Proper Timing for Publication Update

[Cavs5284]

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I was recently informed that I would be listed as an author in a publication that will be submitted next week. I will also be listed as an author in another journal with a different collaborator sometime this month. Should I wait for both publications to be submitted, update after only one is submitted, or wait for one to be accepted before updating?

The primary author of the first paper has published in the journal many times before and it is very unlikely to be rejected but I am not sure of the proper timing for notifying medical schools of this update (i.e. after submission, after submission with revisions, or only after fully accepted/published).

Additionally, I have begun participating in a new volunteer opportunity that I would like to update schools with but do not know if that should be part of a separate update. Would updating schools piecemeal be an annoyance?

I am a very borderline applicant with only one interview so far, so I am trying to weigh timing of these updates versus the higher quantity of updates I will have down the road. Ideally I'd like to have one update with all of these new developments at once, but I know the clock is ticking this cycle and would like to update as soon as possible.

Anyone have advice or experience in the matter?

 

[areserine]

It would be much more powerful to say you have accepted papers rather than submitted papers. However, since the interview spots are likely running out, I'd say sooner is better than later. Figure out exactly what "sometime this month" means. Are you waiting on a collaborator to give the ok or are you waiting for results of another experiment? Both of these could be "this month" but one of these is likely to be within a week or so and the other... well... could be months if it doesn't pan out right. Do you have any presentations or posters related to these papers that you could talk about?

If you've got a guarantee (that you believe) and the second one will be submitted in a week or two, then I'd wait for both to be submitted and change the following suggestion accordingly. If it's going to take a month or more, then I'd send an update next week with:

One paper has been submitted to X journal (list your role and author position)
One paper is in the final stages of production with an estimated submission date of X to Journal Y (and your role and author position)
New Volunteer activity
Something about how you love the school and hope to interview

Good luck!

 

[Goro]

Not worth mentioning until papers are accepted. Get your PI to write you a LOR attesting to your collaborations.

Anyone can say "manuscript submitted".

I was recently informed that I would be listed as an author in a publication that will be submitted next week. I will also be listed as an author in another journal with a different collaborator sometime this month. Should I wait for both publications to be submitted, update after only one is submitted, or wait for one to be accepted before updating?

The primary author of the first paper has published in the journal many times before and it is very unlikely to be rejected but I am not sure of the proper timing for notifying medical schools of this update (i.e. after submission, after submission with revisions, or only after fully accepted/published).

Additionally, I have begun participating in a new volunteer opportunity that I would like to update schools with but do not know if that should be part of a separate update. Would updating schools piecemeal be an annoyance?

I am a very borderline applicant with only one interview so far, so I am trying to weigh timing of these updates versus the higher quantity of updates I will have down the road. Ideally I'd like to have one update with all of these new developments at once, but I know the clock is ticking this cycle and would like to update as soon as possible.

Anyone have advice or experience in the matter?

 

[sunnysnow7]

Not worth mentioning until papers are accepted. Get your PI to write you a LOR attesting to your collaborations.

Anyone can say "manuscript submitted".

Isn't it too late to submit new LORs?

 

[Goro]

I doubt it.

Isn't it too late to submit new LORs?

 

[Cavs5284]

Not worth mentioning until papers are accepted. Get your PI to write you a LOR attesting to your collaborations.

Anyone can say "manuscript submitted".

My PI is not the primary author of this paper, he also already wrote one of my LOR's. Should I ask him to add another letter regarding the paper?

Also, would it be worth mentioning if the paper was accepted with minor revisions required before publication? This seems to be the most common result of manuscript submissions, in my experience.

Given that it is now close to mid-January and it can take several weeks between submission and acceptance would it still be better to wait for acceptance into the paper? I applied broadly and still have 21 schools the hear back from but so far have only had one interview. I am a bit worried about pre-interview rejections at schools where my GPA and MCAT are near target range.

 

[Goro]

Asking him to send an updated LOR can't hurt.
Should I ask him to add another letter regarding the paper?

An acceptance is an acceptance...that's worth noting.
Also, would it be worth mentioning if the paper was accepted with minor revisions required before publication? This seems to be the most common result of manuscript submissions, in my experience.

If it hasn't been accepted yet, it's still "in submission", which is not worth much. Again, anyone can say "submitted. NIH doesn't count those when it asks for your CV. If you're not getting IIs by now, it's probably time to start thinking about Plan B.

Given that it is now close to mid-January and it can take several weeks between submission and acceptance would it still be better to wait for acceptance into the paper? I applied broadly and still have 21 schools the hear back from but so far have only had one interview. I am a bit worried about pre-interview rejections at schools where my GPA and MCAT are near target range.[/QUOTE]

 

[Cavs5284]

Do you think maybe just any word from me with would clear the dust off my file? I will also be volunteering in an initiative to bring exposure in careers in math and science to underprivileged kids, not sure if that alone would be enough to warrant an update, but I was thinking of mentioning that in addition to two planned papers (one being submitted this week) would warrant an update.

I do have a plan b, but I haven't completely given up on plan a yet and and prepared to do what I can with plan a. There really isn't much more I can do to improve by next year besides applying more broadly, and I'd like to save the money.