What is Secondaries?

[Mr. Eastern Medicine]

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Hi guys~
I just wanna know what you guys mean by "Secondaries"??
What is it?

 

[md2be06]

I'll try to do this question justice. When you have the pleasure of applying to medical school, you will inevitably have to deal with this organization called AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service). Essentially, this organization collects all of your primary data (grades, activities, personal statement, etc) and transmits them to the medical schools you designate in your application. Now mind you, transmission of your application may or may not happen. It all depends on whether or not the AMCAS gods are with you. Before transmitting, they must verify your grades, and input your MCAT scores. According to page 12 of the AMCAS user agreement, no applications will be processed after October 1st unless they are accompanied by a letter from your lawyer threatening legal action. For this great service that AMCAS provides you, they charge you a small fee. $150 for the first school, and $30 for each additional school. Many on this board have complained vociferously regarding these fees, contending that they are exorbitant. I, on the other hand, feel that they are necessary and equitable. After all, when you apply to medical school, you will undoubtedly have to call AMCAS. The people at AMCAS whose sole job it is to take your call are "specialists." These are highly trained individuals who have many years of experience with regards to the medical school application cycle. Needless to say, employees such as these do not come cheaply, hence the justification of the aforementioned fees. Anyways, after AMCAS has transmitted your primary application to your designated medical schools, many schools will send you a secondary application. These application vary in length and content. They go from the "Click here to send us $100" from New York Medical College, to much lengthier versions with numerous essays asking you to "analyze why queue is the only word in the English language with 5 consecutive vowels." Did anyone else find that essay ridiculous? Anyway, secondary applications almost always require you to submit a processing fee. Many others also request photos. Anyway, sorry for the longwinded response, I simply wanted to do this question justice.

 

[Kazzar]

Schools send out "secondaries" to you after you give them the initial "primary" application through the AMACS application service.

Secondaries consist of more questions, usually short-essay, and most schools request letters of recomendation in their secondaries. Oh and they always ask for more money.

Some secondaries are nothing but paying more money to process your application. Other schools (like Keck - USC) ask for as much as 8 essays.

 

[Jessica]

md2be06 - funny signature! I'll have to borrow that line some time (there are usually several opportunities to put it to use on a daily basis.)

 

[johnthestreak]

what is mcat? more importantly what is this amcas you speak of?

 

[tBw]

what is mcat? more importantly what is this amcas you speak of?

omg...I actually spat my coffee out I laughed so hard

...mcat...hmmm...I think I've heard of that...didn't Al Gore invent that right after the internet?

 

[Scooby Doo]

For once Johnthestreak is actually funny! 🙂
I have to agree with this one...

 

[johnthestreak]

scoobs why the hate? it's all in good fun man.

 

[SMW]

md2be06, you forgot to let Mr. Eastern Medicine know that before undertaking to return these "secondaries" one must undertake some serious archaeological research and excavation and locate an antique writing device called a typewriter and master its intricacies before daring to insert the sacred papyrus upon which the medical schools have printed their requests for all the information one has already included on one's AMCAS application, albeit in completely different format. Happily, some schools do not require mastery of this archaeological artifact and instead have provided a kinder, gentler alternative to the AMCAS on-line application as their secondary, and for this the Gods should be praised.

Mr. Eastern Medicine, welcome to SDN! 😀

 

[Drako]

Mind you, I use a 1959 typewriter to type my secondaries..the ones that need typing with such a gadget!

 

[Mr. Eastern Medicine]

I see that many people are being sarcastic or just don't like the whole process....
I haven't done any application process yet, so I wouldn't know, but is it really pain in the rear end?
This doctor told me that MCAT was the stupidest test that he ever taken in his life.....and of course the AMCAS....
How bad is it really??

 

[SMW]

By next year it should go back to being just a pain in the rear end. There are no polite phrases to explain what it's been like this year. So please excuse us for our sarcasm. I really did mean to welcome you. You will find this forum to be an incredible help when you do begin the application process.

 

[sz]

How bad is it really??

How bad is it really??

Wow, Are you serious? For some of us AMCAS is synonymous with pure evil.
Well if you really don't know, go back a month or so and read all posts relating to AMCAS, application, verification, MCAT release, transmission etc... you'll be all caught up.

 

[lilninja]

I think that this process is unlike any other and therefore is more stressful that what it appears to be. I mean, if you talk to someone who is not applying and tell them how long it's taken, all the chaos and web problems, they will sympathize but not really understand. I went through a very similar process when I was getting my citizenship (orig. from Canada), and it was probably worse than this whole process (it was supposed to take a year, but took 4 years and a lot of flying around and fingerprinting, etc.) I still think that was worse because it was more prolonged. But the reason why this AMCAS thing is so terrible is because timing is so important - nothing bad was going to happen to me if I didn't get sworn in by the end of the year - but if AMCAS doesn't send those applications, many of us may have a decreased chance of getting into a school we may have had a chance at. Even though it's still early (and adcoms have told me so), there still has to be some setback, minor or not, to having had such lengthy delays (otherwise, why does everyone always emphasize the importance of applying early in the game?) It's a big deal to most people applying because it's setting the mood for a lifelong career . A year from now, it might all be forgotten, but I know I speak for most of us that this ordeal crosses our minds every day, and it really shouldn't have to. We should have finished everything by now, and could be sitting tight, enjoying life, when many are still waiting for secondaries that should have arrived two months ago, before everyone went back to school. So, no, it's not the worst thing ever, but it is a royal pain.

To all applicants: just hang in there - I don't know how crazy I would be if I didn't know you all were feeling the same. We're moving along, albeit very slowly, but it's getting there.

 

[lilninja]

Oh and I just re-read that and realized something - I didn't mean to say this process would "set the mood" for our careers. I meant it's just too bad that something we all are excited about (the process of becoming a doctor) starts off on such a bad note. I am sure the career will be every bit as rewarding as we hope.