*~*~*~*Official AMCAS Work/Activities Tips Thread 2018-2019*~*~*~*

[Catalystik]

I am currently working a full-time job while applying. I was going to list my already completed hours and my future hours for this job via the "repeated" option, but I am not completely sure what month I would stop working there if I were to be accepted, so I didn't want to put 8/2019 in there if I end up quitting before then. I thought about using the description section to talk about the future hours instead of the "repeated" option, but then I also wasn't sure how to discuss the situation, especially since I'd rather use the characters to go more in-depth about my role. I don't think saying something like "I plan to keep working at X until I am accepted and maybe a little while longer after that" sounds very good... Any advice?

When did you start this job? Are you past the probation period yet? Do you like it?

Considering some med schools start programs as early as June, I'm not sure why AMCAS allows the end date to be in August. What's the latest you can see yourself working there, considering you might want to vacation, or travel a bit, or just chill out before the academic roller coaster begins?

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[Golfer94]

When did you start this job? Are you past the probation period yet? Do you like it?

Considering some med schools start programs as early as June, I'm not sure why AMCAS allows the end date to be in August. What's the latest you can see yourself working there, considering you might want to vacation, or travel a bit, or just chill out before the academic roller coaster begins?

I started this past December. I'd say that I would probably stop working there shortly after being accepted, so I suppose maybe something like January of February if I am fortunate enough to be accepted in the winter. That's where I am unsure though, since I didn't want to come across as being uncommitted or cocky if I put a date in the winter rather than all the way up to matriculation, but I also don't want to put in something like June if I am not sure if I will be there that long. Thanks a lot for the help by the way!

 

[Catalystik]

I started this past December. I'd say that I would probably stop working there shortly after being accepted, so I suppose maybe something like January of February if I am fortunate enough to be accepted in the winter. That's where I am unsure though, since I didn't want to come across as being uncommitted or cocky if I put a date in the winter rather than all the way up to matriculation, but I also don't want to put in something like June if I am not sure if I will be there that long. Thanks a lot for the help by the way!

Many applicants don't include future hours. You could consider not mentioning it at all. Or you might say, "End date after 12/2018."

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

@Catalystik
Is it required to use the “repeated” feature for a 30 month activity that had a one month gap?

 

[Catalystik]

@Catalystik
Is it required to use the “repeated” feature for a 30 month activity that had a one month gap?

Off hand, I can't think of any exceptions to my answer, which is No. Do you have details that might change my mind?

 

[shone!]

My old PI (worked in her lab for a full school year) recently sent me a poster that was presented at a vision conference, on which I was listed as a co-author. I'm curious if this is something that I could put under the "presentation and posters" section of my app, although I did not attend the conference?

I'm also going to be co-authoring and presenting a poster for the lab I currently work in at Johns Hopkins on July 14th, 2018. There's a good chance that we'll write it up into a manuscript and have it published in a mid-tier journal in the future. I'm curious as to if and how I could put the poster presentation on my primary app, since we haven't presented the poster yet and I definitely don't want to wait until July 14th to submit my primary app?

 

[Golfer94]

Many applicants don't include future hours. You could consider not mentioning it at all. Or you might say, "End date after 12/2018."

That makes sense. What would I put in as the end date in the hours field though? The current month, or can the end date be left blank?

 

[Catalystik]

That makes sense. What would I put in as the end date in the hours field though? The current month, or can the end date be left blank?

The current month.

 

[Catalystik]

1)My old PI (worked in her lab for a full school year) recently sent me a poster that was presented at a vision conference, on which I was listed as a co-author. I'm curious if this is something that I could put under the "presentation and posters" section of my app, although I did not attend the conference?

2) I'm also going to be co-authoring and presenting a poster for the lab I currently work in at Johns Hopkins on July 14th, 2018. There's a good chance that we'll write it up into a manuscript and have it published in a mid-tier journal in the future. I'm curious as to if and how I could put the poster presentation on my primary app, since we haven't presented the poster yet and I definitely don't want to wait until July 14th to submit my primary app?

1) Yes, list it, but give credit to the actual presenter.

2) Since you have a poster that has been presented, that gives you a space to cite a poster that's been accepted for presentation on (date), (conference and its date), (contact who can confirm).

 

[Neuro244]

You can just write a list of three hobbies, or you can make it more interesting by adding a bit of detail, type of exercise, favorite genre of movie, more about the poetry, etc. This will help adcomms find a point of connection with you to start a conversation.

1. For listing the amount of hours you spend doing your hobbies, you would just ballpark it right? 2. If I choose to do an entry where I very briefly talk about my blog, would I then under the same slot be able to talk about how I like writing poetry? 3. What about if you enjoy writing music lyrics such as rap or hip-hop, would that be considered weird to them, is it worth mentioning, or no?

After describing my blog, I would go on to write the following below it in the space given:

Also:
On my time off, I enjoy writing poetry. Ever since I took an honors English class in 11th grade, I was introduced to writing “Walt Whitmanesque” type poetry which I was really intrigued by. This type of poetry emphasizes the use of alliteration, imagery, and free verse, which allows you to be more creative and free flowing with your writing. I also enjoy writing hip-hop and rap music occasionally.
300 hours

 

[Catalystik]

1. For listing the amount of hours you spend doing your hobbies, you would just ballpark it right?
2. If I choose to do an entry where I very briefly talk about my blog, would I then under the same slot be able to talk about how I like writing poetry?
3. What about if you enjoy writing music lyrics such as rap or hip-hop, would that be considered weird to them, is it worth mentioning, or no?

After describing my blog, I would go on to write the following below it in the space given:

Also:
On my time off, I enjoy writing poetry. Ever since I took an honors English class in 11th grade, I was introduced to writing “Walt Whitmanesque” type poetry which I was really intrigued by. This type of poetry emphasizes the use of alliteration, imagery, and free verse, which allows you to be more creative and free flowing with your writing. I also enjoy writing hip-hop and rap music occasionally.
300 hours

1) Yes.

2) Yes.

3) Not weird, but might be asked to perform a sampling. Side comment: I recently attended an inspirational talk where the attending physician spoke the first five minutes in rap-poetry cadence (no music). What a memory!

 

[Neuro244]

1) Yes.

2) Yes.

3) Not weird, but might be asked to perform a sampling. Side comment: I recently attended an inspirational talk where the attending physician spoke the first five minutes in rap-poetry cadence (no music). What a memory!

3. What if it's a sample of hip-hop/rap verse that's quite short but has curse words and or inappropriate words, wouldn't that make it awkward or be perceived as distasteful?

 

[Catalystik]

3. a) What if it's a sample of hip-hop/rap verse that's quite short but has curse words and or inappropriate words,

b) wouldn't that make it awkward or be perceived as distasteful?

a) That would be bad.
b) It would be completely unprofessional.

But I'm sure you knew that.

 

[Green_Goose]

Is it worth it to list traveling with my other hobbies? After I graduated high school, I went with my family to my parents' home country in Asia for a month, where I just visited relatives and explored the city a bit. I was thinking it could be a talking point during interviews, but I don't know if I should even bother if most of what I did was family-related and if I've only been once since high school. If I do put it down, is 400 hours a reasonable estimate?

 

[cs1994]

Adcomms aren't going to think that way. You will have taken a lot of space already to discuss your current work and its impact, so moving on to share your insights from other activities is appropriate. No one should want to seem like a "one-trick pony."

And, duration of an activitiy has nothing to do with whether it should be MM or not.

Just to check, this isn't the same Personal Statement you submitted before, right?

Ok thanks! And no it's not the same personal statement as 3 cycles ago.

 

[prairiemusic]

What's the best way to describe an activity that involved advocating for your right to continue the activity? It was completely legal, but law enforcement sometimes objected to it and I'd have to explain to them that we were within our rights. I'd like to keep the advocating aspect but I don't want to make it sound like I had trouble with the police or anything. I'm keeping the activity vague for anonymity but I'm happy to share via PM if you're curious.

 

[Catalystik]

Is it worth it to list traveling with my other hobbies? After I graduated high school, I went with my family to my parents' home country in Asia for a month, where I just visited relatives and explored the city a bit. I was thinking it could be a talking point during interviews, but I don't know if I should even bother if most of what I did was family-related and if I've only been once since high school. If I do put it down, is 400 hours a reasonable estimate?

It's not uncommon to see travel listed as an activity. Whether it's worth it or not sepends on what you have to say. If you traveled abroad only once, it isn't a Hobby, but could be entered under the Other category, similar to a study abroad trip. You are the one who needs to decide if what you have to say might increase your candidacy or make you seem more interesting.

 

[Catalystik]

And no it's not the same personal statement as 3 cycles ago.

 

[Catalystik]

What's the best way to describe an activity that involved advocating for your right to continue the activity? It was completely legal, but law enforcement sometimes objected to it and I'd have to explain to them that we were within our rights. I'd like to keep the advocating aspect but I don't want to make it sound like I had trouble with the police or anything. I'm keeping the activity vague for anonymity but I'm happy to share via PM if you're curious.

You're so vague that I can't read your mind. Human Rights [XXXX] Activist?

-Did you organize other people to protest? It's Leadership.
-Were you an activist on your own or with a political group? You could call it Teaching, Extracurricular, Other, etc.

As to what you'll put in the narrative box, I can't guide you blind, except that I suggest everything have a positive spin on it.

(Hopefully you weren't arrested multiple times. To some adcomms you might be a hero, but others might have a grimmer interpretation.)

 

[mdmd1234]

Hi Catalystik,

I have a quick question on categorizing a particular activity. I have been working as a biomedical engineer the past two years developing a range of products including surgical tools and orthopedic implants among others. Would you categorize this as paid employment- medical/clinical or not medical/clinical? I have seen a rule of thumb that if you are close enough to smell the patient it should be considered clinical. There were days where I was discussing various design elements with patients in a hospital setting but these interactions were just a small part of the job.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Green_Goose]

It's not uncommon to see travel listed as an activity. Whether it's worth it or not sepends on what you have to say. If you traveled abroad only once, it isn't a Hobby, but could be entered under the Other category, similar to a study abroad trip. You are the one who needs to decide if what you have to say might increase your candidacy or make you seem more interesting.

If I went abroad a half dozen times, but over the course of my lifetime rather than just after high school, would that then count as a hobby? Or would it only count if I had gone multiple times during college?

 

[helpsomeoneout2018]

Hey Catalystik, I was finishing up my activities and was having trouble figuring out which ones to combine or remove because i am at 15. Could you take a look?

Right now I have...
(P) = Post Grad
*** = Meaningful
Clinical Volunteering:
-Visiting Patients in Hospice (P)
-Volunteering at Local Hospital (P)

Research
-Pharma R&D Immunology Summer Internship
-Undergraduate Neurobehavioral Research
-Paid Research Technician 2+ Years (P) ***

Volunteering
-Mentoring Children for Children of Color
-Teaching at a Prison ***
- Mentoring Former Foster youth (P)***

Leadership
-Treasurer and Co-Chair of Mentoring Program for Children of Color
-Initiative for Prison Program for Teaching Assistants that I led

Other EC
-Engineering Project Team To Develop Biomed Devices
-Teaching Assistant for Bio
-Shadowing Doctors

Work
-Pharma Business Summer Internship

Publications
-2 Publications (P) (One Entry)

Thing is also also Tutored Full Time this past year for income but im already at 15.

Neurobehavioral research isnt a big part of my application I could take that out?

Any suggestions?

 

[prairiemusic]

You're so vague that I can't read your mind. Human Rights [XXXX] Activist?

-Did you organize other people to protest? It's Leadership.
-Were you an activist on your own or with a political group? You could call it Teaching, Extracurricular, Other, etc.

As to what you'll put in the narrative box, I can't guide you blind, except that I suggest everything have a positive spin on it.

(Hopefully you weren't arrested multiple times. To some adcomms you might be a hero, but others might have a grimmer interpretation.)

Never arrested! How's "X happened much to the displeasure of some police, and I often advocated for our right to Y"?

 

[Catalystik]

Hi Catalystik,

I have a quick question on categorizing a particular activity. I have been working as a biomedical engineer the past two years developing a range of products including surgical tools and orthopedic implants among others. Would you categorize this as paid employment- medical/clinical or not medical/clinical? I have seen a rule of thumb that if you are close enough to smell the patient it should be considered clinical. There were days where I was discussing various design elements with patients in a hospital setting but these interactions were just a small part of the job.

What are the total hours of patient interaction. How many work hours did you plan to list in the header of the space?

It should be categorized as Employment - Not Medical/Clinical, but if the hours of patient interaction are sizable, you could mention that at the end of the space.

 

[Catalystik]

If I went abroad a half dozen times, but over the course of my lifetime rather than just after high school, would that then count as a hobby? Or would it only count if I had gone multiple times during college?

I suspect that prior to HS graduation, you did not have a choice about going, so, No.

 

[Catalystik]

Hey Catalystik, I was finishing up my activities and was having trouble figuring out which ones to combine or remove because i am at 15. Could you take a look?

Right now I have...
(P) = Post Grad
*** = Meaningful
Clinical Volunteering:
-Visiting Patients in Hospice (P)
-Volunteering at Local Hospital (P)

Research
-Pharma R&D Immunology Summer Internship
-Undergraduate Neurobehavioral Research
-Paid Research Technician 2+ Years (P) ***

Volunteering
-Mentoring Children for Children of Color
-Teaching at a Prison ***
- Mentoring Former Foster youth (P)***

Leadership
-Treasurer and Co-Chair of Mentoring Program for Children of Color
-Initiative for Prison Program for Teaching Assistants that I led

Other EC
-Engineering Project Team To Develop Biomed Devices
-Teaching Assistant for Bio
-Shadowing Doctors

Work
-Pharma Business Summer Internship

Publications
-2 Publications (P) (One Entry)

Thing is also also Tutored Full Time this past year for income but im already at 15.

Neurobehavioral research isnt a big part of my application I could take that out?

Any suggestions?

-This year's tutoring and and Bio TA could go in one space.
-The two older research experiences could be grouped.
-One of the Leadership entries could be merged back into its affiliated Volunteer space.
- The Mentoring experiences could be put together.

Do any of those suggestions appeal?

 

[mdmd1234]

What are the total hours of patient interaction. How many work hours did you plan to list in the header of the space?

It should be categorized as Employment - Not Medical/Clinical, but if the hours of patient interaction are sizable, you could mention that at the end of the space.

It was 6 full days, so approximately 48 hours of interaction. I am planning to put 2000 hours as the total time commitment to be conservative with the plan to mention it is a full time job in the description.

 

[Green_Goose]

I suspect that prior to HS graduation, you did not have a choice about going, so, No.

Lmao this is true

 

[Catalystik]

It was 6 full days, so approximately 48 hours of interaction. I am planning to put 2000 hours as the total time commitment to be conservative with the plan to mention it is a full time job in the description.

It's enough to mention, but not enough to change the classification of the space.

 

[helpsomeoneout2018]

-This year's tutoring and and Bio TA could go in one space.
-The two older research experiences could be grouped.
-One of the Leadership entries could be merged back into its affiliated Volunteer space.
- The Mentoring experiences could be put together.

Do any of those suggestions appeal?

I could merge the volunteering I did mentoring and the leadership I had in that organization into one.

should I Put that activity (volunteering plus leadership) under leadership? because otherwise I only have 1 leadership entry

 

[Catalystik]

I could merge the volunteering I did mentoring and the leadership I had in that organization into one.

should I Put that activity (volunteering plus leadership) under leadership? because otherwise I only have 1 leadership entry

One Leadership entry is fine. If you merge the volunteering with its leadership, most would still tag it as Volunteer so they can include the full range of dates and all the hours for both the leadership and the volunteering, instead of just those for the leadership (as would be necessary for a Leadership space) in the header. If that's not an issue for you, and you really want two Leadership spaces, you could still mention the backstory of the affiliated volunteering in the narrative.

 

[prairiemusic]

Can we assume that adcoms are fairly familiar with SHPEP/SMDEP and what it entails, or should we provide details?

 

[Catalystik]

Can we assume that adcoms are fairly familiar with SHPEP/SMDEP and what it entails, or should we provide details?

Don't assume. Some detail is a good idea. It will help to spell it out once.

 

[prairiemusic]

Don't assume. Some detail is a good idea. It will help to spell it out once.

Got it, thank you!

 

[Neuro244]

a) That would be bad.
b) It would be completely unprofessional.

But I'm sure you knew that.

That's exactly what I thought. I guess I could take a poem with me the day of, just in case they ask for a sample so I can read it.

 

[Catalystik]

That's exactly what I thought. I guess I could take a poem with me the day of, just in case they ask for a sample so I can read it.

Or download it into your phone (which will be in airplane mode during every interview).

 

[Catalystik]

Got it, thank you!

The name change doesn't help.

 

[shone!]

1) Yes, list it, but give credit to the actual presenter.

2) Since you have a poster that has been presented, that gives you a space to cite a poster that's been accepted for presentation on (date), (conference and its date), (contact who can confirm).

1.) Since I did not present, what do I enter for total hours?

2.) We will be presenting the poster at our research unit's "poster day", which is less of a formal conference and more of a ~4 hour day where the various labs present posters on recently analyzed data, newly completed projects, etc. There's not much of a formal submission process to be honest; they pretty much allow anyone with a well organized poster and new data to present. This being said, can I still list it and if so, can I just call the event "BPRU Research Presentation Day"?

 

[Catalystik]

1.) Since I did not present, what do I enter for total hours?

2.) We will be presenting the poster at our research unit's "poster day", which is less of a formal conference and more of a ~4 hour day where the various labs present posters on recently analyzed data, newly completed projects, etc. There's not much of a formal submission process to be honest; they pretty much allow anyone with a well organized poster and new data to present. This being said, can I still list it and if so, can I just call the event "BPRU Research Presentation Day"?

1) A zero

2) You can still list it in the same Posters/Presentations space as the above. Spell out the name of the event. Cite the poster title, authors. Say your poster was accepted. If the name doesn't give it away, be sure it's clear it's at your university. Mention the future date. PI is the Contact.

 

[mariposas905]

Does it matter if we use a star or dash for our bullet points in the W/A section? Do both show up on the AMCAS pdf?

Also, do we need to put both an email and phone number for contact info? I thought they only needed one, but both seem to be required. What if we don't have one of them? What do we enter in the box?

 

[Neuro244]

Does it matter if we use a star or dash for our bullet points in the W/A section? Do both show up on the AMCAS pdf?

Also, do we need to put both an email and phone number for contact info? I thought they only needed one, but both seem to be required. What if we don't have one of them? What do we enter in the box?

I don't think you need both. I thought the same thing, but it let's you move forward with only putting in one. What makes you think you need both?

 

[Catalystik]

1) Does it matter if we use a star or dash for our bullet points in the W/A section? Do both show up on the AMCAS pdf?

2) Also, do we need to put both an email and phone number for contact info? I thought they only needed one, but both seem to be required. What if we don't have one of them? What do we enter in the box?

1) It doesn't matter. Both will show up.

2) You only need one. Both ARE NOT required.

 

[mariposas905]

I don't think you need both. I thought the same thing, but it let's you move forward with only putting in one. What makes you think you need both?

1) It doesn't matter. Both will show up.

2) You only need one. Both ARE NOT required.

Okay, I thought we need both because there is a red star next to each of the phone number and email boxes. It didn't let me move forward though, so I'm not sure why this is? Should I contact AMCAS or just put X's in the section?

 

[Lucca]

Okay, I thought we need both because there is a red star next to each of the phone number and email boxes. It didn't let me move forward though, so I'm not sure why this is? Should I contact AMCAS or just put X's in the section?

You should find out the contact info for your contact. If they are your contact then presumably you have the ability to contact them.

 

[mariposas905]

Also, if the contact title has changed since I volunteered there, do I put the new position or the old one when I was there? For example, one of my contacts used to be volunteer coordinator when I knew her but now she has since left and taken up a new position within the dept as admin manager. Which do I put?

 

[mariposas905]

You should find out the contact info for your contact. If they are your contact then presumably you have the ability to contact them.

Nm it works now and is letting me go through with putting one or both email/phone #. Thanks!

 

[XOXO123]

A couple questions I would love input on!

1. I had a leadership position within my student run clinical volunteering organization organizing other volunteers, doing logistics, etc. The organization records our leadership hours and our actual time spent in the clinical setting as one lump sum of volunteer hours, though I have personal records that divide the two. It seems that the consensus on this thread is that volunteering and an associated leadership position can be listed as one entry under volunteering if one already has another leadership entry (which I do), but in my case is this disingenuous since it would make my clinical total appear higher when the leadership hours are clearly not clinical? I could explain in the description the difference, but at that point I might as well just list them separately right?

2. Best label for an internship (unpaid) where I was in a hospital but only interacted with attendings/residents/med students and not patients? Other?

3. Does everything that was done only during the school year need to use the repeated feature to indicate the summer gaps, or can this just be explained ("I volunteered with X during the school year")?

 

[XOXO123]

Additionally, I'm confused about the fact that it makes you list hours for an award/honor? While I guess some of the awards have time that went into receiving them, listing this time would be like double-counting the hours since they are associated with my other activities also. Do I put 0?

One of the "honors" that I could potentially list is one of those national honor societies that they offer you membership in after freshman year based on GPA. The name is very generic sounding, and other than joining I was not involved with the organization. Is listing this pointless? I have two other awards that are somewhat more significant, though not crazy impressive or anything

 

[Catalystik]

Also, if the contact title has changed since I volunteered there, do I put the new position or the old one when I was there? For example, one of my contacts used to be volunteer coordinator when I knew her but now she has since left and taken up a new position within the dept as admin manager. Which do I put?

Maybe "Former Volunteer Coordinator, Now Admin Manager".

 

[Catalystik]

1) I had a leadership position within my student run clinical volunteering organization organizing other volunteers, doing logistics, etc. The organization records our leadership hours and our actual time spent in the clinical setting as one lump sum of volunteer hours, though I have personal records that divide the two. It seems that the consensus on this thread is that volunteering and an associated leadership position can be listed as one entry under volunteering if one already has another leadership entry (which I do), but in my case is this disingenuous since it would make my clinical total appear higher when the leadership hours are clearly not clinical? I could explain in the description the difference, but at that point I might as well just list them separately right?

2. Best label for an internship (unpaid) where I was in a hospital but only interacted with attendings/residents/med students and not patients? Other?

3. Does everything that was done only during the school year need to use the repeated feature to indicate the summer gaps, or can this just be explained ("I volunteered with X during the school year")?

1) List them separately.

2) I agree with Other.

3) Either explain, or change the title of the space to reflect Academic Year Involvement.