A couple of questions about ECs on AMCA

[LetsMakeADecision]

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[Spectar]

1) Pick one. If you have some other clinical volunteering and non-clinical activities, put the leadership. You can also just put leadership and then name it as "[Insert organization name] volunteer." You really won't have space to list everything separately. Remember you are limited to 15 activities.

2) How is this a gap? You did it for 2 years and then stopped? Or went in once in a while? As long as you kept going in, no matter how few hours, you could put that you did it all years as long as you are accurate with hours.

3) I think the app limits you as to how far into the future you can put an activity for. Just put the latest it allows you and explain it in the description. This will look fine because it shows you are still doing things in the application cycle.

4) Add it. Looks good

5) I would say possibly put it if you have room after doing all the other entries. Personally I wouldn't but I wouldn't fault you if you did. Make sure you talk about what you got out of it. Did you learn something new? Maybe new leadership skills? The importance of communication in getting things done?

6) No it won't look like check boxing. Even if it did, who cares? As long as you are genuinely interested in what you are doing it should not be a problem. Btw, both non clinical and clinical volunteering are good. I would list it under non clinical and then in the description add that 100 hours were clinical. Alternatively you could separate it into two different activities if you have room, but you may not.

 

[LetsMakeADecision]

1) Pick one. If you have some other clinical volunteering and non-clinical activities, put the leadership. You can also just put leadership and then name it as "[Insert organization name] volunteer." You really won't have space to list everything separately. Remember you are limited to 15 activities.

2) How is this a gap? You did it for 2 years and then stopped? Or went in once in a while? As long as you kept going in, no matter how few hours, you could put that you did it all years as long as you are accurate with hours.

3) I think the app limits you as to how far into the future you can put an activity for. Just put the latest it allows you and explain it in the description. This will look fine because it shows you are still doing things in the application cycle.

4) Add it. Looks good

5) I would say possibly put it if you have room after doing all the other entries. Personally I wouldn't but I wouldn't fault you if you did. Make sure you talk about what you got out of it. Did you learn something new? Maybe new leadership skills? The importance of communication in getting things done?

6) No it won't look like check boxing. Even if it did, who cares? As long as you are genuinely interested in what you are doing it should not be a problem. Btw, both non clinical and clinical volunteering are good. I would list it under non clinical and then in the description add that 100 hours were clinical. Alternatively you could separate it into two different activities if you have room, but you may not.

Thanks for responding!

As to number 2 I meant that I did ECs over the course of 4 or so years [during my undergrad], but for the last 2 years or so [after my undergrad] I haven't done any ECs outside of work, until very recently.

And unfortunately for that one organization it's the vast bulk of my volunteering (~1500hrs), but given that most of my work was through this organization I should have room to split it since most of my activities were through it.

 

[Spectar]

Thanks for responding!

As to number 2 I meant that I did ECs over the course of 4 or so years [during my undergrad], but for the last 2 years or so [after my undergrad] I haven't done any ECs outside of work, until very recently.

Could raise a flag or two if you didn't do any ECs for the past 2 years, but there are some legitimate circumstances in which it wouldn't be a problem (working to support family, personal issues etc.). But there is nothing you can do about it now anyway so just go with it. Plus I'm 90% convinced that most adcoms don't even read/notice the dates anyway. I doubt they are meticulous enough to notice (except the ones that are on this forum for some reason).

 

[Catalystik]

I'm 90% convinced that most adcoms don't even read/notice the dates anyway. I doubt they are meticulous enough to notice (except the ones that are on this forum for some reason).

 

[Doctor-S]

Plus I'm 90% convinced that most adcoms don't even read/notice the dates anyway. I doubt they are meticulous enough to notice (except the ones that are on this forum for some reason).

Are you still only 90% convinced? 😀

 

[LetsMakeADecision]

Could raise a flag or two if you didn't do any ECs for the past 2 years, but there are some legitimate circumstances in which it wouldn't be a problem (working to support family, personal issues etc.). But there is nothing you can do about it now anyway so just go with it. Plus I'm 90% convinced that most adcoms don't even read/notice the dates anyway. I doubt they are meticulous enough to notice (except the ones that are on this forum for some reason).

Thanks for the tidbit! During this time period I was working (full-time), which alone I don't see as an excuse as there was still enough time in the day to volunteer. However, I was spending a lot of time in self-care and working on myself. I came out of my undergrad with not the greatest looker of a GPA. One of my issues during undergrad was when things got bad I would throw more things at it, never taking a second to catch my breath and so I would find myself steamrolled. So I used those 2 years to take some undergrad courses to improve my GPA and show an upward trend for SMPs, work on my MCAT, focus on my hobbies (I did a lot of pottery those two years!), and potentially most of all mature. All in and all I am much better for it. I attribute my MCAT and SMP success to the time I spent centering myself. I do hope there's a place on my application where I can address this, or at least have it as a speaking point during an interview if it does come up.

 

[Spectar]

Thanks for the tidbit! During this time period I was working (full-time), which alone I don't see as an excuse as there was still enough time in the day to volunteer. However, I was spending a lot of time in self-care and working on myself. I came out of my undergrad with not the greatest looker of a GPA. One of my issues during undergrad was when things got bad I would throw more things at it, never taking a second to catch my breath and so I would find myself steamrolled. So I used those 2 years to take some undergrad courses to improve my GPA and show an upward trend for SMPs, work on my MCAT, focus on my hobbies (I did a lot of pottery those two years!), and potentially most of all mature. All in and all I am much better for it. I attribute my MCAT and SMP success to the time I spent centering myself. I do hope there's a place on my application where I can address this, or at least have it as a speaking point during an interview if it does come up.

No problem. I highly recommend putting that hobby down on your app! There is an option to put hobbies (If you have multiple you can just list them all under one "hobby" section).