How specific should I be when describing work experience?

[Waldcayut]

---

Members don't see this ad.

U

 

[Catalystik]

When I apply in the upcoming cycle (2018-2019), I will have over 2000 hours as a CNA in a skilled hospice inpatient facility. We get the worst of the worst as far as terminal agitation, pain, etc. Much of my job is dealing with the patients of course, but also we deal A LOT with the family. I have a lot of experience educating the family on end of life symptoms, kind of walking them through it and being there for them while it happens, even breaking the news of death to family members. We have an attending family medicine physician who comes in daily to do rounds on each patient in the facility and he has agreed to write me a letter and I follow him on rounds every day that I work as a little extra shadowing experience. I even think I'd love to be involved in hospice and palliative medicine in some capacity someday.

I really feel like this experience has given me experience in multiple areas. Exposure to medicine (especially palliative and how many symptoms of terminal conditions are controlled), leadership from patient and family education, clinical experience. Because it really has encompassed so much for me, I am unsure on how I should word my description come application time. I want to be prepared and really have it nailed down. Any ideas on how to really get across how extensive I believe my work experience has been in preparing me to go into medicine?

Since you have a lot to say about this important experience, consider designating this clinical work activity as Most Meaningful on the AMCAS application, which gives you an additional 1325 characters for description, in addition to the usual 700. Beyond the job description, your role, and skills learned, you'd then have plenty of space for impact, personal growth, and future direction.

To give yourself yet more space, consider splitting out the physician shadowing and listing it and its separate hours on its own in a Shadowing space with any other shadowing you might accumulate. Try to keep track of that time in a log so you won't have to guess.

As to how to word it, you've done fine here. Write multiple drafts and when you are happy with it, run it by some writing experts for critique (English teacher, premed advisor, writing center aides, etc). Be sure to keep the tone humble.