Activity Categorization

[13132]

---

Members do not see this ad.

So basically I am confused where some activities fall in reference to shadowing/volunteer/clinical experience. Can some of these overlap?

For example I went on a medical trip to Honduras during which I worked 8 hours a day for 4 days taking blood pressure etc and then also shadowing the doctor who was with us. Where does this fall if I had to report it in a form of some sort?

Also, what exactly is clinical experience? I volunteered in a hospital ER over a summer so does this count or is that simply volunteer work?

I am just confused where to place some activities if I had to categorize them. And when I apply would they frown upon me calling my time in honduras shadowing and volunteering (8 hours a day of each)?

 

[Catalystik]

Shadowing is generally listed under "Other."

For the Honduras trip, you have a choice of splitting out the hours related to shadowing (passive observership) vs clinical activity where you personally interacted with a sick person. Or you could list it all under Community Service/Volunteer-Medical/Clinical and name the Experience Honduras Volunteering and Shadowing, to make it clear it included both activities, which are further described in the narrative.

Personally, I'd probably separate them as you're going to need shadowing time with US physicians in a US clinical environment, too, and it will look better if you put all shadowing together in one space.

Your hospital ER volunteering was clinical experience if you engaged patients rather than doing paperwork in a back room.

DO NOT double list the same hours. If you were at the clinic site for 8 hours a day, you might have had 6 hours of clinical and 2 hours of shadowing (or some such split of the time) but you did not have 8 hours of each unless your day was 16 hours at the clinic site.

 

[13132]

Shadowing is generally listed under "Other."

For the Honduras trip, you have a choice of splitting out the hours related to shadowing (passive observership) vs clinical activity where you personally interacted with a sick person. Or you could list it all under Community Service/Volunteer-Medical/Clinical and name the Experience Honduras Volunteering and Shadowing, to make it clear it included both activities, which are further described in the narrative.

Personally, I'd probably separate them as you're going to need shadowing time with US physicians in a US clinical environment, too, and it will look better if you put all shadowing together in one space.

Your hospital ER volunteering was clinical experience if you engaged patients rather than doing paperwork in a back room.

DO NOT double list the same hours. If you were at the clinic site for 8 hours a day, you might have had 6 hours of clinical and 2 hours of shadowing (or some such split of the time) but you did not have 8 hours of each unless your day was 16 hours at the clinic site.

Thanks so much for the advice. I guess my confusion stems from not having seen how you actually report activities when applying because I am a Sophomore. Your explanation made sense and I am sure it will be clear when I actually sit down to do the application.

 

[Catalystik]

You can create and account and go into the AMCAS system now and play around with to see how things work and what they ask. Unfortunately since you won't submit, all the data you enter will disappear in May, but it's still fun to view for the short term.

 

[13132]

You can create and account and go into the AMCAS system now and play around with to see how things work and what they ask. Unfortunately since you won't submit, all the data you enter will disappear in May, but it's still fun to view for the short term.

So when I actually go to apply I wont encounter "There is already an account with this information...". The account is deleted after may?

 

[Catalystik]

No, the account isn't deleted. It keeps your username and password, and the true name you associate with it. All else disappears, so you have to fill it in again.