HS Activities Not Recommended on AMCAS app., But...

[johncalvin]

I know that one should not put HS activities/jobs on the AMCAS app. unless it's medically related, but...

I actually used to be a very shy person--I once actually dreamed of an lab/desk job....

Until I begin working at a local computer sales/repair shop. Dealing with random people all the time (most of them were very angry btw) provided me with the confidence that I would be able to properly deal with jobs that required human interaction.

Combine that sense of confidence with my love of science, and voila, I felt more confident applying to medical school.

Should I include this employment in AMCAS? I think its far too long ago to include in my PS. Any thoughts?

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[whoisthedrizzle]

If it significantly influenced your decision to pursue medicine, you should mention it in the PS. I would not include it in your AMCAS activities.

 

[SnarkyMD]

Agreed. Do not put it in your AMCAS; they say stick to college level extracurriculars for a reason. Everyone loves to think they're the exception, but the truth is, they're not.

It clearly holds some weight for you, however, so if it was so monumental, why aren't you including it in your personal statement? Nothing is too far back - I included experiences from my High school in my PS, and I've known folks to included things from kindergarten.

 

[apumic]

To be honest, most people have experiences similar to yours and many, many people blossom in high school or college. Certainly, a first job is a major developmental step, but I don't really think it merits a lot of attention in your PS (maybe a mention but don't place it in your AMCAS or make it the center point of your PS). There have likely been even larger points of development since then (or there will be soon enough during college). Also, it is the fruits of that experience that matter. That is, if you grew out of that, you have likely done more service-oriented jobs since then that have solidified those skills. I'd suggest focusing on what you have learned since then. Focus on more recent things. HS never happened once you hit sophomore year of college. It simply doesn't matter, so I wouldn't bother going that far back.

 

[musings]

To be honest, most people have experiences similar to yours and many, many people blossom in high school or college. Certainly, a first job is a major developmental step, but I don't really think it merits a lot of attention in your PS (maybe a mention but don't place it in your AMCAS or make it the center point of your PS). There have likely been even larger points of development since then (or there will be soon enough during college). Also, it is the fruits of that experience that matter. That is, if you grew out of that, you have likely done more service-oriented jobs since then that have solidified those skills. I'd suggest focusing on what you have learned since then. Focus on more recent things. HS never happened once you hit sophomore year of college. It simply doesn't matter, so I wouldn't bother going that far back.

I do not agree that HS never happened once one hits sophomore year of college. I think personal growth is something that is extremely important. This poster may have decided to do more medically related things in college because of his HS experience.

If you are currently in college, you're probably 20/21/22 right now. Personal growth has not only happened in college, it has happened in the 17/18/19 other years of your life as well!

While I agree that a high school experience may not have a place on the activities portion of the amcas app. This comes from my reasoning that the activities portion is more to share your responsibilities and actions. I think this experience may function more as say, a great role model or a grandmother who changed your life. I see nothing wrong as using this as something substantial in your personal statement.

 

[flip26]

I know that one should not put HS activities/jobs on the AMCAS app. unless it's medically related, but...

Umm, where do you get that exception from? What medically related ECs do you, or do you suppose some other high schooler, has had that is worthy of inclusion on the AMCAS?

Including high school activities, even medically related ones like shadowing or cleaning bed pans, is a red flag. Leave high school out of your activities and you will never be wrong...

 

[johncalvin]

Umm, where do you get that exception from? What medically related ECs do you, or do you suppose some other high schooler, has had that is worthy of inclusion on the AMCAS?

Including high school activities, even medically related ones like shadowing or cleaning bed pans, is a red flag. Leave high school out of your activities and you will never be wrong...

I get that exception from everything everyone has said on the Work/Activities thread....

Continuing activities from high school through college shows commitment...

 

[flip26]

I get that exception from everything everyone has said on the Work/Activities thread....

Continuing activities from high school through college shows commitment...

No, it shows desperation to pad your activities - the key is "continuous" meaning without a break, and what most people seem to want to include is the candy striper high school service gig in 10th grade to go along with the bed pan duty done during the junior year of college in order to boost their hours...read the AMCAS PDF and instructions very carefully on what to include in the activities section of the app, with particular respect to "when" you did these activities...be very careful taking your cues from the collective wisdom of other premeds on the work/activities thread...

And if you have been reading that thread, why are you here asking your question about a job you had in high school...clearly you got the impression that it is not kosher to list it...hoping for a different answer?

 

[dw2158]

I get that exception from everything everyone has said on the Work/Activities thread....

Continuing activities from high school through college shows commitment...

medically related =/= continued into college. yes, if you continued it into college and it was still meaningful it can go on AMCAS. but a medically related high-school-only activity does not belong on AMCAS.

 

[flip26]

medically related =/= continued into college. yes, if you continued it into college and it was still meaningful it can go on AMCAS. but a medically related high-school-only activity does not belong on AMCAS.

I agree with this.

To me, including anything from high school smacks of desperation and/or padding of hours...your college, or post college ECs, are what matters in this process.

 

[Omni]

I'm assuming (hoping) that you can write stuff on AMCAS if it is an activity you started in high school and continued doing for a significant time during your collegel career. For example, I started EMS towards the end of high school and I'm continuing with it. So far, I've racked up around 500-600 hours of community service/volunteer with them. But I'm not sure if I'll have to break down those hours and say that X of them were during college and Y of them were during HS.

 

[flip26]

I'm assuming (hoping) that you can write stuff on AMCAS if it is an activity you started in high school and continued doing for a significant time during your collegel career. For example, I started EMS towards the end of high school and I'm continuing with it. So far, I've racked up around 500-600 hours of community service/volunteer with them. But I'm not sure if I'll have to break down those hours and say that X of them were during college and Y of them were during HS.

Your example is one of the few exceptions that should be OK to list with a high school start date. It is continuous, and it is significant and relevant.

What you need to be very aware of is the need to have other kinds of activities, too. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that this EMT deal has you covered on clinical exposure - it doesn't.

 

[Omni]

Your example is one of the few exceptions that should be OK to list with a high school start date. It is continuous, and it is significant and relevant.

What you need to be very aware of is the need to have other kinds of activities, too. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that this EMT deal has you covered on clinical exposure - it doesn't.

oh, of course not. I'm still going to put in 100 hours of shadowing a few different doctors.
Also, I have other things, such as leadership and membership to honors societies, etc. etc. to buff me aup a bit.

 

[Ignition]

Hello everyone,

I am currently a rising senior and am participating in this app cycle.

I had a similar question. When I was a senior in high school I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to coordinate and champion the passage of a state law that required all driver ed schools to give 30 minutes of organ donation education to students passing through their classes. Based on statistics from independent non-profit organizations, this legislation is believed to have contributed significantly to a 5 percentage point increase in the donor designation rate of my state since it was enacted.

The entire lobbying and legislative process lasted about a year and finished in the summer between high school and college. Therefore, it could be viewed as an isolated activity that occurred solely in high school.

Ultimately I decided to place this activity on my list of AMCAS activities for the following reasons:

1) The bill was about a medical issue (organ donation);

2) The bill has lead to most of my most substantial college extracurricular activities and leadership positions;

3) It was what I believe to be my most significant accomplishment to date.

I also talked about the exciting experience I had with this in my PS.

Do you think med schools will question my judgment in placing this activity on my AMCAS application? Should I be prepared to justify such a decision in any interviews that I may be fortunate to receive? Just to be clear, I have continued similar activities in college (as well as sought new extracurricular experiences), and have placed these activities/accomplishments/awards on the AMCAS application also.

Thank you very much for your kind assistance.

 

[Heplayer92]

I know this thread is old, but I have a similar question!

My shadowing hours (100+) are all from high school for a Health Sciences course. I have no formal shadowing hours from college, besides from my clinical volunteering (which is "double-dipping" and frowned upon I guess).

Would that still not be allowed on AMCAS? I pretty much want them to know that I do have shadowing experience and I learned a lot from it, but it was just from high school.

Thanks all

 

[LizzyM]

I know this thread is old, but I have a similar question!

My shadowing hours (100+) are all from high school for a Health Sciences course. I have no formal shadowing hours from college, besides from my clinical volunteering (which is "double-dipping" and frowned upon I guess).

Would that still not be allowed on AMCAS? I pretty much want them to know that I do have shadowing experience and I learned a lot from it, but it was just from high school.

Thanks all

There is no law against listing it. Some people might ask, "what have you done recently?" but if you shadowed in HS, got an idea of what medicine is all about, and then have gone on to have other experiences to build on the idea of a career in medicine and you are a traditional student, I don't see the problem.

 

[Heplayer92]

There is no law against listing it. Some people might ask, "what have you done recently?" but if you shadowed in HS, got an idea of what medicine is all about, and then have gone on to have other experiences to build on the idea of a career in medicine and you are a traditional student, I don't see the problem.

That's very comforting LizzyM, thank you very much! I do some shadowing at a clinic that I volunteer at, but I do not want to "double-dip" since I am already counting that experience as "volunteering: clinical"

The point is, I just want them to know I have shadowed and learned from it.

Thanks again!! =)

 

[LizzyM]

That's very comforting LizzyM, thank you very much! I do some shadowing at a clinic that I volunteer at, but I do not want to "double-dip" since I am already counting that experience as "volunteering: clinical"

The point is, I just want them to know I have shadowed and learned from it.

Thanks again!! =)

You shouldn't list the same hours twice but in the description of your volunteering you should mention that you also had the opportunity to shadow during those hours of service.

 

[Catalystik]

I do some shadowing at a clinic that I volunteer at, but I do not want to "double-dip" since I am already counting that experience as "volunteering: clinical"

The point is, I just want them to know I have shadowed and learned from it.

You could add the word "Shadowing" to the title of the Volunteer-Medical/Clinical activity so it won't be missed, besides mentioning it in the narrative.

 

[Heplayer92]

Thank you both for the good suggestions! Glad to have a solid way to approach!

 

[JuanPabloCastel]

Stealing thread.
I got a pub and an abstract in a decent journal out of a summer of high school research. Should I just include the pubs in my publications section and not have the summer of research as its own activity?

 

[LizzyM]

Stealing thread.
I got a pub and an abstract in a decent journal out of a summer of high school research. Should I just include the pubs in my publications section and not have the summer of research as its own activity?

Why on earth would you not dedicate one of your 15 slots to a summer of research?? This makes no sense. Better you should put in the research, mention the pub & the abstract in the description, and call it a day. Otherwise, the pub & abstract with such early dates, but no corresponding entry describing the work itself could raise questions.

 

[futuredoctor2012]

I have a question concerning awards/scholarships given towards the end of high school. Are those ok to put in the activities section?

Specifically, I am on the fence about a company I started in high school. I won a national entrepreneur of the year scholarship for it right before entering college, and I continued with the company for the first 2 years of my college career. Is it ok mentioning this in the activities section?

 

[Catalystik]

I have a question

Please do not bump old threads without reason.

 

[LizzyM]

I have a question concerning awards/scholarships given towards the end of high school. Are those ok to put in the activities section?

Specifically, I am on the fence about a company I started in high school. I won a national entrepreneur of the year scholarship for it right before entering college, and I continued with the company for the first 2 years of my college career. Is it ok mentioning this in the activities section?

yes.

 

[star-lily]

I was also just wondering, but what's the consensus on an activity done the summer after graduating high school/right before college? I got a good number of volunteer hours completed in that time.

 

[LizzyM]

I was also just wondering, but what's the consensus on an activity done the summer after graduating high school/right before college? I got a good number of volunteer hours completed in that time.

include it. There is no published rule from AAMC on what to include in the experience section. Unless you have 15 stronger items, include what you did that summer.