*~*~*~*Official AMCAS "Work/Activities" Tips Thread 2015-2016*~*~*~*

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is it acceptable to describe how competitive a summer research program was? like 5/100 applicants accepted, or will most adcoms know that these programs tend to be fairly prestigious?
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I shadowed at a primary care practice that included physicians, nurse practitioners, and PAs. Would it be inappropriate to include the hours shadowing non-physicians? Should I attempt to name everyone I shadowed or would "multiple primary care providers" or something similar suffice?
 
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normoblast said:
I shadowed at a primary care practice that included physicians, nurse practitioners, and PAs. Would it be inappropriate to include the hours shadowing non-physicians? Should I attempt to name everyone I shadowed or would "multiple primary care providers" or something similar suffice?
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You can include all the Shadowing, but name the physicians and the total hours spent with them. It will likely work out to have one contact who can attest to all your time at the practice.
 
one last neurotic premed question before i send it off!

i just wanted to be extra sure with this one as i was going through the ymcas instructions again. i know we can add letters after submission. can i submit my application without letters being attached to the medical school i am sending my primary app to? the letter forwarding service still needs to upload these letters to my amcas so i wanted to be sure that it was okay to just go ahead and send!
 
takeonme said:
i just wanted to be extra sure with this one as i was going through the ymcas instructions again. i know we can add letters after submission. can i submit my application without letters being attached to the medical school i am sending my primary app to? the letter forwarding service still needs to upload these letters to my amcas so i wanted to be sure that it was okay to just go ahead and send!
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This is the Work/Activities Tips thread. Better threads for an answer to your question:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...mendation-questions-thread-2015-2016.1126866/
and
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/official-amcas-questions-thread-2015-2016.1130359/
 
I was one of 10 total students at my university to receive a scholarship and admittance into a "Summer Humanities Scholars" research program (pre-med English major over here...). I designed and submitted a research proposal which revolved around a paper that I originally wrote for an English class and which I will revise/expand to present at a Humanities conference as well as to submit for academic publication. Is it okay to mark this as one of my most meaningful experiences even though it's in the humanities and not directly medical or science-related? In the expanded description part I would talk about how it was my own project that I created from scratch/pursued purely because I was interested in the topic and thought it was important, which made it especially rewarding. Is that a bad idea?

Thanks!
 
belieber500 said:
1) I was one of 10 total students at my university to receive a scholarship and admittance into a "Summer Humanities Scholars" research program (pre-med English major over here...). I designed and submitted a research proposal which revolved around a paper that I originally wrote for an English class and which I will revise/expand to present at a Humanities conference as well as to submit for academic publication. Is it okay to mark this as one of my most meaningful experiences even though it's in the humanities and not directly medical or science-related?

2) In the expanded description part I would talk about how it was my own project that I created from scratch/pursued purely because I was interested in the topic and thought it was important, which made it especially rewarding. Is that a bad idea?
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1) Absolutely fine for a MM experience.

2) No. Using the MM space for this purpose is appropriate.
 
I was just speaking with my advisor and I have a small issue. My app was verified last week, but we just noticed that one of the dates that I listed an activity for should actually be 2 months later (i.e. September --> November). Is this at all possible to rectify if I call AMCAS directly?
 
slatewater said:
I was just speaking with my advisor and I have a small issue. My app was verified last week, but we just noticed that one of the dates that I listed an activity for should actually be 2 months later (i.e. September --> November). Is this at all possible to rectify if I call AMCAS directly?
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No. They won't allow you to change anything in the Work/Activities section after submission.
 
Catalystik said:
No. They won't allow you to change anything in the Work/Activities section after submission.
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That's what I figured. Would there be anywhere I could clarify the inconsistency? Maybe on secondaries in "additional information" section? Or just leave it as is?
 
slatewater said:
That's what I figured. Would there be anywhere I could clarify the inconsistency? Maybe on secondaries in "additional information" section? Or just leave it as is?
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Can you give more detail on date span, total hours, category, and how critical it is to the success of your application? If you have a WAMC thread, it might be better to tag me from there.
 
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This feels like a stupid question, but I'm going to ask it anyway because I want to be cautious not to offend any adcoms or interviewers. I am writing my response for one of my "meaningful activities" and I'm looking for advice on whether or not I should use a particular example from one of my activities. I worked as a psych tech intern at the state prison and one of my responsibilities was teaching a sex education course to sex offenders receiving therapy. I would assume that discussing this responsibility isn't going to make adcoms and interviewers uncomfortable, but I want to be sure I'm not taking a risk by including it. I'm mostly just want to explain that I learned how to build rapport and encourage comfortable and open discussion about sensitive topics while maintaining professionalism. Should I be concerned about making anyone uncomfortable by discussing this in my application?
 
ChackieJan said:
This feels like a stupid question, but I'm going to ask it anyway because I want to be cautious not to offend any adcoms or interviewers. I am writing my response for one of my "meaningful activities" and I'm looking for advice on whether or not I should use a particular example from one of my activities. I worked as a psych tech intern at the state prison and one of my responsibilities was teaching a sex education course to sex offenders receiving therapy. I would assume that discussing this responsibility isn't going to make adcoms and interviewers uncomfortable, but I want to be sure I'm not taking a risk by including it. I'm mostly just want to explain that I learned how to build rapport and encourage comfortable and open discussion about sensitive topics while maintaining professionalism. Should I be concerned about making anyone uncomfortable by discussing this in my application?
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As long as it is well-written, you shouldn't be concerned. It is an odd example to write about though. Were there not other aspects of the experience that made it just as meaningful?
 
slatewater said:
That's what I figured. Would there be anywhere I could clarify the inconsistency? Maybe on secondaries in "additional information" section? Or just leave it as is?
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Just leave it as it is man. If they ask about it during an interview, clear the air. They're not going to go poaching around your application unless there is something bizarre/contradictory that seems like it may be fabricated.
 
Catalystik said:
Can you give more detail on date span, total hours, category, and how critical it is to the success of your application? If you have a WAMC thread, it might be better to tag me from there.
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I've heard that anything over 40 hours of shadowing seems excessive. Most of your meaningful shadowing will come during medical school when you do your rotations, and are actually able to contribute to the care of a patient. I've heard tons of people say that they shadowed 350 hours in 7 specialties... That's great. I shadowed for 50 and was never reprimanded for it during my interviews.
 
ThHardToast said:
As long as it is well-written, you shouldn't be concerned. It is an odd example to write about though. Were there not other aspects of the experience that made it just as meaningful?
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It was a psychology internship from back when I wanted to become a clinical psychologist. The entire experience involved teaching, interviewing, and administering tests to sex offenders. I think highlighting my ability to build rapport and create a comfortable environment for them to discuss sensitive topics would strengthen my application but I don't know that there's much I can pull from the other aspects of the experience that would demonstrate that. I could probably come up with something else I gained from it if that aspect seems too odd though.
 
ChackieJan said:
It was a psychology internship from back when I wanted to become a clinical psychologist. The entire experience involved teaching, interviewing, and administering tests to sex offenders. I think highlighting my ability to build rapport and create a comfortable environment for them to discuss sensitive topics would strengthen my application but I don't know that there's much I can pull from the other aspects of the experience that would demonstrate that. I could probably come up with something else I gained from it if that aspect seems too odd though.
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You never know how it is going to play with your readers, but I would tend to take a more conservative approach, since it sounds like the experience was incredible anyways. No need to make it "weird"!
 
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ThHardToast said:
You never know how it is going to play with your readers, but I would tend to take a more conservative approach, since it sounds like the experience was incredible anyways. No need to make it "weird"!
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I'm with ya! It was a great experience and I'm not trying to make it weird at all but working with sex offenders is inherently kind of a weird thing and that is what I did haha. Maybe I could be more vague and simply mention I taught classes to inmates? Then I don't have to include the fact that I was teaching sex ed to sex offenders.
 
ChackieJan said:
I'm with ya! It was a great experience and I'm not trying to make it weird at all but working with sex offenders is inherently kind of a weird thing and that is what I did haha. Maybe I could be more vague and simply mention I taught classes to inmates? Then I don't have to include the fact that I was teaching sex ed to sex offenders.
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I imagine that such an experience would transform you, by being tasked with commanding the respect of people who give jack &&&& about you. In your career as a physician, you may face patients who don't respect you at first, and you have to earn their trust.
 
Haha I think you're right. Your advice is good. Thanks for the help.
 
So sorry if this has been asked before but if we want to say that an activity is still ongoing, do we just pick the latest date possible? There isn't a way to select Aug 2014-present for example. Thanks so much!
 
sunshine02 said:
if we want to say that an activity is still ongoing, do we just pick the latest date possible? There isn't a way to select Aug 2014-present for example.
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The latest date possible to pick is August 2016, when most med schools will matriculate students accepted in the 2015-16 cycle.

If you are going to include future hours, you might consider using the Repeated feature, as described in post #3, item 19, to differentiate them from already completed hours.
 
Catalystik said:
Can you give more detail on date span, total hours, category, and how critical it is to the success of your application? If you have a WAMC thread, it might be better to tag me from there.
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Its not terribly a big deal, but it did come up while my advisor was writing my committee letter. One of my recs is from my PI/professor and I started working in his lab Jan 2012. On my AMCAS I mistakenly listed my start date as October 2011, because that's when I started getting certified to work with animals etc. etc. When I was filling out the application I only looked to my earliest email with my professor and not the content which was obviously my mistake. Fortunately the hours I listed are still correct, and I only counted hours starting in Jan 2012.

The only cause for concern is that in my LOR, my professor says "I started working with XXXX starting January 2012...", which is why my advisor was confused.

I think I'm just going to email the schools individually to make sure they're aware of the inconsistency?
 
slatewater said:
Its not terribly a big deal, but it did come up while my advisor was writing my committee letter. One of my recs is from my PI/professor and I started working in his lab Jan 2012. On my AMCAS I mistakenly listed my start date as October 2011, because that's when I started getting certified to work with animals etc. etc. When I was filling out the application I only looked to my earliest email with my professor and not the content which was obviously my mistake. Fortunately the hours I listed are still correct, and I only counted hours starting in Jan 2012.

The only cause for concern is that in my LOR, my professor says "I started working with XXXX starting January 2012...", which is why my advisor was confused.

I think I'm just going to email the schools individually to make sure they're aware of the inconsistency?
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-First off: don't email schools now, as they don't even have your verified application yet. Wait until after July 1.

-And for schools that have an appropriate Secondary prompt where the issue could be addressed (which you can check from 2014-2015 School Specific threads), you might use that venue instead of an email.

-Last: a 2 to 3-month discrepancy for which you have a good explanation isn't going to kill you if it's noticed, especially for a longer-term experience. There is commonly a lag time from being recruited to a lab and completing all the training requirements/certifications with a lab director, project coordinator, or some other person besides a PI.
 
Would it be valuable to be completely explicit in the experience name e.g. "Teaching Assistant, Translational Models of Cancer course".

I've been told that sometimes adcoms scan experiences first and if something catches their eye they may be more inclined to pay special attention.
 
heebeejeebies said:
Would it be valuable to be completely explicit in the experience name e.g. "Teaching Assistant, Translational Models of Cancer course".

I've been told that sometimes adcoms scan experiences first and if something catches their eye they may be more inclined to pay special attention.
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Yes, I would be explicit. I would capitalize the word "course" as well for a formal title.
 
If I did research continuously over a span of 12 months, but my weekly hours changed over the summer, is it acceptable to break it up into three separate, consecutive periods to emphasize that it was a fulltime job over the summer?

Example:
Jan-Apr: 128 total hours
May-July: 400 total hours
Aug-Dec: 128 total hours

Thanks, @Catalystik!
 
AnchorDown3 said:
If I did research continuously over a span of 12 months, but my weekly hours changed over the summer, is it acceptable to break it up into three separate, consecutive periods to emphasize that it was a fulltime job over the summer?

Example:
Jan-Apr: 128 total hours
May-July: 400 total hours
Aug-Dec: 128 total hours

Thanks, @Catalystik!
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This would be a good use of the Repeated feature. You can further emphasize the difference by stating in the narrative that you worked full-time in the summer months, if you like.
 
I have so far a healthcare experience (working as nurse, why I want to be a physician and work with patients) and a laboratory rotation (the first I had to show me how much I love science).
I am struggling with the third. Either shadowing a physician scientist OR my last lab (translational) OR my independent travels (1 year southamerica, US and Asia). I dont know which to pick. All are dang significant to me. Any Ideas?

oh btw I am exclusively applying MSTP
 
wonko said:
I have so far a healthcare experience (working as nurse, why I want to be a physician and work with patients) and a laboratory rotation (the first I had to show me how much I love science).
I am struggling with the third. Either shadowing a physician scientist OR my last lab (translational) OR my independent travels (1 year southamerica, US and Asia). I dont know which to pick. All are dang significant to me. Any Ideas?

oh btw I am exclusively applying MSTP
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As an MSTP applicant you'd probably be better served to pick one of the first two options. If you've run dry on fresh creative verbiage and insights about research, then pick the Shadowing.
 
Including future projected hours for activities isn't necessarily required, is it?
 
Thank you again, Mrs Cat :):cat:
 
I have a question regarding splitting an activity into two entries: Community Service/Volunteering - Medical and Leadership Not Listed Elsewhere. I was a general member my first year and had a leadership role my second year in a club which holds medical clinics in developing countries.

Is it necessary to reiterate what the organization does? Or can I just explain the function in the Volunteer entry to have more room in the Leadership slot?

Thanks!
 
TopCat23 said:
I have a question regarding splitting an activity into two entries: Community Service/Volunteering - Medical and Leadership Not Listed Elsewhere. I was a general member my first year and had a leadership role my second year in a club which holds medical clinics in developing countries.

Is it necessary to reiterate what the organization does? Or can I just explain the function in the Volunteer entry to have more room in the Leadership slot?!
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As I expect the description you give of your leadership role will cover enough information to make the organization's mission evident, I think it's fine to leave a narrative of the club's purpose with the general membership entry. Make sure each entry can stand on its own though, as you have no way of knowing how any given med school will choose to sort your activities.
 
sunshine02 said:
Do adcoms look down on bartending (as in is it a relatively controversial activity for some people and therefore I should shy away from mentioning this)?
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I was a bartender, restaurant server, and bouncer at various times in college to make extra money. I thought it might that I am well-rounded. Definitely fired back at me. I was told following my first interview in 2014 that I painted myself as a high risk applicant. Others might think otherwise. It is probably not a good idea.
 
Afp0731 said:
I was a bartender, restaurant server, and bouncer at various times in college to make extra money. I thought it might that I am well-rounded. Definitely fired back at me. I was told following my first interview in 2014 that I painted myself as a high risk applicant. Others might think otherwise. It is probably not a good idea.
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Oh no. :( I think it depends on the person tho--some med students might think that's awesome, others not so. I agree that it's probably safe to not mention it...
 
How many hours for campus organization activities is considered kind of low to mention? I'm trying to decide which activities to cut right now. Thanks!
 
For conferences attended, do we put how long the conference lasted or how long it lasted including how long we prepared for it? (since it is an activity that requires preparation too)..
 
sunshine02 said:
For conferences attended, do we put how long the conference lasted or how long it lasted including how long we prepared for it? (since it is an activity that requires preparation too)..
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I included all of my prep under my research section and then just put the presentations and conferences together as just the time that was spent there.
 
If we are attending a conference in early July but will be submitting AMCAS before then, can we still list the conference since I will have attended it by the time it's verified?
 
sunshine02 said:
Oh no. :( I think it depends on the person tho--some med students might think that's awesome, others not so. I agree that it's probably safe to not mention it...
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There is a lot of subjectivity in the way an applicant's activities will be reviewed. At the time, I thought it showed personable qualities. Looking back, I think it was negligible at best.
 
If there is a significant activity that I started recently (totaling less than 10 hrs right now but still significant enough that I strongly believe warrants mentioning), if I just write:
Start date: May 2015
End date: May 2016
Total hours: <10 hrs
Will adcoms look down on this or will they understand that it's something that I just started and that I will continue until next year?
 
Afp0731 said:
There is a lot of subjectivity in the way an applicant's activities will be reviewed. At the time, I thought it showed personable qualities. Looking back, I think it was negligible at best.
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This is why I may delay my application until a myriad of people from all walks look it over, what may intrigue one person might get you into a rejection pile with another.
 
sunshine02 said:
How many hours for campus organization activities is considered kind of low to mention? I'm trying to decide which activities to cut right now. Thanks!
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Campus organizations that didn't lead to leadership or community service opportunities will be low yield to include on the application, regardless of hours of involvement.
 
sunshine02 said:
If we are attending a conference in early July but will be submitting AMCAS before then, can we still list the conference since I will have attended it by the time it's verified?
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No. Save it for Secondaries.

But if you had an abstract accepted that you will present at the conference, you can mention that it was accepted for inclusion at that conference.
 
sunshine02 said:
If there is a significant activity that I started recently (totaling less than 10 hrs right now but still significant enough that I strongly believe warrants mentioning), if I just write:
Start date: May 2015
End date: May 2016
Total hours: <10 hrs
Will adcoms look down on this or will they understand that it's something that I just started and that I will continue until next year?
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Sounds like fluff and is likely to get a raised eyebrow. But if it's your only fluffy activity, I doubt it will hurt you.
 
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