How do you guys keep track of your daily activities/experiences for your AMCAS and secondaries?

[AlfonsTheGuru]

I'm going to be getting clinical hours on Monday, and I'm starting various extracurriculars. How do you guys keep track of everything you do to use 4 years down the road?

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[NotASerialKiller]

I opened a Word document and wrote things down. You can use my technique if you'd like but you'll have to pay royalties.

 

[697952]

I use Excel. I have a sheet for every activity and a line for every entry. I include the date, how many hours, and notes about what I did specifically. It makes it so much easier to add them all up later.

 

[restlessdriven]

I second what's been said above. For clinical activities, I also kept a journal and wrote down what I'd seen, interesting patient interactions, special cases (leaving out names and other identifying information of course) and any wisdom/advice I received from physicians for that day or shift. Pretty cool to look back on when you're applying and you can see how you've evolved as an aspiring physician.

 

[CaliforniaDreamer]

For all the people who put "Skills: Microsoft Excel" on their resumes, at least 90% of them are lying.

 

[allantois]

Oh, that pre-med volunteering for your own benefit

 

[raiderette]

Well my chapter asks us to report volunteer hours so I always kept track. For my clinical jobs I kept track of hours to compare with my paycheck. I have always worked so I record the awards, etc for my CV and resume. Even more important than recording hours is keeping updated contact information for organizations to use on the app. I wasted hours tracking down volunteer coordinators and references from employers.

 

[NorthOfBroad]

I think its more important to write down personal experinces for personal statement or AMCAS or even interviews. You can guestimate your activities that aren't officially logged, no one will care if did if you wrote down 120 hours for an activity if that's the best estimate. The activities aren't meant to rack up hours to impress a comittee, they are meant to help you decide/prove if a career in medicine is right for you.

 

[Dr.Sticks]

Linkedin
As for hours, at my current volunteer gig the hospital keeps track of that. When application time comes I'll probably just say x number of years
Or are you supposed to report hours?

 

[AlfonsTheGuru]

Linkedin
As for hours, at my current volunteer gig the hospital keeps track of that. When application time comes I'll probably just say x number of years
Or are you supposed to report hours?

I think hours is more appropriate and specific.

 

[Spector1]

Linkedin
As for hours, at my current volunteer gig the hospital keeps track of that. When application time comes I'll probably just say x number of years
Or are you supposed to report hours?

they often want both total hours and hours per week

 

[GCS-15]

I have a word document I started when I was in freshman year. Every quarter, I write about my involvements, memories, and those "ah ha" moments that were incredible and I just knew that medicine for me. Whatever I learn, and all the lessons I receive, I also write those down. I'm gonna be a senior and the document is almost 20 pages long. I would recommend something like this if you like to reflect once in a while and just think about the impact that your activities have on you.

 

[ConfusedChemist]

Oh, that pre-med volunteering for your own benefit

Just wait until 4yrs later when they'll claim that said volunteering 'inspired them to go into medicine'
Like they hadn't already decided

 

[Meeehai]

I did less for the sake of avoiding confusion .

 

[625233]

LinkedIn is a really good way to keep track, while also being an open door for potential opportunities. It's also good in the off chance adcoms do a search of your name on Google/LinkedIn to be able to confirm all your activities with the fact that your publicly showcasing them, giving the impression that your likely not lying about anything on your app (hopefully you wouldn't risk that anyway).

 

[Gandyy]

I have a word document I started when I was in freshman year. Every quarter, I write about my involvements, memories, and those "ah ha" moments that were incredible and I just knew that medicine for me. Whatever I learn, and all the lessons I receive, I also write those down. I'm gonna be a senior and the document is almost 20 pages long. I would recommend something like this if you like to reflect once in a while and just think about the impact that your activities have on you.

This is exactly what I did.