Experiences on ERAS questions

[scissorkick]

I have a few questions regarding activities and such on ERAS.

1. In October, I am going abroad for an intense clinical/volunteer experience that I am getting credit for from my medical school.

First, is this fine to list as a work experience on ERAS (it says to list clinical experiences here, and I thought it's unusual enough to mention there)? And second, is it okay to list since I haven't done it yet, but will before interviews? Can I describe it in the past tense or should it be future? I would like to talk about it on my interviews, but I'm fearing that listing it before I do it might be seen as inappropriate (I'm committed, I already got my shots and paid for the plane ticket). What do you think?


2. I did some freelance writing during med school, some of which was about medicine, some not. Is it appropriate to list this writing as work
experiences (It was an extracurricular activity as far as I see it)? It seems hard to squeeze it into the hobbies.

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[ZekeMD]

I have a few questions regarding activities and such on ERAS.

1. In October, I am going abroad for an intense clinical/volunteer experience that I am getting credit for from my medical school.

First, is this fine to list as a work experience on ERAS (it says to list clinical experiences here, and I thought it's unusual enough to mention there)? And second, is it okay to list since I haven't done it yet, but will before interviews? Can I describe it in the past tense or should it be future? I would like to talk about it on my interviews, but I'm fearing that listing it before I do it might be seen as inappropriate (I'm committed, I already got my shots and paid for the plane ticket). What do you think?


2. I did some freelance writing during med school, some of which was about medicine, some not. Is it appropriate to list this writing as work
experiences (It was an extracurricular activity as far as I see it)? It seems hard to squeeze it into the hobbies.

For #1, no. It's not ok to list something you haven't done yet. I had the same issue because I am going to start volunteering with a high school student, but I haven't started yet. I wanted to submit my eras early and therefore couldnt list it. What you can do is update the programs once you start the activity.

For #2, thats tough. I wouldn't necessarily call it a work experience. Maybe volunteer experience? That one is your call.

 

[scissorkick]

1.. update programs... so i would send them letters with an clinical/volunteer experience to add on? sounds difficult, but it's better than nothing i suppose. does anybody else have experience with this, or have a plan how to handle something similar?


2. well, i got paid for some of the freelance writing, so i assumed that meant it had to be "work". then again, i would have done it even if not paid, so....

 

[scissorkick]

i asked my dean about listing the experience that i haven't done yet.. and he said,

"I think you can list your experience as something you are about
to do (honesty is the best policy) "By the time of interviews I will
have spent X months in [], working......""

what do you think?