Double Dipping?

[ckd816]

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Hey everyone,

I posted recently because I am starting my first experience with research and I wanted to know if my specific case would count as vet experience. Now that I know most of you think it should be listed that way, I have a question about possible double dipping on VMCAS. I have the ability to get credits for this experience through an internship course at my school. It's not an actual class I would have to attend, but I just get a grade for the work I will do in the lab. That way I can count the hours towards my degree as an upper division lab course, which would mean I could drop one of my other fall classes that I was originally in to fulfill that requirement. This would be great because it would give me more time that I can devote to the lab work and gaining other experiences during the semester. However, I'm now worried that this would be considered double dipping on my application because I would technically be listing it as part of my coursework as well as in my vet experience. 🙁 Has anyone else had a predicament like this in the past? 😕

Thanks!! 😀

 

[nyanko]

Include all relevant experiences, whether they are voluntary, paid, or academic experiences, beginning with the most recent.

I interpret the "academic" part of that as meaning it's okay.

 

[twelvetigers]

I wouldn't worry about that. The only thing that is a big no-no on VMCAS is listing the same experience under two different areas, like both vet and work experience. Things that are taken for credits but are vet experience can be listed as courses and still count in the experience section. I did a pre-vet internship, and I'm putting that in experience even though I got 3 credits out of it too.

 

[ckd816]

I interpret the "academic" part of that as meaning it's okay.

Nice! Thanks so much... I feel dumb that I didn't even think to look at the explicit VMCAS instructions! 😳

 

[stick91]

My senior thesis was all research based and I got course credit for it (and listed it as a course for senior year) as well as listed it under vet experience on the VMCAS app, so you should be just fine!

 

[243784]

I have a similar "double-dipping" question --

I have some cases where I have been employed by one person but had multiple responsibilities. For example, I work at a vet clinic and am a receptionist and a technician. I also work for a researcher where I have been scheduling coordinator and a regular lab employee, but I have also done a whole lot on a completely separate study for him.

So, could I list receptionist and technician, then lab assistant/scheduler and the research project as 4 separate entries (as long as I don't double hours) so I can at least give a decent account of what I got out of each?

Thanks!!

(p.s. sorry if there was a thread that answered this question -- I searched, but searching for the words "experiences", "double", "multiple" etc gave me zillions of results and I couldn't find one that matched!)

 

[twelvetigers]

I would list the receptionist and technician stuff all as one under vet experience. I work at a small clinic, so I do all the usual tech stuff, plus I clean kennels, answer phones, greet our clients, etc... I think that reception work is a big part of seeing what veterinary medicine is all about (dealing with people!) so I would just lump it together and call it good.

Anyone disagree?

As for the other thing, well... if it was two separate projects then you should list it as such, I guess.

 

[243784]

Thanks, that's kind of what I was thinking -- it wasn't as hard to fit the receptionist/tech stuff together after all. But the research thing I definitely need to explain more for both parts!

 

[nyanko]

I actually disagree on the research experience. If you were working for the same person/lab I would list it all under the same entry. If I listed each research project I'd worked on in our lab separately I'd have to list about 10. I know other graduate students feel the same. 🙄

You don't need to write a novel about each experience in the description of duties section. Be succinct, try to hit upon as many different points as you can, and if the experience was important to you incorporate it into your personal statement or supplemental essays somehow.