionally downplayed everything.

 

[907914]

Reread my application with fresh eyes. I severely undersold myself and my ECs, especially the unique ECs I would say were my "wow-factors". Thinking back, I was afraid of being called out for being a fraud, or that I was worried adcoms would think this kid from a disadvantaged background couldn't have possibly done those things, thus intentionally downplayed everything.

Same. Didn’t want to be viewed as a one trick pony. But then come interview season, literally 50% of the questions are filling in the details on the things you downplayed because those really were the interesting things.

 

[imbesrs]

Reread my application with fresh eyes. I severely undersold myself and my ECs, especially the unique ECs I would say were my "wow-factors". Thinking back, I was afraid of being called out for being a fraud, or that I was worried adcoms would think this kid from a disadvantaged background couldn't have possibly done those things, thus intentionally downplayed everything.

+1 didnt talk about my childhood disadvantages financially. figured someone else had it worse so there was no way I should report it. However, someone always has it worse... I read the studies on Academic Medicine regarding it and I def should have written something.

Left off 200+ hours of community service via/in fraternity due to thinking adcoms would perceive me as associating with the group. Only joined it for the community connections they had in the first place, and ultimately is useless besides leadership on my AMCAS

 

[achilles0619]

I realized I completely forgot a medical volunteer trip I went on. I had one already in my activities and I did one in high school that I talked about briefly in my PS but now that I know some schools have "hour totals" I'm really kicking myself. I mentioned all three trips in one sentence in my PS so hopefully Adcoms think two were in highschool and I'm not just a dumb dumb lol. We'll see next week!

 

[907914]

I realized I completely forgot a medical volunteer trip I went on. I had one already in my activities and I did one in high school that I talked about briefly in my PS but now that I know some schools have "hour totals" I'm really kicking myself. I mentioned all three trips in one sentence in my PS so hopefully Adcoms think two were in highschool and I'm not just a dumb dumb lol. We'll see next week!

Were these overseas trips? If so, leaving them out actually might have been for the better.

 

[achilles0619]

Were these overseas trips? If so, leaving them out actually might have been for the better.

Yeah and I also thought about that side of it. I think everyone has a different reaction to overseas medicine. I'm prepared to talk about the many downsides if I'm ever asked in an interview, and I'm a global health minor so I'm pretty educated on the topic. But the experiences I had on the trips did influence my decision to go into medicine so I didn't want to be dishonest and leave them off. Meh

 

[mwsapphire]

Just to continue the main topic of this thread, here’s a story. Made a typo on AMCAS, made a typo on a school specific secondary IN THE SCHOOL’s NAME, still got a II. Story over.

Lesson being: miracles do exist everyone XD

When were you complete? Just curious.

 

[softspokenatlas]

No spelling errors or grammar mistakes in my activities or essays... but I misspelled MY OWN name. On the primary.

 

[meepdog]

No spelling errors or grammar mistakes in my activities or essays... but I misspelled MY OWN name. On the primary.

Mistake buddies!

 

[907914]

No spelling errors or grammar mistakes in my activities or essays... but I misspelled MY OWN name. On the primary.

Even when you spell it correctly, the school doesn’t always get it right. My name is “XXXual” but half of my schools have had my name tag as “XXXuel” based on the 99% of the time correct and common spelling. I assume that they just assume they are correct and I am the one that misspelled it. SMH.

 

[IsleyOfTheNorth]

... They sent me a secondary application for the program yesterday, which explained that my entire medical education would be tailored to working in those communities if I were excepted to this program. (Not what I thought it was)

I then tried to forward the email to my pre-med girlfriend to ask her opinion about what I should do, but I instead just sent the email back to the admissions committee. It read as follows:

"Hey, should I respond to this and decline? Or just bite the bullet and apply and hope I don't get selected."

Replied instead of forwarded, "excepted" wrong word choice... yep, the avatar checks out. j/k

 

[and 99 others]

Even when you spell it correctly, the school doesn’t always get it right. My name is “XXXual” but half of my schools have had my name tag as “XXXuel” based on the 99% of the time correct and common spelling. I assume that they just assume they are correct and I am the one that misspelled it. SMH.

Wow way to tell everyone your first name, Jimual.

 

[crepuscular.ray]

Put the dates of my top "Most Meaningful Experience" in 2019 instead of 2018. Also at an interview I learned that one of my LORs stated that I would be great as an MD/PhD but I'm only applying to MD school..

 

[mass-premed66]

Realized I left off 750 hours of research on my primary app. It was a job I HATED but pushed through because I learned a lot and the work was fascinating, so I was excited to talk about it. Now it’s like it never existed!

 

[and 99 others]

Put the dates of my top "Most Meaningful Experience" in 2019 instead of 2018. Also at an interview I learned that one of my LORs stated that I would be great as an MD/PhD but I'm only applying to MD school..

It's ok, my PI wrote that I would make an excellent physician scientist even though I've basically told all schools I'm not interested in bench science. Didn't hurt too bad

 

[Yakovsky]

I just realized that I forgot to put my own mother on the application for parents and that I said that I was in a study abroad program for 2 years while at a post-bacc...

 

[stayathomemom]

I said that I was in a study abroad program for 2 years while at a post-bacc...

I mean, how...?

 

[Yakovsky]

I meant to say that I studied abroad for a summer, but the year was defaulted to this year (or I was careless).
My DIY Post-bacc was started afterwords so it reads:
Abroad: June 2017-July 2020
DIY Post-bacc: September 2017-June 2018

Sent from my android

 

[Yakovsky]

For those reading this. I forgot that 20-17= 3, not 2.

In the future folks, I advise you to print out your application. Give it to a friend, your parent, advisor, someone other than your eyes. It's very easy to make a mistake and potentially waste money that could be used to treat yourself after your acceptance.