Attaching poster document to secondary app? Other documents to consider attaching?

[Kirby Smart]

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I've seen that some if not most secondary applications offer the opportunity to upload additional documents to be reviewed and say something similar to "Please attach any updated grade reports, honors received, abstracts, application updates, etc. not included in your AMCAS application."

Would it be worthwhile or not helpful to attach copies of research posters I've presented at conferences? Also, are there documents that any of you are considering attaching like this other than the examples given above?

I know this is a pretty nitpicky question but just wondering what y'all think. Thanks!

 

[907914]

I've seen that some if not most secondary applications offer the opportunity to upload additional documents to be reviewed and say something similar to "Please attach any updated grade reports, honors received, abstracts, application updates, etc. not included in your AMCAS application."

Would it be worthwhile or not helpful to attach copies of research posters I've presented at conferences? Also, are there documents that any of you are considering attaching like this other than the examples given above?

I know this is a pretty nitpicky question but just wondering what y'all think. Thanks!

No, they won't care to actually look at the specifics of your research. If they do care, they will ask you in your interview as it is not the content but rather your passion for and ability to communicate said information.

In general,you should only upload documents of high importance (ie. The abstract to a publication if you don't already have one, receipt of a state/regional/national award or merit, etc.) before interview invites. Everything else should only be uploaded after an interview has been conducted, such as updates on grades, letters of intent, receipt of lesser awards, yadda yadda.

 

[Kirby Smart]

In general,you should only upload documents of high importance (ie. The abstract to a publication if you don't already have one, receipt of a state/regional/national award or merit, etc.) before interview invites. Everything else should only be uploaded after an interview has been conducted, such as updates on grades, letters of intent, receipt of lesser awards, yadda yadda.

Got it, thanks for clarifying. How about in the instance of an application update? I recently started a clinical full-time job that isn't on my AMCAS but that I have been including in the secondaries that ask what I'll be doing this year. For schools that don't, should I write about this and submit it as an extra attachment?

 

[907914]

Got it, thanks for clarifying. How about in the instance of an application update? I recently started a clinical full-time job that isn't on my AMCAS but that I have been including in the secondaries that ask what I'll be doing this year. For schools that don't, should I write about this and submit it as an extra attachment?

No. If your clinical experience was already good enough to apply then more will not help a whole lot. Now, if it comes to around Thanksgiving and you have to interview invites and still have this clinical position, updates may be appropriate.

 

[Kirby Smart]

No. If your clinical experience was already good enough to apply then more will not help a whole lot. Now, if it comes to around Thanksgiving and you have to interview invites and still have this clinical position, updates may be appropriate.

To get specific, I have ~900 hours of "clinical" experiences including healthcare related volunteering and shadowing but with little in the way of working hands-on with patients like I currently am. So you think it's still not worth updating with this until it's more of a desperation effort?

 

[907914]

To get specific, I have ~900 hours of "clinical" experiences including healthcare related volunteering and shadowing but with little in the way of working hands-on with patients like I currently am. So you think it's still not worthing updating with this until it's more of a desperation effort?

Would be worth updating after interviews, I would think. Maybe @Goro could help more.

 

[Goro]

To get specific, I have ~900 hours of "clinical" experiences including healthcare related volunteering and shadowing but with little in the way of working hands-on with patients like I currently am. So you think it's still not worth updating with this until it's more of a desperation effort?

What exactly does these 900 hours consist of?

 

[Kirby Smart]

What exactly does these 900 hours consist of?

~250 total in two different volunteer gigs at hospitals
~65 total shadowing different physicians
~550 implementing behavioral treatment

 

[Goro]

~250 total in two different volunteer gigs at hospitals
~65 total shadowing different physicians
~550 implementing behavioral treatment

It seems to me that you have LOTS of nice clinical experience!

 

[Catalystik]

I've seen that some if not most secondary applications offer the opportunity to upload additional documents to be reviewed

Would it be worthwhile or not helpful to attach copies of research posters I've presented at conferences?

Please don't.

 

[Catalystik]

1) ~250 total in two different volunteer gigs at hospitals
2) ~65 total shadowing different physicians
3) ~550 implementing behavioral treatment

1) What were your roles?
2) Does this include a primary care doc? If so, any office-based experience or is it all in a hospital?

 

[Kirby Smart]

Please don't.

Lol point taken, thanks for the advice. I just wasn't really sure if they really want you to provide different docs in that way or only if they're something very significant.

1) What were your roles?
2) Does this include a primary care doc? If so, any office-based experience or is it all in a hospital?

1.) As a volunteer it was usually patient interaction based tasks but obviously not hands-on. Shadowing was all different specialties, no primary care. And the psych clinical experience I was a counselor for a treatment program for children.

2. No primary care experience on my AMCAS, but the job I'm currently working which I could submit an update document about is at a primary care private practice.

 

[Catalystik]

A) Lol point taken, thanks for the advice. I just wasn't really sure if they really want you to provide different docs in that way or only if they're something very significant.



B) 1.) As a volunteer it was usually patient interaction based tasks but obviously not hands-on. Shadowing was all different specialties, no primary care. And the psych clinical experience I was a counselor for a treatment program for children.

2. No primary care experience on my AMCAS,

3. but the job I'm currently working which I could submit an update document about is at a primary care private practice.

A) If you attach it, it has to be read. The tiny, tiny print on a photo of a poster is very hard to read, even though this cat wears spectacles. This will not add to your candidacy beyond what you have described in your Research entry and the title of your poster, which you've already cited.

B1) You don't have to touch the patients, you just have to interact (converse, provide comfort items/services) with them. NB: It's hard to interact with an unconscious patient.

B2) Some subspecialists do assume all care for their patients, even though technically they are not primary care physicians (examples: neurology, rheumatology, oncology). Note that Psych and OBGYN are included in "primary care." What specialties did you shadow?

B3) As you have just started, I'd hold off for now on updating med schools whose Secondaries didn't allow for including the new job information. When will you be past the probationary period?

 

[Kirby Smart]

A) If you attach it, it has to be read. The tiny, tiny print on a photo of a poster is very hard to read, even though this cat wears spectacles. This will not add to your candidacy beyond what you have described in your Research entry and the title of your poster, which you've already cited.

B1) You don't have to touch the patients, you just have to interact (converse, provide comfort items/services) with them. NB: It's hard to interact with an unconscious patient.

B2) Some subspecialists do assume all care for their patients, even though technically they are not primary care physicians (examples: neurology, rheumatology, oncology). Note that Psych and OBGYN are included in "primary care." What specialties did you shadow?

B3) As you have just started, I'd hold off for now on updating med schools whose Secondaries didn't allow for including the new job information. When will you be past the probationary period?

B2.) I shadowed in neonatology, pediatric intensive care, and pediatric hematology/oncology. So, all pretty specific and all peds related which I hope isn't a major negative. I chose these shadowing opportunities because it was what I was most interested in experiencing though so maybe that will hold some weight. But yeah, I think this is even more a reason why I should probably update eventually with my new primary care experience (in family medicine).

B3.) I'll pass the probationary period at the end of September if I remember right. By that point I'll have committed about 450 hours I believe.

 

[Catalystik]

B2.) I shadowed in neonatology, pediatric intensive care, and pediatric hematology/oncology. So, all pretty specific and
a) all peds related which I hope isn't a major negative. I chose these shadowing opportunities because it was what I was most interested in experiencing though so maybe that will hold some weight.
b) But yeah, I think this is even more a reason why I should probably update eventually with my new primary care experience (in family medicine).

B3.) I'll pass the probationary period at the end of September if I remember right. By that point I'll have committed about 450 hours I believe.

B2a) This won't be a negative.
B2b) I agree.

B3) That will be a good time to update, as you'll have a solid number of hours and you can be more sure of continuing the position.

 

[indigoturtle5223]

I have a question.

No, they won't care to actually look at the specifics of your research. If they do care, they will ask you in your interview as it is not the content but rather your passion for and ability to communicate said information.

In general,you should only upload documents of high importance (ie. The abstract to a publication if you don't already have one, receipt of a state/regional/national award or merit, etc.) before interview invites. Everything else should only be uploaded after an interview has been conducted, such as updates on grades, letters of intent, receipt of lesser awards, yadda yadda.

What do you mean by "The abstract to a publication if you don't already have one,"? I'm applying to MD/PhD programs this cycle (2020) and I do have a paper. Do I need to attach the abstract to my secondary?

 

[SeaHusky]

No, they won't care to actually look at the specifics of your research. If they do care, they will ask you in your interview as it is not the content but rather your passion for and ability to communicate said information.

In general,you should only upload documents of high importance (ie. The abstract to a publication if you don't already have one, receipt of a state/regional/national award or merit, etc.) before interview invites. Everything else should only be uploaded after an interview has been conducted, such as updates on grades, letters of intent, receipt of lesser awards, yadda yadda.

Would updates on additional publications in mid-high impact journals be worth less if you already have pubs on record? I applied with a third-author pub and already updated schools with a fourth-author pub that was accepted/published a month ago. I have a first-author and second-author pub, both in the pipeline (under review) at high-impact journals that hopefully will be accepted/published ~November/December. Would those not be worth updating schools about if I already have pubs?

I would also include updates on service hours to the underserved in these updates, but they would revolve around the pubs (which I assume are significant on their own?).