As time passes since you submitted your AMCAS, you may begin a new job, shadowing experience, or community endeavor; publish your research; change your planned coursework; win an award; or master a new hobby. You may find yourself wondering how to go about updating Admissions Committees.
At nearly every interview, you will be asked whether you have any updates for your file. If you email or send an update letter now rather than waiting for an interview, you risk having nothing to update at the interview. Updates are a key way to actively demonstrate to interviewers that you are remaining engaged despite the craziness of applying and interviewing for medical school. Moreover, you may find in a few weeks or months that you have an additional update, and you do not want to send multiple letters.
Here is my recommended time line. Wait until November or December. At that point, you will (hopefully) have been able to update some interviewers in person. Then, send an email to schools you have not heard from, express your interest in interviewing, and include any updates to your application. If updates occur after you have already interviewed, send an email to your interviewers as well as to the general email address for Admissions, include your updates, and also reiterate your interest. Finally, it's nice to have a printed copy of any updates to physically give to your interviewers so that the updates can be physically added to your file. If you only tell your interviewer, he or she may forget.
I realize some applicants feel that they need to send updates now in order to increase odds of getting an interview. Rest assured that most updates are not so amazing that they would be reason enough to grant an interview to an applicant who would not otherwise have received one. Patience, patience.
At nearly every interview, you will be asked whether you have any updates for your file. If you email or send an update letter now rather than waiting for an interview, you risk having nothing to update at the interview. Updates are a key way to actively demonstrate to interviewers that you are remaining engaged despite the craziness of applying and interviewing for medical school. Moreover, you may find in a few weeks or months that you have an additional update, and you do not want to send multiple letters.
Here is my recommended time line. Wait until November or December. At that point, you will (hopefully) have been able to update some interviewers in person. Then, send an email to schools you have not heard from, express your interest in interviewing, and include any updates to your application. If updates occur after you have already interviewed, send an email to your interviewers as well as to the general email address for Admissions, include your updates, and also reiterate your interest. Finally, it's nice to have a printed copy of any updates to physically give to your interviewers so that the updates can be physically added to your file. If you only tell your interviewer, he or she may forget.
I realize some applicants feel that they need to send updates now in order to increase odds of getting an interview. Rest assured that most updates are not so amazing that they would be reason enough to grant an interview to an applicant who would not otherwise have received one. Patience, patience.
