How to Hack Secondaries With Google Docs and SDN

Ryannguyen ♦ July 19, 2011 ♦ 1 Comment

If only...

Having just submitted my primary application for medical schools a few weeks back, I’m faced with the realization that I’m likely going to be receiving a wave of 25+ secondaries to fill out (if I pass screenings), each with their own school-specific essays. The period in between primary submission and receiving secondaries can span anywhere from instantly (I received my first secondary hours after my primary submission) to 4+ weeks. While other medical school applicants may be content to wait until secondaries come back to start working on them, I know PracticalPremed readers aren’t content with the status quo. After doing a little research, I’ve come up with a “hack” of sorts to streamline the secondary process and speed up your own application timeline.

Ideally, this strategy is for medical school applicants who…

• Is applying to a large number of schools (15+).
• Submitted his or her primary in late June or later.
• Looking to have their files “complete” as soon as possible.
• Seeking a way to organize all the different details, due dates, and nuances of each application.
• Antsy waiting around for secondaries to roll through.

Enough with the marketing gimmicks, just tell me already!

My approach to filling out secondaries addressed the two biggest needs I had:

1. To manage the endless amount of details and nuances of all my secondaries.
2. To complete all my secondaries as soon as possible without sacrificing quality.

Using Google Docs to manage all the details.

The inspiration for this method came from MDJourney’s post on how he (Steve) managed secondaries. The author advocates using Google docs and creating separate folders for each schools to manage documents for each. While the post is a great read, I modified the system a bit to address my own specific needs. More specifically, I wanted a way to keep track of everything in one place. Thus, I’m using a Google Doc spreadsheet as a “master list” to keep track of details for each school. (While Steve used a slightly different approach with his Google Doc system, the benefits of using Google Docs are obvious: work can be done from any computer with internet access, it automatically saves, and it’s free.) This spreadsheet keeps track of everything related to the secondary process, from date of receipt to fee amount to whether or not I need to attach a picture of my charming face to the application. Especially useful is having a link to all your online forms and username/passwords in one place.

For PracticalPremed readers I’ve created a template for your very own use. To get your very spreadsheet template click here.

***When accessing this google doc, simply copy and paste the top line onto your very own google doc. This is just a template I provided for everyone to use. I’ve inserted three “fake” medical schools in the document as well to give you an example of how to insert in data. PLEASE remember to keep your own document “private” as this spreadsheet will have a fair amount of private information.

Implementing this system is fairly simple: Upon receipt of a secondary request, I read through the application and fill out each respective value. The “Target Submission Date” is the only variable; I like to think the sooner the better but obviously not at the cost of quality. Bookmark this spreadsheet and use it as your master check-list of things to do.

Using Student Doctor Network to blend speed AND quality.

Fast track your application

Attempting to rush secondaries in as soon as possible without thought to the quality of your secondaries can be a dagger in your application. While I certainly understand the pressing need to have a “complete” application, I don’t believe turning in poorly executed essays will in anyway be eclipsed by how fast they were submitted.

How then, can applicants get secondaries done faster while still maintaining a high standard of quality throughout their essays?

By using the forums of Student Doctor Network (SDN), applicants can find a massive amount of information about the application process. While the nature of forum websites brings with it trolls, blatantly wrong statements, and questionable content, SDN can be a gold mine of information for those willing to dig around. A large amount of SDN members are actually very friendly posters willing to help out others, unlike the “gunner” stereotype that pops up every once in awhile.

For me, the most helpful information I’ve found in the forums has been the Secondary Thread for each application cycle.  These threads typically contain the exact secondary essays to work on, giving students the opportunity to prepare for prompts before even obtaining official secondary requests. This extra “time” can be tremendous in terms of making up time in the application process; students using this strategy can submit (ideally) high quality essays back to their schools just days after receiving secondary requests.

Looking for the threads I’m talking about? Here are the threads for MD and DO school for the 2011-12 application cycle.

Best of luck to everyone applying this cycle and in the future! I hope this information can help you put together a more efficient application, let me know in the comments if it helps you or if you have another secondary “hack.”