* * 2009-2010 Secondary Applications Thread!! * *

Applying to Med School? Get In Or Your Money Back
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wishintobedoc said:
I got the secondary from NOVA today. Does anyone know if we have to use the evaluation forms provided or if we can just have letters of recommendation on letter head mailed to them. I saw the CIB said they accept paper via snail mail I believe. THanks
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Yea, I wondering the same thing. Although I do have a letter of evaluation from the pre-professional committee, will the DO I shadowed have have to fill-out NOVA's evaluation form, too?
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wishintobedoc said:
I got the secondary from NOVA today. Does anyone know if we have to use the evaluation forms provided or if we can just have letters of recommendation on letter head mailed to them. I saw the CIB said they accept paper via snail mail I believe. THanks
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I believe you can use the LORs on letterhead if you don't want to use the evaluation forms provided (If I recall correctly, only NYCOM and MSUCOM require their own forms).
 
gocatgo said:
I believe you can use the LORs on letterhead if you don't want to use the evaluation forms provided (If I recall correctly, only NYCOM and MSUCOM require their own forms).
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Yes, NOVA didn't require this form last year. Most schools just use those forms as guidelines for letter writers. What they really are are just annoying PITAs that confuse pre meds to no end. :rolleyes:

Generally they aren't required, but check with individual schools if you're unsure. If it says "recommended" or "optional" anywhere on it, toss it in the trash and send your letters as-is.
 
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gocatgo said:
I believe you can use the LORs on letterhead if you don't want to use the evaluation forms provided (If I recall correctly, only NYCOM and MSUCOM require their own forms).
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NYCOM does not require their own forms; my school sent everything by mail without any forms.
 
I'm working on the secondaries for VCOM right now and I noticed a lot of the mission statements and questions revolve around rural areas. There are multiple questions in regards to the population of the town I lived in. I lived in a town w/ 50,000 people my entire life. Am I at a disadvantage right off the bat because I never lived in a rural area as if that were my choice? I live where my parents decided to move... If so, kind of rediculous seeing as I love small towns. My parents moved out of the country when I was in college and I lived w/ my girlfriends family in a town w/ a population of 6,000! I loved it! Too bad the application doesn't ask where I lived in college :(

Any further suggestions/explanations would be greatly appreciated.
 
I believe I wrote on mine explaining the situation next to my choice. It was about town distance to a major metropolitan area:

Which best describes your experience in a rural area (defined as less than 25,000 people and greater than 30 miles from a population of greater than 100,000)? Please check one.
X​
I have never lived in a rural area. Nearest >100,000 population is 25 miles away
 
do i even stand a chance at vcom?
after looking at their secondary, it seems they want students from rural areas who will practice in a rural area after graduation. I am from NYC and want to return back to NYC after my medical eduation.
 
thethethe said:
do i even stand a chance at vcom?
after looking at their secondary, it seems they want students from rural areas who will practice in a rural area after graduation. I am from NYC and want to return back to NYC after my medical eduation.
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I was from out of state...even the opposite coast and never stated that I wanted to do rural health and got in. Just be honest and tell them why their program is what you are looking for.

Good luck :)
 
Hang in there! The secondary is the final piece of the puzzle over which you have IMMEDIATE control. Everything else is already set, so put your best foot forward and convince the hell out of those adcoms that you deserve an interview and are a good match for their school. :thumbup:
 
Got secondaries from OSU-COM and KCOM...
 
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Hello,

1/ Did you guys wait until secondaries to send letters of recommendations?

2/ To those of you who have received secondaries: when did your turn your primary in ?
Do schools usually contact you to let you know that they've received your application?
 
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Chocolate Bear said:
It would be awesome if you guys could check the last year's secondary essays prompts and verify that they're still the same this year or post the corrected version here, and I can go edit last year's.

That way we can keep an up-to-date list. :thumbup:
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I received the secondary for ATSU-Soma and the prompts are the same.

Athens, I'm in the process of sending my letters because an admission's rep told me not to send them until you receive a secondary (this way you know they've created a file for you).
 
chocolaterie said:
I received the secondary for ATSU-Soma and the prompts are the same.
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:thumbup:

I'll mark them as "confirmed for 09-10" in red as you guys post the confirmation.

Also, if you receive a secondary for one of the few schools that don't have a prompt from last year, please give all the details here so I can add them. SDN is what will come up when people Google this kind of info, so it's nice to be a reliable database to help each other. :)
 
Chocolate Bear said:
Yes, NOVA didn't require this form last year. Most schools just use those forms as guidelines for letter writers. What they really are are just annoying PITAs that confuse pre meds to no end. :rolleyes:

Generally they aren't required, but check with individual schools if you're unsure. If it says "recommended" or "optional" anywhere on it, toss it in the trash and send your letters as-is.
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MSU's form is definitely requried unless the letter writer fills out the first and last page of the form and writes a letter that addresses the questions on the form.
 
DMU is the same this year

I was complete yesterday....anyone else waiting to hear back within 30 days?
 
Semicolon said:
NYCOM does not require their own forms; my school sent everything by mail without any forms.
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Good to know :thumbup: So, based on all the posts here, it looks like MSU-COM is the only D.O. school that requires their own form.
 
LMU-DCOM's secondary prompts are also the same as last year.
 
gocatgo said:
LMU-DCOM's secondary prompts are also the same as last year.
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Would you mind giving details as to what the prompts are, what the fee is, and any other info they request/give??

We don't have that info from last year for that school, so it'd be great to add!
 
Chocolate Bear said:
Would you mind giving details as to what the prompts are, what the fee is, and any other info they request/give??

We don't have that info from last year for that school, so it'd be great to add!
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LMU-DCOM: $50 fee
"Applicants are required to write 2 short essays addressing the following questions":
1) What personal qualities do you believe you possess that will make you a successful osteopathic physician?
2) Which experiences and people have inspired you to become an osteopathic physician?

LECOM-Bradenton: $50 fee
1) "Write a personal essay describing yourself and the qualities you possess which will make you a successful osteopathic physician"
2) "How do you envision yourself practicing medicine in the future (beyond residency)?"

DMU-COM: $50 fee
No essays :D (yay)

NSU-COM: $50 fee
No essays, same format as last year (i.e. they ask you to list your jobs, ECs, what D.O. and M.D. schools you have applied to, etc.)
 
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Hey basscaster would you mind posting or pm the secondary essay questions. I wanna get a start on them. thanks
 
Athens said:
Hello,

1/ Did you guys wait until secondaries to send letters of recommendations?

2/ To those of you who have received secondaries: when did your turn your primary in ?
Do schools usually contact you to let you know that they've received your application?
Click to expand...

#1. I am not positive on your first question since my pre-health adviser is in charge of my Interfolio.

#2. Yes, I have been contacted through e-mail by 5 schools so far. My primary was submitted on 5/13; transcripts were received 5/18; and I was verified on 6/11. AACOMAS has my application being released on 6/24, but LECOM sent me an e-mail the day before acknowleding reception
 
You should never send LORs until the school has acknowledged receipt of your app and/or given you instructions to do so. Sending them prematurely may result in their getting lost and your having to re-send them. Once they receive your primary, they create a file folder for your materials, thus minimizing the chances of losing them.

Generally, a school will 1) receive your primary, then 2) give you instructions for the secondary at the same time they tell you to send your LORs.
 
So what is preferred for the whole "waiving your rights to letters of recommendation"? It says you don't have to, but you can. What do they prefer? I have submitted a couple and did not waive my rights. A couple of my letters I have actually seen since the writer asked me to take a look and make sure it was correct. They didn't want to have written something that I couldn't defend in an interview. So since I have seen some of the letters does that mean I can't waive my right? Any thoughts would be appreciated:)
 
wishintobedoc said:
So what is preferred for the whole "waiving your rights to letters of recommendation"? It says you don't have to, but you can. What do they prefer? I have submitted a couple and did not waive my rights. A couple of my letters I have actually seen since the writer asked me to take a look and make sure it was correct. They didn't want to have written something that I couldn't defend in an interview. So since I have seen some of the letters does that mean I can't waive my right? Any thoughts would be appreciated:)
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After years of admissions work, here's what I've gathered:

1. Some adcoms *can* be a bit suspicious of applicants who don't waive their right. After all, you chose the LOR writers, so they'd expect you to trust them, and 95% of applicants waive their right. Thus, not waiving your right makes you stick out a little bit. Is this the worst thing in the world? No. But it's something you should be aware of.

2. If you've already seen the letter, I wouldn't have any moral or ethical qualms about waiving your right. Of course, the waiving would be moot at that point, but I see it as the letter writer's individual choice to show you the letter, even though you've technically said that you don't have the right to *demand* to see it. I see it as you giving up your right for your pre health office to show you the letters, but *not* giving up your right to know what was written, *if* the author chooses for you to be able to read it.

However, if you take this view, see the letters, then waive your right, I guess you may be faced with the situation of being asked during an interview if you've ever seen your letters (this isn't a common question, but it's possible). If this happened, it might look a bit suspicious if you say "yes, I've seen them," but you'd be lying if you said "no." Perhaps you would just say that one of the authors gave you a copy to make sure everything was accurate, which may or may not be understandable in the eyes of the adcom.

Sorry I don't have any clear cut advice...just looking at the different possibilities here. :)
 
If your app is solid, you'll still be competitive. I'm from Atlanta, GA...hardly a small population. I didn't even feel the need to "explain" the lack of ruralness, and no one brought it up in interview.

Actually, my interviews were awesome, but that's another story for another thread.
 
TCOMs 2ndary wants 2 know what relationships/experiences motivated us towards a career in osteo... the DO i worked with and shadowed was great but he didnt do anything particularly DO only oriented. Can i just say how great of a physician he was or does whatever i say have to relate to DO specifically such as OMT etc..?
 
IkeBoy18 said:
TCOMs 2ndary wants 2 know what relationships/experiences motivated us towards a career in osteo... the DO i worked with and shadowed was great but he didnt do anything particularly DO only oriented. Can i just say how great of a physician he was or does whatever i say have to relate to DO specifically such as OMT etc..?
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All of my "Why DO?" essays focused on the quality of the DOs I shadowed, and their commitment to their patients' well-being, going above and beyond, etc. I never mentioned anything about OMT, but I probably said "thorough/whole person" but that would be found in any good doc. Nonetheless, everything I wrote about could be found in any good MD or DO, but I still used that as ammo for "Why DO?"

Hope that makes sense.
 
Just got Touro-NV's "you qualify for a secondary" email, it's gonna be online this year and available around 7/20, and you need to send official transcripts to the school itself.
 
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So i have not found any examples of secondaries in books or on SDN and I have no idea how to start them. Are they more formal than the PS? For my PS, i found so many examples in books and knew what to expect but i am lost for this process. For example, for the question "describe a challenge you have overcome in life and how it has made you a stronger person" or something along those lines...is it more like a narrative? Or do we start with an active opening paragraph like in many PS's? Do we literally say "_____ was a challenge in my life" or do we not make it that literal? I just need some tips/advice on this! Thanks!! :)
 
Has anyone received secondaries yet or have been verified by AACOMAS? I submitted mine in early-mid June, and got verified (and have recieved about 7 secondaries) from AMCAS, but nothing from AACOMAS.
 
TurknJD said:
Has anyone received secondaries yet or have been verified by AACOMAS? I submitted mine in early-mid June, and got verified (and have recieved about 7 secondaries) from AMCAS, but nothing from AACOMAS.
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You'll get much better responses in the pre-osteo forum. They have threads for 2009/2010 verification and secondaries and it seems like a bunch of people have been verified already.
 
Has anyone received secondaries yet or have been verified by AACOMAS? I submitted mine in early-mid June, and got verified (and have recieved about 7 secondaries) from AMCAS, but nothing from AACOMAS. Thanks
 
TurknJD said:
Has anyone received secondaries yet or have been verified by AACOMAS? I submitted mine in early-mid June, and got verified (and have recieved about 7 secondaries) from AMCAS, but nothing from AACOMAS. Thanks
Click to expand...

It takes around 6 weeks to be verified. Lots of people have received secondaries, at this point, who submitted in May.

Moving to the Secondary Applications thread.
 
How will I know when I am complete if the college doesn't follow your progess online or say that they are going to send you an e-mail?
 
wishintobedoc said:
How will I know when I am complete if the college doesn't follow your progess online or say that they are going to send you an e-mail?
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If you mean verified, AACOMAS will change the status to released to let you know that your application has been sent to the schools.

If you mean each college individually, you usually need to contact them one way or another if they don't make it obvious.
 
I was wondering how many essay type questions there are, and if there is a character limit on them? Also, could any past applicants share what they might of written for the following prompt :

Describe a personal experience or ethical challenge you have faced that has influenced the development of your character. How has this experience helped you to develop specific skills and/or abilities that are essential to practicing osteopathic medicine?
 
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you should be getting 2ndaries very soon, i got most of the secondaries already.

go check the secondary threads if you wanna start writing.
 
I completed my primary in early June. I have received secondaries from LECOM Bradenton, AT Still SOMA, TOURO California, University of North Texas, Texas A & M, Texas Tech, and Nova Southeastern.

I believe the TOURO Nevada secondary doesn't get released until July 20th, and I haven't heard anything from Western University.

Hope that helps!
 
Does anyone else feel like the first secondary they filled out and submitted is not as good as the last one you just did. For me its as if I have become I better writer over the past couple weeks working on these essays and when I compare some of my secondary essays, the ones I submitted first I feel are not as good or juicy or w.e. Anyone else feel similar? lol
 
about secondaries...

1) If you are applying to a school with different campuses like the LECOMs or ATSUs, as long as the secondary prompt asks nothing that is school specific, such as "Describe yourself, why DO?" is it ok to copy and paste essays for both? Seeing as how lots of them have the same prompts?

2) How do we get notified about interviews? Do they usually call or email? Also, what kind of adult diapers do you buy during this time? As I am sure I will **** my pants when I get the call/email. Anyone been in class, checking their email, got an invite and crapped themselves mid-lecture? No?....:oops:

thanks everyone!
 
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