Hey, thanks for your questions! I asked the student reps and other current students your waitlist questions. While researching Cornell, I never asked about the waitlist. I’ll update you when I get a response. To be honest, it doesn’t seem like anyone new has been added to our accepted student Slack channel, so I don’t think they started offering a large number of waitlist acceptances yet.
As for the letter of update, here are some significant things you may include….
- New job positions
- New research publications (or starting new research projects)
- Any relevant personal updates (e.g, a medical school I applied to has a super active weightlifting team, so I talked about achieving my 225 squat PR LOL I also explicitly wrote about how I hope to contribute to the school’s team)
As per many current medical students, what matters more is how you relate your activities to the school and its mission. No matter what you include, make sure to show how the school would naturally be the next best step for you. Here’s an excerpt from my Cornell update letter if it gives you any insight:
“Nonclinical Updates:
- Funds for Global Health: Advocacy Fellowship (FFGH) Jan 2024-Present
- As an aspiring physician for the underserved, I aim to eventually work in a federal government role to shape policies that promote healthcare accessibility. Thus, I joined FFGH to gain experience with working at the intersection of clinical care, advocacy, and policy. My current focus is on the siloed delivery of the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in developing countries. To make PEPFAR more accessible to underserved patients around the world, I have proposed merging PEPFAR with global primary care programs, consolidating HIV/AIDS care with comprehensive primary care in frontline clinics. Having both services be delivered at one integrated clinic aims to mitigate geographic and financial barriers that patients may face when seeking care from multiple outpatient centers. My petition to my Senate representative can be seen here: Update Letter: Laser Talk: Integrating PEPFAR. At Cornell, I would continue my work in advocacy and equity by volunteering with Students for a National Health Program, serving at WCCHR, and attending Rogers Health Policy Colloquiums. Moreover, my global health work aligns with your emphasis on internationalism, which is one reason I know I’d fit right in at your school.”
Notice how I made sure to write about how “I’d fit right in.” Hope that helps!!
