*~*~*~*Official AMCAS "Work/Activities" Tips Thread 2012-2013*~*~*~*

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Catalystik said:
Use the second example. Then feel free to use all the jargon you like.

I'm now confused though. Are you doing original hypothesis-driven research on these patients that adds to human knowledge, or publishing a case report after doing book research to learn about it?
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I'm doing a case report describing novel features previously unreported associated with the syndrome and tumor, here's exactly what I have:

"I worked on 2 projects, 1 in neuro-oncology and 1 in neurosurgery. For my 1st project I worked on a clinical case series describing three patients who developed a brain tumor as a result of a very rare genetic disorder. This case series is unique because it describes previously unreported disease features. An abstract has been accepted to a national meeting and a manuscript is in progress (1st author). My 2nd project involved evaluating how differences in racial background affect treatment outcomes after spinal cord injury. I was in charge of literature search and writing the introduction. An abstract has been submitted to a national meeting and a manuscript is in progress (4th author)."

If you have any advice on making this sound better, I'd appreciate it.
 
I have a few questions. Any feedback is appreciated.

1) I play several musical instruments and performed in bands all throughout college. Is this worth entering in the hobbies section or with this just be wasted space?

2) In the state I am from, the top student from every high school gets a (decent sized) scholarship to any school in the state. I technically received this before entering college, but I had to maintain a high GPA in order to continue receiving the scholarship. Would it be appropriate to list this as an award/recognition?

3) I am part of a tutoring/mentoring program for economically disadvantaged middle schoolers. Should I list this under tutoring/teaching or under non-clinical volunteering??
 
lostintranscrip said:
An MD/PhD-specific question: Since I will going into heavy detail about my research elsewhere on the application (10,000 characters specifically about research as a separate essay), is it okay to restate a lot of this when I make research one of my most significant activities? I was planning to just pull the main ideas from this larger essay for the W/A section. Will this be acceptable or is there a better way to approach this?

Thanks!
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Yes, it's OK to restate in this case, as essays for the PhD part may not be accessable to the MD-portion of the application process, and the converse as well.
 
YouNeverKnow22 said:
Ok thanks! so my abstract is listed here:

http://thejns.org/doi/abs/10.3171/2011.2.FOC-CVSectionabstracts

this would be considered a "publication" right? I would still put "Abstracts presented at the AANS/CNS Meeting" in the experience name and put the journal name in the organization name?
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Is it Pub Med Searchable? Will it appear in a paper journal?

An organization's on-line summary is unlikely to be considered "a Publication" by many. The point can be argued, though. You can list it if you like under Publications and let the adcomms of med schools apply their individual opinion. But, if it was presented as a poster/presentation at the conference, why not list it as such with a note at the end that the e-pub abstract can be accessed via the JNS at that link. It's better to downsell than to upsell.
 
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Jkeegan said:
1) I play several musical instruments and performed in bands all throughout college. Is this worth entering in the hobbies section or with this just be wasted space?

2) In the state I am from, the top student from every high school gets a (decent sized) scholarship to any school in the state. I technically received this before entering college, but I had to maintain a high GPA in order to continue receiving the scholarship. Would it be appropriate to list this as an award/recognition?

3) I am part of a tutoring/mentoring program for economically disadvantaged middle schoolers. Should I list this under tutoring/teaching or under non-clinical volunteering??
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1) You could put it under Artistic Endeavors. it's not wasted space.

2) Since college achievement was required to keep it, then yes.

3) Either, depending on what balances your application best.
 
I searched, but I could not find anything that directly answers my question. I am a graduate student, and I am wondering how to list my graduate work--or even if I should list it. First of all, I have plenty of research experience, so I wouldn't be broken up if I didn't list it. I have only been with my lab for the past semester, but I have been putting in 30+ hours a week.

So, should I list this as research? Or would they assume that because I attend graduate school, I am doing my graduate work, and it needs no explanation?

Thank you all in advance!!!
 
Catalystik said:
1) You can either include it with the clinic experience under Community Service/Volunteer, or if there is lots to say, you could list it on its own under Leadership.

2) It depends on what you do. If you led a youth group, cleaned floors, did gardening, were involved in a choir, made out schedules, yes. If otherwise, be more specific to get appropriate input.
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Thanks! and yes I am a youth leader and I'm also involved in the church choir.
 
I'm doing a summer internship that is composed of 2 parts: clinical research and physician shadowing. Should I list the shadowing experiences separately if I put my internship experience under research?
 
FlightlessBird said:
I searched, but I could not find anything that directly answers my question. I am a graduate student, and I am wondering how to list my graduate work--or even if I should list it. First of all, I have plenty of research experience, so I wouldn't be broken up if I didn't list it. I have only been with my lab for the past semester, but I have been putting in 30+ hours a week.

So, should I list this as research? Or would they assume that because I attend graduate school, I am doing my graduate work, and it needs no explanation?

Thank you all in advance!!!
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Yes, list it. All grad programs don't come with research and you want adcomms to know how busy you are.
 
smaziz said:
I'm doing a summer internship that is composed of 2 parts: clinical research and physician shadowing. Should I list the shadowing experiences separately if I put my internship experience under research?
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Yes. You don't want it to be missed. Just don't double count the hours. Split out those dedicated to the shadowing. List it under Other.
yes I am a youth leader and I'm also involved in the church choir.
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Sounds good.
 
One more question:

The hobby that I will be listing in my app (golf) has been something that I started doing when I was 3. Is this going to look weird if I list something that I started all the way back in 1990 or should I just list the start date as sometime in college? From what I have read, if I list the 1990 start date, it would show up as the first activity in my application, which doesn't sound like a good idea.:scared:
 
I'm having a lot of trouble fitting in my research experience into 700 characters

If my PI includes in a Letter of Recommendation that I am listed as a Co-Author on 3 publications (one is submitted, two are not, yet), should I still find a way to list them in my activity description or would it be okay to not list them and instead just discuss one study I was most heavily involved with? Splitting research into more than one slot isn't an option -- I'm already overfilled.

Catalystik or LizzyM, I sincerely ask for/would really appreciate your guidance on this one.

Everyone else's input is welcome, too, though 🙂. Thank you so much!

Edit: I have a title for each of the future publications as well as which # author I am and where they have been or will be submitted.
 
Why, thank you! The whole application just feels so awkward, especially when you over think it.
 
TheWeeIceMan said:
One more question:

The hobby that I will be listing in my app (golf) has been something that I started doing when I was 3. Is this going to look weird if I list something that I started all the way back in 1990 or should I just list the start date as sometime in college? From what I have read, if I list the 1990 start date, it would show up as the first activity in my application, which doesn't sound like a good idea.:scared:
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Then just list the involvement from the college years, and mention in the narrative the true timespan of your interest.
 
riddler said:
I'm having a lot of trouble fitting in my research experience into 700 characters

If my PI includes in a Letter of Recommendation that I am listed as a Co-Author on 3 publications (one is submitted, two are not, yet), should I still find a way to list them in my activity description or would it be okay to not list them and instead just discuss one study I was most heavily involved with? Splitting research into more than one slot isn't an option -- I'm already overfilled.

Catalystik or LizzyM, I sincerely ask for/would really appreciate your guidance on this one.

Everyone else's input is welcome, too, though 🙂. Thank you so much!

Edit: I have a title for each of the future publications as well as which # author I am and where they have been or will be submitted.
Click to expand...
I would still list them, as all adcomms don't have equal access to LORs.
 
We have to provide contact information for awards that we've received? What if we got a scholarship years ago? How are we supposed to put contact info down for that?
 
Catalystik said:
I would still list them, as all adcomms don't have equal access to LORs.
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Thank you for the prompt reply!

What should I list for each publication? I would think full title, which author I am, and where it has been/will be submitted. Is there anything else to add or is this sufficient? Is the full title necessary (lots of characters)?

Again, thank you!
 
Catalystik said:
If you have the space, you can do that. Be sure you don't count he same hours per week twice that you already accounted for in another space. Even better might be three separate listings, one per project.
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I like the idea of splitting them all up, but how do I rectify the hours with my paid employment since it is my job to do the research? Put like 15 hrs a week under the paid research position and just talk about managing graduate students and keeping the lab running?
 
Catalystik said:
You can cite it. Use the date you were informed of the acceptance instead of the publication date, then cite it as best you can for the issue it will be in, using "In Press" to substitute for info you do not know, like page numbers, etc. At the least, you'd have an author list and the title of the article, with journal name. Hopefully you know the month, or at least some planned timeframe when it will appear. You might put a note afterward that the e-pub will appear after the print version.
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I have all the relevant information. I was informed last week. So let's pretend:

Author A, pfaction, Author C, et al. Title of Publication. Journal Name, 2012 Aug. pp x-y

That's how the title will look August 2012.

Work and activities publication date: May 2012 (is this what you meant, instead of putting the date as August 2012?)

Author A, pfaction, Author C, et al. Title of Publication. Journal Name, in press August 2012. The e-pub version will be available after August 2012.

Is that what I should put? Thanks again.
 
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What section does shadowing go under in the Work/Activities?

Its tech not volunteering, but I'm trying to not put things in "other."
 
Yes sir; catalystic also said Other: Physician Shadowing (name).
 
Another quick question about hobbies, I consider a commitment to physical fitness/working out/eating healthy a significant part of who I am in that I think it reflects some on my character traits (perseverance, hard working, goal-oriented, etc..) would it be appropriate to discuss how this commitment to fitness has helped me develop these qualities and how they translate to my other endeavors in the Work/Activities section? Or should I just I just say I enjoy working out?

I don't body build or compete in anything except the occasional road race/sprint triathlon, I do it mainly as a challenge to myself to continually improve.. if that makes any sense...

I just don't want to overdo it in the description ya know
 
I have been accepted to a fairly selective summer medical program that runs June-end of July. It includes research as well as physician shadowing. I know mentioning activities before you actually do them is a big no no but this is a valuable part of my medical experience and something my application is lacking. I am assuming waiting to submit the AMCAS over that is a dumb idea. Do I just have to leave it off then hope I can mention it to schools later?

Thanks for the help
 
Would it be tacky/weak to list my research experience and my honors thesis as two separate experiences and then to mark both as most meaningful (both were in the same lab)?

I was thinking about talking about learning about various methods of neuroscience research, logistics of doing research with patients, clinical experience gained (I conducted some clinical evaluations of patients with psychiatric disorders) for my undergraduate research experience. Then I would discuss stuff having to do with conducting an independent project for the first time in my honors thesis slot.
 
One of my most meaningful activities involved 2 years abroad, doing development work. In my 700 char section, that would mainly be dedicated to what I did/responsibilities/achievements? And in the 1300 section, that would mainly describe how these 2 years changed me?

Transformative nature seems so vague. The impact you made and the experience description, are they not similar? Or should the impact be something that really left an impression...?
 
phonyreal98 said:
Would it be tacky/weak to list my research experience and my honors thesis as two separate experiences and then to mark both as most meaningful (both were in the same lab)?

I was thinking about talking about learning about various methods of neuroscience research, logistics of doing research with patients, clinical experience gained (I conducted some clinical evaluations of patients with psychiatric disorders) for my undergraduate research experience. Then I would discuss stuff having to do with conducting an independent project for the first time in my honors thesis slot.
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I would like to know this as well. Part of my honors program required a thesis upon graduation. Yet the research I conducted was part of two different grad students' work and they each published, listing me as a last author for contribution reasons. I am already listing each publication separately.

Should I list the thesis under my honors program category or in the research category?
 
Catalystik said:
No, it doesn't get a Publication space just yet. The submission can be mentioned at the end of the Research description.
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Thank you for your answer again, Catalystik.

I have another question: I have the same abstract that got accepted to both regional and national conferences that led to poster & oral presentations. How should I cite this? Separately like how the abstract is submitted or group them together?

For example:

1) Authors, Title of project. Conference Name, year. ...for each one or

2) Authors. Title. Conference name, year & conference name, year
 
Ultimeaciax said:
Thank you for your answer again, Catalystik.

I have another question: I have the same abstract that got accepted to both regional and national conferences that led to poster & oral presentations. How should I cite this? Separately like how the abstract is submitted or group them together?

For example:

1) Authors, Title of project. Conference Name, year. ...for each one or

2) Authors. Title. Conference name, year & conference name, year
Click to expand...

I would assume you would list the bigger conference instead and include in your description that it was also presented at a regional conference?
 
Catalystik said:
1) I would not list HS awards unless you won olympic gold or something equally impressive.

2) If you like, include writing as a Hobby. I would not mention a contest you did not win.

3) I would not. But if you got merit-based aid, that is worth mentioning.
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Thank you Catalystik for answering my questions. I have only 1 more question. For #1, one of the high school awards was based on a biology contest involved participation of half of my country's high schools and I got the highest score in that contest. Is that possibly impressive to adcom even though it's not internationally recognized ?
 
Great thread. Marking it for later reference 🙂
 
riddler said:
I'm having a lot of trouble fitting in my research experience into 700 characters

If my PI includes in a Letter of Recommendation that I am listed as a Co-Author on 3 publications (one is submitted, two are not, yet), should I still find a way to list them in my activity description or would it be okay to not list them and instead just discuss one study I was most heavily involved with? Splitting research into more than one slot isn't an option -- I'm already overfilled.

Catalystik or LizzyM, I sincerely ask for/would really appreciate your guidance on this one.

Everyone else's input is welcome, too, though 🙂. Thank you so much!

Edit: I have a title for each of the future publications as well as which # author I am and where they have been or will be submitted.
Click to expand...

If the papers haven't been accepted for publication, they aren't publications, IMHO.

Can you fit something like this in 700 characters: "I used [techniques] to study [description that would fit as a poster title], three papers describing our results are in process."
If you have enough room, you can add to the beginning of the sentence, "in the [name] lab..."
 
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Whats the general consensus on marking a hobby as 'most meaningful'? I have an activity that describes my interest and involvement in theatre and arts which includes about four different things that I have been involved with throughout the years. It is a very enjoyable stress reliever and 'culture enhancer' but has in no real way pushed me towards becoming a physician. Is this okay?
 
DOCTAfoHIRE said:
Whats the general consensus on marking a hobby as 'most meaningful'? I have an activity that describes my interest and involvement in theatre and arts which includes about four different things that I have been involved with throughout the years. It is a very enjoyable stress reliever and 'culture enhancer' but has in no real way pushed me towards becoming a physician. Is this okay?
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Absolutely! Indicating only the activities that are related to being a physician makes you seem one dimensional. An activity that is just for your own enjoyment often adds to the "would this be an interesting person to chat with" vibe that we like to get when we look at applications.
 
riddler said:
What should I list for each publication? I would think full title, which author I am, and where it has been/will be submitted. Is there anything else to add or is this sufficient? Is the full title necessary (lots of characters)?
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They are not publications. One is submitted and the other papers are in progress, according to what you said. Working Title or something briefer, author number, and journal of planned or actual submission should be fine. These should be mentioned in the same space as the Research description. They don't get their own space yet. If you are short on space you can make the included information even briefer, if needbe, like "Third author paper submitted 4/12 to JNeuroSci on XXX." You can leave out the two that are not yet submitted (backtracking from my original statement, as you called them "publications", and I forgot the further details of 'not yet being submitted').
 
encinitaslocal said:
I like the idea of splitting them all up, but how do I rectify the hours with my paid employment since it is my job to do the research? Put like 15 hrs a week under the paid research position and just talk about managing graduate students and keeping the lab running?
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You could enter all the research/work hours under the main designated spot and not fill in any hours per week for the individual project, Then in the narrative, you could estimate the %time the project took of your total working hours over a specific date span. Or even be more vague and say it was one of the 3 projects you took on in your research job without giving more detail.
 
pfaction said:
I have all the relevant information. I was informed last week. So let's pretend:

Author A, pfaction, Author C, et al. Title of Publication. Journal Name, 2012 Aug. pp x-y

That's how the title will look August 2012.

Work and activities publication date: May 2012 (is this what you meant, instead of putting the date as August 2012?)Yes.

Author A, pfaction, Author C, et al. Title of Publication. Journal Name, in press August 2012. The e-pub version will be available after August 2012. Acceptance date 5/12/12.

Is that what I should put?
Click to expand...
That works. Alternatively, another opinion is that you could enter it like this:

Author A, pfaction, Author C, et al. Title of Publication. Accepted for Publication Journal Name, in press August 2012. The e-pub version will be available after August 2012.

I'm sure there are other acceptable ways of doing it, as well. You might poke about in Pub Med and see if you find something you like better.
 
Can you specify both weekly hours and total hours worked? I have been working at a job about six years and my committment has fluctuated quite a bit. I have written weekly hours to reflect the last 3-4 years rather than doing an overall average since that was the time that I was in college. Can i include an overall total at the end of my description to account for time worked during breaks and stuff like that?
 
Jax4ECU said:
Another quick question about hobbies, I consider a commitment to physical fitness/working out/eating healthy a significant part of who I am in that I think it reflects some on my character traits (perseverance, hard working, goal-oriented, etc..) would it be appropriate to discuss how this commitment to fitness has helped me develop these qualities and how they translate to my other endeavors in the Work/Activities section? Or should I just I just say I enjoy working out?

I don't body build or compete in anything except the occasional road race/sprint triathlon, I do it mainly as a challenge to myself to continually improve.. if that makes any sense...

I just don't want to overdo it in the description ya know
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I would like to see how you've demonstrated traits that translate well into good characteristics in a physician. I don't know that you need to make a connection to other activities in the experiences section, but do what seems to get your point across. And be succinct.
 
Can i say that I was 'published' in a hospital newsletter or is that an inappropriate word to use since the article cannot be found online?
 
Arkstudent said:
I have been accepted to a fairly selective summer medical program that runs June-end of July. It includes research as well as physician shadowing. I know mentioning activities before you actually do them is a big no no but this is a valuable part of my medical experience and something my application is lacking. I am assuming waiting to submit the AMCAS over that is a dumb idea. Do I just have to leave it off then hope I can mention it to schools later?
Click to expand...
Since it starts in June, and a precise starting date isn't required, you could theoretically list it as if you'd begun. But since you didn't actually begin, you'd have nothing substantive to say about it, so iot would not help your candidacy. And heaven help you if a broken leg kept you from participating (we've seen this happen). I would not encourage this approach. Instead, mention it at the end of the PS as part of your further exploration of medicine. Refer to it again when Secondaries give you the chance. And where permitted, send in update letters to schools after the experience is completed.
 
phonyreal98 said:
Would it be tacky/weak to list my research experience and my honors thesis as two separate experiences and then to mark both as most meaningful (both were in the same lab)?

I was thinking about talking about learning about various methods of neuroscience research, logistics of doing research with patients, clinical experience gained (I conducted some clinical evaluations of patients with psychiatric disorders) for my undergraduate research experience. Then I would discuss stuff having to do with conducting an independent project for the first time in my honors thesis slot.
Click to expand...
I think you are better off marking experiences that are truly "Most Meaningful" rather than guessing what adcomms prefer to see.
 
syoung said:
1) One of my most meaningful activities involved 2 years abroad, doing development work. In my 700 char section, that would mainly be dedicated to what I did/responsibilities/achievements? And in the 1300 section, that would mainly describe how these 2 years changed me?

2) Transformative nature seems so vague. The impact you made and the experience description, are they not similar? Or should the impact be something that really left an impression...?
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1) Yes. And yes, though there may have been an impact on others as well, right?

2) Vague is good. It allows you to be creative if necessary. But your duties and responsibilities (seems to me) have nothing to do with the impact your activity had on you and others. Impact (need not be a macro impact, could be micro impact, too) and how you might have been changed can also be unrelated.
 
Ultimeaciax said:
I have another question: I have the same abstract that got accepted to both regional and national conferences that led to poster & oral presentations. How should I cite this? Separately like how the abstract is submitted or group them together?

For example:

1) Authors, Title of project. Conference Name, year. ...for each one or

2) Authors. Title. Conference name, year & conference name, year
Click to expand...

YouNeverKnow22 said:
I would assume you would list the bigger conference instead and include in your description that it was also presented at a regional conference?
Click to expand...
This is the most appropriate approach. List it under the most prestigious way in which your data was presented to the world. Mention lesser venues in the narrative description.
 
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