New AMCAS Experience Category: Social Justice/Advocacy

[deleted760180]

Apparently, for the first time this cycle, AMCAS is now offering applicants a "Social Justice/Advocacy" option to classify certain ECs (along with a re-worked "Disadvantaged" essay question and a few other things).

This worries me because I've never been a particularly political person. The AAMC describes activities that would qualify under this classification in the following way:

"decreasing health inequities, addressing food deserts, building awareness for a particular cause or health condition, advocating for vulnerable populations (children, homeless, etc.), and assisting with policy change or development."

There are certain aspects of my activities where I most definitely advocated for the people I served but on a small-scale. I didn't do anything like start a non-profit, or my own type of volunteering service. I think I would struggle to define those activities as purely Social Justice/Advocacy as opposed to what they broadly are (namely they were aspects of my Paid Clinical position as well as what I do in terms of volunteering/research on the mental health front).

My suspicion is that, without a doubt, medical schools will be expecting at least one activity to be classified as Social Justice/Advocacy, given that addressing social inequities in healthcare is huge.

So, I'm not sure what to do or what to make of this. I'm worried.

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[Mr.Smile12]

The HPSA course on Becoming a Student Doctor covers this having anticipated this category of activities will be available, and we help advice enrolled applicants on how to balance being an advocate with being a Student Doctor. Next cohort starts in May so sign up, everyone.

Many applicants and current health care providers are motivated by their calling to be a physician as a means to address social inequities. The other categories do not seem to fit advocacy as an activity.

We have a free advocacy resource course on Treating Transgender Patients for anyone with access to Google Classroom.

Pay attention to mission and areas of advocacy at the schools on your list.

Valued community service again: food distribution, shelter work, job placement services, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation, especially where you are working to make a difference.

Social advocacy COULD include organizing speakers or rallies, fundraisers, lobbying or meeting with political leadership, administration for a nonprofit, or public health capstone projects. Check schools for clarification.

So just because you tutored underserved children does NOT make it a Social Advocacy activity. Many activities that do not involve actually delivering vaccines to promote COVID vaccinations could be. Think making or distributing masks. Again, ask the schools.

P.S. How many days before some news commentator calls this question out as the "Woke" question?

 

[cj_cregg]

As an app reviewer for my alma mater, I'm excited to see this (it aligns well with the values of the school). I have never expected every applicant to have something in this category, but it is an extra boost for students who are engaged with direct service. I don't expect that to change. But I think it is increasingly important to have physicians' voices heard in the policy-making process, especially for those of us who work with underserved patient populations.

That said, it is really easy and accessible to get involved with advocacy for even busy or low resource students. There are often groups on campus that are organizing fundraisers and education events for different causes, get out the vote programs, etc. Anyone can send an email to their senator or attend a local department of health or city/county council meeting to provide public comment on an issue. Lots of professional organizations (AMSA, AMWA, specialty orgs particularly the primary care ones, etc.) have advocacy days where they take a group of people down to the state house and set up meetings with legislators and such.

 

[ginger_girl]

I think it is great that this has been added as a category. Physicians must be advocates, and politics and medicine are inherently intertwined.

I am just a bit curious about the AAMC stating that "this question is not intended to solicit experiences campaigning for a particular political candidate or party." As a non-trad, I have been very involved in some of these areas (voter registration, climate advocacy, etc.), but much of my work has been tied to local campaigns or party-affiliated organizations. For example, I volunteered for a candidate whose platform was based on public health issues affecting my city. Would it be a bad idea to talk about these political experiences, even if I do not disclose the party? (Not planning on applying until 2024-2025, but still curious what others thing of this!)

 

[wysdoc]

Apparently, for the first time this cycle, AMCAS is now offering applicants a "Social Justice/Advocacy" option to classify certain ECs (along with a re-worked "Disadvantaged" essay question and a few other things).

This worries me because I've never been a particularly political person. The AAMC describes activities that would qualify under this classification in the following way:

There are certain aspects of my activities where I most definitely advocated for the people I served but on a small-scale. I didn't do anything like start a non-profit, or my own type of volunteering service. I think I would struggle to define those activities as purely Social Justice/Advocacy as opposed to what they broadly are (namely they were aspects of my Paid Clinical position as well as what I do in terms of volunteering/research on the mental health front).

My suspicion is that, without a doubt, medical schools will be expecting at least one activity to be classified as Social Justice/Advocacy, given that addressing social inequities in healthcare is huge.

So, I'm not sure what to do or what to make of this. I'm worried.

You know, not everyone has or can have an activity in each category.
I don't know what the category count is now, but in prior years there were 18 possible categories but an applicant was limited to making 15 EC entries.
Play up your strengths in the categories you do have.

 

[LizzyM]

My suspicion is that, without a doubt, medical schools will be expecting at least one activity to be classified as Social Justice/Advocacy, given that addressing social inequities in healthcare is huge.

Nope. You'd be wrong. Some people will have this and some won't but it won't be an unwritten requirement and it won't be a box that must be checked to get an interview.

 

[deleted1136042]

What are everyone's thoughts on this? In terms of categorizing non-clinical volunteering that relates to social justice, how should we label these sorts of activities?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Pay attention to the definition of service orientation. If you are "raising awareness," it goes under advocacy.

More in the Becoming a Student Doctor course. This is a long overdue category.

What is your specific example?

Read

Write Your Secondary Essays First - SDN

The Student Doctor Network provides free tools, resources, and advising services to help students become health professionals.

www.studentdoctor.net

 

[chilly_md]

What are everyone's thoughts on this? In terms of categorizing non-clinical volunteering that relates to social justice, how should we label these sorts of activities?

As there was an existing thread regarding this, I have merged your post into it.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Would it be a bad idea to talk about these political experiences, even if I do not disclose the party?

For w/a, you should feel free to disclose what you feel comfortable talking about in an interview.

 

[Fluidity of Movement]

You don't have to be political to advocate for people's conditions to improve. If people want to ascribe a left/right to someone pointing out an obvious, objective cause to something, then that is on them, not you.

The problem is that (reality) sometimes leans towards the left or right but talking about reality doesn't make you left or right. Make sense? Pointing to carbon dioxide as a cause of global climate change is not a "leftist" political belief, etc.

 

[Fluidity of Movement]

On a comedic note, I can finally list all of my grand-standing here on SDN about mental health counseling / coaching as being clinical experience on my amcas under advocacy!