CAS turnaround time

[alleyesonme]

Finally submitted my CAS today and parted with a significant chunk of change.....whew! Does anyone have any insight into how long CAS usually takes to distribute the applications? I know that they quote 3 weeks at peak processing times, is that still the case 2.5 weeks before the target date? Thanks and good luck to everyone applying this year, I look forward to meeting you on the trail!

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[AThousandCranes]

Hey! I called SF Match about this yesterday. The person over the phone told me they have been processing them in about a week. A friend of mine who submitted last week had their application processed and distributed within 4 days.

I'm sure the processing time will be slower around the target date, but I think for now, they are making a pretty good turn-around.

Hope that helps!

 

[cubsrule4e]

I got the "we have received your app materials" email on 7/22 and today got the email stating my app was complete and had been distributed. I dont know if this was all processing time or if they simply dont distribute anything before a certain date.

 

[iSight]

I got the "we have received your app materials" email on 7/22 and today got the email stating my app was complete and had been distributed. I dont know if this was all processing time or if they simply dont distribute anything before a certain date.

Hi, A friend of mine talked to the SF match peeps and they said alot of schools weren't prepared to accept applications yet in July. =) Good job on turning your application in early. I'm turning mine in tomorrow morning!

Good Luck everyone!

 

[eycer]

has anyone heard of interview offers?

 

[cubsrule4e]

has anyone heard of interview offers?

No interviews/rejections for me....but i did just get an email from SLU stating that they received my application. Thats enough to get me excited!

 

[MAYOphtho]

don't start worrying at all yet, I only had 2-3 interviews at the end of sept...with the majority of invites coming late Oct and through Nov...oddly I got many interviews around the same time as my regular match friends...so don't worry just yet, it's way too early...but easier said than done because I remember stressing into Oct before my interviews came in. Good luck

 

[echinoderm]

does that mean the rest of us missed the "first batch"?

 

[AThousandCranes]

my 2 cents: I submitted my application this past Wednesday, and the SF Match person told me that my application was going to be distributed this Tuesday (I had an issue with my app and I had to send an additional document, so I had to call them and they gave me this information).

I don't think they do things by batches anymore. I think they just process them as they get them.

 

[eycer]

has anyone gotten "we received your app emails" from penn or ucsf?

 

[turkdlit]

I've received "app received" emails from Rush and Yale thus far.

 

[alleyesonme]

Interview offer from CPMC-SF today by phone!! Interview dates 11/17, 11/24, 12/1.

 

[AThousandCranes]

Congrats alleyes! you should do the honors and start this year's interviews/rejections thread!

 

[Bubchik]

Got an e-mail from Loma Linda last week with an additional question and a letter from Temple University with supplementary application yesterday.

 

[eycer]

emails from rush and emory confirming receipt of application and emory also wants a photo. haven't heard from anyone else.

 

[macro0rchidism]

emails from rush and emory confirming receipt of application and emory also wants a photo. haven't heard from anyone else.

how soon after your app was processed did you begin to receive these emails?

 

[eyedontknow]

No interviews/rejections for me....but i did just get an email from SLU stating that they received my application. Thats enough to get me excited!

Did anybody else hear from SLU? I got confirmation emails from Yale, MCW and Emory but not from SLU - and I did apply there.

Thanks

 

[baya]

I just mailed in my application packet.



Also, I called SF Match and they said they are off for the long weekend (in case anyone else was wondering), but they think there's a chance a packet that they get their hands on Tuesday will be to programs by Friday (my first program's deadline).

Just wanted to share the little info morsel.

 

[macro0rchidism]

My app was received last Tues and it has yet to be processed. Seems like CAS's turnaround time is slowing down.

 

[echinoderm]

i got the confirmation email from SLU today.

 

[alleyesonme]

Confirmation email from U Michigan today by email. They DO NOT accept additional LORs.

 

[macro0rchidism]

thats odd...i never received an email from CAS stating that my application had been processed, but I just received an email from SLU stating that they received it on their end.

 

[alleyesonme]

They respond a couple days after your application is distributed. I actually received an interview offer before SF Match informed me by email that my application was distributed. Odd...

 

[eycer]

emails from rush and emory confirming receipt of application and emory also wants a photo. haven't heard from anyone else.

I heard from programs anywhere from 10 days to 3 weeks after I submitted . sorry for the late reply - been away!

 

[200984]

Did anyone send the PTAL (california letter) to the Ophtho Progs in CA already? did anyone get a request for such a letter from the progs?

 

[minterr]

what is this letter for the CA ophtho programs?

also, anyone know if CAS will distribute an AOA election letter after we've already submitted the app?

 

[baya]

Did anyone send the PTAL (california letter) to the Ophtho Progs in CA already? did anyone get a request for such a letter from the progs?

I have lived in Cali my whole life and attend med school here and this is the first time I've heard of PTAL. A quick Google search says it can take 6-9 months to get ready, and should be done well ahead of time to be ready for applications in September, and only some residencies will grant an interview without it!!!

WTH????

Am I supposed to panic now?

Does anyone have more info on this?

 

[koolkatmd]

i'm pretty sure ptal or california letters are only for foreign students or not us citizens. one of my friends who went to a foreign medical school was telling me about this too. I've never heard of anyone from my school doing this and I did not apply for any such letter either....

dont stress out!

 

[baya]

i'm pretty sure ptal or california letters are only for foreign students or not us citizens. one of my friends who went to a foreign medical school was telling me about this too. I've never heard of anyone from my school doing this and I did not apply for any such letter either....

dont stress out!

That makes sense. Thanks.

 

[AThousandCranes]

Question: Has anyone who sent their application after August 22 had their file distributed? And has received confirmation from programs about this?

 

[eyedontknow]

Did anyone send the PTAL (california letter) to the Ophtho Progs in CA already? did anyone get a request for such a letter from the progs?

I got my PTAL just now. I contacted the Cali programmes I applied to and all of them want to put it in my file. I scanned it into PDF and emailed them. PTAL is not distributed by SFMatch.

 

[macro0rchidism]

Question: Has anyone who sent their application after August 22 had their file distributed? And has received confirmation from programs about this?

My application was received on CAS's end on Aug 26 and I began receiving confirmatory emails from programs on Sept 4

 

[MAYOphtho]

I got interviews at Cali schools last year (including some good ones like Doheny, UCSD, and Stanford) and still have no idea what PTAL is.

Additionally, there are a few things the SF Match will distribute after the completed application is sent....AOA letter is one of them since some/many schools dont decide senior AOA until Sept/Oct.

Hope this helps???

 

[alleyesonme]

Directly from the SF Match 2008-2009 CAS Instruction Manual: "Programs in California require that IMGs submit an Applicant Evaluation Status Letter issued by the Medical Board of California. Please note that submission of this letter is only applicable to programs in California and is not distributed by CAS." Do not fret.....good luck to all as the target date is coming to an end.

 

[AThousandCranes]

My application was received on CAS's end on Aug 26 and I began receiving confirmatory emails from programs on Sept 4

Thank you for that information. So SF Match screwed up, I'm not sure what exactly happened, but apparently I was told on the phone "someone forgot to push some buttons" -- um, okay -- and my stuff got a little delayed. If you feel like you should have heard something but haven't heard anything, I would rec'd giving them a call. I finally got things fixed today and stuff got out to programs. I guess in the end it wasn't that big of a deal (now that I am on the other side of wondering what happened to my app), but this process is long, expensive and drawn out enough that what else am I gonna worry about as a lazy M4?

 

[macro0rchidism]

Anyone hear from MEEI yet? Curious to know if they accept extra LORs...

 

[200984]

so bascom apparntly asks for a 600 words autobiographical sketch..
How did u handle this sketch? what exactly did u write about? boring details? same as in PS? what the...

 

[eycer]

ooo when did you hear from bascom palmer?

 

[eycer]

also, sf match WILL distribute AOA letters - you have to mial it to them though, they won't accept faxes.

 

[alleyesonme]

so bascom apparntly asks for a 600 words autobiographical sketch..
How did u handle this sketch? what exactly did u write about? boring details? same as in PS? what the...

When and in what form (email, snail mail) did you here from BP?

 

[200984]

I havent. It is written in the CAS directory as an additional requirement for Bascom so i was wondering how everybody else handled it.

 

[koalax3]

I got an e-mail from Bascom today asking for the 600 word sketch...that's supposed to be sent in via e-mail apparently. Hmm...does anyone know what to write about?

 

[macro0rchidism]

I wrote about where I was born, my family, how I became interested in medicine and subsequently ophthalmology...etc etc...If I were to ask you, "Tell me about yourself", what would be your response?

 

[cubsrule4e]

I wrote about where I was born, my family, how I became interested in medicine and subsequently ophthalmology...etc etc...If I were to ask you, "Tell me about yourself", what would be your response?

Is that not what the Personal Statement is for...? Unless theyre specifically asking why you want to go to BP...

 

[macro0rchidism]

Is that not what the Personal Statement is for...? Unless theyre specifically asking why you want to go to BP...

I thought the Personal Statement was where one elaborates on his/her dedication to ophthalmology, and talks about what kind of residency program one is looking for....no where in my personal statement did I speak of where I was born, my family life, wife/kids, etc, etc...

 

[eycer]

anyone else heard from bp?

 

[macro0rchidism]

Just heard from UCI, they want a photo + CV

 

[ctmedman]

This may seem like a stupid questions but do programs notify you if you do not receive an interview (i.e., are rejected)? I would think it's standard procedure to do so but there are things about this process that have surprised me.

So far, I've just received word by email from Emory, Michigan, and Yale saying that they have received my application. Emory wanted a photo.

Good luck to all.

 

[eycer]

yes, I think there are some programs that won't tell you if they reject you, only if they want you. BP is one of these places I think - usually the top programs that get a lot of applicants do that.

 

[ctmedman]

yes, I think there are some programs that won't tell you if they reject you, only if they want you. BP is one of these places I think - usually the top programs that get a lot of applicants do that.

That sucks.