Leaving during app. season

[sierrasid]

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Hey, I'm trying to plan a little trip overseas this summer and I'm going to apply to med school in June. I only want to leave for three weeks or so. I was wondering how quickly secondaries are returned and how quick you have to have them back to the med schools. Is it a good idea for me to leave in the summer or should I stay and wait for the secondaries to come? Thanks guys

 

[tufts02]

hey, great idea...i went to europe for 2 months last summer and had the time of my life. as long as you get your amcas in early you probably wont get your secondaries until at least august w/ very few exceptions. i had all my secondaries done by mid september which is still pretty early.

 

[skigirl]

I submitted my application to AMCAS on June 26 and I received my first secondary on July 16. So, it seemed to take about three weeks for processing at AMCAS and at the med schools. But once the first secondary came, they all poured in over the course of three weeks or so. I don't know if this is typical, but I bet you'd beat the rush if you were only gone for three weeks. Hope this helps... 🙂

 

[sierrasid]

Hey thanks Tufts, that is exactly the info I was looking for. I'd like to go away for longer and I still might. I've been saving up and I think I'm going to backpack, ride buses in Peru and Bolivia. 🙂

 

[sierrasid]

How long do you have to reply to the secondaries?

 

[paean]

I applied in the year AMCAS was a mess (for class of 06) so some of this might have changed, but the earliest deadlines were in October (for the schools that gave a specific date) or within 2 or 3 weeks of receiving the secondary. The later were schools that screened before sending secondaries to applicants, and tended to come later than the specific dates who send 2rys to everyone as soon as they got their name from AMCAS.

 

[Gleevec]

Do you think it will matter for AMCAS and TMDAS if I dont submit til early july (july 1st-ish)?

 

[mcatkitkat]

go.

 

[pocwana]

let me just say that i submitted amcas on june 19th and knocked out secondaries as quickly as i could get the money. first one came july 17th. i second paean's deadline comments, it's pretty much been the same for this app cycle, just be careful of deadlines as they come in. right now, i know i'm going to med school next year and i'm so glad that, basically, this process is almost done for me. you can submit on july 1st, or anytime until the deadline, but getting things in early is a definite advantage in this whole process.

for sierrasid, i'd say absolutely go! it'll probably be awhile before you get the chance to go to europe again. just be ready to hit the 2aries hard when you get back home. also, a lot of the questions on the apps are similar, so, even before you go on your trip, start cranking out answers to some questions. you can view a bunch of secondaries on my website, see link below. then you can just start sending out as soon as you get home.

good luck to you. i hope you have a great trip. do you know where you want to go overseas?

 

[CrashinStoneFish]

Go Go Go!!! I submitted AMCAS the earliest date possible and then left for Europe a few days later...didn't get back until the middle of August, and had loads of secondaries waiting for me, but it was SO worth it!! Just make sure to have all of your recommendations ready for your schools..that is eventually what held me up at most schools..(that and the lack of motivation I had after having so much fun over the summer!! ) Go and have fun!! I'm already planning a trip back!