Application Question: EC double-dipping

[rgatt2]

---

Members don't see this ad.

If I was a bio TA for a group of students, but was also an individual English writing tutor/editor, can I include put the writing tuturing under "teaching/mentoring" on my application, and move the bio TA-ing under "leadership" since it involved managing and teaching a group of people? These two teaching experiences were for separate departments at my college, and I'm desperately looking for something to put under leadership (I've never been pres. or secretary for any clubs)?

The only other thing I've done that's close to 'leadership' may be that I was in charge of instructing a small group test subjects on how to fill out some forms, and was in charge of managing/entering this data over a short period, which was part of my a research project- Can I spin this into a leadership experience too?

Thanks

 

[DendWrite]

I'd tend to say that the TA position was not "leadership" but still falls under teaching. It all depends on your responsibilities as a TA. At my school, they basically grade papers, head up review sessions and that's about it. I don't think that's quite what they are looking for under the leadership category, but it depends on your individual circumstances. It's hard to say without knowing more. If you feel like you could make a good case for it being leadership, then go for it, but make sure to list what you did that qualifies it for that category rather than teaching/mentoring.

 

[apumic]

If I was a bio TA for a group of students, but was also an individual English writing tutor/editor, can I include put the writing tuturing under "teaching/mentoring" on my application, and move the bio TA-ing under "leadership" since it involved managing and teaching a group of people? These two teaching experiences were for separate departments at my college, and I'm desperately looking for something to put under leadership (I've never been pres. or secretary for any clubs)?

The only other thing I've done that's close to 'leadership' may be that I was in charge of instructing a small group test subjects on how to fill out some forms, and was in charge of managing/entering this data over a short period, which was part of my a research project- Can I spin this into a leadership experience too?

Thanks

What you got out of it is much more important than the position itself. That having been said, your "leadership" experiences sound more like teaching/mentoring/researching/organizing than interpersonal leadership to me. Your leadership experiences ought to teach you about yourself as a leader. You ought to learn how you lead others and how you serve those you lead. You don't necessarily need to have been a president of a club to have been a leader. Have you ever been a manager, shift leader, or supervisor at work? Have you been any kind of "student leader" at school? (Orientation Leader, Resident Advisor, Peer Mediator, [student life department] Intern, anything student government, etc.) Have you ever headed up a long-term project? (Not just told subjects to fill in forms -- that's definitely not leadership, sorry!)... and the list goes on. At the end of a leadership experience, you should have a better idea of how to answer questions about your leadership style. Additionally, leadership should teach you vital interpersonal skills such as conflict resolution/crisis-management (interpersonal), sensitivity/empathy, persuasion/influence, etc. as well as situational skills such as improvising and problem-solving. Those kinds of things are all extremely valuable to a physician, which, I would guess, is a large part of the reason medical schools want to see those experiences in applicants.

 

[shemarty]

I agree with what's been said above. TA-ing isn't leadership, it's teaching.

Unless you were the head TA who trained all the other TAs, or something to that effect.

 

[LizzyM]

You don't NEED a leadership item. Don't mislabel something just to have an entry with that header.

 

[rgatt2]

What you got out of it is much more important than the position itself. That having been said, your "leadership" experiences sound more like teaching/mentoring/researching/organizing than interpersonal leadership to me. Your leadership experiences ought to teach you about yourself as a leader. You ought to learn how you lead others and how you serve those you lead. You don't necessarily need to have been a president of a club to have been a leader. Have you ever been a manager, shift leader, or supervisor at work? Have you been any kind of "student leader" at school? (Orientation Leader, Resident Advisor, Peer Mediator, [student life department] Intern, anything student government, etc.) Have you ever headed up a long-term project? (Not just told subjects to fill in forms -- that's definitely not leadership, sorry!)... and the list goes on. At the end of a leadership experience, you should have a better idea of how to answer questions about your leadership style. Additionally, leadership should teach you vital interpersonal skills such as conflict resolution/crisis-management (interpersonal), sensitivity/empathy, persuasion/influence, etc. as well as situational skills such as improvising and problem-solving. Those kinds of things are all extremely valuable to a physician, which, I would guess, is a large part of the reason medical schools want to see those experiences in applicants.

Thanks for the responses guys.

If I'm given my own research project where I do most of the writing, setting up of a questionnaire, and and in charge of recruiting and interviewing subjects and collect data from them in person, then do a writeup afterwards, is that considered leadership?

 

[dw2158]

Thanks for the responses guys.

If I'm given my own research project where I do most of the writing, setting up of a questionnaire, and and in charge of recruiting and interviewing subjects and collect data from them in person, then do a writeup afterwards, is that considered leadership?

i don't think so. who are you leading there? yourself? don't overreach with this stuff; make the most of what you DO have instead.

 

[LizzyM]

Thanks for the responses guys.

If I'm given my own research project where I do most of the writing, setting up of a questionnaire, and and in charge of recruiting and interviewing subjects and collect data from them in person, then do a writeup afterwards, is that considered leadership?

It would be leadership if you hired and supervised people to do the interviewing and data collection. 😀

What you have is a good research project. Label it as such and be proud of it. Not everyone has leadership experience and it isn't conisidered essential for admission (at some schools, research is almost a requirement).