Congratulations on submitting your primaries! It typically takes AMCAS 4-6 weeks to process and verify your application to med school. Relieved, you think to yourself, “Now I can take a few weeks off and rest before I start writing my secondaries.” At Rosette Pathways, we advise our clients not to think this way. There’s no denying that the med school application cycle is intense, but surviving the process and getting accepted into med school means working strategically and taking breaks at the right time. Here are a few strategies to keep your head above water so that you don’t drown as the secondaries come in.
1. Prewrite and create a version of a common secondary question that you can repurpose for different schools. Yes, it is true that many schools word their questions differently, but med school applications tend to draw on the same general themes: diversity, social justice, why our school, etc.
2. Start prewriting as soon as you finish your primaries. The month of June is not the time to kick back and relax. Once the secondaries come in (typically early July), they often appear all at once.
3. Write the short version first because it is easier to go from short to long. Expanding an essay does not require changing the entire structure; all you need to do is elaborate on a point by adding additional examples.
4. Don’t reinvent the wheel. You already outlined why you want to be a doctor in your primaries. Think of the secondaries as a supplement that show a different aspect of your character that didn’t quite come through in the primaries. This is an opportunity to demonstrate that you are well-rounded and would not only be a good physician, but a great colleague!
5. Have fun! We can imagine that you are rolling your eyes when you read this, but it’s true. The secondaries provide an opportunity to be creative and playful by showing different sides of yourself. Make them memorable so that the med school admissions committee reads it and thinks, “I want to meet this person!” Like the primaries, the secondaries will not get you into med school, but they can land you an interview.
6. Be savvy and repurpose unused writing. While you labored over the personal statement and most meaningful essays, you most likely accumulated writing that didn’t make it into the final version. No writing should ever go to waste! At Rosette Pathways, we help you figure out how to package your experiences and tailor them to each secondary prompt.
7. Use the secondaries to turn any weaknesses that you may have into a strength. Remember that there really is no such thing as a perfect candidate. Be yourself and don’t just highlight how driven you are. Med schools want to see a human being who is still developing. They are there to train you to become a physician, so they need to know that you are coachable. Good secondaries demonstrate growth and openness.
8. Come up with an organizational system. This is really crucial not only for maintaining your sanity when the secondary essays start to come in, but for keeping track of when you receive and submit them.
9. Aim for a quick turnaround (1 week at the most). Schools notice how long it takes to return the essays and use them to gauge the student’s interest in their program.
10. Strive for good, not perfect. Most importantly, make sure that you answer the prompt. Since timing is important with the secondaries, they do not have to be flawless unless you are submitting for your top choice(s).
To hear more about how Rosette Pathways can help you survive the secondaries tsunami, book a FREE discovery meeting. We offer a specific secondary package that provides extensive material (a guide and workbook along with an organizer) that empowers our clients to write good secondaries while keeping their sanity intact!
Let’s get you into med school!
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