Waiting for Interview Invites? We’ve got you covered. 

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Virtual Interview Success

Waiting for Interview Invites? We’ve got you covered. 

It’s late October, and many medical school hopefuls are on pins and needles waiting for the coveted invitation to interview. If you submitted secondary applications at the earliest possible opportunity, it is likely that you have been waiting months at this point for an interview invitation. The uncertainty can be nerve-wracking! After sending out secondary applications, waiting on an interview invite leaves applicants feeling anxious, but more importantly – powerless. There is nothing left to do but wait. Or is there? Here are three things you should have on your to-do list if you are waiting for interview invitations at this stage in the admissions season. If you don’t fully understand the application process, then it would be beneficial if you check out our medical school application timeline.

 

1) Be patient  

Waiting patiently may not sound like an “action step,” but it does take some effort to talk yourself down a bit. In addition, doing so allows you to take back your power. It is helpful to remind yourself how medical schools treat each stage in the applications process. After AMCAS verifies an applicant, a school might not even review the applicant’s primary application before automatically sending a secondary application. Therefore, these schools must take time to review both the primary and secondary applications before selecting candidates they want to interview. Also, the review process isn’t purely chronological – it’s not first-come, first-serve. Medical schools may not even review the very first applicants first in the process. The earliest interview invites usually go to prospective students who not only submitted their secondary essays early but also have top GPAs/MCAT scores or a special connection to the school. If you are not in this first wave of interviews, don’t panic- most medical schools grant interviews well into the spring. If you have not received a rejection letter, there is still a chance you may be offered an interview.   

 

2) Do not panic 

Once again, there’s not much to do with this step technically, and keeping yourself from getting to panic level can be easier said than done. Medical school applicants typically like control – and nothing about this stage in the process screams, ‘control’! Although it may not feel like it, it is still actually pretty early in the interview season. Medical schools typically conduct interviews from September to March. There is still plenty of time left for you to secure an interview and a spot in medical school. It’s hard not to imagine your top choice medical schools interviewing other promising candidates, but the truth is that there’s no guarantee that those candidates are a good fit for the program. You still have a chance of securing your seat in your preferred school.

Find a way to distract yourself from destructive thoughts by doing something you enjoy. After all, you have worked really hard to get to this point! You have prepared for and taken the MCAT and completed your primary and secondary applications. You deserve a moment to relax. Do not let your nerves lead you to do something unwise, like contacting a medical school’s admissions department excessively. It is still too early to send an Update Letter in hopes of gaining an interview. Above all, practice self-care! Take a look at this self-affirmation video from a fellow pre-med for one way to remind yourself to stay level-headed and confident. 

 

3) Be productive  

Using this downtime to be productive can be the best answer to your “waiting for an interview invite” blues. You can keep busy with interview prep while you wait. Here at Code Blue Essays, we think that getting started with interview prep is vital for success, and our Interview Genius product is a one-stop shop for everything you need. Now more than ever, focusing on interview prep will make you feel more in control of your future. Additionally, you can take this time to evaluate your strength as a medical school candidate. If you truly feel that your application will not yield you any interviews, get to work on ways to beef up your experience. Chase a new research opportunity or gain volunteer experience. These activities and others are vital for having material to include in a killer Update Letter if and when the time comes for you to send one. If you ultimately get an interview (or lots of interviews), recent experiences enhancing your CV are great conversation topics.  

Ultimately, this stage in the medical school application process can be brutal even though it doesn’t involve the sheer effort you have been expending up to this point. Ask for help if you need it! Contact us today to see how we can help you get that acceptance you’ve been working so hard for.

 

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