*~*~*~*Tips for Entering your "Work and Activities" in AMCAS*~*~*~*

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farrago said:
By office-based primary care, do you mean family medicine/internal medicine only? What if you shadow an endocrinologist or someone along those lines?
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Primary care includes Internal Med, Family Med, Pediatrics, Psych, and OBGYN. Subspecialties of these fields would not be primary care, though sometimes they do manage primary care patients while they are building up their practice. So if the endocrinologist was seeing folks with allergies, emphysema, diarrhea, injuries, fevers, etc and managing them, there would be a primary care component (which you can make clear in your description).
 
What about listing under leadership, the fact that you have kids? Going to school full time in a pre-med major, studying for the MCAT, working, and taking care of a child is a feat worth mentioning IMO.
 
I had a quick question about when to combine activities/experiences.

The way I have my AMCAS Experiences section looking right now, I have two options.

All 15 spots filled, where awards and presentations/conferences aren't grouped.

Only 13 spots filled, where awards and presentations/conferences are grouped together.

Is there any specific reason for choosing one over the other? I felt that having them spread out would garner more attention to each, but putting them together would the category look more substantial.

Catalystik, LizzyM, others, thoughts? Thank you!
 
linusp said:
I had a quick question about when to combine activities/experiences.

The way I have my AMCAS Experiences section looking right now, I have two options.

All 15 spots filled, where awards and presentations/conferences aren't grouped.

Only 13 spots filled, where awards and presentations/conferences are grouped together.

Is there any specific reason for choosing one over the other? I felt that having them spread out would garner more attention to each, but putting them together would the category look more substantial.

Catalystik, LizzyM, others, thoughts? Thank you!
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Most list all Awards/Honors/Recognitions together, listing the most prestigious first.

We discussed the Posters/Presentations issue before:
Catalystik said:
Regional and national conference presentations/posters are definitely space-worthy. Since they are so similar, I think it's a good idea to group them, listing it initially under the more prestigious national conference and then mentioning the second in the narrative (giving 2nd conference name, with dates and location). You can refer back to the more detailed description you wrote under a Research category so as not to be overly repetitive in the information you provide.
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If you are referring to a different scenario than two similar posters/presentations, perhaps you could give more detail for a better answer.

As a generalization, I would tend to suggest "More substantial" over "spread out."
 
Catalystik said:
Most list all Awards/Honors/Recognitions together, listing the most prestigious first.

We discussed the Posters/Presentations issue before:
If you are referring to a different scenario than two similar posters/presentations, perhaps you could give more detail for a better answer.

As a generalization, I would tend to suggest "More substantial" over "spread out."
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Great, thank you! I was planning on grouping the categories, but I was unsure if there was any loss of advantage.

I appreciate the help!
 
CEmmert said:
What about listing under leadership, the fact that you have kids? Going to school full time in a pre-med major, studying for the MCAT, working, and taking care of a child is a feat worth mentioning IMO.
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Ha! I'll take that as a NO:laugh:
 
LizzyM said:
Regarding dates... it is month and year starting and month and year completed, not specific dates, e.g. January 15-18, 2010.
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What if we were involved in an activity off and on over a time period? Should we list the range and then be specific in the description?
 
For a clinical volunteering activity that I did in HS and later continued in college (took a couple years off in between), how should I go about entering this in? Should I take the start date and end date, and do a grand average hrs/week, and then mention it in the description? For example

As in:
Clinical Volunteer at So and So Hospital (August 2006 - May 2011)
-Responsibilities were etc etc
-Worked primarily at etc
-Completed 300 Hrs in HS, 100 in college

Or, should I just do

Clinical Volunteer at Hospital (Aug 2010 - May 2011)
-Responsibilities
-Where worked
-Also completed 300 Hrs in HS at same department, etc.

Which would be better? I don't want to lie here when it comes to dates, hrs, etc, but I do want to mention all the hours I've completed. It's been at the same place.

Edit: Would it be worth mentioning at all the time difference?
 
I have a question about (minimal) breaks from activities. For example, lets say you have been volunteering since October of last year at a medical clinic, but were not volunteering for the few weeks you were at home during winter break. Are you expected to make a special note for breaks? It seems like it would be a little awkward and unnecessary to say "volunteered October to Dec 15 and Jan 10 to present, X hours a week", but I'm not sure.
 
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Nymphicus said:
I have a question about (minimal) breaks from activities. For example, lets say you have been volunteering since October of last year at a medical clinic, but were not volunteering for the few weeks you were at home during winter break. Are you expected to make a special note for breaks? It seems like it would be a little awkward and unnecessary to say "volunteered October to Dec 15 and Jan 10 to present, X hours a week", but I'm not sure.
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You don't have to mention school breaks, but you do have to fill out the average hours-per-week blank. So you would take the total hours and divide them by the full number of weeks in the span. This will dilute the true hours per week somewhat, but that's OK.
 
haydninvictus said:
What if we were involved in an activity off and on over a time period? Should we list the range and then be specific in the description?
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See my response to Nymphicus above (if the times off aren't too lengthy). If you did not stay involved for the length of a summer, that would be worth mentioning specifically.

linusp said:
For a clinical volunteering activity that I did in HS and later continued in college (took a couple years off in between), how should I go about entering this in? Should I take the start date and end date, and do a grand average hrs/week, and then mention it in the description? For example

As in:
Clinical Volunteer at So and So Hospital (August 2006 - May 2011)
-Responsibilities were etc etc
-Worked primarily at etc
-Completed 300 Hrs in HS, 100 in college

Or, should I just do

Clinical Volunteer at Hospital (Aug 2010 - May 2011)
-Responsibilities
-Where worked
-Also completed 300 Hrs in HS at same department, etc.

Which would be better? I don't want to lie here when it comes to dates, hrs, etc, but I do want to mention all the hours I've completed. It's been at the same place.

Edit: Would it be worth mentioning at all the time difference?
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It would be better to list the span of dates during the college years and then at the end of the narrative put the HS date span, hours/week, and total hours (which makes the time difference clear). Then finally, put a grand total of hours including HS + college hours.

If you had not taken off a few years, then you would list the full date span across HS and college years.
 
Catalystik said:
See my response to Nymphicus above (if the times off aren't too lengthy). If you did not stay involved for the length of a summer, that would be worth mentioning specifically.

It would be better to list the span of dates during the college years and then at the end of the narrative put the HS date span, hours/week, and total hours (which makes the time difference clear). Then finally, put a grand total of hours including HS + college hours.

If you had not taken off a few years, then you would list the full date span across HS and college years.
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Awesome, thanks for the tip. My final question about this is am I now at a disadvantage since I took some time off and only did 100 Hrs in college. Do the HS hours mean anything? The department, people, and responsibilities remained the same.

Thank you for the help!
 
linusp said:
Awesome, thanks for the tip. My final question about this is am I now at a disadvantage since I took some time off and only did 100 Hrs in college. Do the HS hours mean anything? The department, people, and responsibilities remained the same.
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Yes. Especially since you continued the activity into the college years.
 
Hey guys,

I'm planning on filling out the application soon and I was curious how the activities panel works. If I shadowed several doctors, do I include that as one thing or do i separate each shadowing experience?

thanks
 
rihdus said:
I'm planning on filling out the application soon and I was curious how the activities panel works. If I shadowed several doctors, do I include that as one thing or do i separate each shadowing experience?
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Most list all shadowing in one space under the category of "Other." For answers to further questions about listing activites, see Tips for Entering your "Work and Activities" in AMCAS*: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=813591
 
Catalystik said:
Moat list all shadowing in one space under the category of "Other."
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But it seems they only give me around 700 characters to explain the activity. How would I do that for each experience?
 
rihdus said:
Hey guys,

I'm planning on filling out the application soon and I was curious how the activities panel works. If I shadowed several doctors, do I include that as one thing or do i separate each shadowing experience?

thanks
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Merging related threads.

Thanks for linking, Cat🙂
 
i'm pretty sick of the ordinary boring description, written to waste space and simply explain the mundane details of an activity. i hardly even care that i maintained stocks of medical supplies while volunteering @ a children's hospital and i'm that much more certain that adcoms don't care.

i'm starting to go with a lot of narrative type descriptions... usually explaining what i got out of the activity more so than the activity itself. anyone else doing something similar?

for example... in describing my shadowing, i described two scenarios/patient visits i remember well, and the impact they had on me.

a bit worried that there might be a reason it's not the norm.
 
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some questions that I don't think have been asked yet:

1) I volunteer as a translator/clinic assistant and am always in the room between the physician and patient. It seems like this could go under "clinical volunteer", "shadowing", or "leadership" because I've managed the clinic on my own for extended periods. Since I'm deficient in leadership, can I place it in this category?

2) Should paid work in a research lab go under "paid employment" or "research/lab"?

3) Is it possible/advisable to include a potential future EC? Like, you're in the process of applying to a volunteer program?

4) How do I add contact information for an organization that no longer exists?

Thank you very much.
 
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My opinion is that if those anecdotes are poignant (and concise), then you definitely should use them. If you are just using them to fill space (i.e. you're looking for reasons to jazz up the activity) then it's probably better to do a quick list of duties and leave it at the 100 or so characters that usually takes up.

S6MD said:
i'm pretty sick of the ordinary boring description, written to waste space and simply explain the mundane details of an activity. i hardly even care that i maintained stocks of medical supplies while volunteering @ a children's hospital and i'm that much more certain that adcoms don't care.

i'm starting to go with a lot of narrative type descriptions... usually explaining what i got out of the activity more so than the activity itself. anyone else doing something similar?

for example... in describing my shadowing, i described two scenarios/patient visits i remember well, and the impact they had on me.

a bit worried that there might be a reason it's not the norm.
Click to expand...
 
1. For the dates an activity was carried out, does AMCAS only allow a start and end date? What if we did it off and on over a period of time (like shadowing) - do we just mention exact dates in the description?

2. Is it acceptable to put "none" in the organization field for an activity? Some of my activities really have none associated with them (again, like shadowing).

3. If we are listing an award, what are we supposed to put for fields like "hours a week" that don't really apply?

Thanks!
 
ladeedahh said:
1) I volunteer as a translator/clinic assistant and am always in the room between the physician and patient. It seems like this could go under "clinical volunteer", "shadowing", or "leadership" because I've managed the clinic on my own for extended periods. Since I'm deficient in leadership, can I place it in this category?

2) Should paid work in a research lab go under "paid employment" or "research/lab"?

3) Is it possible/advisable to include a potential future EC? Like, you're in the process of applying to a volunteer program?

4) How do I add contact information for an organization that no longer exists?
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1) It often happens that an experience could legitimately be listed under several categories. It is fine to choose the category that balances your application best. Alternatively you can split out the components with their separate hours and designation and use two spaces. Whatever you do, be sure the shadowing component is made clear (in the activity name or description) as some schools are expecting to see it.

2) It can go under either, but I feel it is always best to list research under Research (whether paid, volunteer, or for class credit). Make the fact that it was employment clear in the description.

3) No. Future dates can't be entered. If it was something like Americorps or Peace Corps and you had been accepted, but had not yet started, I'd work it into the PS.

4) If it was a campus-related organization, use the office that registers such clubs. If it had a parent organization, but the chapter you got involved in closed, then use the parent organization. Alternatively, use another past member or organizer as the contact.
 
haydninvictus said:
1. For the dates an activity was carried out, does AMCAS only allow a start and end date? What if we did it off and on over a period of time (like shadowing) - do we just mention exact dates in the description?

2. Is it acceptable to put "none" in the organization field for an activity? Some of my activities really have none associated with them (again, like shadowing).

3. If we are listing an award, what are we supposed to put for fields like "hours a week" that don't really apply?
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1) Last year, one wasn't obliged to fill in the dates. We'll have to see how this application works. If you must fill it in, choose one shadowing opportunity for the contact info and dates, then put those for others in the narrative. I suggest giving total hours for each and then a grand total at the bottom of the space.

2) That seems OK to me. It could be left blank.

3) In past application years, it wasn't necessary to fill it in.
 
Thanks Catalystik! Another question to whoever can answer: do we have to list posters/publications separately? I was planning on listing my research in two different labs separately and mentioning the associated posters/presentations/grants/pub in the descriptions. If I give all of these things their own spot I will exceed 15 activities.
 
haydninvictus said:
do we have to list posters/publications separately? I was planning on listing my research in two different labs separately and mentioning the associated posters/presentations/grants/pub in the descriptions. If I give all of these things their own spot I will exceed 15 activities.
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You can do it that way, and it would even be preferred if the posters/presentation/pub were via campus symposia/publications. But if you want to appeal to research-strong institutions, it might not be the best choice if you presented at regional/national conferences and/or published in a "known" journal.

BTW, one would list the highest accomplishment from one's research project, not all of them. So, for example, if one listed a (PubMed searchable) Publication, one would put associated posters and presentations either in the Research space, or later in the Publication space, and would not use Publications/Posters at all.

If your concern hasn't been addressed, please give more information.
 
Yes they were through campus symposiums/journals for undergrads, so I will stick with that. Thanks for your help.
 
Catalystik (and any others with opinions),

I was just wondering whether you thought the complete sentence description, or quick/concise bullet points were better for describing each activity? Would anyone offer a short hypothetical example?
 
Renaissance Man said:
Catalystik (and any others with opinions),

I was just wondering whether you thought the complete sentence description, or quick/concise bullet points were better for describing each activity?
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Everyone will have their own opinion on this issue. Personally, I tend to prefer bullet points, but there are some activities that are better described with narrative. I suggest you go with your gut on which works best to express what you want to get across. You need not use the same format with each activity. Regardless: be succinct.
 
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Catalystik said:
1) It often happens that an experience could legitimately be listed under several categories. It is fine to choose the category that balances your application best. Alternatively you can split out the components with their separate hours and designation and use two spaces. Whatever you do, be sure the shadowing component is made clear (in the activity name or description) as some schools are expecting to see it.

2) It can go under either, but I feel it is always best to list research under Research (whether paid, volunteer, or for class credit). Make the fact that it was employment clear in the description.

3) No. Future dates can't be entered. If it was something like Americorps or Peace Corps and you had been accepted, but had not yet started, I'd work it into the PS.

4) If it was a campus-related organization, use the office that registers such clubs. If it had a parent organization, but the chapter you got involved in closed, then use the parent organization. Alternatively, use another past member or organizer as the contact.
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Wouldn't this discourage medical schools? If you were applying to their school, but planning to complete such a program first? Or is it acceptable because of the prestige/respectablity of such pursuits?
 
Does amcas ask you specifically how many hours total of each activity that you have done or is it just the hours per week?
 
Quick question regarding research, I did research at my school (non clinical but whatevs) and presented at my schools research symposium. Is that really favored over presenting at national conferences? It would seem like the latter would be preferred. I'm only saying this because I feel like my research was inadequate when compared to what a lot of people have done with theirs
 
SilentSoldier said:
Quick question regarding research, I did research at my school (non clinical but whatevs) and presented at my schools research symposium. Is that really favored over presenting at national conferences? It would seem like the latter would be preferred. I'm only saying this because I feel like my research was inadequate when compared to what a lot of people have done with theirs
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No, the presentation at the national conference is the more prestigious accomplishment. If you present at a school's symposium, it is preferred to mention it at the end of the Research entry rather than giving it its own space under Presentations/Posters.
 
sciencebooks said:
Wouldn't this discourage medical schools? If you were applying to their school, but planning to complete such a program first? Or is it acceptable because of the prestige/respectablity of such pursuits?
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Americorps is a one-year commitment.

The Peace Corps is a nearly two-year commitment, but I recall in times past that some schools were open to accepting a Peace Corps volunteer knowing they'd be deferred for a year if accepted in the current cycle. Yes, it's considered that strong of an EC to give special consideration. I will be honest and say I haven't heard of this happening in the past few years though.
 
In the drop down menu leadership is listed as "Leadership-not mentioned elsewhere." Does this imply that I should only list an experience in this category if it also doesn't fit anywhere else? My leadership experiences are both also non-clinical community service experiences, but I was planning on listing them as leadership because I have other community service experiences. Any suggestions? Thank you!
 
So I currently work as a research assistant (epidemiology) at a hospital. I have a lot of patient interaction (both in person and via the phone).

I should list this as "Paid Employment - Non Military" as opposed to "Research/Lab" ?

Thanks!
 
gettheleadout said:
Just FYI guys, now that it's open someone can contribute a complete list of categories for the Work & Experiences section to this thread.
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... I aim to please:
- Paid employment (not military)
- Paid employment (military)
- Community service / volunteer (not medical / clinical)
- Community service / volunteer (medical / clinical)
- Research / lab
- Teaching / tutoring
- Honors / awards / recognitions
- Conferences attended
- Presentations / posters
- Publications
- Extracurricular / hobbies / avocations
- Leadership (not listed elsewhere)
- Intercollegiate athletics
- Artistic endeavors
- Other
 
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If there is an activity that we will be doing this summer that we have already been documented for, can we still list this under the activities section?
I am doing research this summer, but have elected to not start until mid June (after the MCAT), but I have already filled out all the paper work. I really want to include this on my app, since I have no other research experience.
 
dreamer67 said:
If there is an activity that we will be doing this summer that we have already been documented for, can we still list this under the activities section?
I am doing research this summer, but have elected to not start until mid June (after the MCAT), but I have already filled out all the paper work. I really want to include this on my app, since I have no other research experience.
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I too have this exact same question, I have a research internship starting the first week of june and would really like to include it. Is it justified to put starting date june 2011 to current when I submit say june 1st?
 
another question:
should paid tutoring at my college be classified as teaching/tutoring or paid employment- non-military. does it make any difference?
 
When combining several items under a single category such as 'part-time jobs' or 'medical volunteering' do I need to list the contact info for each in the descriptions?
 
hurricane123 said:
In the drop down menu leadership is listed as "Leadership-not mentioned elsewhere." Does this imply that I should only list an experience in this category if it also doesn't fit anywhere else? My leadership experiences are both also non-clinical community service experiences, but I was planning on listing them as leadership because I have other community service experiences. Any suggestions? Thank you!
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It is meant for leadership that didn't arise from involvement in another activity. Or when the leadership was so substantive that you need more space to adequately describe it (and so didn't mention it elsewhere if associated with another activity). Or when an activity was more leadership than anything else. Or when you want to balance your application by having something for each of many categories.
 
Poozer said:
So I currently work as a research assistant (epidemiology) at a hospital. I have a lot of patient interaction (both in person and via the phone).

I should list this as "Paid Employment - Non Military" as opposed to "Research/Lab" ?
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If you are mainly following someone else's protocol in collecting information and performing tasks, and have little creative or problem-solving involvement, then you'd probably list it under Employment and name the activity "Clinical Research Tech" or "Clinical Research Assistant." If you designed the study or have a lot of control over what happens, then list it under Research, maybe naming it "Paid Clinical Researcher." If your role is somewhere in the middle, then use Research, naming it "Clinical Research Assistant."
 
dreamer67 said:
I am doing research this summer, but have elected to not start until mid June (after the MCAT), but I have already filled out all the paper work. I really want to include this on my app, since I have no other research experience.
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LJ1000F said:
I too have this exact same question, I have a research internship starting the first week of june and would really like to include it. Is it justified to put starting date june 2011 to current when I submit say june 1st?
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If you are starting the activity anytime in the month you submit, you may list the activity, as the AMCAS application diesn't ask for a precise starting day.

Heaven help you if something happens and you never start, though. Be sure it's going to happen.
 
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