Sadly, the frustrating truth is that there’s no rule governing how much time a medical school has to respond to your application. However, in this post, we’ll try to mitigate some of that frustration by answering a couple of the big questions you might have as an anxious med school applicant, including the following:
- How long does a medical school have to invite you to submit a secondary application?
- When can you expect to receive interview invitations for medical school (or a response of “Thanks, but no thanks”?)
When to Expect Secondaries
Many medical schools send secondaries to candidates as soon as they receive their application. Others screen applicants before sending secondaries. If eight weeks have passed since you applied to one of these latter schools (i.e., ones that screen), and you haven’t received a secondary, you should do three things.
First, confirm that the school accepts communications and/or additional materials. Some programs are very clear about not wanting anything but a candidate’s primary and secondary applications, and you should always follow a school’s instructions.
Second, check to see whether If not, you’ve likely been screened out.
Third, if the medical school accepts communications from applicants, and your GPA and MCAT scores are within the ranges of those of its matriculants, consider sending a Letter of Interest. These are most effective when you have a strong connection to the school or its locale. Your reasons for approaching the program this way might be a connection to a graduate, a special fit with the program’s research efforts, familiarity with the locale, or even friends in the program who have raved about what they’re learning. Or it might simply be that the school has always been your dream school, and you want to give it your best shot. In any case, your Letter of Interest should demonstrate an understanding of the program that goes beyond the ordinary (i.e., what’s on its admissions website) and show that you’ve done your research.
If you do a good job of showing your fit for a program, highlighting your unique qualities in a way that might not have come across as clearly in your application, a Letter of Interest might give you the boost you need.
When to Expect an Interview Invitation
If you’ve submitted your secondary and are waiting to be invited for an interview, the wait can seem interminable – especially if you’re constantly refreshing your email to see whether the school has contacted you. It’s even more difficult when others are receiving invitations and you haven’t heard anything. Although it might be tempting, don’t call the school to check on your status – this is sure to backfire on you. Trust that the adcom is working through applications as quickly as they can.
There’s no uniform schedule for med school interviews. Many programs start sending out interview invitations shortly after they receive their first round of secondary applications. Others seem to dole them out more gradually, and their season can stretch well into the new year. However, the bulk of interview invites are issued between September and January. The earliest tend to go to applicants who not only submitted secondaries early but who also have (1) high stats and (2) very specific reasons for attending the program. This is where tailoring your secondary to each school can give you a huge advantage. There are always applicants who get later interviews, however, so don’t give up hope.
During this time, it’s more important than ever that you focus on other interests, especially ones you are passionate about. If you finally get invited to interview and are asked about your recent activities, you’ll want to have more to say than “checking my email.”
Watch: If I don’t get an interview invitation by Thanksgiving, does it mean I was rejected?
If you submitted your application early and haven’t heard anything by November, you might want to think about sending a Letter of Interest. Follow the steps we presented earlier in this post, and keep in mind that showing your genuine connection with and interest in the school is essential. Have you learned something new about the program that has further piqued your interest? Have you been in contact with alumni of the school?
Adding an update letter to your Letter of Interest can make it even more effective. Emphasize any new accomplishments as well as your strong fit with and enthusiasm for the program. And if you are waiting for an extended period of time, don’t limit yourself to a single Letter of Interest/update. Most programs want to know whenever you have a substantial accomplishment to share, and maintaining that communication demonstrates your genuine excitement about the program.
Of course, you don’t want to overwhelm the adcoms with letters, and you should always follow each program’s instructions about providing additional materials. Some schools want you to keep in touch and continue to show your interest. For instance, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, waitlisted applicants to Rush Medical College “are encouraged to upload updates to the applicant portal throughout the cycle.” Washington University in St. Louis and Loyola Stritch also take this approach as of October 2024. Other schools, including the University of California at San Francisco, Stanford University, and the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, want updates only after an applicant has interviewed. At that point, Mayo says, “We encourage applicants to stay in touch by uploading update letters into the admissions portal. Our committee members enjoy reading these updates!”
Some schools only consider materials that are submitted as part of a candidate’s primary and secondary applications and do not accept any additional communications. The Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, the School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles, the University of Washington School of Medicine, the University of Arizona College of Medicine, and the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science are a few of these kinds of programs for the 2024-2025 cycle. Be sure to check individual school policies as you plan your strategy.
Post-secondaries, Pre-interview: Planning Ahead
As the September-January period comes to a close, medical school interviews tend to wind down, though some programs continue to extend invitations late into the spring. However, if you still haven’t received an interview, you should start thinking about your game plan for the next year. Start by taking a good, hard look at your application.
- Is your MCAT score competitive at your chosen programs? Are your grades strong? Would either be strengthened through additional postbaccalaureate coursework?
- Are you confident about how you presented yourself in your primary application? Did your personal statement help you stand out? Did your experiences and meaningful experiences reflect a well-rounded candidate? And did you apply as early as possible in the season?
- Were your secondary essays tailored to offer specific answers for each particular program, or did you merely “recycle” generic answers? Did you demonstrate your level of interest by turning your secondaries around within two weeks?
- Are your recommendations the very best you can get?
- Did you apply to schools where you were truly competitive? Did you apply to a wide range of schools, or were your applications weighted toward programs with very low acceptance rates (e.g., Mayo, Georgetown) and out-of-state schools?
Remaining Optimistic
The medical school application season can be a long and nerve-wracking time, but if you’re serious about medicine and can convey your enthusiasm in your application, you’ll make it.
Since 2001, Cydney Foote has advised hundreds of successful applicants for medical and dental education, residency and fellowship training, and other health-related degrees. Admissions consulting combines her many years of creating marketing content with five years on fellowship and research selection committees at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She’s also shared her strategy for impressing interviewers in a popular webinar and written three books and numerous articles on the admissions process. Want Cydney to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!
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