Great alternative to typing secondaries!

[doctorFred]

So, I don't own a typewriter, but my handwriting aint the greatest. I'm not sure if anyone else has suggested this, but since most of the snail-mail secondaries are .pdf files, you can simply open them in Photoshop, type your responses in any font you wish (I used boring New Courier, but I guess you could use a handwriting font), and then print them out. Voila, no typewriter, and looks professional.

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[JustR]

So, I don't own a typewriter, but my handwriting aint the greatest. I'm not sure if anyone else has suggested this, but since most of the snail-mail secondaries are .pdf files, you can simply open them in Photoshop, type your responses in any font you wish (I used boring New Courier, but I guess you could use a handwriting font), and then print them out. Voila, no typewriter, and looks professional.

It looks like an amazing tip, but most of the secondary apps are online for me, but if something comes in the mail.. I will experiment. Sure would look professional-- I believe.

 

[tigress]

yeah, it's a great solution, if you can afford Photoshop

 

[atrovariousg]

but my handwriting aint the greatest.

Luckily neither is your grammar!

 

[chacem]

Luckily neither is your grammar!

We could say the same about yours

 

[Mutt]

yeah, it's a great solution, if you can afford Photoshop

Photoshop is extremely affordable if you're willing to compromise any sort of moral views you may have regarding pirated software.

 

[TicAL]

Photoshop is extremely affordable if you're willing to compromise any sort of moral views you may have regarding pirated software.

Do you think I could write about this in my Duke secondary?

 

[jon stewart]

Do you think I could write about this in my Duke secondary?

most definetely, it could be your interests outside of medicine......

 

[Andrew_Doan]

Alternatively, you can print your answers out, cut them out, and paste them onto a printed secondary. Then make a good quality photocopy of it.

 

[Law2Doc]

Alternatively, you can print your answers out, cut them out, and paste them onto a printed secondary. Then make a good quality photocopy of it.

If you are artisticly skilled enough to do this without making a horrible looking mess, (like the rest of us probably would,) then you probably have a bright career ahead of you in plastic surgery.

 

[Andrew_Doan]

If you are artisticly skilled enough to do this without making a horrible looking mess, (like the rest of us probably would,) then you probably have a bright career ahead of you in plastic surgery.

... how about an ophthalmic microsurgeon?

 

[Law2Doc]

... how about an ophthalmic microsurgeon?

That works too.

 

[Andrew_Doan]

Another way that I've used is print out the PDF form and then print on it. Measure where the answers are to be positioned on the PDF. Use MS Word, and layout the answers to be printed in the locations corresponding to the form. Then print onto the hard copy of the PDF using your printer.

 

[chicamedica]

Alternatively, you can print your answers out, cut them out, and paste them onto a printed secondary. Then make a good quality photocopy of it.

this is what i did, but this was way back in the stone age (2000-01) when AMCAS wasn't even online yet. Worked well, but was a little tedious and required multiple attempts to resize and print to fit it well into the allotted space.

I like the photoshop idea. Also some paid versions of adobe pdf software let you actually type stuff into the .pdf form.

 

[boogzaiyo]

or you could use Adobe Acrobat and enter your answer in text boxes directly on the pdf file...?

 

[tigress]

or you could use Adobe Acrobat and enter your answer in text boxes directly on the pdf file...?

again, we're talking $$...unless you're still in school, and your school computer lab has a copy of Acrobat

luckily I only had one secondary that was a non-fillable pdf, and Uegis here on sdn was kind enough to provide us all with a fillable version

 

[AxlxA]

Ahh... pirated softwares, where will i be without them.

 

[docbill]

Ahh... pirated softwares, where will i be without them.

Great advice guys.

BTW, you can also use the camera Icon on PDF and past that page into Powerpoint and fill in text right on top.

 

[bubbleyum]

i used adobe illlustrator for some of them, which is better if you happen to have the program instead of photoshop. illustrator is a vector art program so you don't have to worry about resolution and your file size will be smaller.

if you use photoshop, remember you have to keep your file high-res (around 300dpi is standard for print graphics) or else when you print it out, it will not look professional, it will look like pixelated garbage. also keep your text/font anti-aliased.