Is this an acceptable way to do my Work & Activities section?

[stayathomemom]

I have quite a few "normal" entries already, but I want to take some of the smaller volunteering roles and combine them into one activity ("Various Volunteering" or something), and then make it one of my most meaningful. I would like to talk about how community service is meaningful to me and how have I honed my teamwork, empathy, and diplomacy skills. I would also like to have this opportunity to elaborate on my role as a homemaker-cum-community volunteer, as I feel the stay-at-home-mom part of my story isn't really told in my PS, which is much more formulaic this year (which reads thusly: I want to be a doctor because x, y, and z, and here are three paragraphs detailing my clinical, academic, and altruistic volunteering experiences, etc etc) (I tried telling a more organic story last year but I'm not sure it had the effect I intended, so instead I'd like to be evaluated on merit and not my nontraditional-ness). Any thoughts?

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[deleted859689]

I have quite a few "normal" entries already, but I want to take some of the smaller volunteering roles and combine them into one activity ("Various Volunteering" or something), and then make it one of my most meaningful. I would like to talk about how community service is meaningful to me and how have I honed my teamwork, empathy, and diplomacy skills. I would also like to have this opportunity to elaborate on my role as a homemaker-cum-community volunteer, as I feel the stay-at-home-mom part of my story isn't really told in my PS, which is much more formulaic this year (which reads thusly: I want to be a doctor because x, y, and z, and here are three paragraphs detailing my clinical, academic, and altruistic volunteering experiences, etc etc) (I tried telling a more organic story last year but I'm not sure it had the effect I intended, so instead I'd like to be evaluated on merit and not my nontraditional-ness). Any thoughts?

Combining volunteering into one activity is fine. Most people do this to not take up slots for other activities, and adcoms are okay with it. If it was one of the most meaningful, then go for it! I believe there are plenty other mother medical students here (isn't there a thread with stories somewhere?) and I suggest asking those moms how they incorporated being a mom into their application if at all.

For the PS, I'm sure you could've opened with a story about being a mom (2-3 sentences) and from there "for the past x years, I have devoted myself to (specifics raising a child, the little bundle of joy you brought into the world etc)." Next few sentences would highlight the revelation you had - hey, actually, going to medical school is what I want to do now. Then you end your first paragraph with your x, y, z - these past for years/months/whatever... been doing clinical/academic/volunteering ... these activities solidified my resolve to go to medicine etc. Then you have your 3 paragraphs about your activities that SHOW the adcom the qualities you possess (show through what you did, do not tell), and then ending paragraph summarizing your undying resolve to go to medical school. BAM organic beginning while telling why you want to go into medicine. Do what you want tho lol this was just a suggestion. Best of luck!

 

[stayathomemom]

Combining volunteering into one activity is fine. Most people do this to not take up slots for other activities, and adcoms are okay with it. If it was one of the most meaningful, then go for it! I believe there are plenty other mother medical students here (isn't there a thread with stories somewhere?) and I suggest asking those moms how they incorporated being a mom into their application if at all.

For the PS, I'm sure you could've opened with a story about being a mom (2-3 sentences) and from there "for the past x years, I have devoted myself to (specifics raising a child, the little bundle of joy you brought into the world etc)." Next few sentences would highlight the revelation you had - hey, actually, going to medical school is what I want to do now. Then you end your first paragraph with your x, y, z - these past for years/months/whatever... been doing clinical/academic/volunteering ... these activities solidified my resolve to go to medicine etc. Then you have your 3 paragraphs about your activities that SHOW the adcom the qualities you possess (show through what you did, do not tell), and then ending paragraph summarizing your undying resolve to go to medical school. BAM organic beginning while telling why you want to go into medicine. Do what you want tho lol this was just a suggestion. Best of luck!

Thanks for the advice. I did touch on it more last year for sure. This year my PS opens with the anecdote that lead me back to medicine after over a decade away from the academic world, and I think it fits well. I think my specific wording is "a dream I paused for over 10 years to focus on my family." I'm hoping they are paying attention. Another one of my bigger W&A entries is being on my kids' PTA board so that's a dead giveaway, haha.

Mostly in the conglomerate volunteer entry, I want to talk about how I've gotten to know the joys and sorrows that families in our communities experience (particularly medically-related ones), and how I can empathize with the plights of our community members.