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Great tips for entering your "Work/Activities" for AMCAS
Started by SailCrazy
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I would consider dean's list and honor roll to be interchangeable, but if it has more significance at your school, it's for you to decide if it's worth a space on its own. Both imply good grades, which is evident already from your transcript and year-by-year GPAs.
Keep in mind that there is no one correct way to list these activities. Some of your decision-making rests on how many spaces you have and whether you wish to condense as much as possible. Some is based on what feels right and what gets across the flavor of the experiences best so that adcomms understand what it meant and how it all tied together.
I would list the description of the research including your contribution, the scholarship (so you don't have to explain twice), and the fact that it was presented by someone else under Research. Aternatively, you could list the scholarship on its own under Awards/Honors but it seems more efficient and has more impact to place it with the research description (IMO).
I would list the Publication. I would let it stand on its own without other distracting additions. This is your highest achievement related to these activities from an adcomm point of view.
I would list the experience of the thesis preparation (referring to the research section), its presentation and defense, and its completion under Other.
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I have been working fulltime at Fannie Mae.. although not clinically or healthcare related, it's still an important job for me. I want to mention it. It's had a good influence on me and exposed me to a different world. Should I mention this?
Absolutely, adcomms want to know how you spend your time. If you interacted with customers, you exercized your people skills, which is helpful to your application.
Thank you Cat and Guju!!!
Another quick question.
I have been awarded the following scholarships.
1.Academic scholarship awarded $1,000/year for 4 years / $4,000 total (2003-2004)
2. Alumni scholarship $2,000 in (2005)
3. foundation scholarship $1,000 in (2005)
4. Alumni scholarship $1,000 in (2006)
5. Undergrad Research Scholarship $1,000 (2006)
The question is it better to list these Awards separately, list them all together, or list 1 by itself, thn 2 and 3 together since awarded the same year and 4 and 5 together also awarded the same year....
Please advise!!
Thanks in advance.
Another quick question.
I have been awarded the following scholarships.
1.Academic scholarship awarded $1,000/year for 4 years / $4,000 total (2003-2004)
2. Alumni scholarship $2,000 in (2005)
3. foundation scholarship $1,000 in (2005)
4. Alumni scholarship $1,000 in (2006)
5. Undergrad Research Scholarship $1,000 (2006)
The question is it better to list these Awards separately, list them all together, or list 1 by itself, thn 2 and 3 together since awarded the same year and 4 and 5 together also awarded the same year....
Please advise!!
Thanks in advance.
What should we put for "experience name"
Its seems like amcas wants you to put your role.
So lets say I was treasurer for habitat for humanity,
for experience name should I put "treasurer"??
or should it be like "Habitat for Humanity -Treasurer"
Its seems like amcas wants you to put your role.
So lets say I was treasurer for habitat for humanity,
for experience name should I put "treasurer"??
or should it be like "Habitat for Humanity -Treasurer"
One more question.
If I did a Poster Presentation THROUGH a research scholarship program...
should I put that under "Poster/Presentation" section? or what? Because it's sort of two things related to each other.
I have used a "Research/Lab" to describe the research itself because it's more than 1300 characters.
Thanks!
If I did a Poster Presentation THROUGH a research scholarship program...
should I put that under "Poster/Presentation" section? or what? Because it's sort of two things related to each other.
I have used a "Research/Lab" to describe the research itself because it's more than 1300 characters.
Thanks!
I've got a question with the Work and Activities section of the AMCAS. Before I was interested in medical school I considered becoming a veterinarian. I spent the summer before my freshman year of college shadowing an an equine vet (~150hrs). The summer after my freshman year, I spent a week at a summer undergraduate program at Tufts Veterinary School. Should I include these things?
Thanks
Thanks
IMO, it's best to put all awards, honors, and scholarships in a single space. You need not list the amounts.
You probably already listed H4H in the header, so don't be repetitive. And you probably chose Leadership as the category, unless you already have tons of leadership. You could name it something like, Volunteer/Treasurer/Summer Project, or Finance Chair for Home Building Project-Volunteer or Financial Oversight of Summer Volunteer Project. Or some other variation on the theme.
Do you mean that a requirement of the research scholarship was that you present the research that was sponsored? Did this take place on campus/locally? I would put all three items in a single space, since they are linked and trim the research description. But if you absolutely don't want to do that, alternatively, mention the scholarship, what you did to qualify for it, and the poster under PresentationPoster category. Refer the reader to the research section for more detail.
You may include them. Adcomms don't mind seeing that you've explored other health careers. Hopefully, your human-based experiences are equally strong.
Any animal-related volunteer work you did can be included as well, if it took place during the college years.
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Correct.
This is such a big help. Thank you Guju and Cat..
Another question:
I was an active member and held leadership positions multiple times in two organizations.
1. Honors Org. for Pre-Med.. (VP, Treasurer)
2. Religious Group..(VP, Plublicity Chair)
For 1 I am listing the Honors Society membership compiled with Scholardhips in the Awards Section
So for the Leadership positions I held, should I group them together under the organization name or list them separately.
What is your opinion on including number 2 in my application....
also should I disclose which religious group it was or should I simply say Religious group. I simply want to add it to show my leadership experiences.....
Thanks for the advice.
Another question:
I was an active member and held leadership positions multiple times in two organizations.
1. Honors Org. for Pre-Med.. (VP, Treasurer)
2. Religious Group..(VP, Plublicity Chair)
For 1 I am listing the Honors Society membership compiled with Scholardhips in the Awards Section
So for the Leadership positions I held, should I group them together under the organization name or list them separately.
What is your opinion on including number 2 in my application....
also should I disclose which religious group it was or should I simply say Religious group. I simply want to add it to show my leadership experiences.....
Thanks for the advice.
Belonging to a club doesn't help you much. Having leadership in a club does help you. I would list each of the activities under Leadership, entering the dates you held office. In the narrative, mention you were a general member for a year earlier (or whatever). I'd put the scholarship with other awards and honors in another space, unless you received it due to your efforts with the group.
Certainly, I'd include the second group as well. You can give it a generic name as you suggested, but keep in mind that schools like to enhance diversity in the class they form, so if you have a religious tradition that is less common, it could help to mention it more specifically.
Thank you so much for these replies.
My last question would have to do with distinguishing between Artistic endeavors and Hobbies/Avocations/Extracurricular...
I am very Artistic,
I draw and oil/acrylic paint, I do movie editing on final cut pro and adobe premiere, I do photography, I do graphic design on photoshop, I have a passion for cullinary arts, I cater for parties (pastries and petit fours) ....among many things....
Which would go under which?
1. Artistic endeavors
2. Hobbies/Avocations/Extracurricular
Thanks much again
My last question would have to do with distinguishing between Artistic endeavors and Hobbies/Avocations/Extracurricular...
I am very Artistic,
I draw and oil/acrylic paint, I do movie editing on final cut pro and adobe premiere, I do photography, I do graphic design on photoshop, I have a passion for cullinary arts, I cater for parties (pastries and petit fours) ....among many things....
Which would go under which?
1. Artistic endeavors
2. Hobbies/Avocations/Extracurricular
Thanks much again
I did a research project and ER volunteering at a university medical center. I had to go through the volunteer department for the research since it was unpaid and they counted a combo of my hours for both research + ER, so I dont know exactly how many hospital (ER) volunteering hours I have. Should I just put the combined total? (only thing is that I accumulated 400-500 hours for research so would that be suspicious if I put the combined hrs under ER?)
If you share your work with others you might reasonably call it an Artistic Endeavor rather than a Hobby. For example: Do you exhibit your paintings or photos in shows or competitions? The catering might go under Employment, making the artistic component and back story of involvement clear in the narrative.
Both components are so important that I wouldn't take the risk of one being overlooked by listing them together.
Research is always listed under Research. The ER volunteering needs to go under Community Service-Medical/Clinical. You'll have to do your best to carve out the hours for the medical volunteering and ascribe it to the proper category. If the research was clinical in nature (maybe gathering data from ER patients or screening them for inclusion in a study), then it also counts toward your clinical experience. Be sure to make the patient interaction clear. It does not however get considered as a community service, even though the research involvement was voluntary.
I have already submitted my primary application but realized that the dates (just a few months off) that I entered for 2 of my volunteer activities might be wrong. Because of this, I think that I may have overstated the hours that I volunteered. The activities took place several years ago (2 years ago for one and 5 years ago for another) and I thought that I remembered the dates correctly, but now I'm second guessing myself. I have contacted the organizations but haven't heard from them. I wish I had confirmed before submitting, but I didn't think to.
In the event that the dates are wrong, what should I do? Will this reflect badly on me for entering misinformation?
In the event that the dates are wrong, what should I do? Will this reflect badly on me for entering misinformation?
Being a few months off for a multi-year's long activity isn't a big deal. If it was only for a year, it would be. Organizations may not save records for 5 years, so you may never know for that one. You might try calling. If you were way, way off, you could include a correction in a future update letter. Before you worry, try to get solid data first.
Does anyone not use all 15 spaces for entering activities? If you can't reach 15 when you put all of your scholarships in one space, should you separate each scholarship?
I've won a research scholarship, attended a conference, presented a poster at the conference, and won an award at the conference. Should all of this go with my research as one item?
I am on a committee that only meets once a semester for an hour. Should I even list this?
I've won a research scholarship, attended a conference, presented a poster at the conference, and won an award at the conference. Should all of this go with my research as one item?
I am on a committee that only meets once a semester for an hour. Should I even list this?
You do not need documentation. A rare school might want a volunteer coordinator letter.
Besides the self-report of dates and hours, mention what you did (briefly).
Most people don't use all 15 spaces. Do not fluff it up by spacing out the scholarships; keep them together.
I would use a Research spot for the scholarship/stipend (say what you did to win it) and research and also a Presentation/Poster space for the poster (attendance is implied as you'll name the conference where you presented the poster, city, and date) and the award you won.
oh really, you dont need letters? then how do they know if you're making up hours or not?
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Thanks Catalystik!
What kinds of things have you guys been able to do in your clinical volunteering? I've just been able to escort patients to their rooms and from their rooms to the parking garage, deliver flowers, and do paperwork and chores for nurses in the ambulatory surgery unit.
For those of you that have been able to watch surgeries, were you able to do this through your shadowing opportunities or volunteering?
What kinds of things have you guys been able to do in your clinical volunteering? I've just been able to escort patients to their rooms and from their rooms to the parking garage, deliver flowers, and do paperwork and chores for nurses in the ambulatory surgery unit.
For those of you that have been able to watch surgeries, were you able to do this through your shadowing opportunities or volunteering?
You might create a listing that you name Short-Term Medical Volunteering, leaving blanks in the header information, putting the usual information in the free-text space. You don't need to fill in the hours/week, but you will have to put a date span. Give a grand total at the end of the narrative.
What I have done is.. have separate section for "Research" and then under "Poster/Presentation" I mention the scholarship, and the poster presentation that I did through that locally on campus. Is that fine?
Another question: Do I have to include phone numbers and such for these activities? It doesn't give us a slot for it..?
if i did volunteering for a very long time in high school, do i put the start date from back then and start accumulating hours from then? my guess is everything must be re-counted starting in college? can i at least put in the description i've been volunteering at that hospital for years prior to college?
1) That's fine.
2) At the end of the Research entry, I'd give a phone # or email as a contact. Bu it isn't required if you prefer not.
If the clinical volunteering you're referring to occurred only while in HS, then mention it in the Personal Statement. If it continued into the college years, then list in the Experiences section. If you didn't do it continuously, then list the most recent span of time onlly, then in the narrative give the previous date ranges, total hours per span, and a grand total of all hours at that location at the end of the narrative. If I haven't really answered your question, that's because it isn't clear to me, in which case, give more specific information.
Sorry that was unclear. I meant that I did volunteer at a hospital starting my freshman year of HS and throughout senior year of HS, continuously. I'm in college and continue to volunteer there during school vacations and whenever I'm back in town. For the start date, should I put freshman year of HS, or do I have to put freshman year of college? Similarly, for hours, am I not allowed to accumulate the hours starting from HS service? I appreciate the responses!!
You would put the HS age start date, as I'd consider this an on-going experience. You can put "until present" if you're there now, or else, the last time you worked there.
Yes, you can include the hours accumulated since freshman year in HS. The problem is that if you list the hours per week averaged over the last 7 years, it may not come out to much. Instead, you might prefer to leave the hours per week blank, and explain the hour's variations in the narrative. If possible, give a grand total for all the years in the end.
Alternatively, list it only as a college experience, naming it seasonal hospital volunteering, then in the narrative mention the four HS years separately with total hours as above.
Hi,
So, I have 2 abstracts that where also poster presentations...its published as an E-Abstract in the journal , is this still considered an publication?
So, I presented it in the meeting which is then "e-published" in an Ophthalmology journal....its recommended by the conference to be cited as so:
for example:
Med S, "Eye diseases" 2010; JOURNAL NAME 51: MEETING NAME E-Abstract 101
list as publication?
So, I have 2 abstracts that where also poster presentations...its published as an E-Abstract in the journal , is this still considered an publication?
So, I presented it in the meeting which is then "e-published" in an Ophthalmology journal....its recommended by the conference to be cited as so:
for example:
Med S, "Eye diseases" 2010; JOURNAL NAME 51: MEETING NAME E-Abstract 101
list as publication?
The Publication category is best used for national paper publications. If you have an e-journal citation, I'd include it at the end of the Presentation/Poster category listing.
No, just leave it blank.
After reading several pages on this thread, I'm getting the main idea of brevity. Its just that I'm still confused to write about certain activities without adding "fluff". For example..
1) Tutoring...what do I say? Assist students in improving academic achievement and work on study skills? Is there really anything else to say?
2) Transporter at a local hospital.....I pushed discharged patients out of the hospital.....I just don't know what else to say without adding unnecessary info. I feel like in order to just put the straight facts on what I did, it feels like I didn't accomplish anything.
Any insight would be helpful.
1) Tutoring...what do I say? Assist students in improving academic achievement and work on study skills? Is there really anything else to say?
2) Transporter at a local hospital.....I pushed discharged patients out of the hospital.....I just don't know what else to say without adding unnecessary info. I feel like in order to just put the straight facts on what I did, it feels like I didn't accomplish anything.
Any insight would be helpful.
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1) You might mention the type of student or special circumstances, but adcomms know what tutors do. No need to go into detail ad nauseaum.
2) Adcomms know what transporters do, too. You might mention the care necessary not to jostle a person in pain or how you put them at ease with conversation. You could also mention parts of the hospital you worked in.
Brevity will bring blessings upon you.
.
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Don't include information that doesn't enhance your application. You might add at the end of the Research section that a paper has been written; submission to be determined (but honestly, this doesn't help you much). Or you can wait until it's accepted for publication and just send in an update letter about it (the preferred option).
Hey guys, quick question:
i've got two big volunteer activities coming up, but i really need to get my app in soon. I'll be starting at the free clinic downtown helping patients check in and handle paperwork and also teaching CPR/First Aid for the Red Cross. Both orientations are this week, but I need to have my application submitted this weekend due to what I was told about the timeline of my MCAT scores (I took it 3 years ago july 13, so i was told by the admissions at WSU I had to apply by then).
Can I list both of these on my work/activities section? I was thinking to put a description of what my position will be and when I'll be doing my orientation? These are things that, by the time my primary actually gets to the school, i'll have already started.
Thanks guys!
i've got two big volunteer activities coming up, but i really need to get my app in soon. I'll be starting at the free clinic downtown helping patients check in and handle paperwork and also teaching CPR/First Aid for the Red Cross. Both orientations are this week, but I need to have my application submitted this weekend due to what I was told about the timeline of my MCAT scores (I took it 3 years ago july 13, so i was told by the admissions at WSU I had to apply by then).
Can I list both of these on my work/activities section? I was thinking to put a description of what my position will be and when I'll be doing my orientation? These are things that, by the time my primary actually gets to the school, i'll have already started.
Thanks guys!
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