When to Take Vacation Time during app cycle Summer?

[hugh2012]

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Hey guys, so I am a rising junior who is thinking of applying to medical school between the summer of my junior and senior year. I was just wondering when would be the best time for me to take a vacation next summer since you want to submit your primaries when it opens the beginning of June and begin prewriting secondaries afterwards. I really want to go on vacation at some point since I have not had the opportunity to go on vacation this summer since I am juggling a lot on my plate this summer. The vacation I am looking towards next summer would probably be around a week, but I was wondering if that is too much time to take off during the beginning of the application cycle?

 

[steelersfan1243]

Submit primary the day AMCAS opens, take a vacation in the month between submission and verification, no need to prewrite secondaries.

 

[Lannister]

I pre-wrote all my secondaries so now I'm basically done with them, and I'm taking a vacation next week, during which I do not plan to think about med school at all. I think August is a good time, if you're on top of your game and get everything done early.

 

[Banco]

Submit primary the day AMCAS opens, take a vacation in the month between submission and verification, no need to prewrite secondaries.

Yeah, since you won't even get any secondaries til July. OR pre-write them before June.

OR write/submit them within July and take vacation in August.

 

[Jaurim]

Yup this app cycle I worked on getting everything together for the AMCAS in May, submitted first day of app opening, then vacationed violently for a month abroad, and came back just in time for 19 of the secondaries that first week of July. Just make sure that wherever you are you have access to secure Internet. In case something happens with your app. That means if you go to places with censorship you buy yourself a reliable VPN service.

Edit: I honestly don't see the point of prewriting secondaries. You have a lot of time to complete them and it's not a race to see who submits first. Plus after filling out a couple schools it's just going to be tweaking a few details and word counts in the same handful of essays. Maybe prewrite if you are especially terrible at writing.

 

[Banco]

Just to refresh on timeline reality:

AMCAS doesnt start transmitting until July 1st (though some schools have secondaries sent to contact info upon submission to AMCAS)
Most Primary Apps are verified and transmitted mid July thru late August
Most adcoms dont start meeting for review until at least mid-August, more likely September (though adcom staff may be doing early reviews).
Submitting Primary Application June is Early, July Medium, August Late
Having Primary verified and transmitted to school by end of August I consider normal speed
Having Secondary and all LORs complete to school by end of September I consider normal speed, by end of October is about late.

Getting primary in early does matter because of all the other items that follow it. But applicants often see the beginning and not understanding how it flows from there.

This should probably be stickied somewhere. Very useful.

 

[md-2020]

Doctors don't take vacations.

Ever.

 

[neurotroph]

Def not the middle of July like I just did...

I'd suggest submitting your primary in early/mid June then vacationing towards the end of June as you wait to be verified.

 

[Catalystik]

Any time in June, after you've submitted, so long as you will have reliable internet access wherever you'll travel to field the occasional Secondary that shows up before verification.