HS Experience Question?

[MonkeyArrow]

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I'm a rising freshman attending a state school (GA). I have read through threads here and know that the prevailing wisdom is that you don't list high school experiences on AMCAS. However, as I'm planning out my college classes and activities, I want to know whether I should still focus on clinical volunteering (I know Gonnif's time-honored wisdom of all pre-meds should major in GPA and minor in MCAT).

I have volunteered at a hospital for approximately 1200 hours through high school (every weekend for three years and additionally over the summer). I have been able to get a lot out of this experience; I would wager moreso than most other pre-meds as my scope of responsibilities has expanded beyond that of a typical volunteer (can expand on this if necessary). I would classify this time as almost exclusively clinical experience, as I'm close enough to smell the patients and interact with patients (and staff) almost exclusively.

Due to moving about 100 miles away from this facility, I unfortunately will no longer be able to continue volunteering throughout college. My question is therefore would this be appropriate to list on AMCAS as an activity or should I consider myself not having completed this and perform new clinical volunteering?

 

[Catalystik]

I'm a rising freshman attending a state school (GA). I have read through threads here and know that the prevailing wisdom is that you don't list high school experiences on AMCAS. However, as I'm planning out my college classes and activities, I want to know whether I should still focus on clinical volunteering (I know Gonnif's time-honored wisdom of all pre-meds should major in GPA and minor in MCAT).

I have volunteered at a hospital for approximately 1200 hours through high school (every weekend for three years and additionally over the summer). I have been able to get a lot out of this experience; I would wager moreso than most other pre-meds as my scope of responsibilities has expanded beyond that of a typical volunteer (can expand on this if necessary). I would classify this time as almost exclusively clinical experience, as I'm close enough to smell the patients and interact with patients (and staff) almost exclusively.

Due to moving about 100 miles away from this facility, I unfortunately will no longer be able to continue volunteering throughout college. My question is therefore would this be appropriate to list on AMCAS as an activity or should I consider myself not having completed this and perform new clinical volunteering?

Is there any possibility that you might be able to add hours over school breaks and the summer, so that the volunteering "continued into the college years?" If it's your parents that moved away and no longer reside near that facility, then I'd guess not.

There is no rule that you can't include HS activities in the Work/Activities section, but is it worth using the space if adcomms are not going to regard it much? Logically, you'd have more mature insights to gain from such experiences as you get away from your teens, thus additional clinical volunteering is suggested. Also, it will look odd if you do not engage in any patient contact experiences through several years before applying. There's no need to dismiss the experience, though, as you can bring it up in your Personal Statement as part of your path to medicine. Another "loophole" would be if the volunteering continued after your HS graduation, that would be "in the college years." JMO.

 

[MonkeyArrow]

Is there any possibility that you might be able to add hours over school breaks and the summer, so that the volunteering "continued into the college years?" If it's your parents that moved away and no longer reside near that facility, then I'd guess not.

There is no rule that you can't include HS activities in the Work/Activities section, but is it worth using the space if adcomms are not going to regard it much? Logically, you'd have more mature insights to gain from such experiences as you get away from your teens, thus additional clinical volunteering is suggested. Also, it will look odd if you do not engage in any patient contact experiences through several years before applying. There's no need to dismiss the experience, though, as you can bring it up in your Personal Statement as part of your path to medicine. Another "loophole" would be if the volunteering continued after your HS graduation, that would be "in the college years." JMO.

Thanks for the reply. As to your last suggestion, I definitely plan on continuing through this summer post-HS graduation. I might be able to continue at this current facility during breaks and summers. However, would I have to split up the hours reported, thus making it look like an odd 1200/100?

Also, if I began clinical volunteerism somewhere else (presumably near my campus) and obtained a couple hundred hours, would it still be advisable, or more aptly beneficial, to list the previous experience?

 

[kb1900]

Include it. SDN “wisdom” is not = rock hard rules

Two of my 9 (10?) activities were from exclusively high school with one of them being something I did only 50 hours of during college summer breaks.

I had a successful cycle and those 2 activities were brought up at most interviews despite being nothing extraordinarily special.

 

[Catalystik]

1) I definitely plan on continuing through this summer post-HS graduation. I might be able to continue at this current facility during breaks and summers. However, would I have to split up the hours reported, thus making it look like an odd 1200/100?

2) Also, if I began clinical volunteerism somewhere else (presumably near my campus) and obtained a couple hundred hours, would it still be advisable, or more aptly beneficial, to list the previous experience?

1) You aren't required to split it up, but it's best to be up front about the distribution of hours.

2) I'd still list the earlier experience.

 

[CyrilFiggis]

The only potential roadblock is schools that ask only for experiences from the last 5 years. It only happened at a handful of programs, but it sucked to realize that. For now, enjoy college.