*~*~*~* Official AMCAS "Work/Activities" Tips Thread 2021-2024 *~*~*~*

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When combining multiple activities into one, would it be better to include 1 shared description to save space, or should there be a separate description for each activity? Should a separate contact be listed for each activity?

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When combining multiple activities into one, would it be better to 1) include 1 shared description to save space, or should there be a separate description for each activity? 2) Should a separate contact be listed for each activity?
1) It depends on how related they are. One description is fine if it covers what you want to say.

2) Ideally, yes. After the first, you can abbreviate them to save spaces in the description. The first listed, of course, would go in the header of the activity slot.
 
@Catalystik

Will being complete ~8/15/21 put me at any disadvantage? LM>80
This is the AMCAS Activities Tips thread. You would do better to ask your question elsewhere (WAMC, where the desirable format is stickied at the top, or the Main Forum) giving full details about your application in order to get the best possible answer to your question.
 
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Is it worth it to include a summer job on the application even if it has nothing to do with medicine? Same for a semester job during my freshman year? If so, should I just lump them together in a paid work category or something?
 
Is it worth it to include a summer job on the application even if it has nothing to do with medicine? Same for a semester job during my freshman year? If so, should I just lump them together in a paid work category or something?
Adcomms like to know how you stayed busy. That you were employable tells us something about you, that you can deal with the public, endure physical labor, manage young'uns, are trusted with money or keys, work well in a fast-paced environment, or whatever. Group your Collegiate Short-Term Employment if you need to save space, with abbreviated contact info for job #2 in the narrative.
 
How should I write about data projects at work which very clearly require the same skills and thought process as research (in particular as clinical research) but are used for internal documentation such as methods and procedures? We publish things internally with methods and analysis etc. but because I do not work in our ‘research’ division, it is all process improvement stuff not actually product/basic science research.

As an example, I have taken all of our data on “invalid assays” for quality controls for the last several years, looked at the root cause of every invalid, classified them, identified the worst assays, the worst offenders, assessed trends etc. and produced suggestions which have eventually been implemented.

This is not my primary function in employment, so I have it currently as a one off line in an MME as “I have taken on internal data analytics projects that enhance the delivery of a quality product for our patients.” However, I feel that doesn’t really convey the gravity of the effort put in or the skills needed, particularly in that it has resulted in internal publications. But I can’t really cite “SOP-1262 of big Pharma Corp” as a publication.

Having conducted substantial research, I can attest that this requires the same skills and produces the same sort of information....but is it worthwhile talking about? It isn’t my biggest piece of research and likely won’t make it into secondaries, but it will have basically been the only demonstration of ‘critical thought’ in my application for the last 18 months or so.
 
Hello! Quick questions on honors/awards and hobbies section

I have been singing since elementary school and have won/ranked in regional and national competitions throughout high school and college. I was wondering if I should have a separate section for singing as a hobby and the awards in their own section, or somehow combine the two? Thanks!
 
Hello! Quick questions on honors/awards and hobbies section

I have been singing since elementary school and have won/ranked in regional and national competitions throughout high school and college. I was wondering if I should have a separate section for singing as a hobby and the awards in their own section, or somehow combine the two? Thanks!
AMCAS has a category for Artistic Endeavors-
 
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Hello! Quick questions on honors/awards and hobbies section

I have been singing since elementary school and have won/ranked in regional and national competitions throughout high school and college. I was wondering if I should have a separate section for singing as a hobby and the awards in their own section, or somehow combine the two? Thanks!
I think that combining them in one Artistic Endeavors space would provide the context for the awards you decide to mention.
 
How should I write about data projects at work which very clearly require the same skills and thought process as research (in particular as clinical research) but are used for internal documentation such as methods and procedures? We publish things internally with methods and analysis etc. but because I do not work in our ‘research’ division, it is all process improvement stuff not actually product/basic science research.

As an example, I have taken all of our data on “invalid assays” for quality controls for the last several years, looked at the root cause of every invalid, classified them, identified the worst assays, the worst offenders, assessed trends etc. and produced suggestions which have eventually been implemented.

This is not my primary function in employment, so I have it currently as a one off line in an MME as “I have taken on internal data analytics projects that enhance the delivery of a quality product for our patients.” However, I feel that doesn’t really convey the gravity of the effort put in or the skills needed, particularly in that it has resulted in internal publications. But I can’t really cite “SOP-1262 of big Pharma Corp” as a publication.

Having conducted substantial research, I can attest that this requires the same skills and produces the same sort of information....but is it worthwhile talking about? It isn’t my biggest piece of research and likely won’t make it into secondaries, but it will have basically been the only demonstration of ‘critical thought’ in my application for the last 18 months or so.
I think it's worthwhile to mention as evidence of scientific curiosity.

If you want to use more space to expand on this component of your work, call it a Project, and list it under Other. Mention the internal publications in your description. But do you have a Contact who is able to attest to this activity? In my workplace, we are barred from making public any Performance Improvement Projects.

If you proceed, whatever hours you'd ascribe to this activity, be sure to subtract from the Paid Employment entry hours you claim.
 
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Would it be worthwhile to link in media stories done on me in the activities section? Like a shortened bit.ly link.

Have you personally seen this and did you bother reading it?
 
No. Don't do it. We are required to avoid clicking on strange links.
OK


I just went through SDN archives and saw the following from you:

May 25, 2016
You may include a link in the AMCAS activities section. Some might listen; some won't have time; some won't care; classicists might be turned off. But it's acceptable to provide the opportunity.


Has clicking on links been discouraged since 2016?


Thank You
 
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I just went through SDN archives and saw the following from you:

May 25, 2016

Has clicking on links been discouraged since 2016?
More so in this last year at my school, since we are reviewing applications at home, where we may not have the same robust virus protection software that they do on school premises.

I think that quote may have come in response to an Artistic Endeavor enquiry. You are asking about a news article, the source for which may not have been an objective observer. I've discouraged including accolades like that for longer than this last year.
 
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Another quick question, I'm applying to MSTP programs in this upcoming cycle, and while I do not have "formal" shadowing, at one of the places I volunteer I fill out forms for patients and forms for labs/follow ups, and am in the room with the doctor and patient the whole time. I was wondering if it would better to describe this in my clinical volunteering section of this activity, or siphon off some of the hours and formally label them as shadowing? I also do other things at this place like take patient vitals.
 
I'm applying to MSTP programs in this upcoming cycle, and while I do not have "formal" shadowing, at one of the places I volunteer I fill out forms for patients and forms for labs/follow ups, and am in the room with the doctor and patient the whole time. I was wondering if it would better to describe this in my clinical volunteering section of this activity, or siphon off some of the hours and formally label them as shadowing? I also do other things at this place like take patient vitals.
I think it would be fair and desirable to designate some of the hours from the activity and call it Shadowing. Be sure to subtract those hours from what you report for Volunteering so you don't double count them.
 
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I think it's worthwhile to mention as evidence of scientific curiosity.

If you want to use more space to expand on this component of your work, call it a Project, and list it under Other. Mention the internal publications in your description. But do you have a Contact who is able to attest to this activity? In my workplace, we are barred from making public any Performance Improvement Projects.

If you proceed, whatever hours you'd ascribe to this activity, be sure to subtract from the Paid Employment entry hours you claim.
I don’t know that I have the room to create an additional activity, but I will definitely look at adding it into the MME description (the main body of this activity is shared between 2 non-clinical employments of 2000 hours and 4500 hours with the 2,000 being the MME and this project being maybe 150-200 hours).

With that in mind, and that I have ~1,000 -1,200 hours of research from my undergrad, how would you recommend wording it as more than what I have in my current description? The rest of the description is of teamwork, leadership, interest in the field of the product, that sort of thing.
 
Hello! Quick question! Would work as a Peer Reviewer of an academic journal (IF: 3) be a worthwhile addition? If it is, how would I mark the hours for it, since the time it takes isn't well recorded?
 
I don’t know that I have the room to create an additional activity, but I will definitely look at adding it into the MME description (the main body of this activity is shared between 2 non-clinical employments of 2000 hours and 4500 hours with the 2,000 being the MME and this project being maybe 150-200 hours).

With that in mind, and that I have ~1,000 -1,200 hours of research from my undergrad, how would you recommend wording it as more than what I have in my current description? The rest of the description is of teamwork, leadership, interest in the field of the product, that sort of thing.
Considering your other Research entries, I think you have scientific curiosity covered, but if you can squeeze it in, something slightly expanded, like:

“I took on 150 hours of internal data analytics projects that enhance the delivery of a quality product for our patients. With our data on “invalid assays” for quality controls for the last several years, I looked at the root cause of every invalid, classified them, identified the worst assays, the worst offenders, assessed trends, etc., and published internal reports with suggestions that have eventually been implemented."

I'm sure you can cut the wordage from this.
 
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Would work as a Peer Reviewer of an academic journal (IF: 3) be a worthwhile addition? If it is, how would I mark the hours for it, since the time it takes isn't well recorded?
Yes, it's a worthwhile addition. What hours would your Contact agree with? Just give a good faith estimate that is believable.
 
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Regarding sports activities and leadership roles: I was a D3 football player in college and held no significant leadership roles on the college team. In high school, I was elected captain of the football team both my junior and senior seasons (large high school, very competitive team). I played club rugby in college (rugby is only a club sport) and held no significant leadership roles. In high school, I was elected captain for both my junior and senior years, leading (with all other teammates) to a division 1 state championship. I did receive personal regional recognition for performance (all-conference football; most valuable forward rugby etc., and I wouldn't mention those). I have been invited back to help coach my high school rugby team (practices will soon be held in person). I didn't intend to mention these leadership roles, but high school activities when related to "lifelong" engagement were mentioned in the outline. Suggestions?
 
Regarding sports activities and leadership roles: I was a D3 football player in college and held no significant leadership roles on the college team. In high school, I was elected captain of the football team both my junior and senior seasons (large high school, very competitive team). I played club rugby in college (rugby is only a club sport) and held no significant leadership roles. In high school, I was elected captain for both my junior and senior years, leading (with all other teammates) to a division 1 state championship. I did receive personal regional recognition for performance (all-conference football; most valuable forward rugby etc., and I wouldn't mention those). I have been invited back to help coach my high school rugby team (practices will soon be held in person). I didn't intend to mention these leadership roles, but high school activities when related to "lifelong" engagement were mentioned in the outline. Suggestions?
I'd tag the football involvement Intercollegiate Sports and mention the HS leadership roles very briefly as part of the backstory. Rugby might be best tagged Extracurricular, and again, you can include the backstory from HS. I agree with excluding the HS awards. If you start the coaching before you submit, it would go under Teaching (not Leadership), but really, you'd have barely begun and will have little to say. So maybe best to tack the invitation onto the end of the rugby entry.

I hope you weren't planning to put both sports into one grouped space. You wouldn't have much space for describing both.
 
I'd tag the football involvement Intercollegiate Sports and mention the HS leadership roles very briefly as part of the backstory. Rugby might be best tagged Extracurricular, and again, you can include the backstory from HS. I agree with excluding the HS awards. If you start the coaching before you submit, it would go under Teaching (not Leadership), but really, you'd have barely begun and will have little to say. So maybe best to tack the invitation onto the end of the rugby entry.

I hope you weren't planning to put both sports into one grouped space. You wouldn't have much space for describing both.

Out of curiosity, would Adcoms potentially wonder why he wasn't a captain for either sports in college?
 
No, but Ideally, the candidate would list other expressions of his leadership capacity, not necessary in sports.
Thank you for your thoughtful responses. I indeed will do as you recommend.
 
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I am in the fairly unique position of having switched from pre-vet --> pre-med. Prior to my switch, I volunteered at an animal hospital, which I plan on listing in my activities section. Since this activity was pretty pivotal for my switch, I was wondering if I should touch upon why medicine and not vet med in my description, or if I should just leave it be? I very briefly touched upon that in my PS but didn't expand upon it very much, and 700 characters in the activity description doesn't leave a lot of room to talk about it either lol.
 
I am in the fairly unique position of having switched from pre-vet --> pre-med. Prior to my switch, I volunteered at an animal hospital, which I plan on listing in my activities section. Since this activity was pretty pivotal for my switch, I was wondering if I should touch upon why medicine and not vet med in my description, or if I should just leave it be? I very briefly touched upon that in my PS but didn't expand upon it very much, and 700 characters in the activity description doesn't leave a lot of room to talk about it either lol.
You're not so unique, as I did the same refocusing of career goals.

I don't think you need to explain, unless an interviewer is curious. And you certainly don't want to say why you didn't like vetmed. Rather, expound on what drew you to human medicine.
 
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Shoulds oral conference presentations of which I am one of the primary contributors and am credited on, but did not present myself (colleague presented), be included under Presentations? Should it have any mention in any category? Thank you.
 
Should oral conference presentations of which I am one of the primary contributors and am credited on, but did not present myself (colleague presented), be included under Presentations? Should it have any mention in any category? Thank you.
Yes, you can include this presentation on your AMCAS Presentations/Posters list, since you are an author, but give credit to the author that did the actual presentation.
 
Shoulds oral conference presentations of which I am one of the primary contributors and am credited on, but did not present myself (colleague presented), be included under Presentations? Should it have any mention in any category? Thank you.
Yes, you can include this presentation on your AMCAS Presentations/Posters list, since you are an author, but give credit to the author that did the actual presentation.
Write it like this:

John Smith (Presenter), akbmartizzz, Rachel Green, PhD. Investigative analysis of investigatory findings. March 26th, 2019. 23rd Annual Conference for Productive Research.
 
Hey guys I have an Ed and a pcp doctor letting me shadow them in the summer. Should I put this as projected hours or wait until after I shadow them and submit an update?
 
Hey guys I have an Ed and a pcp doctor letting me shadow them in the summer. Should I put this as projected hours or wait until after I shadow them and submit an update?
If you enter future start months into the AMCAS Activities space, it will not save them. I suggest you complete at least 40 hours before submitting, as future intentions are not much regarded by adcomms. This is one activity where longevity isn't necessary, so you should be able to get this done in a week if you have to. And surely you'll have reflections from the experience that might influence how you write your Personal Statement.
 
If you enter future start months into the AMCAS Activities space, it will not save them. I suggest you complete at least 40 hours before submitting, as future intentions are not much regarded by adcomms. This is one activity where longevity isn't necessary, so you should be able to get this done in a week if you have to. And surely you'll have reflections from the experience that might influence how you write your Personal Statement.
I agree with @Catalystik 's advice here.
Another thing that new applicants should know is: Once you submit your AMCAS application, you can't go back in and add activities, update hours, or make almost any change. Your application is complete as submitted.
TMDSAS has the same rules too.
To see what changes are allowed on AMCAS post-submission, see page 61 of the application guide.
 
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If you enter future start months into the AMCAS Activities space, it will not save them. I suggest you complete at least 40 hours before submitting, as future intentions are not much regarded by adcomms. This is one activity where longevity isn't necessary, so you should be able to get this done in a week if you have to. And surely you'll have reflections from the experience that might influence how you write your Personal Statement.
Thanks what's the latest I can submit my application before it starts to affect my chances? The pcp said I can start in June
 
Hey @Catalystik I have a question about a certain activity I did back in 2016. Me and a friend are both musicians that helped my brother and his friends (4 kids) practice the trumpet for their band class. It was something we did for free to spend the time but we weren’t directly involved with the school so I don’t have an official contact aside from my friend and the kids’ parents. Do I list this under the non-clinical volunteering or hobbies section?
 
When in June would you start? How fast can you get the hours? Have you asked?
They didn't specify but I asked the ed doctor via email if I can start in May I'm waiting for a response. The pcp knows I want to do 8 hour days so I will get time in quick for him
 
Hey @Catalystik I have a question about a certain activity I did back in 2016. Me and a friend are both musicians that helped my brother and his friends (4 kids) practice the trumpet for their band class. It was something we did for free to spend the time but we weren’t directly involved with the school so I don’t have an official contact aside from my friend and the kids’ parents. Do I list this under the non-clinical volunteering or hobbies section?
How many hours were involved? Did this happen during the college years? Do you have another entry describing your musical involvement? What other volunteer hours can you list?
 
They didn't specify but I asked the ed doctor via email if I can start in May I'm waiting for a response. The pcp knows I want to do 8 hour days so I will get time in quick for him
It seems that there will be good potential for you to be done and able to submit completed hours by July 1, then. Your chances will not be negatively impacted.

You can continue to shadow for additional hours for the sake of Secondary essays, update letters, and interview questions.
 
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How many hours were involved? Did this happen during the college years? Do you have another entry describing your musical involvement? What other volunteer hours can you list?
It was 3 hours a week for the entire 2016-2017 school year. I would estimate ~120 hours. This was done will I was a sophomore in college. I also play in a band with friends as a trumpet player recreationally. Aside from that, I have ~50 hours between cleaning up beaches, making sandwiches for the homeless, relay for life for an honor society I was a part of in college.
 
It was 3 hours a week for the entire 2016-2017 school year. I would estimate ~120 hours. This was done will I was a sophomore in college. I also play in a band with friends as a trumpet player recreationally. Aside from that, I have ~50 hours between cleaning up beaches, making sandwiches for the homeless, relay for life for an honor society I was a part of in college.
It's worth giving it a space on the application. There's nothing wrong with using a parent as a Contact, if you kept that information. Your friend, the co-musician, is another reasonable option. Or maybe the band director. If none is possible, use yourself (though a more impartial observer would be preferred).
 
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It's worth giving it a space on the application. There's nothing wrong with using a parent as a Contact, if you kept that information. Your friend, the co-musician, is another reasonable option. Or maybe the band director. If none is possible, use yourself (though a more impartial observer would be preferred).
So do I classify it as non-clinical volunteering?
 
It seems that there will be good potential for you to be done and able to submit completed hours by July 1, then. Your chances will not be negatively impacted.

You can continue to shadow for additional hours for the sake of Secondary essays, update letters, and interview questions.
Thanks so as long as I apply by July I should be good then. I hope I can get in this cycle I wish I used this site last year when I applied.
 
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Is anyone listing virtual shadowing hours? I am not sure if including it would be viewed unfavorably
 
Is anyone listing virtual shadowing hours? I am not sure if including it would be viewed unfavorably
I am even though I'm going to get shadowing hours too. Alot of the ones I did virtually were on the admissions committee's at several us schools
 
I was wondering what the admissions experts here thought about Dr. Gray's method on YouTube that suggests using the activity description box as a chance to tell a story (to show not tell what the activity did), and give ADCOMS a better sense of who you are as a person.
 
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I was wondering what the admissions experts here thought about Dr. Gray's method on YouTube that suggests using the activity description box as a chance to tell a story (to show not tell what the activity did), and give ADCOMS a better sense of who you are as a person.
Showing (briefly), but not telling is fine. I am not familiar with this person's "method," however I will tell you that reading entries that primarily tell a long story gives the impression that the applicant has little more to say, and didn't do much more, since it is at the expense of providing a global view of full role, contributions, lessons learned, future direction, and/or impact. One such 700-character entry might be fine, as is adding anecdotes to a MM entry, but an entire Activities section filled with them does not put the applicant in a good light, in my opinion. And thanks for giving me the opportunity to express this.

If you want multiple opinions, post your question in the main forum.
 
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