Update question

[neuroj93]

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Hi everyone, I'm currently in the middle of the application cycle and doing my gap year as a medical scribe. I recently took up a job working as a barback at a local restaurant. Learning how to bartend has been something I've wanted to do for awhile and given I have the time during my gap year, I decided to go for it. I'll be getting trained to bartend while doing barback shifts.

My question: Is this an update that is worthy/appropriate to be sending to medical schools? I think holding a second job would be significant enough for an update, but I may be wrong. I personally don't think that a bar job is inappropriate, but I'm wondering if erring on the conservative side (not sending update about working at a bar) may be a better idea. Any and all thoughts are welcome.

I have a couple acceptances, so I'm not looking for a make or break update. Just one that might tip me over the edge at a couple of schools I'm still interested in interviewing at/going to.

 

[Cawolf]

It's not that working in a bar is inappropriate, it's that sending that in as an update would almost look like a joke. I would hold off unless you had something more substantial to send in, and then tack on your new work experience to that update.

 

[freak7]

How good are your Long Islands?

 

[DokterMom]

Sorry - Getting a job as a junior bartender is not update-worthy... Particularly since you've already got multiple acceptances, so no need to appear desperate.

For would-be updaters, plan your update strategy carefully. While there are reported to be some schools that like multiple updates and love letters (Georgetown apparently likes to see you grovel), most are too busy to read more than one or two and some discourage even one.

So plan your strategy carefully knowing you've only got one, maximum two chances. Be sure to have both 'hook' and substance in your update, and time it to arrive when you have reason to believe there may be a wave of decisions being made soon. If you want to say how much you love a particular school, be able to say why you love them -- something specific from your interview day or from further research. If you want to persuade them that you are better than they think, identify the weak spot(s) in your application and show that they're stronger than they were in July -- so a great new clinical experience that convinces you medicine is right for you, a strong semester of grades to continue your upward trend/turnaround, a publication or presentation.

Just make your letter short, to the point, and not a waste of their time.

 

[Gurkhali]

Sorry - Getting a job as a junior bartender is not update-worthy... Particularly since you've already got multiple acceptances, so no need to appear desperate.

For would-be updaters, plan your update strategy carefully. While there are reported to be some schools that like multiple updates and love letters (Georgetown apparently likes to see you grovel), most are too busy to read more than one or two and some discourage even one.

So plan your strategy carefully knowing you've only got one, maximum two chances. Be sure to have both 'hook' and substance in your update, and time it to arrive when you have reason to believe there may be a wave of decisions being made soon. If you want to say how much you love a particular school, be able to say why you love them -- something specific from your interview day or from further research. If you want to persuade them that you are better than they think, identify the weak spot(s) in your application and show that they're stronger than they were in July -- so a great new clinical experience that convinces you medicine is right for you, a strong semester of grades to continue your upward trend/turnaround, a publication or presentation.

Just make your letter short, to the point, and not a waste of their time.

So 'hook' would be saying how well you fit the school and the substance is the actual update? I'm trying to get my update letters to schools but I don't want it to hurt my app.

 

[Glandzburg]

An update like this is not going to "tip you over the edge" at any school. Waiting is the most frustrating part of the application process, but that's really all you can do. The ball is in their court now, so just be patient.

 

[Ismet]

No.

 

[DokterMom]

So 'hook' would be saying how well you fit the school and the substance is the actual update? I'm trying to get my update letters to schools but I don't want it to hurt my app.

The 'hook' would be, in my opinion, something that gets their attention. You don't need to be clever about it -- especially if you don't have anything worth saying. Just that you need to get their interest in the first two sentences because the only thing worse than an update letter with nothing substantive to say is a long, boring update letter with nothing substantive to say...