Medical Gap year job changed but secondaries submitted, when should I update schools?

[tantacles]

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Hi there,

I heard from my gap year position today that they are pushing back the start date for my cohort. I was supposed to officially start in two weeks but will now be starting anywhere from September 2020 to January 2021. The program is in a major COVID hotspot and the scale of the organization has been reduced during the pandemic, so I understand their rationale but I'm of course disappointed.

Because I had been accepted to the program, started the online trainings in May, and completed the background checks and paperwork before I submitted my AMCAS application, I listed the position on my AMCAS with projected hours. I still have the job and am planning on continuing this fall or in January, COVID willing, but my projected hours are now severely reduced and the position is shortened by a half-year.

I will be applying for other jobs to fill the open semester. However, I was on top of my secondaries and submitted them all with the information about the job I had trained in and was supposed to have started. When would be a good time to update schools about the shifting/changes in my gap year plans?

The options I see are:

1) As soon as I start a new position
2) As soon as I accumulate a decent amount of hours (100+) in the new position
3) Wait until it comes up in interviews then explain the situation
4) Update when other people often update (November/December)

Let me know if you have other questions. Thank you in advance for the advice!

I don't think you need to update them. Plans change sometimes, and I think every school is aware of and trying to be sympathetic to the new challenges of covid.

The one thing I will say is that you go to an interview and at that point you have no yet started your new position, don't lie. Just be honest if asked about the position.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

I wouldn’t worry about updating them now. If you get an interview, you can always bring it up then. Schools know how the pandemic has changed things for students and won’t ding you for that.