activities

Current senior planning to apply in 2026. Trying to finalize my extracurriculars for my application. I will be focused on studying for the MCAT(taking it in April/May), graduation, and finishing my honors senior thesis, so there won't be any additional opportunities to add things. Don't have PS...

Welcome to the DAT & OAT FAQ and Student Score Hub by DAT Destroyer This thread is a free resource created to help pre-dental and pre-optometry students succeed. Whether you have questions about the DAT, the OAT, or simply want to connect with others on the same journey, you’re in the right...

hi all! I am a non-trad student planning to apply in 2026 with a low gpa. I'd say, like most people, my interests/activities widely vary, which is why I am having some trouble about what potential activities to include when I apply. I'd love advice on what areas I should focus on, what...

Having worked in admissions for over two decades, I have read thousands of activity descriptions for medical school and related healthcare fields. Some candidates seem to view this element of their application as less important than their personal statement, writing only cursory descriptions of...

Hello everyone, I'm currently in the process of writing my Work/Activities section and I have some questions (I'm an international student and I have no access to any particular advising so google/reddit/SDN are my only sources of information about the process). I didn't think about the AMCAS...

Hi you all very nice people, I am taking 2 years off and applying during the 2023-2024 cycle! I would like to know if there is anything else I can do to improve my application during this year, especially about the leadership part. My plan wasn't for MD until my Junior year, so everything...

Hello all, I’ve read a lot about how being a veteran is advantageous to the application process but I haven’t seen how it actually helps. What are some tangible ways that it helps? Does it act like being URM? Do adcoms even care? I’m putting my application together and I just want to know if...

Hi all, At the moment, my 3 most meaningful experiences are: Research Experience - 800-1000 hours leading my own imaging project in a BME Lab across 3 years. No pubs, but presented a poster at the highest conference in my field. Benchwork, imaging analysis, specimen dissection, I did it all...

Hi everyone. Just curious how to list certain things? I understand we get ten - fifteen slots and three can be most meaningful. Organic research - did it for a bit, had a thesis, defended it and presented at multiple conferences and received several research grants. Should these be listed as...

I have the usual clinical volunteering, shadowing, research, etc. Just was curious to know for those already accepted or are applying to med schools, what are some activities you've done that are interesting and you'd think would make you stand out? I've begun starting a charity event, raising...

Im in an interesting situation. I was volunteering for an activity that I listed on amcas for 180 hours and only finished around 50 ( not including the extensive training). I decided to quit because it was not for me and I replaced it with another volunteer activity. My biggest issue is that I...

Volunteering is crucial for medical school applicants. Here’s why: Med schools aren’t just looking for science geeks who’ve never stepped outside the lab. They’re looking for students who will not just succeed in the classroom, but who have also had rich and varied experiences that will make...

When considering your goal of attending medical school, you need to choose extracurricular activities that you will enjoy and that will also help you highlight the characteristics that med schools are seeking. 3 strategies for choosing the right extracurriculars Below we will provide you with...

Hi, everyone. I'm currently a sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh. So far, my classes are going well, and I think I have a solid plan for extracurricular activities, but I would like an outsider's opinion. Here are the 15 activities I have, or plan to have, by the end of my college...

Hi, I'm a high school student interested in practicing medicine and being a doctor. In case you're wondering, medical school is undergrad where I'm from, so I'm technically also a pre-med student. I'd love it if anyone here could suggest some books, websites (YouTube channels are great!), or...

Hi all, so I have 2 of the 3 available most meaningful activities already selected, but I have a third one that I would like to check but am not sure if it would be a good idea to or not. So I became an EMT in the fall and due to work and school, hadn't gotten a position until May. At this...

People keep telling me you need to set unconditional priorities in med school, activities that never get brushed off. i.e. going to church on sunday, weekly dinner with parents/family/SO, daily yoga/exercise, etc... I'm curious to hear what are yall's daily or weekly priorities, and how...

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In my PS, I talk about a hobby (editing and translating comics for fun, wasn't employed by any means) but I'm not sure if I should mention it on my list of activities or not. Would it come across as fishy if I don't mention every activity I've done, especially if it's referenced in my PS? My...

Applying to medical school is a long, grueling process. Every single component of the application matters. However, it’s your secondaries that can have a big impact on getting your foot into the interview door. Here are some tips on how to strategize your secondary essays. Timeline Strategy...

Hi All, New applicant for the 2018-2019 cycle. I'm having a bit of difficulty conceptualizing how I'm going to enter my descriptions in the activities section of my MD app and I was hoping someone who's applied can help clear a few things up. I've read a few articles on the section but none of...

I've been working on writing my activities for AMCAS, and I'm having some trouble picking out my 3 MME's. My adviser wants me to pick one clinical experience, one non-clinical volunteering experience, and one research experience. He pretty much brushed off my suggestions for my MME's, since they...

Would it be alright for me to list modeling as one of my extracurricular activities? I went to a casting call for my state's fashion week as a joke with a few of my friends, but was called back as a runway model. After that, I was signed to Ford modeling agency a little bit before my freshman...

How many have you juggled at one time? Feel free to share what makes some of them (if any) "Most Meaningful Experiences" :)

Advice on what I should do? I know I can no longer edit this on AMCAS since I've already been transmitted, but would it be advisable to tell the schools?

Under my activities section of AMCAS, I have a publications category for a publication for which I am second author. I was thinking of using the rest of the description space to list a publication which has been submitted and is in review, and one which is in progress. Since I am not giving...

I just finished all of my pre-reqs and have started preparing for MCAT and application. What do non-trad students put on their applications under awards and activities? As an undergrad I was in many clubs and organizations, but currently I spend most of my time adulting. How can I impress the...

Hi all, Any thoughts for how to approach activities and work experience from a long time ago? I graduated in 2005, and while a lot of my experiences (including all three of the ones I have as "most important") are current, I have stuff from my college days that I want to include, like working...

I was wondering if someone would be willing to look over my work/activities. I just want to make sure I'm doing this correctly, and I'd appreciate any feedback!!

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I taught chemistry lab as an instructional aide and would like to list it on AMCAS. I know teaching/TA is an option on this, and I'm not sure if this of as a job or a for credit thing. This was my primary form of student income and I didn't get any class credit for it...Should I list it as paid...

Hi all, I have 15 experiences that fit perfectly in my activities section but I don't have Physician Shadowing listed. I have over 100 hours of shadowing in multiple specialties but I was going to mention this more in my personal statement. Even outside of shadowing, I have enormous exposure to...

Hey everyone, Per the thread I created here earlier, I have decided to skip a cycle before re-applying, to put my best foot forward: https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/non-trad-reapplying-need-advice-on-pre-med-advisor-and-gap-year.1243295/#post-18655580 SO, now I'm trying to decide the...

Hi All, I have tried searching other threads and none seem to answer my question. I have about 80 odd hours of shadowing, 5 different physicians, and I am curious about how I should write about them in my AMCAS. All under one title or separated? should I talk about the exact experience, or...

This is a long post but thank you for your time! My current GPA is 3.67 with an MCAT score of 510. :) Freshman Year: Leadership Program (ELP) Revelle Programming Board Research Summer Intern Sophomore Year: Varsity Rowing Team Hospital Volunteer Revelle Programming Board Shadowed an oncologist...

Thank you!

I filled up all 15 of my slots and I think they are all worth having in my application - definitely no fillers but I wanted to list two of my certifications: I'm an EMT-B and also a CVT (Certified Vet Tech). The latter requires an Associate of Science degree in veterinary technology and then a...

Title says it all, I have 6 on going experiences, 3 of which started in March. Do I list the # of weeks as the number I expect to complete over the next year or so, or simply the 10-12 weeks I have already completed?

Hey Guys, I haven't realized this until just now that I did a medical volunteer last summer. I think I'd be able to get a recommendation letter from them (which is great b/c my other letters are from science professors/research lab). However, b/c I just remembered this, I did not put this in...

I'm listing multiple scientific publications as an activity, any recommendations for Experience Name? They're obviously listed as Publications under Experience Type but would using that as the name be redundant?