If you are applying to medical school for the Class of 2020, chances are you have completed your AMCAS Personal Statement, and are in the final stages of perfecting a powerful discussion of why you want to become a physician. Take a breath… and then begin to prepare for individual medical school’s secondary applications! The purpose of secondary, or supplemental, applications is to further differentiate among candidates, and to determine whether you’d be a good fit for the particular medical school.
Most schools, such as Harvard Medical School, the Alpert Medical School of Brown University and the University of Michigan Medical School, send all of their applicants a secondary. Others review the primary AMCAS application holistically, and are selective in determining who receives supplemental applications. For example, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine has three independent evaluators review the AMCAS application for academic accomplishment, motivation, personal qualities, leadership skills and educational background, and offers secondaries to only about one-third of its applicants.
Try to submit your primary AMCAS application as close as possible to June 2nd, the day that the 2015 AMCAS application submission begins, and certainly by the end of June. The sooner you submit, the sooner your application will be reviewed.
You can expect to receive secondaries from late June through December. You may even receive secondaries before your AMCAS application is verified. If you submit your primary AMCAS application in June, you will likely be completing your secondaries in July and August. Secondary applications are time sensitive, in that the faster you return them to the institution, the stronger your enthusiasm for that school comes across. A quality secondary application submitted within one to two weeks will increase your likelihood of getting an interview.
If you are not attending college during the upcoming academic year, what are your plans?
Be specific. Make a compelling case for why you are a good fit for each medical school. Research the school’s academic programs and approach to clinical practice. Does the school require research or a thesis? Be specific about the resources at the medical school that you will take advantage of, and the unique strengths you will bring.
Proofread and edit. Carve out enough time in your schedule to edit several drafts for each essay. It takes time to ensure that your essays represent you strongly and authentically, and are well-written.