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I would not count the hours you were sleeping, even though you were on site.
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Great tips for entering your "Work/Activities" for AMCAS
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Molto grazie, Cat. Thank you for easing my rattled mind.
Hi everyone, I'm new to this, so bear with me (I've read much of the thread but still have some questions).
Catalystik, thanks for all your great answers and help! May I ask you a question?
I began shadowing a physician, which later turned into a volunteer position, which later turned into a paid-position at the clinic. Haha, so as you may imagine my dilemna... how would you suggest I indicate this on the application?
Thanks so much for your help!
Catalystik, thanks for all your great answers and help! May I ask you a question?
I began shadowing a physician, which later turned into a volunteer position, which later turned into a paid-position at the clinic. Haha, so as you may imagine my dilemna... how would you suggest I indicate this on the application?
Thanks so much for your help!
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I went back to China to visit relatives for a summer... should that be listed so they know at least what i did?
I would try list the shadowing separately (under Other) to be sure it's noticed.
It would be easiest if you have plenty of space, as you could further divide the volunteering-clinical/medical and the employment-nonmilitary into two Experiences (being sure to name the employment something that is clearly clinical in nature, so as to catch the eye). If the shadowing is so intwined with the other experience as to be impossible to carve out, then be sure to name the activities with "Shadowing"/XXXXXXX in each name (then in the narrative try to estimate hours or percent of the time that was shadowing).
If space is limited, you could list the clinical experience under Other, then name it Clinical Experience/Volunteer, then Employment," explaining in the narrative how that came to be.
Or, you could list it under Volunteer-Medical/Clinical, putting the dates for the volunteering-only in the header with hours per week. Then in the narrative discuss the progression into a paid position and there putting the dates of employment and hours per week. I'd do this if the employment has been of brief duration.
There's no one right way to do it. These are just some ideas.
It's fine to list a travel experience under Other.
For my hobbies/EC, I really enjoy and very well informed on Computers(Software/Hardware), assembling them and web design. Also, I work on racecar engines, etc and know how to build an engine. My father and I also spend many years drag racing at a local race track. Should I put all of this in one box? Or Should I try to do the computers and webdesign into one, and the mechanic/drag racing into another. I am having trouble finding enough stuff to meaningfully add to use more boxes.
So far I have 6.
1. Hobbies/EC: Mechanic, Computers
2. Shadowing At Mease Countryside and Dunedin: (The same two doctors(both Anesthesiologists) for 30-40+ hours)
3. Shadowing At Morton Plant, Ortho Surg Center: (Other doctors(EM, Internal, Ortho Surgeon)
4. Volunteering at Hospital: (Clinical, hospital experience)
5. Volunteering at Pizzo Elementary/F od Bank: (Speaking for Leadership, and community outreach, et al)
6. Dr. Chen Lab work:
So far I have 6.
1. Hobbies/EC: Mechanic, Computers
2. Shadowing At Mease Countryside and Dunedin: (The same two doctors(both Anesthesiologists) for 30-40+ hours)
3. Shadowing At Morton Plant, Ortho Surg Center: (Other doctors(EM, Internal, Ortho Surgeon)
4. Volunteering at Hospital: (Clinical, hospital experience)
5. Volunteering at Pizzo Elementary/F od Bank: (Speaking for Leadership, and community outreach, et al)
6. Dr. Chen Lab work:
Catalystik,
Also, if I may ask, I held numerous positions in my fraternity (most notably, Community Service Chair and President). Would I indicate these two positions twice?
Or should I just make one heading for my fraternity - in Experience Name, type in the name of my fraternity and in Experience Description, list the positions held?
Thanks again for all of your help!
Also, if I may ask, I held numerous positions in my fraternity (most notably, Community Service Chair and President). Would I indicate these two positions twice?
Or should I just make one heading for my fraternity - in Experience Name, type in the name of my fraternity and in Experience Description, list the positions held?
Thanks again for all of your help!
sorry to bring this back but how exactly do i fill out the Contacts section for this?? seeing as I there are potentially 3 here and they only give room for 1.
Name the activity Fraternity Leadership, then descibe the two postions.
I think that using two boxes would be appropriate considering the intensity of involvement for each activity.
Don't put the contact in the header. Put it within the narrative after each activity.
Question:
I volunteered in high school, approx 100 hours, at homeless shelters and convalescent homes. I dont think we should mention this on the app, but I would like to get input on this.
Fyi, I did not continue volunteering at these specific locations during college...
Thanks!
I volunteered in high school, approx 100 hours, at homeless shelters and convalescent homes. I dont think we should mention this on the app, but I would like to get input on this.
Fyi, I did not continue volunteering at these specific locations during college...
Thanks!
It would be fine to work it into your Personal Statement, but it shouldn't be in the Experiences section.
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I'm typing up my research experience and one of my projects evolved out of a publication (not from my lab but from my school) which implicated a gene in causing PLS. My project and results basically refute the initial paper....should I put in a reference to the initial paper (like PMID# depth of referencing) or just mention it?
I would just mention it.
That's fine, but for on-site jobs, you wouldn't include the hours you sleep if you prefer to enumerate them, anyway.
I have a question about a shadowing position I want to include in my AMCAS
I have started shadowing an ENT doctor yesterday (I havent submitted my app yet and will probably do so next week)
I am not really sure what to write for the description. Isnt all shadowing just following and observing the doctor?
Do I describe the type of doctor he is and why I chose to shadow him?
There is just not much to write about that is coming to mind..
I have started shadowing an ENT doctor yesterday (I havent submitted my app yet and will probably do so next week)
I am not really sure what to write for the description. Isnt all shadowing just following and observing the doctor?
Do I describe the type of doctor he is and why I chose to shadow him?
There is just not much to write about that is coming to mind..
Shadowing doesn't require description. List it under Other. Put the dates from 6/10 to present. Give name and contact info for the doc or the practice, and the specialty. Don't put the number of hours: Save that for an update letter. Hopefully you'll have andother 1-2 doc's worth of shadowing to report on eventually.
i did a semester of bio research, as an indepedent study for credit. Should I include specifics of what I did and what results showed, or just the basics (i.e. experimental question, that i gave a poster pres, techniques used) ....this is the only research i did as i'm more interested in clinical stuff.
I was involved in a community service organization all 4 years of undergrad. During the last 2 years, I assumed a leadership position. Should I list this as two separate experiences (first 2 years as comm service - non clinical and last 2 years as leadership) or just one experience? I had a different role (and title) when I assumed the leadership position.
This organization taught health education in public high schools in NYC. Would this be considered Community Service - Not Medical/Clinical, Teaching, or Medical/Clinical assuming I don't list it as leadership?
This organization taught health education in public high schools in NYC. Would this be considered Community Service - Not Medical/Clinical, Teaching, or Medical/Clinical assuming I don't list it as leadership?
The research description is one place where being more detailed might be helpful for institutions that have more research emphasis (if any). After a more generic introductory paragraph simplified to be comprehensible to even a nonscience reader, you can get into the details if you wish. If you prefer not to be grilled on the minutia of your project and your understanding of it, then avoid the detailed paragraph.
If you did a poster presentation, for a regional or national conference, you might consider listing it under the Presentation/Posters category, too.
This sounds like an excellent community service-not medical/clinical. You can list it either way, depending on how you need to balance your application. Whether you choose Teaching or Community Service, be sure the name you give the experience makes clear it covered both labels. Like "Volunteer Teacher for Health Education."
Preferably, I'd split it into two listings, one for the Leadership and one for the general membership years, if you have the space. Both sound pretty meaty. If you must put it all in one space, then put the separate date span for when you assumed a leadership role and describe how you moved up in responsibility.
Thanks! I was also a research tutor for an autism research program in which I tutored an autistic child using an experimental curriculum. This was a paid experience. Would I list this as Paid Employment, Teaching/Tutoring, or Research/Lab? In general, if something is paid does it have to be listed as payed employment?
Right now I work full time as a Clinical Research Coordinator. I'm paid but I listed it as Research. Is that wrong?
1) Did you come up with a hypothesis, design the study, decide what measures would determine if the new curriculum is more effective, author the experimental curriculum, or have any input into these processes? If published would you be a coauthor? If no, and you were hired to utilize someone else's curriculm, I'd list it as either Employment-Nonmilitary, or Teaching; you get the choice depending on what would balance your application more.
2) Again, you get a choice. Many entries have more than one possible designation. If some other classification suits your paid emplyment teaching, leadership, artistic endeavors), you can choose it instead.
3) It depends on what you mean by a 'research coordinator.' Some of them hire/recruit other folks to gather data, make sure a lab has the supplies it needs, organizes meetings so teams discuss their findings, works with the PI and types out his proposals to win grant money, works with pharmaceutical companies to get the medications being tested, etc. Others use that term to mean a person who calls the patients to get the data directly, utilizes a team of undergrads to perform assays/studies, but then puts together and analyzes the data to reach a conclusion. So I can't tell if what you're doing is "Research," but if it's something like the second list, you probably are.
If one is doing research, whether paid, for credit, or volunteer, it should always be listed under Research.
If I haven't answered your question, give me more information.
so do we actually have to write the total number of hours in the description or something for say, volunteering at a hospital or any other experiences?. I see it as superfluous since they ask you for hours/week and length of work. I mean, I could usually estimate the amount of time per week I do so something but if I've been doing it for months, I don't know for certain what my total hours are.What do I put for things I do once a month in the hours/week section?
If that is already on your personal statement , I assume you shouldn't repeat on your the research section of the work experience/activities right?
LizzyM mentioned that travel is worth putting as an activity, especially if done in the summer as it shows how you spent your time. But how should we describe this activity? I go to India (all over the country) every three years for the summer, but just to see relatives and do sightseeing. Should I just put this or be more specific on what cities/wonders that I have visited?
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Yes, if a generic description is already in your personal statement, then in the Research narrative, jump right into the good stuff.
If there's a lot of detail in the PS that would be incomprehensible to a nonscience PS reader, then maybe tone it down further in the PS and put it in Research, where it belongs. Recall that the PS is supposed to be about your journey toward medicine as a career.
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No, you don't have to list the total hours in the narrative in this situation, but if it would be difficult for you to multiply out in your head, then it would be for others also, so it might be best to calculate it for the reader, who might not have the time to figure it out.
2) You don't have to fill in the hours/week space. Or you could just estimate what it would be if averaged out over the time span indicated, to the best of your ability. In the narrative explain the variation in time commitment.
You can do it either way. If you are passionate about travel experiences, let that show through in your words of description. It makes a good interview topic where you can discuss the activity as an expert without worrying about whether you are right or wrong. Be sure to save some of the detail to talk about later.
Questions about my Research experiences:
For work/activities, I will be creating separate entries for:
1.) the Research experience itself.
2.)Publication
3.)Poster
4.)Presentation
How should I describe each of the actvities. Should I talk about what I got out of the experience in the main research entry or what the research is about? Also, should I explain each publication/poster/presentation in terms of what I got out of it or what it's about or don't explain it at all?
I appreciate any help.
For work/activities, I will be creating separate entries for:
1.) the Research experience itself.
2.)Publication
3.)Poster
4.)Presentation
How should I describe each of the actvities. Should I talk about what I got out of the experience in the main research entry or what the research is about? Also, should I explain each publication/poster/presentation in terms of what I got out of it or what it's about or don't explain it at all?
I appreciate any help.
Hey everyone, first time poster here.
My baby brother was born the summer between my freshman and sophomore years. I came back home sophomore year to help take care of him (I took courses at community college sophomore year), then returned back to my university my junior year. I continue to go back home on the weekends to help babysit.
Should I list this? And should I count hours spent watching TV while he's asleep in my arms?
Thanks 🙂
My baby brother was born the summer between my freshman and sophomore years. I came back home sophomore year to help take care of him (I took courses at community college sophomore year), then returned back to my university my junior year. I continue to go back home on the weekends to help babysit.
Should I list this? And should I count hours spent watching TV while he's asleep in my arms?
Thanks 🙂
No but this is something to talk about in the PS or secondary essays and definitely worth mentioning in an essay. Not in an activity.
I know we are supposed to list publications and posters exactly as they were published, however a lot of mine have hormone names with the greek letters alpha and beta in them. Is it OK to write out alpha or beta, or to write a- and b- (as they're sometimes written)?
Expound as you wish in the Research section. Publication and Poster shouldn't need much description since the Research narrative took care of that.
Either spell them out, or figure out what keyboard combination causes the greek letters to print out.
I plan on creating a separate listing for "Hobbies" (is this okay)? In one of the hobbies, I was the captain of an intramural team. Can this be counted as leadership? If so, how would I categorize the "hobbies" listing because I have more hobbies but none of the others consist of leadership.
Hi all,
I've gone through earlier posts and gotten kind of a mixed bag of opinions on whether to include a line or two when entering work/activities on what you learned or took away from the experience. By learn, I mean more along the lines of "Developed public speaking and presentation skills" or "Gained exposure to diagnostic tests in ophthalmic practice"
One of my MCAT instructors who also does application advising said it's a good idea to include some mention of what you learned. Any opinions either way? Thanks!
I've gone through earlier posts and gotten kind of a mixed bag of opinions on whether to include a line or two when entering work/activities on what you learned or took away from the experience. By learn, I mean more along the lines of "Developed public speaking and presentation skills" or "Gained exposure to diagnostic tests in ophthalmic practice"
One of my MCAT instructors who also does application advising said it's a good idea to include some mention of what you learned. Any opinions either way? Thanks!
I included what I gained out of an experience in mine after saying what I did. And it is a good idea but some people are good by just putting what they did and able to market themselves well.
I say do what you think will market yourself better. For one of them where I did not have a lot to say I did not include it but for most of the rest I did.
I do think its a good idea to include it but go with your gut and write these descriptions in a way you can best market yourself to a school. that's what I tell people to do. For some bullet points is enough and for others it is not.
Are we supposed to total our hours in the description area for all activities? Or will they do that for us based on the hrs/week that we put in? I know that for some of the things I grouped together it would be helpful to total the amount of hours worked at each place, but if it was an entry like "EMT-Basic" and I put 5 hours a week from September to May, should I write the total hours spent in the description area?
They will not total if for you. It's best if you do it if it isn't easy to calculate in your head from seeing the hours per week in the header.
Captain of a team is leadership. It would be fine to list that activity separately from the rest of your hobbies.
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I have several questions:
1) For shadowing...what do I list as dates...I have done some shadowing starting in high school all the way up to recently...so not sure how to list dates where you are required to put them.
2)Do I have to put a contact for every entry? For example, I have a few EC's, etc that it seems pointless to put a contact for.
3) Should I be listing hours/wk for every experience, or if not, at least total hours? Some of these things, again, many of the EC's would be hard to put hours for.
1) For shadowing...what do I list as dates...I have done some shadowing starting in high school all the way up to recently...so not sure how to list dates where you are required to put them.
2)Do I have to put a contact for every entry? For example, I have a few EC's, etc that it seems pointless to put a contact for.
3) Should I be listing hours/wk for every experience, or if not, at least total hours? Some of these things, again, many of the EC's would be hard to put hours for.
Is it worth mentioning future activities such as shadowing another physician or volunteer activities that are not expected to begin until after the primary app is submitted? Should it be listed in the activities section? If I am to become a certified RN in may 2011, how could I include this on the application?
For random volunteer experiences that were one or two times only for like 10 hours, should I create an "other volunteer work" activity and then explain all of the different ones in the description?
Can I say I know spanish if my skills are only 'meh'? I took 3 years, I can still communicate fairly well, but I don't want to fool them into thinking I'm a fluent or anything. How could I include this?
Also, Is it ever appropriate to mention high school achievements? I did get one scholarship that involved doing some novel research that got presented at a epidemiology conference. Sadly, the thing is that I don't have a whole lot of great activities to list from undergrad.
Thank you!
😕
For random volunteer experiences that were one or two times only for like 10 hours, should I create an "other volunteer work" activity and then explain all of the different ones in the description?
Can I say I know spanish if my skills are only 'meh'? I took 3 years, I can still communicate fairly well, but I don't want to fool them into thinking I'm a fluent or anything. How could I include this?
Also, Is it ever appropriate to mention high school achievements? I did get one scholarship that involved doing some novel research that got presented at a epidemiology conference. Sadly, the thing is that I don't have a whole lot of great activities to list from undergrad.
Thank you!
😕
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I'm been keeping all my EC descriptions in resume format, and under 250 characters. However, one of my entries in research that is pretty unique, and it involves various projects. It takes me almost 900 characters to explain the projects (since they wouldn't be understood otherwise). Is that ok, or should I try to trim more? In the description, I basically gave a general overview of the research and then detailed the various projects (I didn't talk about why it means so much to me, how it gave me a great epiphany about medicine, etc). Will it look weird if all my other entries are fairly short but this is really long?
Also, I have worked in various research gigs, and have compiled a few posters/presentations on projects that covers a variety of fields. Is it best to lump them all in one section and cite them all in the description (with name, title, conference, date format) -- though that will also use up a lot of characters?
Also, I have worked in various research gigs, and have compiled a few posters/presentations on projects that covers a variety of fields. Is it best to lump them all in one section and cite them all in the description (with name, title, conference, date format) -- though that will also use up a lot of characters?
That should be fine and even if you used more then 250 characters on the other ones it is fine. Whatever you do make sure it explains your activities well and explains it in a way that markets yourself the best you can. If you prefer to do it resume format then do it that way otherwise tell what you learned and write mini essays. depending on where you apply there are adcoms that like it one way and others that like it the other way.
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