Diagnosed with Mono!

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krispy

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Hey all...

I am working on a few secondaries but was diagnosed with mono a few weeks ago. It's taking me way longer to finish them than it would if I wasnt sick...should I let schools know whats going on? All I have been doing is sleeping-which is really frustrating when I know I have things to do. Advice is appreciated.
 
Stop kissing ****** in the mouth, and please don't tell adcoms that you have been doing so.

Take some medicine and knock those secondaries out tomorrow.
 
Touche! (Except, I think the ****** that I got mono from are the boys that I nanny for. They live to cough in my face.)
 
Tough break - life is full of 'em.

You likely won't get any sympathy from the adcom about this, considering they have thousands of other applicants who they have to review. Also, I'm sure you can appreciate that many other people get sick, have tragedies, etc etc, so you're not unique in that respect.

Lastly, you are already very late in the process. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems that if you choose to submit your secondaries after all, it likely won't matter if you submit say, 2 weeks from now, or whenever you can.

Feel better.
 
You should drink a lot of coffee and get them done. I know it's hard to function, but no one will offer you a break for that.
 
I tend to disagree with the posters above. Having had mono myself, I understand how you probably feel right now. There is zero chance I would be able to competently complete all my secondaries with mono, and it is unfortunate your application process necessitates suffering for what seems a terribly timed coincidence of life stressors. I'm sorry.

I would find a way to mention it in the additional information section, and how you can use this experience to make you stronger. I'm not exactly sure how to word it, but ask your pre-med adviser as I am sure there is a way. If being severely ill while completing applications is not a reason to post additional information, I'm not sure what is. This is just my opinion, but there should be room to explain something like this at such an inopportune time (without coming off as whining).
 
Mono sucks.

That said, I agree with most of the above posters except the one who said it wouldn't matter if you waited 2 weeks.

You really need to get these in weeks ago. Like really bad. Your chances drop each day you don't submit.

Take it from someone who didn't get in last year because I submitted too late. It's approaching too late already. I wish I could tell you to take it easy and get well soon, but the honest truth is that it is imperative that you get this done ASAP. Nobody on an ADCOM is going to want to hear excuses why it wasn't in already. You could have had your **** together and submitted day 1.

(Sorry for the harshness! I really feel for you, but I care about your career goals more than your current illness. Get well soon!)
 
The above comment said it best. Think about what your future self would rather have: extra sleep or secondaries in now instead of later? You can do it 🙂 You'll have plenty of time to be sick and sleep later.
 
Mono will rob a few days from you; I'm not really sure why people believe it merits weeks and weeks of time off. It's hard to work when you're exhausted, sure, but it's an important skill to have. And yes, I have had mono, and yes, it was a miserable, excruciating experience that I don't wish on anyone...and yes, one of the more torturous parts of it was waking up after several days of hell, exhausted, and realizing that there was a chemistry midterm in 36 hours and I had missed several days of lecture. But you have to do what you have to do, because at the end of the day, good time management entails being prepared enough that you can absorb a few unplanned $#!7fests. Sure, all of us have plenty of time management lapses (I count myself among the worst offenders)...but that's hardly an attribute you want to advertise to the adcoms at this point in the season (or, you know, ever.)
 
I had mono my first year of undergrad and it is awful. It definitely affected my grades (I was sick for several months). All sympathies aside though, I agree with the above in that unfortunately with so many other applicants to screen ADCOM isn't going to care you have a bad virus (and I would not recommend putting it in your app, it will honestly probably come across as whining no matter how well worded). Late applications did me in my first application cycle. The sooner you get them in the better. Drink lots of coffee and crush through them! You can do it! Follow up with lots of fluids, rest, and eat healthy! I drank a lot of Carnation breakfast milk and chicken noodle soup when I had mono (couldn't eat many solid foods). Best thing you can do is crush your secondaries and then sleep for like a week straight. lol Good luck on your apps and with the mono! You have my sympathies!
 
Mono sucks.

That said, I agree with most of the above posters except the one who said it wouldn't matter if you waited 2 weeks.

You really need to get these in weeks ago. Like really bad. Your chances drop each day you don't submit.

Take it from someone who didn't get in last year because I submitted too late. It's approaching too late already. I wish I could tell you to take it easy and get well soon, but the honest truth is that it is imperative that you get this done ASAP. Nobody on an ADCOM is going to want to hear excuses why it wasn't in already. You could have had your **** together and submitted day 1.

(Sorry for the harshness! I really feel for you, but I care about your career goals more than your current illness. Get well soon!)

With all due respect, do you realize it's Nov 15? Many if not most schools are approaching or have passed their deadlines for secondary submission. Even the extraordinary applicants who apply right now will have a very difficult time getting in. My point with saying what I said was that the idea that submitting earlier helps you is likely already over by now, so it wouldn't make that much of a difference for the average applicant at this point. If chances drop every day he/she doesn't submit (as you suggest), well then this person's chances have been dropping since early June.

With that said, OP, if you can muster the strength to finish those apps, you should do it, if only for your own peace of mind. But I wouldn't suggest writing about your sickness, just stick with your original game plan.
 
With all due respect, do you realize it's Nov 15? Many if not most schools are approaching or have passed their deadlines for secondary submission. Even the extraordinary applicants who apply right now will have a very difficult time getting in. My point with saying what I said was that the idea that submitting earlier helps you is likely already over by now, so it wouldn't make that much of a difference for the average applicant at this point. If chances drop every day he/she doesn't submit (as you suggest), well then this person's chances have been dropping since early June.

Absolutely 100% true. This person's chances have been dropping since early June. Yes.

With all due respect, do you realize it's the end of November in 2 weeks when you say it's okay for the OP to be finishing up those secondaries because he/she is feeling ill? If you need perspective, imagine advising someone to wait until the end of November to submit their application.

I doubt an application submitted day 2 has less chance than that of day 1, but a month later? Absolutely. Two weeks from now? Absolutely. That's an entire round of decisions being made on applicants for most schools. That could be 20 seats filling up!

OP: Do not wait. You cannot afford to wait. I'm stressing out for you just thinking about you taking the advice to wait.

With that said, OP, if you can muster the strength to finish those apps, you should do it, if only for your own peace of mind. But I wouldn't suggest writing about your sickness, just stick with your original game plan.

^ Agree 100%!
 
I was verified in September and submitted four secondaries in late December of last year, and got two MD interviews. My grades and MCAT are average. I got one waitlist and one rejection. For what it's worth, it's still possible to get interviews if you get in gear and submit them now... It's just less likely you will get accepted because more seats are taken. Just get it done. Don't explain.
 
Mono has a weird way of striking at the most importune times. Summer after sophomore year of high school, I was stricken literally a day before I was supposed to get on a plane with the rest of the quizbowl team for the national competition at Disneyworld. Still kinda bitter I didn't get to go, but c'est la vie I guess.

Anyway I agree with everyone else, power through and finish those secondaries ASAP. Don't bother explaining anything, it might sound like you're making excuses. You should have had your stuff in by now anyway (not trying to be harsh, but come on it's mid-November).
 
Mono has a weird way of striking at the most importune times. Summer after sophomore year of high school, I was stricken literally a day before I was supposed to get on a plane with the rest of the quizbowl team for the national competition at Disneyworld. Still kinda bitter I didn't get to go, but c'est la vie I guess.

Anyway I agree with everyone else, power through and finish those secondaries ASAP. Don't bother explaining anything, it might sound like you're making excuses. You should have had your stuff in by now anyway (not trying to be harsh, but come on it's mid-November).
 
Kinda late in the cycle for secondaries, but it is what it is. can you get someone to do the writing for you? in the worst-case, you lose a year and will need to start ASAP in June 2014. in the mean tiem, get some bed rest.

Hey all...

I am working on a few secondaries but was diagnosed with mono a few weeks ago. It's taking me way longer to finish them than it would if I wasnt sick...should I let schools know whats going on? All I have been doing is sleeping-which is really frustrating when I know I have things to do. Advice is appreciated.
 
I wouldn't mention this to the schools, just get some rest for a few days and try doing work once you're feeling better... it might be perceived as being weird to call schools about this.
 
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