How many "experiences" do you have?

[andybshaker]

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Hi,

I plan on applying this June and was reading a bit about the AMCAS process. I read one post from a couple years ago where somebody said that they were having difficulty narrowing down their top 15 experiences, and it scared the bejesus out of me. I have about 1o really meaningful things that I can put down on the application, and I suppose I could get it to 15 if I really stretched the definition of experience, but I feel like that wouldn't go over well. Do admissions committees think less of those who don't fill the entire list? How many do plan on submitting? Thanks!

 

[TxC]

Quality > Quantity.

As long as your experiences are actually meaningful, you're fine.

I listed 12 experiences (I would not even call all of them meaningful) and I got 9 interview invites.

 

[sazerac]

I listed 14 activities. I only listed 2 as most significant activities (they each spanned 5-8 years).

I actually did have a 15th EC but it was such BS I couldn't even say it with a straight face to my LOR writers, so I got rid of it.

 

[toastytoastie]

I listed 14, with 3 being most significant (undergrad research, clinical volunteering/leadership, and my first shadowing experience). The classification system was stupid though--some of them really overlapped. For example, I had to create three separate entries falling under the research umbrella: one for my actual research, one for presenting my findings at various symposia, and one catch-all "awards" section that included grants/awards that received for my research.

 

[NickNaylor]

No, it doesn't matter if you fill the list up or not. In our application portal at least they aren't numbered, so you can't tell how many experiences are listed unless you actually count them (ain't nobody got time for that).

 

[HCHopeful]

I'll end up listing 9 (or 10 or 11) depending on if I want to discuss a certain scholarship I was awarded. I don't really know if that's a thing, so still debating! Otherwise I'll have 8 extracurriculars already done (with 100 hours+ each), and one with 750 hours in the future. I'll also have an accomplishments tab where I'll list all of the honor societies I have been accepted into on campus.

 

[Doctor Dream]

Just to clarify, when you're all saying experiences, you're talking about extra curricular activities right? Not listing like 10-15 specific experiences you want to talk about from your EC's

 

[HCHopeful]

Just to clarify, when you're all saying experiences, you're talking about extra curricular activities right? Not listing like 10-15 specific experiences you want to talk about from your EC's

I suppose it's one in the same. But yes, my "experiences" I'll be talking about from my extracurricular activities.

 

[wowsers]

Applying next cycle, I'll have 15. Many are catch all umbrellas, e.g., "clinical volunteering," that are split into sub activities. Maybe 2 categories aren't that significant but they mean a lot to me so I'm putting them

 

[Rogert]

For anyone who has worked multiple minimum wage jobs, did you list them all under one activity or split it up? Other than "I don't want to work in fast food/retail/manual labor for the rest of my life" and maybe some stuff about customer service, trying to wring something relevant out of that stuff seems like it would come across as trying too hard.

 

[PlaqueBuster]

I had 15 but then again that was because I had research assistant as 1 activity, conference attneded as 1 activity, and 2 publications as individual acitivities. You would be surprised what you can list in the 15 they provide. Look through the list and see if you have any experiences that mesh well with the category. And you do not need to fill up 15. It is recommended you have atleast above 8 (at least thats what my pre med advisor told me in ocllege)

 

[M12B]

I had 14 (with 3 marked as most significant).

Although I did have three separate large volunteer activities that I separated so that I could have space to explain them all as they were not typical volunteer experiences. Had I lumped them together under a generic "volunteering" umbrella activity I would have only had 12.

For anyone who has worked multiple minimum wage jobs, did you list them all under one activity or split it up? Other than "I don't want to work in fast food/retail/manual labor for the rest of my life" and maybe some stuff about customer service, trying to wring something relevant out of that stuff seems like it would come across as trying too hard.

I also had 3 work experiences that I separated due to the nature of the activities. One was a job working with children from high school and into college. The next was my job as a TA/Tutor in school, and I made it its own activity because I chose to make it one of my most meaningful. The third was my work experience at a medical practice during my gap years (total of 3 gap years). If you're talking multiple minimum wage jobs with no relevance to medicine/healthcare, I would lump them all together.

So had I lumped all of my work together into 1 (as well as my volunteering into 1) I would have only had 10. I think 8, 9, 10, or less is perfectly fine! I only split mine because I wanted to explain each separately etc.

 

[Rogert]

I had 14 (with 3 marked as most significant).

Although I did have three separate large volunteer activities that I separated so that I could have space to explain them all as they were not typical volunteer experiences. Had I lumped them together under a generic "volunteering" umbrella activity I would have only had 12.



I also had 3 work experiences that I separated due to the nature of the activities. One was a job working with children from high school and into college. The next was my job as a TA/Tutor in school, and I made it its own activity because I chose to make it one of my most meaningful. The third was my work experience at a medical practice during my gap years (total of 3 gap years). If you're talking multiple minimum wage jobs with no relevance to medicine/healthcare, I would lump them all together.

So had I lumped all of my work together into 1 (as well as my volunteering into 1) I would have only had 10. I think 8, 9, 10, or less is perfectly fine! I only split mine because I wanted to explain each separately etc.

Those jobs all seem reasonable to seperate. I was just talking about fry cook/stock boy/guy who lifts heavy things type jobs.

ETA: Reread your post. You did talk about those types. Oops.

 

[M12B]

Those jobs all seem reasonable to seperate. I was just talking about fry cook/stock boy/guy who lifts heavy things type jobs.

I would lump those you listed above together into 1 then.