Am I "filling up" 15 spaces or are they all substantial?

[bvan95]

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Hey guys,
Similar to another post prior, I have 15 experiences that I consider to put into my Work/Activities and want to make sure they seem substantial enough to deserve their spot. Any feedback is greatly appreciated!
*I'm Vietnamese and due to a family situation I'm now spending my gap year in Vietnam*
1) Undergraduate Volunteer (~180 hr)
2) Hospital Volunteer (~280 hr)-Vietnam
3)Medical Scribe (~420 hr)
4) ESL Teacher (~800 hr): MME-Vietnam
5) Research Intern at the Vietnamese Cancer Hospital (~200 hr):MME
6) Research Intern at Oxford Clinical Research Unit (~300 hr)-Vietnam
7)Undergraduate Employment, Non-clinical:
-Catering Student Leader
-Resident Assistant
8)Project Leader, Siem Reap, Cambodia (~200hr) x 2 trips:MME
9)Post-grad volunteer at a center for kids with autism (~180hr)-Vietnam
10) Undergraduate Recognitions: Honors program, Summer Research Grant, Dean's List, Primary Care Scholar Program
11) Executive Member, Student Nutrition Club x 3 years
12)Undergraduate Teaching/Mentoring:
-Organic Chemistry Lab Assistant
-International Student Peer Advisor
13)Undergraduate Research (~600 hrs)
14)Physician Shadowing: different primary care specialties, cardiology, orthopedics, oncology
15) Hobbies: Travel and learn new languages
Thank you!!

 

[MedicineN'Jazz]

Hey guys,
Similar to another post prior, I have 15 experiences that I consider to put into my Work/Activities and want to make sure they seem substantial enough to deserve their spot. Any feedback is greatly appreciated!
*I'm Vietnamese and due to a family situation I'm now spending my gap year in Vietnam*
1) Undergraduate Volunteer (~180 hr)
2) Hospital Volunteer (~280 hr)-Vietnam
3)Medical Scribe (~420 hr)
4) ESL Teacher (~800 hr): MME-Vietnam
5) Research Intern at the Vietnamese Cancer Hospital (~200 hr):MME
6) Research Intern at Oxford Clinical Research Unit (~300 hr)-Vietnam
7)Undergraduate Employment, Non-clinical:
-Catering Student Leader
-Resident Assistant
8)Project Leader, Siem Reap, Cambodia (~200hr) x 2 trips:MME
9)Post-grad volunteer at a center for kids with autism (~180hr)-Vietnam
10) Undergraduate Recognitions: Honors program, Summer Research Grant, Dean's List, Primary Care Scholar Program
11) Executive Member, Student Nutrition Club x 3 years
12)Undergraduate Teaching/Mentoring:
-Organic Chemistry Lab Assistant
-International Student Peer Advisor
13)Undergraduate Research (~600 hrs)
14)Physician Shadowing: different primary care specialties, cardiology, orthopedics, oncology
15) Hobbies: Travel and learn new languages
Thank you!!

Looks good! I find that the option to include 15 activities...sometimes isn’t optional at all. I’ve even heard that some schools will actually disregard your app, if you don’t have all 15 spaces filled 😕

 

[premedalt]

Looks good! I find that the option to include 15 activities...sometimes isn’t optional at all. I’ve even heard that some schools will actually disregard your app, if you don’t have all 15 spaces filled 😕

Where did you hear that? I read around here that the average app only has 9-10 activities?

Sent from my Moto G (4) using SDN mobile

 

[MedicineN'Jazz]

Where did you hear that? I read around here that the average app only has 9-10 activities?

Sent from my Moto G (4) using SDN mobile

It was quoted on one of the school specific threads in 2016! I wished I saved it. But sdn is anonymous, so who really knows

 

[premedalt]

It was quoted on one of the school specific threads in 2016! I wished I saved it. But sdn is anonymous, so who really knows

Damn. Well thanks for letting us know, better to be aware of that than not.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using SDN mobile

 

[bvan95]

Looks good! I find that the option to include 15 activities...sometimes isn’t optional at all. I’ve even heard that some schools will actually disregard your app, if you don’t have all 15 spaces filled 😕

I did not know that! Also someone told me in sdn that since some substantial part of my section were done in Vietnam instead of the US this might not be looked at favorably?

 

[MedicineN'Jazz]

I did not know that! Also someone told me in sdn that since some substantial part of my section were done in Vietnam instead of the US this might not be looked at favorably?

Ughh! It does. You will literally get hell if majority of your volunteer hours are in another country. I did two medical missionaries in Africa, and got sass from some interviewers. Their mindset was “Why not America? We have a bunch of underserved populations in need of help?” Which is something i totally agree with and understand...but volunteering abroad is something else. And the experiences you bring home are almost magical. I would recommend to shift the focus towards your U.S. volunteering, and add your Vietnam volunteering like spices on a curry chicken. Don’t let it be the main dish, but accentuate your meat!

 

[bvan95]

Ughh! It does. You will literally get hell if majority of your volunteer hours are in another country. I did two medical missionaries in Africa, and got sass from some interviewers. Their mindset was “Why not America? We have a bunch of underserved populations in need of help?” Which is something i totally agree with and understand...but volunteering abroad is something else. And the experiences you bring home are almost magical. I would recommend to shift the focus towards your U.S. volunteering, and add your Vietnam volunteering like spices on a curry chicken. Don’t let it be the main dish, but accentuate your meat!

Ah that is frustrating though! The thing is, I decided to do medicine during my junior year, which left me with 1.5 year in the US to get clinical experiences and fulfill pre-reqs. Also I didn't have an option to spend my gap year, which is when I actually have time to get more experiences, in the US because of a family commitment >.<
P/s: do you think it would be ok if I use my US experiences in my PS and my gap year as MME? (coz genuinely, they feel like MMEs-worthy to me compared to my US volunteering).

 

[MedicineN'Jazz]

Ah that is frustrating though! The thing is, I decided to do medicine during my junior year, which left me with 1.5 year in the US to get clinical experiences and fulfill pre-reqs. Also I didn't have an option to spend my gap year, which is when I actually have time to get more experiences, in the US because of a family commitment >.<
P/s: do you think it would be ok if I use my US experiences in my PS and my gap year as MME? (coz genuinely, they feel like MMEs-worthy to me compared to my US volunteering).

Wait what are MME’s? I don’t want to make assumptions

 

[bvan95]

Wait what are MME’s? I don’t want to make assumptions

Oh, I meant Most Meaningful Experiences. Sorry for the abbreviations!

 

[MedicineN'Jazz]

Oh, I meant Most Meaningful Experiences. Sorry for the abbreviations!

No it’s ok! I assumed this, but wanted to make sure. Your gap year can definitely suffice as a MME. Just try not to fill up all three MME’s with activities from your gap year. Ideally, your experiences should all be unique (which is definitely challenging to do).

If you end up using your US volunteering experience to shape your personal statement, make sure you address why volunteering with disadvantaged populations has re-affirmed your desire to practice medicine to care for the underserved.

 

[bvan95]

Got it! Hypothetically speaking, would it be a huge problem if my MMEs were all from my gap-year? I used 2 other meaningful experiences in my PS already so I don't have many to choose from

 

[MedicineN'Jazz]

Got it! Hypothetically speaking, would it be a huge problem if my MMEs were all from my gap-year? I used 2 other meaningful experiences in my PS already so I don't have many to choose from

I can’t answer decisively since I’m not an adcom...but I can’t see it doing you any favors. You might want to have someone check over your personal statement. You really shouldn’t be going into depth about your experiences there. Your PS should be reserved for Why medicine, why underserved populations, why the altruism? Mentioning your experiences are ok, but going into depth about them? Definitely the wrong place

 

[bvan95]

I can’t answer decisively since I’m not an adcom...but I can’t see it doing you any favors. You might want to have someone check over your personal statement. You really shouldn’t be going into depth about your experiences there. Your PS should be reserved for Why medicine, why underserved populations, why the altruism? Mentioning your experiences are ok, but going into depth about them? Definitely the wrong place

Oh I think I didn't explain it well. My PS does focus on answering those questions but through anecdotes from my experiences like medical scribing, clinical volunteering etc.

 

[MedicineN'Jazz]

Oh I think I didn't explain it well. My PS does focus on answering those questions but through anecdotes from my experiences like medical scribing, clinical volunteering etc.

Hmm I guess that could work. I, personally, only briefly mentioned my volunteer activities at the end. So explaining them in my experiences section, didn’t feel redundant at all. But if you’ve gotten your PS checked by a pre-med advisor, I guess it should be good to go. My only advice then, would be to word your experiences differently even if the content is the same. Not much else you can do unfortunately.

 

[Unlimited Apps]

A friend of mine basically wrote his entire PS based on a summer full-time clinical experience abroad and how that convinced him to do medicine. Is he screwed? Assuming that adcoms don't like abroad work to begin with, if one answers the "why medicine" with an abroad experience it might be even worse?

 

[MedicineN'Jazz]

A friend of mine basically wrote his entire PS based on a summer full-time clinical experience abroad and how that convinced him to do medicine. Is he screwed? Assuming that adcoms don't like abroad work to begin with, if one answers the "why medicine" with an abroad experience it might be even worse?

Nah, he should be fine. My PS was 60% about another country. His experiences though, need to show that he’s committed to serve disadvantaged populations in the U.S. So, his hours overseas should theoretically be lower than his hours in the U.S.

 

[bvan95]

Hmm I guess that could work. I, personally, only briefly mentioned my volunteer activities at the end. So explaining them in my experiences section, didn’t feel redundant at all. But if you’ve gotten your PS checked by a pre-med advisor, I guess it should be good to go. My only advice then, would be to word your experiences differently even if the content is the same. Not much else you can do unfortunately.

Yes, that's also sorta what I did too with my PS. Most of my content are based on my US experiences, I only briefly mention abroad activities in PS and talk more about them in Work/Activities section.

 

[volacrity]

How did you have all that time? Now I’m a little worried because a couple of my entries were less than 100 hrs.

 

[Med Ed]

I’ve even heard that some schools will actually disregard your app, if you don’t have all 15 spaces filled 😕

Lies.

 

[bvan95]

How did you have all that time? Now I’m a little worried because a couple of my entries were less than 100 hrs.

I took a gap year so some of my experiences had more hours😀

 

[Catalystik]

I read around here that the average app only has 9-10 activities?

I agree that this is more accurate.

 

[volacrity]

I took a gap year so some of my experiences had more hours😀

So you’ll have two total? I just have one and have more hours than expected for a couple of things, but still not as much

 

[bvan95]

I agree that this is more accurate.

But if I have 15, that wouldn't be a problem right?

 

[Catalystik]

But if I have 15, that wouldn't be a problem right?

No.

 

[bvan95]

No.

I have a question about my undergraduate volunteering: I did 3 semester-long projects and 2 service trips for a total of about 160 hours. I do want to make this my MME because they let me serve and understand different populations. Since it wasn't one continuous experience, would that still be acceptable?

 

[MedicineN'Jazz]

I have a question about my undergraduate volunteering: I did 3 semester-long projects and 2 service trips for a total of about 160 hours. I do want to make this my MME because they let me serve and understand different populations. Since it wasn't one continuous experience, would that still be acceptable?

I’d recommend for you to make your MMEs unique. So perhaps one can be for your service trips (combining both), and two of your favorite ones be for the semester long projects. Although imho, it looks much better if your MMEs are continuous and over the course of a few years. MMEs that show personal growth, a passion for servitude, and philanthropic attitude are the ultimate gold.

 

[bvan95]

I’d recommend for you to make your MMEs unique. So perhaps one can be for your service trips (combining both), and two of your favorite ones be for the semester long projects. Although imho, it looks much better if your MMEs are continuous and over the course of a few years. MMEs that show personal growth, a passion for servitude, and philanthropic attitude are the ultimate gold.

I was actually thinking of grouping them altogether under "Undergraduate Volunteering" since I ran out of slots >.<

 

[Catalystik]

I have a question about my undergraduate volunteering: I did 3 semester-long projects and 2 service trips for a total of about 160 hours. I do want to make this my MME because they let me serve and understand different populations. Since it wasn't one continuous experience, would that still be acceptable?

As long as they are all clinical or all nonclinical, and you name the space something that encompasses all the experiences you list there, you can make it work. The problem might be more fitting all those experiences, hourly subtotals, dates, contacts, etc into one space.

 

[MedicineN'Jazz]

I was actually thinking of grouping them altogether under "Undergraduate Volunteering" since I ran out of slots >.<

You can do that too. Ultimately, how you re-order things is up to you. But, have you considered going to your pre-med advisers to ask for a second opinion? They’re good for that much atleast 🙄

 

[Catalystik]

MMEs that show personal growth, a passion for servitude, and philanthropic attitude are the ultimate gold.

Huh?

 

[bvan95]

You can do that too. Ultimately, how you re-order things is up to you. But, have you considered going to your pre-med advisers to ask for a second opinion? They’re good for that much atleast 🙄

Since I'm in my gap year in Vietnam, that is a little hard to accomplish at this point 😀 Also she doesn't reply to email very often 🙁

 

[bvan95]

As long as they are all clinical or all nonclinical, and you name the space something that encompasses all the experiences you list there, you can make it work. The problem might be more fitting all those experiences, hourly subtotals, dates, contacts, etc into one space.

Understood! Thank you so much!