Submitting secondaries sept/october -- advice needed

[anonywombat]

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Hi yall,

I'm super stressed and need some advice. Been going through a lot these past few months and have had very little motivation to complete my secondaries. I got verified around august and I still haven't submitted secondaries for the vast majority of my schools. I'm hoping to get them within next two weeks but at this point I don't know. I'm super discouraged tbh and feeling like it'll be futile to even submit. My original goal was to get into a t20. I have good stats 4.0/526 and feel like I just wasted 4 years of effort because of this.

Any advice from adcoms on my chances for this cycle / any words of encouragement appreciated. Thank you all so much

 

[Goro]

Your state school is probably your best hope, what are the schools like to be on the lookout for Diamonds in the Rough and people who are exactly like you to reply late, do not apply to all 120 MD schools, because that would be a waste of time have a very focused and strategic list

 

[DrHawkeyePierce]

Go back and reread what @Mr.Smile12 two months ago: Help needed!! Should I apply this cycle?

Drop the dramatic outlook and gaining coping strategies. Figure out what has been your roadblock to writing your secondaries and destroy it.

 

[wysdoc]

Hi yall,

I'm super stressed and need some advice. Been going through a lot these past few months and have had very little motivation to complete my secondaries. I got verified around august and I still haven't submitted secondaries for the vast majority of my schools. I'm hoping to get them within next two weeks but at this point I don't know. I'm super discouraged tbh and feeling like it'll be futile to even submit. My original goal was to get into a t20. I have good stats 4.0/526 and feel like I just wasted 4 years of effort because of this.

Any advice from adcoms on my chances for this cycle / any words of encouragement appreciated. Thank you all so much

What is keeping you from working on them one by one? There will be common themes and you won’t have to reinvent literature for each one.
A bigger question is whether the stresses in your life would continue to affect your concentration by the time you would start med school, or whether needing to be close to home will lead you to leaving some schools off your list

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Hi yall,

I'm super stressed and need some advice. Been going through a lot these past few months and have had very little motivation to complete my secondaries. I got verified around august and I still haven't submitted secondaries for the vast majority of my schools. I'm hoping to get them within next two weeks but at this point I don't know. I'm super discouraged tbh and feeling like it'll be futile to even submit. My original goal was to get into a t20. I have good stats 4.0/526 and feel like I just wasted 4 years of effort because of this.

Any advice from adcoms on my chances for this cycle / any words of encouragement appreciated. Thank you all so much

If you have no passion to become a physician, it's okay to admit you don't. Spare us patients from your lack of concern for us.

We have no WAMC profile on you, and the first thing I noticed is that you didn't mention any clinical experience. If you aren't motivated to work as a physician to fill out secondaries with your stats, perhaps now is not the time to pursue medicine. After all, it seems you're looking at getting into medical school as an accomplishment, not a calling.

I mean, what have you been doing? Your first post was in JULY!???

 

[lesbianherbs]

It's tough to do the whole med school application thing when there's outside stuff going on too. I was in a similar boat when I was applying. It's not too late. A lot of the top schools don't have rolling admissions, so your chances are better. Prioritize the schools you're most interested in, get some of the secondaries done, and since there's a lot of overlap between the major essays, it will be easier from there. If you have good extracurriculars and writing in addition to your stats, that will help you get your foot in the door.

I submitted my secondaries late August to late September (and a few early October) and I had a very successful cycle and am now very happy at a top school. My stats were just under what yours are. It's not over!

I find it difficult to balance self-compassion with accountability as a recovering perfectionist with ADHD and a tendency toward shame and self-criticism. I hope you are able to find this balance. Some things that were helpful for me were to set small goals for every day to build feelings of competency. Engage in somatic practices to help you feel more grounded and self-compassionate (some examples include the DBT skill of half smile and willing hands, or listen to a lovingkindness meditation). You got this, friend. Wishing you well!

 

[willowedacorn]

If you have no passion to become a physician, it's okay to admit you don't. Spare us patients from your lack of concern for us.

We have no WAMC profile on you, and the first thing I noticed is that you didn't mention any clinical experience. If you aren't motivated to work as a physician to fill out secondaries with your stats, perhaps now is not the time to pursue medicine. After all, it seems you're looking at getting into medical school as an accomplishment, not a calling.

I mean, what have you been doing? Your first post was in JULY!???

It’s hard man. Job market sucks and for most grads getting a good job and moving out is a more immediate concern than drilling secondaries.

 

[eigen]

I will say I've had students who've gotten in with Sept/Oct secondaries to in-state schools, but they also had strong compelling narratives that fit those schools perfectly. And I would never recommend it.

That said, you've already applied, and late is better than nothing, so submit ASAP and don't let past failings drive your cycle.

 

[polymerization]

I initially wrote you a very long post but felt it was too aggressive in retrospect and deleted it. If you want T20s, you have to be dialed in on everything an applicant can be dialed in on, including timing.

I would recommend setting down the applications you have not submitted secondaries to this year and applying early next cycle. Nothing more eyebrow-raising and off-putting than a 100th percentile GPA/MCAT applicant reapplying.

I can imagine people thinking "something's profoundly wrong with this person if they didn't get in." The more impressive the rest of your profile is, the more conspicuous reapplicant status will be.

Whatever it was that kept you from being early this year, figure it out, and don't make the same mistake twice.

 

[eigen]

I would recommend setting down the applications you have not submitted secondaries to this year and applying early next cycle. Nothing more eyebrow-raising and off-putting than a 100th percentile GPA/MCAT applicant reapplying.

Is that more eyebrow raising than the applicant who didn't even bother to submit a secondary last year? The OP is re-applying either way, and would need to classify themselves as a re-applicant. They submitted a primary application and it was sent to the school: even absent a complete secondary, that's a re-applicant from everything I understand.

 

[polymerization]

Is that more eyebrow raising than the applicant who didn't even bother to submit a secondary last year? The OP is re-applying either way, and would need to classify themselves as a re-applicant. They submitted a primary application and it was sent to the school: even absent a complete secondary, that's a re-applicant from everything I understand.

Yeah, I hear what you're saying.

I think the strategic benefit is in not getting to the point where (1) you are doing work that you have reasonable certainty will not materialize in an interview invite; (2) they are not paying schools for secondary processing twice; and (3) you deprive the schools of a completed application to compare the reapplication to.

Sure, they'll have the information on the primary, but at least OP benefits from continuing longitudinal activities showing continued interest and giving them strong pre-writes ASAP.

I was pretty hard on them in my initial response and then realized, you know... maybe there's another reason for this. This is someone who worked hard consistently for several years and did not stray far from objective perfection. I'm trying to turn over a new leaf and give them the BOTD that they were not just lazy.

Assuming that, I think that is a pretty valid explanation as to why they did not complete their applications... but even if they were lazy, the average college student has killed off Great Aunt Gertrude thrice over throughout their college career. I'm sure the cunning applicant would not hesitate to give that explanation when it matters.