Application year - Vacation ok?

[Shawnpremed]

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If applying this June, should I stay put at my permanent mailing address (apt. away from actual home) to wait for snailmail/phone calls from med schools?
Is a Christmas vacation for 2-3 wks too long? Will I miss phone interviews appointments or secondaries in mail during Christmas?

Is there an online way to check whether schools have attempted to contact you or send you secondaries?

When is a good time to be away from your mailing address?

 

[Mattabet]

If applying this June, should I stay put at my permanent mailing address (apt. away from actual home) to wait for snailmail/phone calls from med schools?

You should be at your permanent address as much as possible, especially right after primary submission (for secondaries) and when interview invites start rolling in (late summer - fall if you get your stuff submitted in June).

Is a Christmas vacation for 2-3 wks too long? Will I miss phone interviews appointments or secondaries in mail during Christmas?

Christmastime is generally a good time to go on vacation, that's when the adcoms seem to. It can't hurt to have someone check your mail from time to time, but you should be okay.

Is there an online way to check whether schools have attempted to contact you or send you secondaries?

Usually the school will send you an e-mail and a link to their app website. True for most, probably not all. The websites vary in quality and usability.

 

[zerial]

You should be at your permanent address as much as possible, especially right after primary submission (for secondaries) and when interview invites start rolling in (late summer - fall if you get your stuff submitted in June).

I was under the impression that we could do most of the secondary and interview process online. Will they be sending essential materials through snail mail to the permanent address?

 

[medstar21]

Its possible that some schools send essential info through snail mail only. I got an interview invite from one of my school that was snail mail, and that was the only notification I got of it. Some schools are still old school like that. Most were through email, but not all...

 

[Mattabet]

Its possible that some schools send essential info through snail mail only. I got an interview invite from one of my school that was snail mail, and that was the only notification I got of it. Some schools are still old school like that. Most were through email, but not all...

👍 Right. Many, many do both e- and snail-mail, to varying extents. But you may find yourself waiting on a letter for a login code or something. I hope you like randomly generated alphanumeric passwords!

 

[Shawnpremed]

👍 Right. Many, many do both e- and snail-mail, to varying extents. But you may find yourself waiting on a letter for a login code or something. I hope you like randomly generated alphanumeric passwords!

If I don't miss it in the mail while on vaca!

I have roommates but I think everyone eventually goes home during winter break. I just get paranoid like 75%+ premeds, like with important packets getting lost in the mail and stuff.

Guess I'll stay in my cell.😎

 

[WaterBird]

If I don't miss it in the mail while on vaca!

I have roommates but I think everyone eventually goes home during winter break. I just get paranoid like 75%+ premeds, like with important packets getting lost in the mail and stuff.

Guess I'll stay in my cell.😎

I think 18/20 of my secondaries came by email.
IMO, you could take a little vacay right after you submit your primary (assuming you submit early) and then you can come home to a stack of secondaries (or start working on them from wherever), as it takes a couple of days for the schools to start processing you. Once the interview invites start coming in the fall it's harder to take any time off since you don't want to push those back too much. And yeah, offices totally shut down for 2-3 weeks around Christmas.

Also, if you don't get your mail right away it will still be there. It's not like the tree falling in the forest.....

A break or two might make you a better interviewee after all.