Shadowing on the AMCAS

frickonastick said:

Does it fall under "Other" or "Community Service/Volunteer - Medical"? I know it's not really volunteer (we're not really helping anyone out), but it seems wrong to put it under other...since that has no indication that it was medically related. Silly AMCAS...

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Yeah, I would say other

Go with other. Adcoms know that shadowing is neither community service/volunteer clinical work. And they know what shadowing is, so calling it other shouldn't be a big deal. I don't think they pay too much attention to how you categorize your activities. AMCAS should really make a shadowing category.

...it is volunteering

Some applicants will call it "volunteer- clinical" although that isn't entirely accurate. Other might seem to be the best category. Any decent adcom will have one or more members read through every word and the fact that you shadowed will be picked up in the context of the entry regardless of the header.

flip a coin...it really doesnt matter.

juls811 said:

...it is volunteering

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I don't think it's volunteering because you're not performing any service, you're just following around a doctor.

I'd put other unless it is done in conjunction with a program like Reach Out and Read where we volunteer and shadow as part of a joint program through USF Peds dept.

i've shadowed 5 different doctors at different times throughout college, should i put shadowing as one Work/Activity and list the doctors and dates in the Experience Description rather than having each individual shadowing experience its own Work/Activity

ssj27krillin said:

i've shadowed 5 different doctors at different times throughout college, should i put shadowing as one Work/Activity and list the doctors and dates in the Experience Description rather than having each individual shadowing experience its own Work/Activity

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Yep, that's what I did.

Taylorcraft46 said:

Maybe this is a stupid question... I did a special 6 week program that paid a small stipend for 200+ hours of shadowing (including bioethics and special topics seminars). Would that be paid employment - non military? It didn't really feel like employment...

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Depends on whether you got paid for what you were doing or if you got paid to cover living expenses. If it's the former, then it's paid employment. The latter, stick it in "other" like normal shadowing.

Hey I worked in a lab for 3 years during undergrad, because of which I presented a poster and recieved a grant. Should I list all three seperately as "research lab", "awards", and "presentations"?

monu1234 said:

Hey I worked in a lab for 3 years during undergrad, because of which I presented a poster and recieved a grant. Should I list all three seperately as "research lab", "awards", and "presentations"?

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Only if you feel they warrant a whole separate box. If the poster presentation was at anything other than a national conference I'd just put it in with the research description. As for the grant, I suppose on whether it was a big deal or if it was something that just given out to all students. And of course, if you're running out of experience spots, then just combine them. I had to combine some because I'm at my 15 experience limit, but that's not the case for everybody.