Secondary Preparation (MD and DO)

[future_doc1421]

Hey guys,

I submitted my MD app on June 2nd and am still waiting for it to be verified/receive secondaries. Do you have any advice on how to prep for secondaries? I am looking at old secondaries from last year cycle to get an idea of the questions they ask. Any other advice? Here are the MD schools I applied to:

UofA - Tucson (MD)
UofA - Phoenix (MD)
Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine (MD)
Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
Wright State University Boonshoft School of Med
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Northeast Ohio Medical University
RUSH
Rosalind Franklin
Drexel
Oakland Beumont
California NorthState
University of Nevada, Reno


Also, how long does it usually take to get a secondary? Is it once my AMCAS app has been verified or in the process of getting verified? They are still processing June 1st applications so I am just wondering a rough time frame that you get the secondaries.

Also, any advice on DO school secondaries as well? Here is the list of DO schools I applied to:

MidWestern University (DO)
AT Still University - School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (DO)
Touro University California, College of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
Touro University - Nevada
Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (DO)
Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
Midwestern University/Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine(DO)
Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine at Athens
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Philadelphia College of Medicine

Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine

Thanks!

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[Neuro25_]

I pre wrote my secondaries. I looked for the specific SDN threads from the prior year and copied and pasted all of the questions for that school onto a huge google document. Then I went through and as a rough draft, I answered them and when I would have time, I began to re-read and develop a more focused response to every question. I know this seems cumbersome but you will find that many questions are repetitive and common themes can be used throughout.

When you receive a secondary depends on the school and their timeline. Most secondary's for me came in August. (I was complete in July). But I am aware that you may receive them as soon as you are verified/complete because some schools send them automatically. One thing I do know, is that you should really start writing ASAP because when they start coming, it can feel overwhelming because they all come at once lol.

Edit: DO/MD secondaries are similar EXCEPT for the "why DO" question. Be prepared to answer that.

Good Luck!

 

[future_doc1421]

I pre wrote my secondaries. I looked for the specific SDN threads from the prior year and copied and pasted all of the questions for that school onto a huge google document. Then I went through and as a rough draft, I answered them and when I would have time, I began to re-read and develop a more focused response to every question. I know this seems cumbersome but you will find that many questions are repetitive and common themes can be used throughout.

When you receive a secondary depends on the school and their timeline. Most secondary's for me came in August. (I was complete in July). But I am aware that you may receive them as soon as you are verified/complete because some schools send them automatically. One thing I do know, is that you should really start writing ASAP because when they start coming, it can feel overwhelming because they all come at once lol.

Good Luck!

Thank you so so much!! I was thinking that but I saw some schools don't have their secondaries up or that they change per year.

 

[Neuro25_]

They can change per year but very minimally. Also, because the questions are so similar, even if it changes, you will be able to easily compile a response with the answers to the other prompts.

So do not let this stop you from pre-writing. It made my cycle a lot smoother.

Also, I used Grammarly.com to make my responses sound more professional!

 

[future_doc1421]

They can change per year but very minimally. Also, because the questions are so similar, even if it changes, you will be able to easily compile a response with the answers to the other prompts.

So do not let this stop you from pre-writing. It made my cycle a lot smoother.

Also, I used Grammarly.com to make my responses sound more professional!

Awesome, do you think that would work for DO applications as well?

 

[Neuro25_]

Yes, I also used this method when I applied to Rowan, PCOM and NYIT-COM and had no issues.

 

[future_doc1421]

Okay, great! Thank you so much! Also, in terms of organization, I saw some places recommend spreadsheets and such. How would you recommend organizing secondaries in terms of scheduling?

 

[DrDwayneJohnson]

Okay, great! Thank you so much! Also, in terms of organization, I saw some places recommend spreadsheets and such. How would you recommend organizing secondaries in terms of scheduling?

Making spreadsheets for that is the most pre-med thing I've heard in awhile lol. Just make different Word files for each school and do them in order of the schools you want to go to the most -> least. If they screen, then I might put them at the end because you'll probably get them last.

 

[Neurodoct]

LECOM does not have a secondary essay.

 

[gyngyn]

Did you realize that Northstate has chosen to deny its students access to federal loans and payback mechanisms?

 

[fball22]

Did you realize that Northstate has chosen to deny its students access to federal loans and payback mechanisms?

Ya, you already wasted money on your primary, definitely don't fill out/pay for the secondary.

 

[future_doc1421]

so I got a secondary from CCOM; questions are the same as last year but the website isn't super detailed on special programs/aspects the school offers (to answer the "How can CCOM give you the type of education you want?" question). Is it inappropriate to call the admissions counsel and ask if I can speak to current students to learn more about the program? What do you guys suggest? Just looking at other schools I've applied to websites, i feel like I might have the same problem with some other universities as well... HELP please

 

[future_doc1421]

They can change per year but very minimally. Also, because the questions are so similar, even if it changes, you will be able to easily compile a response with the answers to the other prompts.

So do not let this stop you from pre-writing. It made my cycle a lot smoother.

Also, I used Grammarly.com to make my responses sound more professional!

Just a general question, are secondaries suppose to be very straightforward? As is, I like your school because of X, Y, Z reasons...? Like can you start off the response with "I want to go to ___ because ..." and then go on? And do I assume they have read my experiences so I can just mention/allude to them or would you recommend re summarizing the experience?

 

[Neuro25_]

Most are not that straightforward. They are usually asking about personal experiences/tribulations/traits rather than "why this school". You should do your research and tie in the schools specific missions and your experiences so it is easy to see that you are a good fit. So to your first question, Not usually.

As for your second question, do not assume anything. The person who read your app may not be the person who reads your secondary. I wouldn't go as far as list everything because the characters are limited but include key points about important events which someone can understand without having to go back to your primary.