So I am sharing this peice of my life in hopes other are going through the same thing. Just a little vent! My overall attitude is one of absolute joy and amazement that I am really doing it. But on the other hand…
I just hammered out 6 secondaries in 10 days, potentially 5 more pending. (I am still working on the letter writers) I mailed them out this morning.
I feel like a “cheese” queen. While I like everyone of my schools after the 5th “Why do you want to go here essay” I really felt like it was all crap! But it’s really not! I guess I feel really generic too.
Then I got this sinking feeling that I put the apps all in the wrong envelopes. Then I started thinking what if one school got another school’s applications…eeeew. That would be a SUPER OOPS.
Anyone else having secondary psychosis?
DRD
I'm having secondary writer's block. After all, WHAT qualities CAN I bring to my chosen school? hee
I also hate the cheesiness of those essays and things. Even in my personal statement it just never sounded like it was me…I would never talk like that or say those things. I always feel like I'm just writing what they want to hear because I would never normally write about why I want to do something or what makes me unique, etc. But I remember when I applied what a relief it was to have all those done, so keep plugging away…although it seems a long way off now, your first day of medical school will be here before you know it.
I know what you mean! Especially the essays that ask you what is unique about you, special experiences, etc. With thousands of applicants to every school, how unique can my experience be???
I agree, I have reasons for wanting to attend every school I applied to, but it doesn’t sound genuine to me after I’ve written it a million times and editted it even more! 
But it’ll all be worth it…soon… I hope!
sigh…I’m having “lack of secondary” psychosis. Applied early decision to UMd, so I only have one secondary to do, and I’m STILL not transmitted.
I’m there with ya. I have 8 done and should be finishing another one today. I just realized that I sent one off with a misspelled word! Groan….
I wonder if it is all worth it at times for some of these schools – I looked at the classes for the past three years and not one student is from the North East – so am I throwing good money after bad?!?!
I do have faith that it will all work out in the end and I will be were I’m supposed to be.
I hear you! I have completed about 12 out of 32 applied to, and I am sure some schools that actually do screen will not send me a secondary. About three of mine are considered complete meaning they have LOR's and everything else, not interview invites yet so we will see.
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| I am sure some schools that actually do screen will not send me a secondary. |
Efex,
Would you happen to know which schools screen secondaries and which do not?
Not right off the bat but if you go on SDN there is a thread in the allo forum about that…Some that I know screen:
U of Kentucky at least for out of state folks
U of Louisville at least for out of state folks
Mayo
U of Michigan
Vandy
Hi, Efex. I tried checking SDN but I couldn't really find anything. Would you or anyone else here know about Loyola, Rush, Northwestern and UIC in terms of screening for secondaries?
Some schools send secondaries automatically. I did not document a source for these percentages, but here's what my notes say about the percentage of applicants invited to submit secondaries for the seven schools in the Chicago area.
Chicago Osteopathic - no info
Finch/Chicago Med - automatic
Stritch/Loyola - 80%
Feinberg/Northwestern - 70%
Rush - automatic
Pritzker/University of Chicago - automatic
UIC - 33%
I submitted secondaries for all seven schools. Hope this helps.
Susan - Chicago/Minneapolis
PS - Watch your email carefully for UIC's communications. I deleted both the UIC secondary invite and interview invite, thinking they were spam. I missed the final interview date by the time I figured out what happened.
Susan,
You are so right about UIC’s secondary email! I almost deleted it, but didn’t, thinking to myself, Hmm, maybe “root” was someone emailing me from the cooking forum I’m a member of! Thanks so much for the reply, very helpful.
Mina
Was the UIC interview invite this year through e-mail? just making sure I am aware, yeah I also almost deleted their “root” e-mail…it was for the secondary though…
efex,
did you submit the uic secondary?
Yeah that was one my first submitted. I am almost completely done with all my secondaries (darn out of 32) except Vandy and Duke. I am still waiting on secondaries from Meharry, ETSU, U of TN, Drexel, U of Kansas, UNC, and U of Wisconsin…
…and this year’s award for the most ambitious OPM medical school applicant goes to…Efex101!!!
Gosh darn, 32 secondaries!?! I eagerly await the start of your “multiple acceptances” thread 
He he, from your mouth to God's ears! we will see what happens but it wont be for lack of trying…actually secondaries are not too bad although some are quite repetitous from my amcas stuff go figure. There has been at least five schools were I had to put in all my pre-reqs again! when all the have to do is look at my amcas to see…
WOW, I've only got the TMDSAS (with 7 schools) and one AMCAS school, and have 2 secondaries to go, and there you guys are with 30+. I wonder, with my history of low GPA (from 15 years ago, but being averaged in now) means I should have a LOT more schools on my applications? HMM
Kathy
Kathy, Kathy, … deep breath.
We share our stuff here just to see what other folks are doing but NOT to compare - it's a subtle difference but really important.
One person can apply to thirty schools; another can apply to ONE. Doesn't mean one of 'em is the right way to do it and the other should follow suit, of course, because each person's situation is different.
You have reasons for wanting to apply to the schools you're applying to, and for NOT applying to schools that you're NOT applying to. They're good reasons, and valid for you, your family, your situation.
So don't compare your list to someone else's, okay? (I know you know this, but the stress of applying really does make one lose perspective) This is definitely advice from the BTDT perspective; I spent my whole year on those damn wait lists, hearing about people who'd applied to lots of schools and thinking I was a complete idiot for only applying to two. It is REALLY HARD not to get sucked into that thinking and really EASY to second-guess yourself. You made choices of where to apply back when you could think rationally, so don't take today's pressure-cooker setting and rethink those decisions!
Hope this makes sense, I had some really EXCELLENT draft beer this evening to celebrate completing Step 2, woo-hoo! Feeling semi-wasted…
hi Kathy–I can relate, because I get the same feelings sometimes looking at how many applications some people are doing. I applied early decision to my state school, meaning I am putting in one, count 'em one, application. I have definitely had some moments of “oh my god should I have applied to 25 schools like everyone else” but Mary’s right, we each have our reasons for applying where we did and each person’s situation is different. That being said, you applied to 8 schools, which isn’t that few. My hat’s off to those who can do 20 or 30 secondaries—damn that’s a lot of work! I’m sure I’d lose my sanity somewhere around #13.
my UMd secondary is finally done, done, done! I printed it out all pretty, wrote my check, and now I’m just waiting for my sweetie to call me & tell me when she can run it over there for me. It has to be in by Friday and no way am I trusting it to the US mail.
Beth