Sadly, the frustrating fact is that there’s no rule governing how much time a medical school has to respond to your application. However, we’ll try to answer some of the big questions on med school applicants’ minds, including:
There’s no uniform schedule for med school interviews. Many programs start sending out interview invitations shortly after the first secondary applications are received. Others seem to dole them out more gradually and their season can stretch well beyond the new year. However, the bulk of interview invites go out between September and January. The earliest tend to go to those who not only submitted secondaries early but who have (1) high stats and (2) very specific reasons for attending the program – this is where tailoring your secondary to each school is 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 things that you are passionate about. If you finally do get an interview and are asked about your recent activities, you’ll want to have more to say than “checking my email.”
If you submitted your application early and haven’t heard anything by November, you might want to think about sending a Letter of Interest. Again, you should follow the steps above, and again, showing your genuine connection with or interest in the school is essential. Have you learned something new about the program that piqued your interest? Have you been in contact with alumni of the school?
Combining an LOI with an update letter can make it even more effective. Emphasize your new accomplishments as well as your strong fit and interest in that program.
Don’t limit yourself to a single LOI/update letter. Most programs want to know when you have substantial accomplishments to share, and it demonstrates your genuine interest in the program. Of course, don’t overwhelm them with letters and always follow the individual program’s instructions about additional materials.
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***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with schools directly to verify policies and deadlines.***
This article was originally posted on blog.accepted.com.
- How long does a medical school have to invite an applicant to submit a secondary application?
- When to expect interview invitations for medical school (or a response of ‘thanks, but no thanks’?)
- Table: Final interview invite date and update letter policy by school.
I submitted my primary but haven’t received a secondary yet.
Many schools send out secondaries as soon as they receive your application. Others screen for secondaries. If it’s been 8 weeks since you applied to one of these latter schools, 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 the primary and secondary applications, and you should always follow their instructions.
- Second, check whether you fall within their range of accepted students. Are your GPA and MCAT scores above their lowest accepted scores? If not, then you’ve likely been screened out.
- If the medical school accepts communications from applicants and if you are within their range of matriculants, then 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 in this way might be a connection to an alumnus, 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 X School of Medicine has always been your dream school and you want to give it your best shot. In any case, your Interest Letter should demonstrate an understanding of the program going beyond the ordinary (i.e., what’s on their admissions website) and show that you’ve done your research.
I’ve submitted my secondaries, but I’m waiting for an interview invites
If you’ve submitted your secondary and are waiting for an interview, the wait can seem interminable– especially when you’re constantly refreshing your email to see if they’ve contacted you. It’s even harder 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 admissions office is working through the applications as fast as they can.There’s no uniform schedule for med school interviews. Many programs start sending out interview invitations shortly after the first secondary applications are received. Others seem to dole them out more gradually and their season can stretch well beyond the new year. However, the bulk of interview invites go out between September and January. The earliest tend to go to those who not only submitted secondaries early but who have (1) high stats and (2) very specific reasons for attending the program – this is where tailoring your secondary to each school is 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 things that you are passionate about. If you finally do get an 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. Again, you should follow the steps above, and again, showing your genuine connection with or interest in the school is essential. Have you learned something new about the program that piqued your interest? Have you been in contact with alumni of the school?
Combining an LOI with an update letter can make it even more effective. Emphasize your new accomplishments as well as your strong fit and interest in that program.
Don’t limit yourself to a single LOI/update letter. Most programs want to know when you have substantial accomplishments to share, and it demonstrates your genuine interest in the program. Of course, don’t overwhelm them with letters and always follow the individual program’s instructions about additional materials.
Post-secondaries, pre-interview: Planning ahead
As the September-January period comes to a close, interviews tend to wind down. Some programs do 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 coursework in a master’s or postbac course?
- 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 with specific answers for each particular program, or did you “recycle” generic answers? Did you show your 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 towards those with very low acceptance rates (Mayo, Georgetown, etc.) and out-of-state schools?
Don’t give up!
The medical school application season can be a long and nerve-wracking time. But if you’re serious about medicine and can show that in your application, you’ll make it.Accepted's Medical School Interview Timeline
| Medical school | Interview timeline (2023-2024 application cycle) | Are updates / LOI's accepted? |
|---|---|---|
| Baylor College of Medicine | July-December | Yes, if you have not received an invitation to interview at Baylor then you can send updates through the application system. If or when you receive an invitation to interview, updates to your application will not be accepted. Those who have interviewed may send "letters of intent" through the application system, but not updates to their application. |
| Boston University | October-January | Unkown |
| Case Western Reserve University | August-February | Applicants are unable to make changes to their application once it is submitted. Applications will need to be withdrawn and you may reapply to the job opening to include any changes. |
| Columbia University | August - January | Yes. Any updates or corrections to the Secondary Application should be sent as an Applicant Update (in PDF) via the “Status” tab of the Secondary Application. |
| Cornell University (Weill) | November- January 2024 | Yes. The program is open to receiving important, occasional updates (e.g. major award or publication). |
| Dell Medical School | August-February | Unknown |
| Duke University | August-January | Please update your address or contact information on the AMCAS application. Once updated in AMCAS, the DukeMed application will be automatically updated. |
| Emory University | Fall-Spring | Yes, applicants can directly submit application additions to either the School of Medicine Admissions Office or the MD/PhD Program, however additional supplemental material may increase the time it takes for your application to be completely reviewed, especially if it has already entered the review process. |
| Geisinger Medical School | September-February | Applicants may submit up to two meaningful updates to their AMCAS application after submission. Examples include, but are not limited to: completion of a degree program, research publications/presentations and significant community service. Submissions must be emailed to the admissions office as a PDF attachment. |
| Georgetown Medical School | Invited candidates must attend the interview program conducted at the School of Medicine. These sessions are scheduled each weekday from September through March. | To ensure timely application review, post-submission updates will be limited to text updates submitted via the online Secondary Application portal. Emails – and any associated attachments – sent to the Office of Admissions will be disregarded and not be uploaded to your application. |
| Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin | September-April | Unfortunately, we cannot accept any additional information or materials unless it includes Institutional Action, Felony, Misdemeanor or Military Discharge explanations. Any additional information or materials will be discarded. |
| Harvard University | September-January | If you would like to provide an update to the Committee on Admissions, our office will accept updates through the “Application Updates” tab on the admissions portal. Applicants may provide two updates to the Committee. |
| Icahn School of Medicine | September through February | Unknown |
| Johns Hopkins University | August-February | If there was an error on your application or you need any changes made, please contact the AAMC at 202-828-0600. The JHUSOM Office of Admissions does not accept updates to your AMCAS application or for the secondary application. |
| Kaiser Permanente Medical School | August-March | The school will accept application updates only from candidates who are invited to be interviewed. For the 2024 application cycle, the school will send out invitations for interviews on a rolling basis beginning in July 2023. |
| Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University | September-April | At any point in the application process, you are welcome to submit additional letters to support your application and encouraged to use the AMCAS letter service to transmit these letters. |
| Loyola Stritch School of Medicine | August-February | You may update your application at any time during the cycle through your supplemental portal. Updates can be uploaded as a Word document or PDF through the "Submit Update Document" button on your supplemental portal home page. Please do not mail/email updates to our office. |
| Mayo Clinic School of Medicine (Alix) | August-November | We like to hear from our applicants! Significant application updates are accepted after an applicant has been invited for an interview. |
| New York Medical College | September-March | Electronic application updates may be submitted via email to SOM Office of Admissions. This may include an update on a new activity or course grade, new letter of evaluation, or you want us to know you are still interested in NYMC. Hard copy updates are not accepted. |
| Northwestern University (Feinberg) | August-February | If applicants would like to notify us of an update to their application or wish to have other communications added to their application file for consideration, we ask that they upload these to the FSM Applicant Portal (the site where the secondary application is accessed) through the “Document Upload” tab. |
| Ohio State University | August-March | Due to the volume of applications, we are not able to accept updates. If you are invited for an interview, you will be given the opportunity to submit an update at that time. |
| Perelman School of Medicine | September-January | Additional letters of recommendation or personal updates to the application can be added to to application at any time. The applicant can personally upload any updates directly into the application using the online status page. |
| Rush Medical College | September-February | Unknown |
| SUNY Upstate Med School | September-March | Unknown |
| Tulane School of Medicine | August-March | You may send all updates to the Office of Admissions via uploading documents to your secondary portal. These documents will become a part of your file. We do not accept updates via mail or email. All updates must be digitally uploaded. |
| UC Davis | August-April | Applicants who wish to have additional materials included in their admission packet, after they have already submitted the packet, need to send a request to the Office of Admissions via email. All relevant documentation must be included in the email. |
| University of Alabama–Birmingham | N/A | Unknown |
| University of California–Los Angeles (Geffen) | August-January | Updates to your application will only be accepted when you submit your Secondary application. |
| University of Chicago (Pritzker) Medical | August-February | You can upload PDF updates at any time through the secondary application website (under Status > Update My Application). |
| University of Colorado | September-March | Application updates are NOT accepted. If you are invited for an interview, interview day would be the best time to update the Admissions Committee regarding changes to your application. |
| University of Illinois COM | September-February | If it’s been over 6 weeks since your application was marked complete, you are welcome to submit an update via the “Other Documents” section of the Secondary Application Portal to reaffirm your interest in our institution, or provide other updates that are relevant to the Committee on Admissions (such as updates on research, employment, experiences, etc.). These will be reviewed by the Committee. |
| University of Maryland | September-February | Unknown |
| University of Michigan–Ann Arbor | September-February | Once your Secondary Application is complete, you will be able to access your Applicant Portal. If at any time you want to submit updates to your application, please use the checklist on your Applicant Portal. |
| University of Pittsburgh | August-January | Our Admissions Committee welcomes letters of intent/interest and updates to your application. The most appropriate time to follow-up with us is following your interview or after the receipt of your official admissions decision. |
| University of Southern California (Keck) | August-March | Applicants on the waitlist (alternate list) on April 30th may send an email to the Admissions Office at [email protected] to state their desire to remain on the waitlist. |
| University of Utah | June-March | Once an application has been verified by AMCAS, information cannot be added or deleted from it. |
| University of Vermont’s Larner School of Medicine | August-February | Unknown |
| University of Virginia | September-March | The UVA School of Medicine only accepts letters of evaluation/recommendation through AMCAS. Do not mail letters of recommendation directly to the UVA School of Medicine. |
| University of Washington | December-February | Unknown |
| University of Wisconsin–Madison | October-February | Unknown |
| Washington University in St. Louis | September-February | Once your AMCAS Primary Application has been verified, the Committee on Admissions is happy to consider updates to your file, such as new activities, publications, or personal news. |
| Zucker School of Medicine | July-February | Upload updates and any documents you determine as necessary to your application (including new grades, employment, publications, etc., or an explanation of mistakes in your application, if any) under "additional information".Upload updates and any documents you determine as necessary to your application (including new grades, employment, publications, etc., or an explanation of mistakes in your application, if any) under "additional information". *Please do not email the Office of Admissions directly with your updates. |
***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with schools directly to verify policies and deadlines.***
This article was originally posted on blog.accepted.com.
