AMCAS EC questions for future applicant

[Mopsd]

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1) As a prospective non-trad applicant, I expect to only have about 7-8 activities to list by the time I apply. Would this be a concern?

2) From what I understand, applicants should be selective in what they list. I further take that this part of the application is not a resume and "gaps" in time won't raise a red flag as it would on a resume. Is this correct?

3) As a non-trad, I've held quite a few jobs. Should I list ALL the jobs I've had before I decided to pursue medicine? Does each job take up a slot?

4) There are a few categories that are "must-haves" on a med school app such as clinical and non-clinical volunteering and shadowing. On a similar note, how important is it to have a category labeled as "Teaching/Tutoring/Teaching Assistant" (aka mentoring and coaching)?

 

[Apothecary Aquinas]

1) Quality over quantity. If they’re meaningful, you can speak passionately about them and your dedication is reflected in your explanation/hours spent, then it shouldn’t be a limiting factor.

2) List things that are relavent to med school and that reflect leadership, clinical experience, service, expertise, etc. ‘Gaps’ aren’t necessarily bad things but they may raise questions. Many secondary apps I’ve filled out ask about gaps in academics, etc. Be prepared to explain gaps but they aren’t necessarily limiting.

3) Kind of the same thing as #2. List relavent jobs that reflect leadership or expertise to some extent that you think will help. Working part time at a fast food joint in a non-leadership position, for example, may not be worth adding (not bashing fast food work, just an example).

4) Teaching to some extent is nice to have on an app but by no means is it required or ‘high yield’, so to speak. It will not hurt your app at all not having any teaching experience.

I’m sure some people will have a bit more insight but after a year’s worth of browsing SDN/Reddit and being a nontrad myself, this is what I’ve come to believe is accurate.

 

[Catalystik]

1) As a prospective non-trad applicant, I expect to only have about 7-8 activities to list by the time I apply. Would this be a concern?

2) From what I understand, applicants should be selective in what they list. I further take that this part of the application is not a resume and "gaps" in time won't raise a red flag as it would on a resume. Is this correct?

3) As a non-trad, I've held quite a few jobs. Should I list ALL the jobs I've had before I decided to pursue medicine? Does each job take up a slot?

4) There are a few categories that are "must-haves" on a med school app such as clinical and non-clinical volunteering and shadowing. On a similar note, how important is it to have a category labeled as "Teaching/Tutoring/Teaching Assistant" (aka mentoring and coaching)?

To add:
1) As long as you have at least five solid activities, you're fine.

3) You might consider grouping long-ago Collegiate Jobs. Any job that required "People" Skills has a place on the application (aka, you had to interact with the public), as does a job that was a position of trust or responsibility, one that required teamwork, or one where you were a laborer. Give a full space to more recent employment.