Experiences

[infectiousdisease101]

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If you have multiple positions in one place, so you input it as one experience or several? For example, if you were an intern in a program for a class but stayed in it as a volunteer after the class was done?

Also, what if you went from research assistant to research associate?

 

[ODea]

I don't see why you'd choose one, I'd put everything you can so you can highlight your work

 

[infectiousdisease101]

Because they can see it as fluff.

 

[ODea]

Just highlight the most important parts if you're worried about it

 

[infectiousdisease101]

I read on an article on Accepted that they once had a rejected applicant because they had only 7 entries, but were strong on everything else. I want to enter as close to 15 as possible, but at the same time, do not want to look like I'm fluffing my experience section. That's why I am wondering would it do more damage than harm if I put two different entries if my position was different.

I would not be asking this here if I could find the answer elsewhere. I also hope the fact people have yet to reply is because it's a really good question.

 

[Catalystik]

If you have multiple positions in one place, so you input it as one experience or several? For example, if you were an intern in a program for a class but stayed in it as a volunteer after the class was done?

Also, what if you went from research assistant to research associate?

You would decide on a case by case basis. If the header information (Contact, location), activity description, and your role were fairly similar, you'd leave them in one space and describe your change in status/title/responsibility within the narrative space, so as to keep the connection between the two more clear. If you need a lot more space for description, you have a different contact for the second portion, and the total hours for each can stand on their own, you can split them out.

 

[infectiousdisease101]

You would decide on a case by case basis. If the header information (Contact, location), activity description, and your role were fairly similar, you'd leave them in one space and describe your change in status/title/responsibility within the narrative space, so as to keep the connection between the two more clear. If you need a lot more space for description, you have a different contact for the second portion, and the total hours for each can stand on their own, you can split them out.

At the same time, don't go too specific and talk about precisely what's different such as different such as experimental procedures or types of experiments ran between the two positions, correct?

If for example, as a research assistant, my main duties were assisting senior lab members with experiments until I accumulated the experience to work on my own. Then when I do get the experience and move up to research associate, get assigned my own project and work on it independently, that would be different enough to give them separate entries, correct?

 

[Catalystik]

At the same time, don't go too specific and talk about precisely what's different such as different such as experimental procedures or types of experiments ran between the two positions, correct?

If for example, as a research assistant, my main duties were assisting senior lab members with experiments until I accumulated the experience to work on my own. Then when I do get the experience and move up to research associate, get assigned my own project and work on it independently, that would be different enough to give them separate entries, correct?

You have the freedom to condense or expand on your experiences as you wish, but you'd probably want to describe your own project in more detail vs discussing techniques you'd learned while training by assisting others (which you might decide is less necessary and doesn't need much space).

 

[infectiousdisease101]

It's hard to talk about the project in detail with 700 characters. I am applying to MD-PhD, so that's what the research essay is for. I would just talk about other skills I acquired from working in these two positions. Any suggestions to my specific case?

 

[Catalystik]

It's hard to talk about the project in detail with 700 characters. I am applying to MD-PhD, so that's what the research essay is for. I would just talk about other skills I acquired from working in these two positions. Any suggestions to my specific case?

You can't assume that your PhD research essay will be accessible by the MD admissions folks (as the two admissions processes are generally run by different committees), so you'll want to give a broader overview in the AMCAS Activities section.

Designating a Research space as Most Meaningful will give you another 1325 characters above the usual 700 to share your story.