Listing non-health related Work/Activities on AMCAS

[Med01]

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I am interested in feedback from people regarding listing non-health related work experience on AMCAS application (I worked in finance, investment banking, business side of biotech).

Some people said don't mention it, only mention scientific things. But I see some people on SDN listed their investment banking, consulting exp on their profiles - how was this perceived at med schools?

Thanks.

 

[PhillyEaglesFan]

I'd mention it. Especially if you've spent a considerable amount of time doing it, as you'll probably be asked what you did during this time. I.e. Mr. Med01, we don't see anything from 2001-2003 besides a few classes, what else were you doing?

I don't know how it would be perceived. Can't imagine why it would be a bad thing, though.

 

[beep]

list it! these will be the experiences that will pique the curiostity of your interviewers and give you something really distinctive to talk about. ('course you need the healht-related ones too.)

 

[LizzyM]

You should certainly list any full-time employment and summer employment as well as part-time employment during the academic year. Adcoms will certainly look at a failure to list such employment as a gap. You might not even get the opportunity to explain in an interview because the interview will go to a comparable candidate without a gap.

 

[lorelei]

Definitely list anything that's significant. For example, I've been working for 2 years post-college in a computer programming job. So I definitely put that down. I had a lot of computer-related volunteering and teaching experience, which I also put down. The computer part isn't relevant, but the fact that I was volunteering and working with people was. And awards that I won in the computer/engineering area were also listed.

What I didn't put was stuff like minor freelance jobs and brief associations with non-health related interest groups. If these had been medical, I would have probably worked them in, but no one cares that I've had two freelance web design gigs in 4 years.

 

[Cheerfulgrrl]

Definitely list anything that's significant. For example, I've been working for 2 years post-college in a computer programming job. So I definitely put that down. I had a lot of computer-related volunteering and teaching experience, which I also put down. The computer part isn't relevant, but the fact that I was volunteering and working with people was. And awards that I won in the computer/engineering area were also listed.

What I didn't put was stuff like minor freelance jobs and brief associations with non-health related interest groups. If these had been medical, I would have probably worked them in, but no one cares that I've had two freelance web design gigs in 4 years.

List it, like all have said! And, if you have space, show where you advanced in responsibility or were a leader, etc. In other words, don't just craft a laundry list, instead shape your application to show that your myriad experiences makes you a more a valuable applicant to medical school.