Experience before college

[Cashmeous]

Long time lurker here..

Sorry, not trying to be a special snowflake here. And yes, I've used the search button. I haven't been able to find an answer to this particular scenario.

I was wondering if something as significant as babysitting may be counted as an "experience" in the AMCAS application. This was never really a paid position because I would help my grandma with babysitting; you can't steal grandma's money like that. She's pretty poor, if I must so say, and my family is too, to be fair. I started babysitting when I was 9 years old, and I only stopped once in college (so about 10 years total). It totaled to around 20-30 hours per week (don't even know if what I did was legal, haha?). The experience has significantly influenced me; for one, I don't think I'd consider pediatrics, had I not babysat so much.

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[DokterMom]

Babysitting is not the kind of work experience that will earn you the respect of med school admissions committee members. (Though having done it, it sorta should...) Or did any of these children have chronic medical conditions or special needs? If you continue working with medically-fragile or developmentally disabled children through college, you can pull in your pre-college work experience and will get some credit

 

[xffan624]

Long time lurker here..

Sorry, not trying to be a special snowflake here. And yes, I've used the search button. I haven't been able to find an answer to this particular scenario.

I was wondering if something as significant as babysitting may be counted as an "experience" in the AMCAS application. This was never really a paid position because I would help my grandma with babysitting; you can't steal grandma's money like that. She's pretty poor, if I must so say, and my family is too, to be fair. I started babysitting when I was 9 years old, and I only stopped once in college (so about 10 years total). It totaled to around 20-30 hours per week (don't even know if what I did was legal, haha?). The experience has significantly influenced me; for one, I don't think I'd consider pediatrics, had I not babysat so much.

The general rule is things before college are not significant unless it involves an Olympic medal or a Nobel prize (i.e. hugely important achievement). Babysitting for your grandma, as important as it may have been to you doesn't qualify. You can still mention it in your PS if it plays into your motivation for medicine.

 

[Cashmeous]

Babysitting is not the kind of work experience that will earn you the respect of med school admissions committee members. (Though having done it, it sorta should...) Or did any of these children have chronic medical conditions or special needs? If you continue working with medically-fragile or developmentally disabled children through college, you can pull in your pre-college work experience and will get some credit

Hard to say. They weren't physically challenged; rather, like my own upbringing, they were quite financially. My grandma would usually have to sheepishly poke at their parents so that she could afford her rent (and run the "daycare").

The general rule is things before college are not significant unless it involves an Olympic medal or a Nobel prize (i.e. hugely important achievement). Babysitting for your grandma, as important as it may have been to you doesn't qualify. You can still mention it in your PS if it plays into your motivation for medicine.

Gotcha.

 

[LizzyM]

You were helping with the younger children but grandma was babysitting (supervising) you, too. I wouldn't recommend including it.

 

[Goro]

No...just no.

Long time lurker here..

Sorry, not trying to be a special snowflake here. And yes, I've used the search button. I haven't been able to find an answer to this particular scenario.

I was wondering if something as significant as babysitting may be counted as an "experience" in the AMCAS application. This was never really a paid position because I would help my grandma with babysitting; you can't steal grandma's money like that. She's pretty poor, if I must so say, and my family is too, to be fair. I started babysitting when I was 9 years old, and I only stopped once in college (so about 10 years total). It totaled to around 20-30 hours per week (don't even know if what I did was legal, haha?). The experience has significantly influenced me; for one, I don't think I'd consider pediatrics, had I not babysat so much.

 

[Cashmeous]

Thank you for the replies, all. Could this be brought up in an interview? For example, in response to, "What did you do as a child growing up?"

Thanks again.