Great tips for entering your "Work/Activities" for AMCAS

Quick question,

I work in a analytical chem lab at a pharma company. Do I list my work experience as research or just a job?

Hi LizzyM,

Thanks for sharing your expertise here, it's clearly very helpful.

Here's a topic I don't think has been addressed yet: I've been a regular blood donor (every 8 weeks) for about 6 years. It's something I feel strongly about and think is important, and I'm guessing it's worth putting in my application.

Do you agree, or do you think adcoms would consider it irrelevant or even see it as padding my activities? [I do have room for it without having to drop anything else.]

If I do include this, I'd file it under either "Community Service/Volunteer - not Medical/Clinical" or "Other".

Suggestions?

kateycat said:

LizzyM,

sorry if this has been asked already, but i was planning on combining all of my honor societies, awards & scholarships etc into one category. amcas requires an award date; should i list the earliest date and then in the description provide dates for the rest?

thanks! you've been really helpful

Click to expand...

No dates needed, IMHO. If AMCAS requires it, I think that your solution is reasonable.

DoctorNick83 said:

Quick question,

I work in a analytical chem lab at a pharma company. Do I list my work experience as research or just a job?

Click to expand...

I'd list it as employment, non-military unless you are actually developing protocols, testing hypotheses and advancing scientific knowledge in which case you might want to call it research. On the other hand, if you can't talk about your research (becasue it has to do with trade secrets) then you don't want to call it research and then have to beg off talking about it at the interview.

Go with employment.

HanginInThere said:

Hi LizzyM,

Thanks for sharing your expertise here, it's clearly very helpful.

Here's a topic I don't think has been addressed yet: I've been a regular blood donor (every 8 weeks) for about 6 years. It's something I feel strongly about and think is important, and I'm guessing it's worth putting in my application.

Do you agree, or do you think adcoms would consider it irrelevant or even see it as padding my activities? [I do have room for it without having to drop anything else.]

If I do include this, I'd file it under either "Community Service/Volunteer - not Medical/Clinical" or "Other".

Suggestions?

Click to expand...

Wow - some people are generous about being organ and tissue donors after they're dead but you are willing to roll up your sleeve every 8 weeks year after year. That's service but I think that you are wise to call it "other". Certainly it doesn't even deserve a given number of hours per week because averaged over 8 weeks it works out to barely 5-10 minutes per week. However, I think that you should put a little more in the explanation than I usually advise. This is a case where you can go into a little bit about your motivation. Also, would you/have you consider going beyond giving toward a leadership role in recruiting donors at your school or workplace?

LizzyM, I am curious, what do the ADCOM's see when I submit my AMCAS? Does the format look like the PDF that we print out?

PS. I decided to do the activities section in resume format. Anyway it looks neater.

greg1184 said:

LizzyM, I am curious, what do the ADCOM's see when I submit my AMCAS? Does the format look like the PDF that we print out?

PS. I decided to do the activities section in resume format. Anyway it looks neater.

Click to expand...

I don't know... I've never seen the pdf.

We see a an 11 page document in landscape format. Each activity is shown in a box (lines around each to mark it off from the next) with the information displayed in a predictable format. The description of the activity goes across the length of the page at the bottom (below the hours per week, name of contact, etc).

LizzyM said:

I don't know... I've never seen the pdf.

We see a an 11 page document in landscape format. Each activity is shown in a box (lines around each to mark it off from the next) with the information displayed in a predictable format. The description of the activity goes across the length of the page at the bottom (below the hours per week, name of contact, etc).

Click to expand...

Yep, that is exactly how the pdf looks. Do you see the schools that I have applied to?

Hi Lizzy, I took a vaccation where I went back to my home country for a month, should I list this in the activites since you say ADCOM like to know what students do with their time ? I didn't do anything but hang out with friends and family and some traveling
Thank you

greg1184 said:

Yep, that is exactly how the pdf looks. Do you see the schools that I have applied to?

Click to expand...

We did in the 2001-2002 cycle, IIRC, because of a huge glitch in the system. That was fixed the following year so, no, we don't see that anymore.

batates said:

Hi Lizzy, I took a vaccation where I went back to my home country for a month, should I list this in the activites since you say ADCOM like to know what students do with their time ? I didn't do anything but hang out with friends and family and some traveling
Thank you

Click to expand...

You can add it off leave it off. Adding it and listing the cities/region visited might make for an enjoyable conversation if the interviewer reads your application and has been to that area or is planning a trip there.

When should I put something under the EC/Hobbies/Avocations and when should it go under leadership - not listed elsewhere?

Example: president of a club
Director of a department in AS

bump for my Q.

Ok, I just started the work/activities section after dumping all my time into my personal statement (which is FINALLY done!).

I have a few questions: first of all, can our experience descriptions be dry? I just want to briefly list what I did and leave it to the interviewer to inquire more especially since I have such limited space. After pouring all my efforts into my personal statement, I don't have the will power to write up extravagant descriptions for each of my activities.

Also, given the enormous amount of different activities I did in NROTC, I cannot list everything I did and the awards that I got. Can I make a second entry just to list all my awards?

That's all for now, expect more questions soon!

DoctorNick83 said:

When should I put something under the EC/Hobbies/Avocations and when should it go under leadership - not listed elsewhere?

Example: president of a club
Director of a department in AS

Click to expand...

President of a club could be called "leadership"

I don't know what AS is so I have no idea about that second question.

midn said:

Ok, I just started the work/activities section after dumping all my time into my personal statement (which is FINALLY done!).

I have a few questions: first of all, can our experience descriptions be dry? I just want to briefly list what I did and leave it to the interviewer to inquire more especially since I have such limited space. After pouring all my efforts into my personal statement, I don't have the will power to write up extravagant descriptions for each of my activities.

Also, given the enormous amount of different activities I did in NROTC, I cannot list everything I did and the awards that I got. Can I make a second entry just to list all my awards?

That's all for now, expect more questions soon!

Click to expand...

Short & sweet, straightforward & to the point is fine. You could split NROTC & the awards into two items.

I earned a classics certificate in latin. This is very similar to a minor in course load, but it is not considered a minor. How should I classify this, I don't really see it as an award or recognition. Also, are adcoms looking for what the experiences meant to us, or just brief descriptions of what we did.

example: "Angie's place is a shelter for pregnant homeless women. The women are allowed to stay until their baby is nine months old. During their stay they are required to develop job skills or take courses. As a volunteer for the pregnancy center I sorted donations, cleaned the house, and babysat the children one Saturday a month.

Is this too short and to the point? Are they looking for what the experiment meant to me?

Kingfish said:

I earned a classics certificate in latin. This is very similar to a minor in course load, but it is not considered a minor. How should I classify this, I don't really see it as an award or recognition.

Click to expand...

The courses taken are on your transcript. Nothing more is needed.

Also, are adcoms looking for what the experiences meant to us, or just brief descriptions of what we did.

example: "Angie's place is a shelter for pregnant homeless women. The women are allowed to stay until their baby is nine months old. During their stay they are required to develop job skills or take courses. As a volunteer for the pregnancy center I sorted donations, cleaned the house, and babysat the children one Saturday a month.

Is this too short and to the point? Are they looking for what the experiment meant to me?

Click to expand...

I'd suggest something even shorter....
As a volunteer at a shelter for pregnant women and the mothers of newborns, I sorted donations, cleaned the shelter and babysat for the babies one Saturday per month.

That's all that's needed. What did you do. Short & sweet.

I remember reading a post a while back about not including video games in the work/activities section. My qualifier is that I play at really high levels (people fly to las vegas from around the world to go to this tournament, and one must be invited in order to participate) and placed well among 150 international contestants last year, many who were regional champions. Is that still taboo to include?

i think I win for weirdest EC, so far

In the summers I usually lifeguard and i am definately listing that, but i also worked at a bagel shop as well for the last few summers. I am wondering if I should mention this as well or if it is basically useless? I did gain alot of experience interacting with people so it wasn't a meaningless experience to me.

Also, I've been swimming since i was young but i never did anything formal in college. My university didn't have an intermural team or anything, but i still try to swim a few times a week. should i list this?

Also, I wrote an article for a campus magazine, which i'll be including in the activities section. I also write poetry as a hobby. Should I briefly mention this in the description section of the mag or should i list it seperately as a hobby?

any input would really be appreciated

If I spent most of one summer just playing Poker (bordering the line of a job - yes, I made just enough to consider it that) and getting my EMT certification.. should I even mention this? I work as an EMT now, so I figure it's not necessary mentioning when I got certified. Is Poker something that is worth mentioning, or is that a neutral/negative thing?

Also, what do you think about including a research experience that only lasted a few months? The researcher I was working with left the school. I ended up leaving the project at the same time he did - the other researchers did not seem interested in having a lowly undergraduate assistant at the time, as I believe the project was wrapping up.

shwin said:

I remember reading a post a while back about not including video games in the work/activities section. My qualifier is that I play at really high levels (people fly to las vegas from around the world to go to this tournament, and one must be invited in order to participate) and placed well among 150 international contestants last year, many who were regional champions. Is that still taboo to include?

i think I win for weirdest EC, so far

Click to expand...

No, you win for most awesome.

Hey LizzyM~ thanks for all your advice, it's been really helpful!

I have sort of a weird question. During undergrad I did a lot of work with the Muslim Students Association, organizing both religious events and networking/cross cultural events with other student orgs. Some of the events were humanitarian in nature and not entirely religious, such as raising funds to help support refugees. I spent a lot of time on this, but I'm concerned about the negative image many ppl have of Muslims in general, and am hesitant to write "Muslim Student Association" as the organization. Is this a valid concern? I know most med schools say they dont discriminate based on religion but even so, discrimination still happens in life. But I dont want to not include what I did with the MSA, since it took up a lot of my time.

Again, thanks for your advice!

Hi Everyone,

I noticed this year for the AMCAS Work/Activities drop down categories they have listed "Artistic Endeavors" as one. Does anybody have an idea of what that entails? Does it have to be something that was recognized or official, or can it be a hobby you've had ever since you can remember?

More specifically, I've written a little over 100 pages (typed) of poetry and prose througout the years. Would this be counted as an artistic endeavor, or do i have to be published/win an award to put this down? Thanks!

Hi all,

if i have submitted an abstract to a journal but it is pending, what should i write in the experience description? is it a good idea just to copy/paste the entire abstract so they can see it? thanks.

bump

shwin said:

I remember reading a post a while back about not including video games in the work/activities section. My qualifier is that I play at really high levels (people fly to las vegas from around the world to go to this tournament, and one must be invited in order to participate) and placed well among 150 international contestants last year, many who were regional champions. Is that still taboo to include?

i think I win for weirdest EC, so far

Click to expand...

That seems rather unusual and would be a fine addition to your experience section.

go lakers said:

Hi all,

if i have submitted an abstract to a journal but it is pending, what should i write in the experience description? is it a good idea just to copy/paste the entire abstract so they can see it? thanks.

Click to expand...

I would suggest leaving it out. You may certainly make an entry for the research that lead to the abstract but a pending abstract is rther meaningless. You can always update your file at the time of your interview, if your abstract has been accepted at that point.

Bahadur said:

Hi Everyone,

I noticed this year for the AMCAS Work/Activities drop down categories they have listed "Artistic Endeavors" as one. Does anybody have an idea of what that entails? Does it have to be something that was recognized or official, or can it be a hobby you've had ever since you can remember?

More specifically, I've written a little over 100 pages (typed) of poetry and prose througout the years. Would this be counted as an artistic endeavor, or do i have to be published/win an award to put this down? Thanks!

Click to expand...

Unpublished literary material could certainly represent an Artistic Endeavor. Emily Dickinson's work was all unpublished during her lifetime! Likewise, those who dabble in oils, acrylics, watercolors, clay, etc

If you have done any research, you should list it, as some schools give brownie points for having even the smallest exposure to the field.

If you have been employed after H.S. graduation, particularly employment in the service industries, you should list it.

If you have an unusual (or even an ordinary) hobby you won't be faulted for listing it.

If you have been involved in a religious organization, you need to decide if any possible discrimination against you based on your religious activities is outweighed by the possible "credit" you may get for the same activities. You are not obligated to list the activities and you may leave them out if you think it could negatively affect your application. On the other hand, most adcoms are a liberal bunch (in the classic sense of the word), and are open minded with regard to religious and cultural affiliations.

hi, in describing scholarships, is there any issue with describing the amt of money awarded?

any info is appreciated! thanks

cuponoodles said:

hi, in describing scholarships, is there any issue with describing the amt of money awarded?

any info is appreciated! thanks

Click to expand...

I've never had anyone mention amt of award in a negative way. Then again, most folks only list the amount if it is impressive.

I just started filling out my ECs in my primary app and noticed there's no field for contact info. I recall some discussion previously on whether it was necessary to complete that part. But now I don't even see a section for contact email or phone number. What's up with that?

Does anyone know how to list publications... since we can't use italics should the title be in quotations?

Also, how did you guys format the personal statement? Did you put a line between each paragraph? For some reason I can't put an indent in my first paragraph.

Nit Picky Questions I know... Thanks!

emquiksilver said:

I just started filling out my ECs in my primary app and noticed there's no field for contact info. I recall some discussion previously on whether it was necessary to complete that part. But now I don't even see a section for contact email or phone number. What's up with that?

Click to expand...

There isn't a space for phone number or e-mail just name and title.

ToastyBubble said:

There isn't a space for phone number or e-mail just name and title.

Click to expand...

So there never was to begin with? Then what were people talking about before when they mentioned contact info for ECs.

And to answer your question, no indents and use double return between paragraphs and no double spaces between sentences. Not sure about publications.

emquiksilver said:

So there never was to begin with? Then what were people talking about before when they mentioned contact info for ECs.

And to answer your question, no indents and use double return between paragraphs and no double spaces between sentences. Not sure about publications.

Click to expand...

As I recall, there was a spot for at least contact person name on last year's applications. I cannot remember if there was room for a telephone number... I lost touch with some of my EC directors from many years ago and couldn't find a number for them.

LizzyM,

I quick question. I used to be a film student, and I have several film internships under my belt. Would it be better to list them under "Community Service/Volunteer - not Medical/Clinical" (since I didn't get paid) or simply "other"?

Thanks for all your help.

zoraster said:

LizzyM,

I quick question. I used to be a film student, and I have several film internships under my belt. Would it be better to list them under "Community Service/Volunteer - not Medical/Clinical" (since I didn't get paid) or simply "other"?

Thanks for all your help.

Click to expand...

I'm going to say "other" because film internships aren't really a service to the community.

poteat86 said:

Question: If I volunteered in a Humane Society Infirmary for two summers where I was able to incubate and administer vaccines..can I count that as clinical? or is that just wishful thinking?

Click to expand...

Are you applying to Vet school & just posted here for giggles?

Call it volunteer, non-clinical and describe what you did. If an adcom wants to call it "clinical" that's OK but doing so yourself might be considered bad form if the adcom begs to differ.

quick questions about activities

1) so my senior year in hs i was an intel semi-finalist---should i include this?

2) i was also awarded a national merit scholarship? i received the award my senior year but the scholarship was used my freshman year of college--should this be included?

3) i worked in Tanzania as an HIV educator...should I categorize that as clinical or volunteer?

Thanks!

I have numerous presentations at various national and international conferences. I am planning to lump all the presentations together but would it be better to put some in the "Conference attended" category and put others in the "Presentation" category? I currently have 13 activities and I am somewhat worried that I can't make it to the 15 mark. I don't want to spread my activities too thin because that is probably very obvious to adcoms. Thanks for any help.

Lizzy M.. Once again thanks for all the great advice!

Do you know how titles of abstracts should be listed? Since we can not use italics or underlining should the title be in quotes?

LizzyM,

Is it ok to enter an activity that you have been accepted into however the activity itself will not start until the fall? Specifically I have been accepted to be a Freshman Peer Advisor this upcoming academic year and feel it would be helpful to include this for it helps demonstrate, among other things, a growth in maturity since an institutional action 3 years ago for alcohol violations. Thanks in advance.

novagirl2000 said:

Hey LizzyM~ thanks for all your advice, it's been really helpful!

I have sort of a weird question. During undergrad I did a lot of work with the Muslim Students Association, organizing both religious events and networking/cross cultural events with other student orgs. Some of the events were humanitarian in nature and not entirely religious, such as raising funds to help support refugees. I spent a lot of time on this, but I'm concerned about the negative image many ppl have of Muslims in general, and am hesitant to write "Muslim Student Association" as the organization. Is this a valid concern? I know most med schools say they dont discriminate based on religion but even so, discrimination still happens in life. But I dont want to not include what I did with the MSA, since it took up a lot of my time.

Again, thanks for your advice!

Click to expand...

I actually am in the same situation--I was Public Relations officer with the MSA for 2 years and it was the main extracurricular activity I did during my undergrad...however, I'm including it in my EC's and even have it incorporated into my personal statement. The way I look at it, if you describe your experience in terms of your community involvement, it should be okay. Yeah, you're right that there is a negative image of Muslims out there, but I think that any adcom that looks at your involvement negatively, their school isn't worth it for you (and even if you don't include it now, it's gonna come up in interviews anyway)..that's just my two cents

I don't know if someone's asked this already, but is it okay to condense all my scholarships/awards into one section? If so, how did you title the experience? ("Scholarships/Awards?)

-Also, how many non-medical volunteer activities did people include (in proportion to the medically-related ones?)
-I attended SMDEP (Summer Medical Dental Education Program) an AAMC-administered program aimed at educating underrepresented students about medical careers, and it incorporated a lot of different experiences..I'm not sure how to classify it
-Do we need to have one totally unrelated artsy/non academic hobby listed? I was mainly a political activist during my undergrad and I'm not sure I want to list all my political activities on the app
-Also about scholarships etc...do we need to include dates/amounts?

thanks for the help!

Along the same lines, if we are to lump scholarships together as one activity should we explain more about the respective scholarships--i.e. criteria, money, etc?

Do you think this would need to be done in several paragraphs or just individual sections for each scholarship separated by a return key?

Thanx

I couldn't find an answer to this in the thread, although I probably just missed it.

How do we calculate hours/week for activities that are more seasonal things? For example, I worked for Habitat for Humanity in the summer following freshman year and during this summer (after junior year). So I'm assuming that the start date = 06/05 and the end date = current, even with a long break in between?

I worked 10 hours/week, so am I expected to average out the time I spent over the two years between start and end date? Or can I just put down 10 hours/week in the time field, and explain in the description when I actually worked?

Much thanks to those who have contributed thusfar; this thread has been invaluable to me (and, surely, others) in muddling through this AMCAS business.

For about a year and a half I worked at UCLA Medical Center doing clinical research in the Child Psychiatry department. Because the study I worked on required frequent blood draws, I enrolled in a phlebotomy training course through UCLA's Center for Prehospital Care. The course consisted of 40 hours of classroom work and 80 hours of supervised clinical experience and was a significant influence in my subsequent decision to pursue medical school. My question is whether or not it would be appropriate to list this activity separately from the full-time research job. Because of the effect this experience had on me and because I discuss it at great length in my personal statement, I would strongly prefer to list it as a separate activity so that it does not get overlooked. Obviously though, I wish to avoid the perception that I am merely trying to "pad" my Work/Activities section.

Thoughts/opinions? Thanks so much for your input!

kallie128 said:

quick questions about activities

1) so my senior year in hs i was an intel semi-finalist---should i include this?

2) i was also awarded a national merit scholarship? i received the award my senior year but the scholarship was used my freshman year of college--should this be included?

3) i worked in Tanzania as an HIV educator...should I categorize that as clinical or volunteer?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Intel Science Prize would be, for me, one of the few exceptions to the "no HS activities" rule on the AMCAS. Just be sure you have other research listed as well.

Nat'l merit scholarship?? A little more iffy.

the category is volunteer, medical/clinical, IIRC so you've got that covered.