*~*~*~*Official AMCAS "Work/Activities" Tips Thread 2012-2013*~*~*~*

[MDschoolorbust]

One more question actually.

When listing shadowing experience, is it best to lump it all together under an "Other" category and put approximate hours next to it? Also should I include specific names of doctors that I shadowed? I am just trying to find a place on my application besides my PS that includes shadowing experience. Some of my experience also comes directly from one of the places that I volunteer at so I am also trying to figure that out as well.

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[Catalystik]

So if I carry a job from the summer into the school year, for the Hours/week section should I put my summer or semester hours? Or do I leave it blank and explain I worked 40 hours per week during the summer and 15 during the semester?

Either the latter option, or you could alternatively add up all the hours, divide by the total weeks, and give the average hours worked over the entire timeframe. Or combine the two methods and explain why the average is misleading.

 

[Catalystik]

When listing shadowing experience, is it best to lump it all together under an "Other" category and put approximate hours next to it? Also should I include specific names of doctors that I shadowed? I am just trying to find a place on my application besides my PS that includes shadowing experience. Some of my experience also comes directly from one of the places that I volunteer at so I am also trying to figure that out as well.

Yes, include timeframe, total hours (to the best of your ability), physician name and specialty, location (office, hospital, OR, etc), contact info if available. Put the info in the same order for each listing. If you had an extraordinary experience, you could include a brief blurb about it.

 

[Alfie99]

I am currently shadowing an oral surgeon, who has an MD. Think this will be okay for my shadowing experience? It is difficult to find a traditional MD to shadow in Canada.

 

[MDschoolorbust]

I am currently shadowing an oral surgeon, who has an MD. Think this will be okay for my shadowing experience? It is difficult to find a traditional MD to shadow in Canada.

If your name has to do with Alfredsson, you're my hero.

 

[Catalystik]

I am currently shadowing an oral surgeon, who has an MD. Think this will be okay for my shadowing experience? It is difficult to find a traditional MD to shadow in Canada.

It's better than nothing. Maybe this first relationship will open doors to other opportunities.

Adcomms at US med schools understand that Canadians in some areas have more difficulty finding shadowing opportunities.

 

[MDschoolorbust]

Yes, include timeframe, total hours (to the best of your ability), physician name and specialty, location (office, hospital, OR, etc), contact info if available. Put the info in the same order for each listing. If you had an extraordinary experience, you could include a brief blurb about it.

So kind of like this:
-Dr. John Surgery, Meridian, Mississippi, General Surgery: approximately 15 hours over two days during March 2012.

-Dr. Jake Internist, Podunk, Alabama, Health Clinic, General Practice: approximately 15 hours over 2 months, April 2012-Present.

-Dr. Lung Doc, Podunk, Alabama, Health Clinic, Pulmonology: approximately 20 hours over 3 months, March 2012-Present.

-Dr. Sports Med, Podunk, Alabama, Health Clinic, Sports Medicine: 35-40 hours over 5 months, December 2011-Present.



However, most of my shadowing experience comes from following around doctors at the free health clinic I volunteer at (Health Clinic above). Does that look strange?

 

[Catalystik]

Or reordered like this:

April 2012-Present: 15 hours, Jake Internist, MD, General Practice. [email protected] Able to observe a vaginal delivery.

-March 2012-Present:20 hours, Lung Doc, MD, Pulmonology, Podunk, Alabama, Health Clinic, 555-555-5556 ext 45

-March 2012: 15 hours, John Surgery, DO, General Surgery, Meridian, Mississippi. 555-555-5555 Able to observe a complete bowel resection.

- December 2011-Present: 35-40 hours, Sports Med, DO, Sports Medicine, Podunk, Alabama, Health Clinic, 555-555-5555, ext 34

Total hours=XX

However, most of my shadowing experience comes from following around doctors at the free health clinic I volunteer at (Health Clinic above). Does that look strange?

No.

 

[Redwood]

few quick questions

1) how do i properly cite an abstract?

2) is it OK if some of my descriptions have bullet points and others are in paragraph forms

3) If I am grouping multiple activities in one slot, do I have to list contact info for each activity or just one?

 

[Catalystik]

few quick questions

1) how do i properly cite an abstract?

2) is it OK if some of my descriptions have bullet points and others are in paragraph forms

3) If I am grouping multiple activities in one slot, do I have to list contact info for each activity or just one?

1) you would cite it like citing a full-text article, but include the word "abstract" either before or after the title.

2) It's fine to mix and match, as seems approprite to a given space.

3) Only one goes in the header. The rest will go in the narrative next to to associated experience. This wouldn't be true for Hobbies.

 

[zzzcor]

I have been a drummer for a praise team at church and student group starting at two different times with about one year overlapping in both places. I ended in one and continuing in the other
Can I put more than two names for organization name space?
How can I specify this information?

 

[jansOri23]

So I'm worried that my descriptions for my 3 most meaningful experiences in this activities/work section will be repeated in my secondary essays. Don't a lot of secondary essays ask about a most meaningful activity or leadership experience, etc.? Is it okay to repeat the info in the secondary essays as well?

 

[Catalystik]

I have been a drummer for a praise team at church and student group starting at two different times with about one year overlapping in both places. I ended in one and continuing in the other
Can I put more than two names for organization name space?
How can I specify this information?

You should only put one name in the Organization space. If you want to combine both activites in one space, you might consider listing this under the umbrella of Artistic Endeavor, putting the dates for your entire involvement with drumming in the header, and maybe using a person from the ongoing activity for the organization and contact. Then in the narrative, include information/dates about your instructional background, refer to past gigs, as well as the specific dates for the two experiences you list above and a second contact for the one that has ended. Alternatively, if it's not too old, you could use a past instructor for organization and contact, putting info for both of the two most recent gigs in the narrative.

 

[Catalystik]

So I'm worried that my descriptions for my 3 most meaningful experiences in this activities/work section will be repeated in my secondary essays. Don't a lot of secondary essays ask about a most meaningful activity or leadership experience, etc.? Is it okay to repeat the info in the secondary essays as well?

It's better to provide fresh information or expanded information and new examples in the Secondaries, lest readers get bored and start skimming, and you lose them.

For a preview of Secondary essay topics for most schools (95% are the same from year to year), and to help you strategize, see: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=10763720

 

[stoutt]

Right now I have 13 activities, all solid except for 1: IM sports referee. It's classified as Paid Employment - Non Military but I only did it for 3 months (5hrs/week) my junior year of college. The reason I originally added it was because it was my only Paid Employment activity (I put my paid research under Research and my paid tutoring under Teaching/Tutoring). Now, however, I'm starting to think this may look like filler. What should I do?

1. Keep it (I'll have one Paid Employment, one Teaching/Tutoring and 13 activities).
2. Ditch it and classify my tutoring as Paid Employment (will have 12 activities).
3. Ditch it and keep my tutoring as Teaching/Tutoring (will have 12 activities).

 

[MDschoolorbust]

Catalystik,

Are links allowed on the application? Or are they not a good idea?

 

[stoutt]

When grouping things under one activity (ie shadowing) should each experience be listed in reverse chronological order as would be in a CV/resume?

 

[Catalystik]

When grouping things under one activity (ie shadowing) should each experience be listed in reverse chronological order as would be in a CV/resume?

See post #459 for my example.

 

[Catalystik]

Catalystik,

Are links allowed on the application? Or are they not a good idea?

They are allowed. Whether it's a good idea or not depends on the content.

 

[Catalystik]

Right now I have 13 activities, all solid except for 1: IM sports referee. It's classified as Paid Employment - Non Military but I only did it for 3 months (5hrs/week) my junior year of college. The reason I originally added it was because it was my only Paid Employment activity (I put my paid research under Research and my paid tutoring under Teaching/Tutoring). Now, however, I'm starting to think this may look like filler. What should I do?

1. Keep it (I'll have one Paid Employment, one Teaching/Tutoring and 13 activities).
2. Ditch it and classify my tutoring as Paid Employment (will have 12 activities).
3. Ditch it and keep my tutoring as Teaching/Tutoring (will have 12 activities).

4. Mention it in the same space as your other sport hobbies or intercollegiate sport (saying it was paid) and leave the others the way they are now, but being sure that the employment aspect is mentioned in the title or in the narrative.

 

[pfaction]

So, question. I have a paper that has been approved for publication in August.

Congratulations! Our paper is accepted for publication in the August issue!

So....obviously I'm not going to wait until August, and some schools don't allow update letters. I don't know if I will be able to have an official cite yet...what do I do?

 

[Clumpofstuff]

So, question. I have a paper that has been approved for publication in August.


So....obviously I'm not going to wait until August, and some schools don't allow update letters. I don't know if I will be able to have an official cite yet...what do I do?

Sometimes the journals will epub before print and it will be searchable in pubmed
Thats how I found that my paper would be published

 

[pfaction]

How far ahead was the epub? I mean, this is August!

 

[Clumpofstuff]

One of our lab papers had it published in like June and it was on pubmed in Feb

 

[pfaction]

Thanks, I'll ask my PI if it's on pubmed soon.

 

[Catalystik]

So, question. I have a paper that has been approved for publication in August.


So....obviously I'm not going to wait until August, and some schools don't allow update letters. I don't know if I will be able to have an official cite yet...what do I do?

It's acceptable to list an accepted publication under Publication, using the date of acceptance in the date space. You can either cite the e-Pub ahead of print, or cite it using "In Press" instead of page numbers, etc.

 

[pfaction]

Yeah, I'm gonna get the citing information and see if I can get a solid pubmed link before I put it as an activity. Thanks guys!

 

[Camy99]

So on the first post it says to clump all Work stuff in one entry. I've had 3 short jobs, but I've been working for a daycare for the past year. Considering that I want to be a pediatrician, this is def one of my most meaningful experiences because it was my first really working with kids outside of my family.
Can I make an entry for the daycare and then make an entry for "Other Work"?

And talking about the whole pediatrician thing, actually pulmonary pediatrician, I read in an earlier post it was apparently taboo to mention a specialty? I'm def open to whatever comes at me during rotations, but since I've always been someone to try everything and be somewhat good at it, I decided that I wanted a specific career goal to be excellent at. (Jack of all trades, Ace of none...). I spent basically 90% of my PS talking about this -- should I add a line that explains why I chose a super specific specialty? (I already need to cut 100 words -__-") BTW I've worked, life-experienced, researched, and shadowed in this area so this isn't a complete blind leap.

Gracias

 

[pfaction]

People change, we have passions one day and change them the next--I'm one case. I think mentioning your work with kids is a good thing to put on your PS, but don't be so limited? You can say "I would love to work with children as a physician". I wouldn't go "I would love to be a pulmonary pediatrician". I mean, I shifted from critical care to oncologist to infectious disease specialist each time I took a section dealing with that system at school.

 

[Catalystik]

So on the first post it says to clump all Work stuff in one entry. I've had 3 short jobs, but I've been working for a daycare for the past year. Considering that I want to be a pediatrician, this is def one of my most meaningful experiences because it was my first really working with kids outside of my family.
1) Can I make an entry for the daycare and then make an entry for "Other Work"?

2) And talking about the whole pediatrician thing, actually pulmonary pediatrician, I read in an earlier post it was apparently taboo to mention a specialty? I'm def open to whatever comes at me during rotations, but since I've always been someone to try everything and be somewhat good at it, I decided that I wanted a specific career goal to be excellent at. (Jack of all trades, Ace of none...). I spent basically 90% of my PS talking about this -- should I add a line that explains why I chose a super specific specialty? (I already need to cut 100 words -__-") BTW I've worked, life-experienced, researched, and shadowed in this area so this isn't a complete blind leap.

1) Absolutely! That sounds like a good approach in your situation.

2) Mentioning a specific specialty isn't forbidden, but it isn't wise to sound like you're a) not open-minded to experiencing other aspects of medicine, and b) going to be completely miserable if you can't get into the specialty you are most attracted to right now. What, for example, if you aren't sufficiently competitive to match into a fellowship in Peds Pulmonology when the time comes? Maybe adcomms won't want to take a chance on accepting someone who isn't likely to be flexible.

I can't advise you on the appropriate percentage of your PS to devote to this issue. You'll have to use your best judgement. Be sure to ask others to read it, like your premed advisor, an English teacher, a doc you've shadowed, a freind who's already been accepted to med school, etc. I will say, you probably shouldn't say why you want that specific specialty and that it's the only one that will do. Rather discuss what aspects of it draw your interest.

 

[cdavidso]

I have a TON of quality hospital and nursing home volunteering experience, but it all happened my senior year of high school. Like 100+ hours. I know you aren't supposed to put anything before college, but this is a huge part of my application. What should I do???

 

[pfaction]

If you continued it through some part of college then you can put it.

 

[sector9]

I have a TON of quality hospital and nursing home volunteering experience, but it all happened my senior year of high school. Like 100+ hours. I know you aren't supposed to put anything before college, but this is a huge part of my application. What should I do???

Do you have any clinical exposure from college?

You can mention this as part of your Personal Statement but it shouldn't be included in your Work/Activities section

 

[sector9]

So on the first post it says to clump all Work stuff in one entry. I've had 3 short jobs, but I've been working for a daycare for the past year. Considering that I want to be a pediatrician, this is def one of my most meaningful experiences because it was my first really working with kids outside of my family.
Can I make an entry for the daycare and then make an entry for "Other Work"?

I don't believe that the FAQ says you have to group all work experience into the same activity. It only recommends it as a possibility if you want to save space. Did I miss where it says you are supposed to do that?

 

[cdavidso]

I have volunteering for a trauma course and shadowing during college, but all my hospital/nursing home stuff was during high school because my home town only lets high school students do that type of volunteering (not a good community for pre-meds).

 

[Hello678]

Would it be OK to have my 3 most meaningful activities be the same 3 activities I discuss in my personal statement (research, clinical, tutoring), or would this be repetitive? I guess the reason why I discussed them in my PS was because they were the most meaningful.

 

[Catalystik]

Would it be OK to have my 3 most meaningful activities be the same 3 activities I discuss in my personal statement (research, clinical, tutoring), or would this be repetitive? I guess the reason why I discussed them in my PS was because they were the most meaningful.

It would be fine provided there is minimal overlap in the information provided in each area.

 

[DforDoctor]

The OP states to group all shadowing together. However, I have shadowed about three physicians--what would I put for contact's first name, last name, title and phone/email?

I apologize if advance if this question has been answered.

 

[Quigon]

.

 

[Lederhosen]

Okay, this might have been covered earlier, but how do I talk about publications that have just recently been submitted? I have one publication that was just submitted within the last couple weeks and another publication that is going through the second review process. I'm not sure if I can list the one that's close to publication under publications.... and what to do with that second paper.... the other category?

Gahh, I finally get my name on something....

 

[Catalystik]

The OP states to group all shadowing together. However, I have shadowed about three physicians--what would I put for contact's first name, last name, title and phone/email?

I apologize if advance if this question has been answered.

I'd pick one of the shadowing opportunities, probably either the most recent or the most involvement, and use their office manager or nurse, or other support staff person who was aware of your existence, or the physician, if all else fails, as the contact. If you can't call and get a specific name, use for the First and Last Name, "Office Manager," or "Lead Nurse" or "Medical Assistant" or "ER Staff." Then use the same term, or other words that mean the same, for the title. It should be easy enough to look up a phone number for a facility or department. Is this what you meant?

 

[Catalystik]

I have read many of the previous posts regarding the "most meaningful" designations, but just wanted another opinion possibly.

Would it look strange to designate a non-sport hobby as "most meaningful?" I would expand more on the actual description of the hobby, why I enjoy and engage in it, etc. I already have 2 other activities related to clinical/research/community service designated as "most meaningful."

No. Go for it.

 

[Catalystik]

how do I talk about publications that have just recently been submitted?
1) I have one publication that was just submitted within the last couple weeks and
2) another publication that is going through the second review process. I'm not sure if I can list the one that's close to publication under publications.... and what to do with that second paper.... the other category?

1) Mention this one at the end of the Research space where you discuss the related research.

2) If it was accepted provisionally, requiring minor revision, then consider it accepted and give it its own Publication space, using the date of the letter giving you its status. If it is still undergoing review, even though its the second review, it should be listed like #1, as a submitted paper, though you can give its status. It would not get its own space.

Alternatively, if either paper's data was presented as a Publication/Poster and you used a space for that, the submission could be put in the same location, if space is short in Research.

If there is another consideration I haven't covered, feel free to give more info.

 

[wblack]

For four years until just last year, I independently studied the foreign exchange market (currency trading), analyzed the market, and posted the analysis on online forums for free. I don't do it anymore due to time constrains and the company closed the forums last year. If put this on the AMCAS, will this make me look greedy (interested in money) rather than a well rounded person with some economics background?

And can I include a hobby on AMCAS (like sports - cricket and basketball) or is that considered filling up space? I can put about 2 hours/week. Thanks.

 

[Lexi8711]

I have a question and was wondering if anyone could help me out. I have been a medical scribe for the past year and a half in the emergency department of an Ohio hospital. I was promoted to Chief Scribe (a leadership position) in February. How would I list this in the Work/Activities section of AMCAS? I know that you can not list the same activity twice but I would like the committee to know about my added responsibilities from just being a regular scribe.

 

[An MD Hopeful]

I have 3 questions. I apologize if someone else has already asked something similar. I'm still working on going through all the posts.

1) Would it be bad if I pick an abroad clinical experience that lasted for 1 week as one of my 3 meaningfuls? I have already described my other clinical experiences in depth in my PS, so I don't want to repeat myself in the 1325 characters.

2) I'm debating whether I should mention my high school lab research as one of my activities. Even though my college research is in a different lab/with different people than was my high school research, my high school research was in the exact same field as is the research/work that I have been doing during college. Would it be okay to list the high school research as one of my activities since it is was led to my interest in that specific field and is in that sense tied to my college experiences? If yes, is it okay to state that the high school research made me interested in that field as long as I do not state that I am planning to specialize in that field?

3) I have a publication from my high school research, and my college papers are still being reviewed unfortunately. Can I mention the high school manuscript as its own entry?

 

[encinitaslocal]

If I am bundling athletic endeavors under one activity, who should be the contact name? I have competed in multiple fitness competitions ranging from true tests of fitness to city-wide beach volleyball tournaments and have placed/won multiple events. There is no factor connecting them all besides the fact that I competed in them, so should I be the contact (that doesn't sound right!)?

 

[Crunk Norris]

Should I list an activity that took as a course for credit? It was a Peer Leadership course where you help out freshman with in particular course by supervising/tutoring/encouraging in small and large classes. It is explicitly leadership... but I don't know if I should list it since it was a college course I took for credit.

 

[sector9]

1. For four years until just last year, I independently studied the foreign exchange market (currency trading), analyzed the market, and posted the analysis on online forums for free. I don't do it anymore due to time constrains and the company closed the forums last year. If put this on the AMCAS, will this make me look greedy (interested in money) rather than a well rounded person with some economics background?

2. And can I include a hobby on AMCAS (like sports - cricket and basketball) or is that considered filling up space? I can put about 2 hours/week. Thanks.

1. Go for it. It's more interesting than the usual activities. You won't look greedy unless you word it that way

2. See the FAQ, #12

 

[sector9]

I have a question and was wondering if anyone could help me out. I have been a medical scribe for the past year and a half in the emergency department of an Ohio hospital. I was promoted to Chief Scribe (a leadership position) in February. How would I list this in the Work/Activities section of AMCAS? I know that you can not list the same activity twice but I would like the committee to know about my added responsibilities from just being a regular scribe.

You have a few options:

A. You can list it as paid employment and make it clear in the title that this included a leadership component (like "Medical Scribe and Chief Scribe Leadership" or similar).

One thing that I did was split the activity in the description section to highlight the leadership aspects. So you would talk about the run-of-the-mill scribing in one section, then skip a line, then say "Chief Scribe Leadership Duties", give the time span (Feb to present) and then talk about those added responsibilities

B. Another option is to separate them out. You have to be very careful not to double count hours though. You would have a paid employment entry for medical scribing then a leadership entry for being chief scribe. The hours for the leadership-only part would have to be only the additional hours beyond what your medical scribe position entail. If your number of hours per week hasn't changed, then leave that space blank. In the Leadership entry, you would refer readers to the main "Scribing" entry to make it clear that this is a split activity

C. Your final option is to split them up completely, creating two "Paid Employment" entries, one for the medical scribing up until you were promoted to chief scribe and the other entry for chief scribe until present

I personally think that option A is the best way to input the activity on your application but it is up to you to find the best approach in your situation. You are allowed to disagree with me