Waiting for medical school interviews? What to do when you've been wait listed

Late summer and fall is medical school interview season in the premed community! I hosted a Google Hangout with some members from INQUARTA.com to talk about med school interviews. Here are the key points: The normal medical school admissions sequence is: Rejections, getting wait listed, then receiving interview invites. If you've only gotten rejections and wait listings, hold tight. Your invitations should be coming soon. What should you do when you get wait listed? Getting wait listed by medical schools isn't the greatest things, but it's also not terrible. Tip: Don't spam the admissions committee with content that doesn't help you. If you do have an update worth sending, don't wait! Send it in right away. For instance, if you've landed a great research opportunity or had a paper published, let medical schools know. Not getting the interview invitations you thought you would? The issue is usually the timing of your primary application and your secondary application. If you were late to apply and late to receive verification, your interview invitations will come later. Also, if your choice of schools was too "top-heavy," you may not get many interview invitations. What’s left to do after you’ve done the traditional stuff? Leverage relationships! Reach out as far as you can to find anyone you might know who can put in a good word for you with medical schools. When you're on a wait list, you're in limbo. It feels like you've lost control, and it's tough. The best thing for you to do is stay positive, so that when you do receive invitations you'll be in the best possible mindset. If you're stressed out for months and months, it will show in your interviews. Believe in yourself and stay positive!