Including College Activities on App?

[artsydoc]

I'm curious if other non-trads have included college activities on their application in the activities section. I graduated nearly 10 years ago and have done more interesting things subsequently and am debating if I should none the less include various clubs and activities from college. Also, I worked in the billing department of my father and his partners' medical practice for a few summer's back in college. Would including that demonstrate that I have knowledge of the medical field or would it make them wonder why I didn't get interested in it then. (not that anyone should wonder why someone with an understanding of the financial side of medicine would choose to run for the hills for about 8 years, ha) Thanks for the input!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[familyaerospace]

I have some activities that span my time in college

 

[murfettie]

i'm 2007, i've included one thing that spans my 3rd and 4th year and continue to now from time to time - the professor also wrote me a rec letter and is my boss since he pays me
other things, didn't include, 15 isn't a lot of room. left out tutoring as a juvie and working for espn x games, dance marathon, i also had a fancy celeb studded public relations internship (which is when i decided that i don't want to do PR).
i guess my criteria is that the stuff that's not very relevant to my path to medicine or qualities important in it and no room for, i had to cut.

 

[murfettie]

o, i also did billing for my mom's office - freaking nightmare.
ICD codes hate me

 

[militaryman]

I graduated from my Undergrad 10 years ago. I did not include any EC's from my Undergrad. I wanted to show the admissions committee that I have been busy in my 10 years out and highlight why they should choose a nontrad like myself. If you graduated in the last few years I think it would be appropriate to include college EC's. However if you graduated over 10 years ago, I would not include VP of the Debate Team as an EC. I would want to know what have you done since college, if I was on the admission committee. Highlight some travel experience or work experience that a traditional premed student does not have. Take a CPR class (8 hours) if you are short on EC's.

 

[MacVA]

This discussion brings up a good question... How far out post college should one be to not include college EC's?

I, for one, am a 2006 college graduate and plan on using at least 6 of those 15 experience boxes for college related items. I was entirely too involved in undergrad.

 

[briton]

I graduated from my Undergrad 10 years ago. I did not include any EC's from my Undergrad. I wanted to show the admissions committee that I have been busy in my 10 years out and highlight why they should choose a nontrad like myself. If you graduated in the last few years I think it would be appropriate to include college EC's. However if you graduated over 10 years ago, I would not include VP of the Debate Team as an EC. I would want to know what have you done since college, if I was on the admission committee. Highlight some travel experience or work experience that a traditional premed student does not have. Take a CPR class (8 hours) if you are short on EC's.

This is good advice. As a non-trad you need to differentiate yourself from the typical student. Personally, I mentioned my travel experience, important work accomplishments and volunteer experience. I think the only college things I mentioned were committee positions (only briefly though) If you already have medical volunteer experience, try volunteering outside of medicine also.

 

[artsydoc]

Thank you for the input. I've decided to leave out the college activities. I reached my 15 limit without them and just felt that there were more representative and worthwhile things to include than the college stuff. Hope the adcomms agree!