Application questions

[cablen64k]

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I had two EC questions for you all:

1. When I was in HS, I volunteered a lot, at least 1000 hours, over my 4 years, mostly at 2 different hospitals. I worked as a surgery department assistant in one, and an escort and delivery person in the other. Since I volunteered so much in HS, I decided to focus on research in college, so I've done 3 summers of research and 6 months in an er doing research during the semester. But, I've done no real volunteer work in college besides community service projects interspersed through my last few years. What should i do on the AMCAS? Should I report all my HS volunteer work? All that work was really important to me since it showed me the stuff doctors do and how hospitals work.

2. On a similar vein, I never officially shadowed a doctor, but I have followed around my parents (doctors) on hospital rounds hundreds of times over the years. Also, I worked in their offices for the last 6 years. I assume this stuff doesn't go in, even though it was essentially extensive shadowing experience, right?

Thanks a lot for the help.

 

[nick_carraway]

You are technically not allowed to report anything you did in HS. Because you did so much, however, I'd add the info to a blurb on your current research. That way you mention it in the context of university work, but don't really waste the adcoms' time.

 

[RL536]

It has been my impression that you can't list anything from HS in the extra curricular section of your AMCAS application. That being said, however, you will find other ways to make sure it's mentioned along the way, whether it's in your secondaries, your interviews, a letter of recommendation, etc. Also, I guess your HS volunteer experience is significant, but I would be wary about it, since HS is a totally different ball game than college, and is considered as such by all graduate programs, including med school. If everyone mentioned HS activities, well, that would be absolutely ridiculous for adcoms to possibly get through. Just keep in mind how focusing, or even highlighting, highschool activities may come across...

 

[Mobius1985]

I agree that HS experience has no place on the AMCAS Experiences section, but you should mention it in the Personal Statement as part of your journey toward deciding to go into medicine. It's fine to list shadowing experience with physician parents under "Other." If you worked in their offices, put it under employment, and specifically mention patient contact you had among your other duties. If the work was volunteer, list it under "Volunteer." The six months of ER research should be listed under "Research," but make it clear that you had contact with patients during the experience (if true) as it also would be looked at as clinical experience.

 

[cablen64k]

I agree that HS experience has no place on the AMCAS Experiences section, but you should mention it in the Personal Statement as part of your journey toward deciding to go into medicine. It's fine to list shadowing experience with physician parents under "Other." If you worked in their offices, put it under employment, and specifically mention patient contact you had among your other duties. If the work was volunteer, list it under "Volunteer." The six months of ER research should be listed under "Research," but make it clear that you had contact with patients during the experience (if true) as it also would be looked at as clinical experience.

Wow thanks for all the input guys. My Personal Statement has tons of info about how volunteering got me on the track to med school, and also I talke about following my parents around. I was a paid worker at my parents offices, and I did interact with patients a great deal. And in the ER research, I was constantly discussing studies with patients, so I had lots of interactions. So, I guess the take home message is, don't mention the HS volunteering in AMCAS experiences, but talks about it in my PS and in other places? The reason I didn't volunteer in college is because I did all the low level stuff (transporting patients, answering phone calls, setting up surgery trays) in high school, and in college I wanted to do cooler stuff (watch procedures / surgeries, interact with patients more), so I did research instead.