*~*~*~* Official AMCAS "Work/Activities" Tips Thread 2021-2026 *~*~*~*

[husky22]

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Hello,

I'm working on my Work/Activities and had a question about listing hobbies, specifically as an MME. I was thinking of listing playing soccer as an MME. I've played soccer for most of my life. Although I haven’t played competitively since high school (apart from a few recreational leagues), it’s been a consistent and important part of my life and has contributed to my growth as a person.

Also, if I do list soccer as a standalone hobby + MME, how should I go about listing other hobbies? Should I group them all into one entry or list one or two others as separate activities?

THANK YOU!

 

[hommefatale]

might be a stupid question, but do adcoms (ideally!) read all of the W/A section? i’m combining a few awards in my other activites/MMEs that I think are pretty relevant and I wanna know if everything gets read lol

 

[Catalystik]

I'm working on my Work/Activities and had a question about listing hobbies, specifically as an MME. I was thinking of listing playing soccer as an MME. I've played soccer for most of my life. Although I haven’t played competitively since high school (apart from a few recreational leagues), it’s been a consistent and important part of my life and has contributed to my growth as a person.

Also, if I do list soccer as a standalone hobby + MME, how should I go about listing other hobbies? Should I group them all into one entry or list one or two others as separate activities?

THANK YOU!

Group all non-soccer hobbies into one slot. if they don't fit gracefully, leave some out. DO NOT use three+ spaces for Hobbies.

 

[Catalystik]

might be a stupid question, but do adcoms (ideally!) read all of the W/A section? i’m combining a few awards in my other activites/MMEs that I think are pretty relevant and I wanna know if everything gets read lol

They all get read, but not necessarily by the same person, so don't assume the info from one space is accessible to every reader. Some schools feel there is better quality control/head to head comparison if one person reads just Clinical, or Leadership, or Research, or etc.

That said, combining awards with the activity that spawned them makes it easier to keep them in proper context.

 

[sunnyseonyi]

What time involvement is there for actively engaging the dogs for feeding, grooming, walking, going to the vet, training, etc? Definitely do not count the sleep hours or time the dogs are lounging nearby you. Be sure not to double count hours when you are "working from home" and have listed that time under Employment.

If you list this activity under Hobbies, the hours are a less important matter and you don't need to list a Contact who can attest to those hours.

That makes a lot of sense! I think this probably counts as a hobby for me, so I'll just approximate the time I actively spend with the dogs. Thank you for the helpful reply!

 

[sardinetoast]

I am going back and forth on some things for my activity sections not related to jobs/clinical, and wondering if I can get some advice.

There are several things I've been involved in/done for most of my life. One being classical piano and another being a competitive athlete. Both of these things I competed in at a pretty high level in high school, and then continued in college and beyond (I am an older non-trad). However, I'm unsure if it's more important to talk about my accomplishments/what levels I attained, or more what the takeaways were and a sweet anecdote or story about the activities since they were very meaningful to me.

For instance, I still play piano and it's one of my favorite hobbies. However I competed and won state/regional competitions in high school. Currently my essay is focused more on the family member that inspired me to start playing, and how it felt to learn to play and create music like him. I brush briefly on getting into it more intensely in high school/competing, but focus more on how the hard work back then means it's something I can still enjoy and lean on when I need to unwind.

The same is said for athletics, I was a competitive year round athlete in high school, won state meets, but then in college and beyond was an amateur athlete who did compete but never at a professional level or anything. I've focused again more on my enjoyment, what it taught me, etc and only brushed briefly on competitions in high school because 1. it was a long time ago but 2. that wasn't really the point for me, I'd rather tell a story, I guess.

I just want to make sure I'm not missing out on including important things. If it's important to show how successful I was, I'll include it, but otherwise I prefer to talk more about the transformative nature/enjoyment of the experiences and what I learned...

 

[Catalystik]

I am going back and forth on some things for my activity sections not related to jobs/clinical, and wondering if I can get some advice.

There are several things I've been involved in/done for most of my life. One being classical piano and another being a competitive athlete. Both of these things I competed in at a pretty high level in high school, and then continued in college and beyond (I am an older non-trad). However, I'm unsure if it's more important to talk about my accomplishments/what levels I attained, or more what the takeaways were and a sweet anecdote or story about the activities since they were very meaningful to me.

For instance, I still play piano and it's one of my favorite hobbies. However I competed and won state/regional competitions in high school. Currently my essay is focused more on the family member that inspired me to start playing, and how it felt to learn to play and create music like him. I brush briefly on getting into it more intensely in high school/competing, but focus more on how the hard work back then means it's something I can still enjoy and lean on when I need to unwind.

The same is said for athletics, I was a competitive year round athlete in high school, won state meets, but then in college and beyond was an amateur athlete who did compete but never at a professional level or anything. I've focused again more on my enjoyment, what it taught me, etc and only brushed briefly on competitions in high school because 1. it was a long time ago but 2. that wasn't really the point for me, I'd rather tell a story, I guess.

I just want to make sure I'm not missing out on including important things. If it's important to show how successful I was, I'll include it, but otherwise I prefer to talk more about the transformative nature/enjoyment of the experiences and what I learned...

I agree with your thoughts that you shouldn’t overly dwell on HS accomplishments, though you could briefly comment on them in a generic way with one sentence before going on to what they mean to you/impact/etc during recent years. Don’t try to precisely estimate hours involved, since they won’t matter. Just use 999 or 9999 as the code for unknowable hours.

 

[mitochondriamama]

Disclaimer: Post was found in a bottle washed up on the mod team's private island.

The AMCAS Application will be opening soon, and with it comes a ton of questions. The "Work and Activities" Section is probably the most talked-about section. For reference, here are three older threads that contain lots of valuable information about this section:

Great tips for entering your "Work/Activities" for AMCAS (2005-2010 thread)
*~*~*~*Tips for Entering your "Work and Activities" in AMCAS*~*~*~* (2011-2012 thread)
*~*~*~*Official AMCAS "Work/Activities" Tips Thread 2012-2013*~*~*~*
*~*~*~*Official AMCAS "Work/Activities" Tips Thread 2013-2014*~*~*~*
*~*~*~*Official AMCAS "Work/Activities" Tips Thread 2014-2015*~*~*~*
*~*~*~*Official AMCAS "Work/Activities" Tips Thread 2015-2016*~*~*~*
*~*~*~*Official AMCAS "Work/Activities" Tips Thread 2016-2017*~*~*~*
*~*~*~*Official AMCAS "Work/Activities" Tips Thread 2017-2018*~*~*~*
*~*~*~* Official AMCAS "Work/Activities" Tips Thread 2018-2019 *~*~*~*
*~*~*~* Official AMCAS "Work/Activities" Tips Thread 2019-2020 *~*~*~*
*~*~*~* Official AMCAS "Work/Activities" Tips Thread 2020-2021 *~*~*~*

(Even though these threads are all quite long, you can still search those threads to find useful answers to your question)

All new threads dealing with this topic in Pre-MD will be merged into this thread.

In the first few posts, the Moderation staff will be compiling a FAQ. Any suggestions for the FAQ are appreciated.

REMINDER: Each thread has a search function. Please use it.

This thread is brought to you by the Pre-MD Mod Squad. Ask away, and good luck!!

If the contact for an activity is a doctor, do I need to put Dr. ___ as first name for the contact first name (not referring to contact title) or just put normal first and last name alone?

 

[Catalystik]

If the contact for an activity is a doctor, do I need to put Dr. ___ as first name for the contact first name (not referring to contact title) or just put normal first and last name alone?

I suggest putting in the normal first and last name alone, then using the Title space to put, eg, MD (or DO, or other professional credentials), Pulmonologist (or other specialty), and perhaps if appropriate Principal Investigator (or whatever title is relevant to the reason you interacted with this person.

 

[bananabuttercup]

Hi! I would like to include an EMT course as one of my activities as shadowing / clinical observation. I did around 25 hours of shadowing ER physicians and providing basic care (vitals, taking histories) in the ER and ambulance. I have indicated in my experience description that this was a part of a course. I took this course at my local community college over one summer to help determine if I was interested in medicine, and never used the certification.

I've seen some conflicting guidance of whether it is okay to include such hours in activities section. I don't want to seem like I am "double dipping" in hours as I am sending in my community college transcript. But it was such a meaningful experience to me and really guided me towards medicine.

Please advise!

 

[Catalystik]

Hi! I would like to include an EMT course as one of my activities as shadowing / clinical observation. I did around 25 hours of shadowing ER physicians and providing basic care (vitals, taking histories) in the ER and ambulance. I have indicated in my experience description that this was a part of a course. I took this course at my local community college over one summer to help determine if I was interested in medicine, and never used the certification.

I've seen some conflicting guidance of whether it is okay to include such hours in activities section. I don't want to seem like I am "double dipping" in hours as I am sending in my community college transcript. But it was such a meaningful experience to me and really guided me towards medicine.

It's fine to include an activity for which you received course credit, if so labeled. Since this includes activity types across several categories, and since it was not paid or volunteer, list it as "Other." Use the title you give the space to mention the cross-occupational (EMT & MD) shadowing and clinical care.

 

[bananabuttercup]

It's fine to include an activity for which you received course credit, if so labeled. Since this includes activity types across several categories, and since it was not paid or volunteer, list it as "Other." Use the title you give the space to mention the cross-occupational (EMT & MD) shadowing and clinical care.

Thank you so much - so helpful!!

 

[ramixmeds]

Hey everyone,
I’m working on my AMCAS application and had a question about the activities section. Most of my non-clinical volunteering has been through various school and cultural events—things like helping out at university functions, organizing student events, and similar roles in addition to some nonclinical organizations. Individually, each of these experiences doesn't add up to much (each is under 100 hours), but collectively they exceed 100 hours.

Would it be reasonable to group them together under one entry as a broader category (e.g., general "Nonclinical Volunteering") to reflect the cumulative impact? Or would it be better to list them separately even though each on its own is less substantial?

 

[chilly_md]

Hey everyone,
I’m working on my AMCAS application and had a question about the activities section. Most of my non-clinical volunteering has been through various school and cultural events—things like helping out at university functions, organizing student events, and similar roles in addition to some nonclinical organizations. Individually, each of these experiences doesn't add up to much (each is under 100 hours), but collectively they exceed 100 hours.

Would it be reasonable to group them together under one entry as a broader category (e.g., general "Nonclinical Volunteering") to reflect the cumulative impact? Or would it be better to list them separately even though each on its own is less substantial?

Do not use 4-5 separate slots on scattered campus activities, especially if the hours are <50 for each one.

 

[diltiazemm]

Hi all! I was wondering how I should categorize this on AMCAS W/A (or if it's even worth putting down):

In my 3rd and 4th year in undergrad, I was an unofficial mentor for a high school student in my lab. She was previously homeschooled due to recovery from a chronic illness, and she came to our lab in her first year back in public school. She helped with my research project, but I even began mentoring her on stuff outside of the lab - SAT, extracurriculars, college essays. At some point, it became a 'big sister' deal, and we still keep in touch, even though she's in university now 🙂

It's incredibly unofficial, though we were connected through my PI (who asked me to be her guide in the lab). Because of this, the hours will be estimated and I would put my PI as a contact. I'm thinking about categorizing this as Other, but it could fall into Leadership or Teaching too... Also, will this activity be looked down upon because it's not recorded or official? Thank you in advance ☺️ !!

 

[Catalystik]

Hi all! I was wondering how I should categorize this on AMCAS W/A (or if it's even worth putting down):

In my 3rd and 4th year in undergrad, I was an unofficial mentor for a high school student in my lab. She was previously homeschooled due to recovery from a chronic illness, and she came to our lab in her first year back in public school. She helped with my research project, but I even began mentoring her on stuff outside of the lab - SAT, extracurriculars, college essays. At some point, it became a 'big sister' deal, and we still keep in touch, even though she's in university now 🙂

It's incredibly unofficial, though we were connected through my PI (who asked me to be her guide in the lab). Because of this, the hours will be estimated and I would put my PI as a contact. I'm thinking about categorizing this as Other, but it could fall into Leadership or Teaching too... Also, will this activity be looked down upon because it's not recorded or official? Thank you in advance ☺️ !!

I suggest putting it under Teaching (which also covers tutoring, coaching & mentoring).

It's as official as it needs to be if your PI will attest to it. Perhaps the PI will mention this in your LOR.

 

[imsogonnagetrejected]

Hey I took a college-level research class in high school that was college-accredited where I did a whole research project that was pretty good. I wasn't going to talk about it to not give the impression to be that guy who hasn't moved on from high school lol but however I only just realized that it is factored into my GPA so I have to add it so im wondering if people think its okay to include substantial research experience like that from high school given obviously i have other research experiences in college and stuff. I'm applying MD/PhD.

 

[Catalystik]

Hey I took a college-level research class in high school that was college-accredited where I did a whole research project that was pretty good. I wasn't going to talk about it to not give the impression to be that guy who hasn't moved on from high school lol but however I only just realized that it is factored into my GPA so I have to add it so im wondering if people think its okay to include substantial research experience like that from high school given obviously i have other research experiences in college and stuff. I'm applying MD/PhD.

You are not obliged to give slot-space to an activity that appears on your transcript. That said, In your case, including the HS research will show the beginning of your investigational interests that then flowed into the college years. Definitely include it, since you feel the experience had substance.

 

[r45v0s]

For the shadowing section on my med school application, do I need to include a short write-up for each experience, or is listing the doctor’s name, specialty, contact information, dates, and hours enough? I’m not sure if a description is required or if admissions just want the basic information.

 

[Catalystik]

For the shadowing section on my med school application, do I need to include a short write-up for each experience, or is listing the doctor’s name, specialty, contact information, dates, and hours enough? I’m not sure if a description is required or if admissions just want the basic information.

See an example in post #2, item 10 in this thread.

 

[bananabuttercup]

Hi! I am wondering if I should be using the repeated activities section when listing the hours for a club that I only participated during the school year. So, I started this activity as a sophomore and continued until I was a senior, but didn't participate in it over the summer. Is it worth breaking up the hours to make it clear it was just during the semester? Thank you so much!

 

[Catalystik]

Hi! I am wondering if I should be using the repeated activities section when listing the hours for a club that I only participated during the school year. So, I started this activity as a sophomore and continued until I was a senior, but didn't participate in it over the summer. Is it worth breaking up the hours to make it clear it was just during the semester? Thank you so much!

If your space title or narrative make it clear the activity took place during the academic year, you don't need to break it up with the Repeated function unless there is a wide variation in the time spent from year to year.

 

[UnbudgingIdiot]

Hello, I have three research experiences, and they go in order (from oldest to most recent): basic science research to translational research (animal and cell models), and then to clinical research (humans + animals). I want to highlight the progression of my interest in research and show that I value being closer to patients and having a more direct impact as a result of the progression of my research experiences. So my first question is what is the best way to show this in my activity section (my translation is my most meaningful as it was where I completed my honors thesis). And my second question is, is it okay to say something negative, as I didn't really like my basic science research experience and want to do more translation/clinical research (obviously, I will include a short reflection), and what would be the best way to do that?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Catalystik]

I have three research experiences, and they go in order (from oldest to most recent): basic science research to translational research (animal and cell models), and then to clinical research (humans + animals). I want to highlight the progression of my interest in research and show that I value being closer to patients and having a more direct impact as a result of the progression of my research experiences. 1) So my first question is what is the best way to show this in my activity section (my translation is my most meaningful as it was where I completed my honors thesis). 2) And my second question is, is it okay to say something negative, as I didn't really like my basic science research experience and want to do more translation/clinical research (obviously, I will include a short reflection), and what would be the best way to do that?

1) How many spaces are you planning to use? How many PIs did you interact with? Which will write you the strongest letter? Are you (stats-wise) a strong candidate for highly selective, research-focused schools?

2) No. Instead focus on why another area of research endeavor attracts you more, was more meaningful, etc. Keep it positive.

 

[UnbudgingIdiot]

1) How many spaces are you planning to use? How many PIs did you interact with? Which will write you the strongest letter? Are you (stats-wise) a strong candidate for highly selective, research-focused schools?

2) No. Instead focus on why another area of research endeavor attracts you more, was more meaningful, etc. Keep it positive.

1) Im planning to use 4 spaces, 1 for my basic science, 2 for my translational (my school advisor told me I could split up my time prior to having my independent honors thesis and then after. My time completing the honors thesis is a most meaningful.), and 3rd being my current employment during my gap year which a clinical research assistant (which is the type of research I want to do). My 2nd experience and 3rd experience are both writing letters, with my 2nd being the strongest, and yes, I do believe my stats are strong for research schools according to MSAR.
2) Ah ok, I think it was still a meaningful and beneficial experience for me as it was a stepping stone into research so I think I definitely want to to include it. Perhaps it won't be in a negative connotation, but I could say it showed me what type of research I wanted to do instead (clinical research).

 

[Catalystik]

1) Im planning to use 4 spaces, 1 for my basic science, 2 for my translational (my school advisor told me I could split up my time prior to having my independent honors thesis and then after. My time completing the honors thesis is a most meaningful.), and 3rd being my current employment during my gap year which a clinical research assistant (which is the type of research I want to do). My 2nd experience and 3rd experience are both writing letters, with my 2nd being the strongest, and yes, I do believe my stats are strong for research schools according to MSAR.
2) Ah ok, I think it was still a meaningful and beneficial experience for me as it was a stepping stone into research so I think I definitely want to to include it. Perhaps it won't be in a negative connotation, but I could say it showed me what type of research I wanted to do instead (clinical research).

Your reflectons/impact/growth/future directions-comments are best put in your MM space. You might include very brief comments about your research progression in the same location to tie them all together. Other than the honors thesis, do you have off-campus posters or pubs to report?

 

[UnbudgingIdiot]

Your reflectons/impact/growth/future directions-comments are best put in your MM space. You might include very brief comments about your research progression in the same location to tie them all together. Other than the honors thesis, do you have off-campus posters or pubs to report?

Yes, one poster from experience 1 and one pub (7th author, but did meaningful work I can explain in interviews), plus 3 posters from experience 2. I was going to combine my posters and the pub, but my advisor told me to split them up to make sure adcoms don't miss the pub.

 

[Catalystik]

Yes, one poster from experience 1 and one pub (7th author, but did meaningful work I can explain in interviews), plus 3 posters from experience 2. I was going to combine my posters and the pub, but my advisor told me to split them up to make sure adcoms don't miss the pub.

Please read my suggestions in post 2 of this thread, items #14 and (especially) #20.

 

[rambo315]

As a reapplicant, I am adding one new clinical employment to my application and also will be changing descriptions for two of my volunteering opportunities I have continued in the meantime. For activities I have done in the past and will still be including again, should I keep their descriptions the same as my previous application or still try to change them. These are activities I did either in college or in my gap year that I have since stopped prior to submitting my first application.

Another question I had was one of my activities was initially listed as Hospital Volunteer/Food Pharmacy Volunteer at XYZ medical center as prior to volunteering at the food pharmacy I needed to do initial hours in the hospital. I have actually continued this activity but have focused solely on the food pharmacy part throughout this past year. Is it fine that on the reapplication I list it only as Food Pharmacy Volunteer and completely drop the "hospital volunteer part"? Since this activity is also technically a collaboration between the XYZ medical center and the ABC food bank, is it fine to list this activity under ABC food bank (I previous listed this activity under XYZ medical center but I actually interact much more with the food bank staff there).

Thanks!

 

[Catalystik]

As a reapplicant, I am adding one new clinical employment to my application and also will be changing descriptions for two of my volunteering opportunities I have continued in the meantime. 2) For activities I have done in the past and will still be including again, should I keep their descriptions the same as my previous application or still try to change them. These are activities I did either in college or in my gap year that I have since stopped prior to submitting my first application.

2) Another question I had was one of my activities was initially listed as Hospital Volunteer/Food Pharmacy Volunteer at XYZ medical center as prior to volunteering at the food pharmacy I needed to do initial hours in the hospital. I have actually continued this activity but have focused solely on the food pharmacy part throughout this past year. Is it fine that on the reapplication I list it only as Food Pharmacy Volunteer and completely drop the "hospital volunteer part"? Since this activity is also technically a collaboration between the XYZ medical center and the ABC food bank, is it fine to list this activity under ABC food bank (I previous listed this activity under XYZ medical center but I actually interact much more with the food bank staff there).

1) For the most part, it's fine to leave old activities unchanged, but there are some schools that do head to head comparisons with re-applicants, so I suggest at least changing the first sentence a bit.

2) For the reason given above, best not to do that. Explain your shift in focus briefly in the narrative.

 

[rambo315]

1) For the most part, it's fine to leave old activities unchanged, but there are some schools that do head to head comparisons with re-applicants, so I suggest at least changing the first sentence a bit.

2) For the reason given above, best not to do that. Explain your shift in focus briefly in the narrative.

Thanks for replying! For 2 I mainly wanted to switch the reference I used if that’s fine as I had some additional responsibilities given by the food bank coordinator (the event is still run by food bank it just takes place on the site of the hospital). Do you think this would be fine? The initial hours in the hospital which was only few was more of a requirement before I could start the food oharamcy volunteer. I had maybe only a few hours hours as a hospital volunteer there before fully committing to 150+ hrs there as a food pharmacy volunteer.

Thanks again!

 

[Catalystik]

For 2 I mainly wanted to switch the reference I used if that’s fine as I had some additional responsibilities given by the food bank coordinator (the event is still run by food bank it just takes place on the site of the hospital). Do you think this would be fine? The initial hours in the hospital which was only few was more of a requirement before I could start the food oharamcy volunteer. I had maybe only a few hours hours as a hospital volunteer there before fully committing to 150+ hrs there as a food pharmacy volunteer.

Switching Contacts is no problem. Folks retire, change jobs, get promoted/demoted, requiring new information. Your reason is fine, too.

 

[SenatorTractor]

Super useful! Thanks!

 

[hommefatale]

i'm doing some research this summer at a hospital at one of my dream schools with good name recognition, but i'll only have done 60-65 ish hours by the time of submission (450 ish projected). is this worth putting on my app? i'm really passionate about the project i'm doing / i think my faculty mentor could write me a good letter at the end of the program to attach to schools, but i also don't wanna be looked down upon for not having as much hours to put as completed. would it be better as an update letter when i have tangible results?

 

[warisk6]

Hi I just had some quick questions regarding the work/activities section of the application

- If I worked as both a scribe and an MA for the same company in 2 different locations, should I just list them as 1 activity and use the location/contact of the place I'm currently at?
- For research, if I got an undergraduate research scholarship and presented the project that I got the scholarship for at a poster conference, should I list it under the research tab (One of my most meaningfuls) or should I list it under awards?
- How do I list a publication that is pending?

 

[Catalystik]

i'm doing some research this summer at a hospital at one of my dream schools with good name recognition, but i'll only have done 60-65 ish hours by the time of submission (450 ish projected). is this worth putting on my app? i'm really passionate about the project i'm doing / i think my faculty mentor could write me a good letter at the end of the program to attach to schools, but i also don't wanna be looked down upon for not having as much hours to put as completed. would it be better as an update letter when i have tangible results?

I suggest you include it in your W/A section (so adcomms know what you're up to this summer), but that you only put the hours you've completed at the time of application in the header. In the narrative, say you hope to complete XX hours/week over the next 13 weeks. At the end of the summer you'd hopefully have the mentor's letter submitted and a meaty update about what you accomplished.

 

[Catalystik]

1) - If I worked as both a scribe and an MA for the same company in 2 different locations, should I just list them as 1 activity and use the location/contact of the place I'm currently at?
2) - For research, if I got an undergraduate research scholarship and presented the project that I got the scholarship for at a poster conference, should I list it under the research tab (One of my most meaningfuls) or should I list it under awards?
3) - How do I list a publication that is pending?

1) That works fine, especially if you are tight on spaces.
2) Include the award (and how competitive it was) in the Research description, so the context is clear. If the poster presentation was on your campus, include that in the Research description also. If you presented it at a regional or national conference, give it its own Presentations/Posters space.
3) Was the manuscript accepted? Was it submitted? Is it still being written? Is it a glimmer of an idea that you plan to get around to some day?

 

[warisk6]

1) That works fine, especially if you are tight on spaces.
2) Include the award (and how competitive it was) in the Research description, so the context is clear. If the poster presentation was on your campus, include that in the Research description also. If you presented it at a regional or national conference, give it its own Presentations/Posters space.
3) Was the manuscript accepted? Was it submitted? Is it still being written? Is it a glimmer of an idea that you plan to get around to some day?

1) sounds good
2) follow up question then, if I have 2 more Smaller scale poster presentations should I that were also held by my school, should I put those into the research summary as well?
3) It was submitted in February for consideration in the journal “Developmental Psychobiology”

 

[Catalystik]

1) sounds good
2) follow up question then, if I have 2 more Smaller scale poster presentations should I that were also held by my school, should I put those into the research summary as well?
3) It was submitted in February for consideration in the journal “Developmental Psychobiology”

2) Yes.
3) A manuscript that has not been accepted is not a Publication. You may end up resubmitting to other journals if it's not accepted. Major revisions may be requested by a journal before they will accept it. If you feel compelled to mention it in your application and it's based on the same data set as one of your posters, you might mention after the citation for the poster that a manuscript has been sent out for consideration. But it's best to wait on an acceptance and update schools later.

See the second post of this thread and read items 14 & 20.

 

[Kuyuka]

Hi, I have a quick question regarding inputting my work experience. I have been an EMT at two companies. Company 1 was IFT. Company 2 was 911 and has multiple "entities" in the country, so I worked in two different counties, two different entities, under the same company. Can I put all of these hours into one box? Or should I separate them? I have an extra activity box, but I'm wondering what the easiest/best way to do it is. Thanks

 

[Catalystik]

Hi, I have a quick question regarding inputting my work experience. I have been an EMT at two companies. Company 1 was IFT. Company 2 was 911 and has multiple "entities" in the country, so I worked in two different counties, two different entities, under the same company. Can I put all of these hours into one box? Or should I separate them? I have an extra activity box, but I'm wondering what the easiest/best way to do it is. Thanks

Keeping them in one space is logical. The second Contact can be listed in the narrative. You might use the Repeated feature if there was a significant time separation between the two experiences.

 

[Mpsll]

Hi quick question, if applying to research heavy schools, do I need to reserve a most meaningful for research? I already selected three potential candidates for most meaningful in artistic endeavor, clinical employment, and social/justice advocacy; and feel all 3 are significant. If I had to replace one, I guess it would have to be clinical employment? But then I don’t have a single clinical experience as most meaningful although the research is clinical research

 

[annabethchase]

Hi! I am conflicted on how to categorize a national fellowship (Fulbright, Watson, Rhodes, etc.) that I am still currently on. Classifying it as an honor,award,recognition section means there's no space to write anticipated hours but no other categories seem to fully cover these fellowships. Should I just stick with this categorization and indicate in the written part that it is ongoing?

 

[Catalystik]

Hi quick question, if applying to research heavy schools, do I need to reserve a most meaningful for research? I already selected three potential candidates for most meaningful in artistic endeavor, clinical employment, and social/justice advocacy; and feel all 3 are significant. If I had to replace one, I guess it would have to be clinical employment? But then I don’t have a single clinical experience as most meaningful although the research is clinical research

No, you don't "need" to enter Research as MM for Research heavy schools. Best to enter those activities that truly meant the most to you and reflect on their impact.

 

[Catalystik]

Hi! I am conflicted on how to categorize a national fellowship (Fulbright, Watson, Rhodes, etc.) that I am still currently on. Classifying it as an honor,award,recognition section means there's no space to write anticipated hours but no other categories seem to fully cover these fellowships. Should I just stick with this categorization and indicate in the written part that it is ongoing?

Yes.

 

[MDhopefullymaybepls?]

Hi, thank you for answering all these questions.

A general question for DO and MD w/a section:

1. I am a reapplicant, and I realized that my research hours were underestimated by ~50 hours (166 vs 220) hours, if I correct it on my reapplication, will this cause issues? Same with adding new activities that were not mentioned in my previous app, but are not recent?
2. While I am not ending each statement with "This will make me a great physician," I am ending it with what I learned or maybe how I have applied it in a future job. For example writing and researching an independent research project helped me develop skills to later on research and develop policy in the clinic I currently work in as a medical assistant on how to start patients on a high risk medication or I learned that teaching is a collaborative process.... What do you think about this method, does it still come off as repetitive or slightly annoying? (going off of your response to someone very early on in the thread).
3. Should I include this: I worked part-time at a fast-food pizza place for 6 months during a gap quarter and summer, ~480 hours. I would likely write about teamwork in the description since we would work together to provide customer service and manage the food rush. I didn't put this in my application last year, because I just thought it didn't really apply to my career in medicine.

Thank you!

 

[Catalystik]

Hi, thank you for answering all these questions.

A general question for DO and MD w/a section:

1. I am a reapplicant, and I realized that my research hours were underestimated by ~50 hours (166 vs 220) hours, if I correct it on my reapplication, will this cause issues? Same with adding new activities that were not mentioned in my previous app, but are not recent?
2. While I am not ending each statement with "This will make me a great physician," I am ending it with what I learned or maybe how I have applied it in a future job. For example writing and researching an independent research project helped me develop skills to later on research and develop policy in the clinic I currently work in as a medical assistant on how to start patients on a high risk medication or I learned that teaching is a collaborative process.... What do you think about this method, does it still come off as repetitive or slightly annoying? (going off of your response to someone very early on in the thread).
3. Should I include this: I worked part-time at a fast-food pizza place for 6 months during a gap quarter and summer, ~480 hours. I would likely write about teamwork in the description since we would work together to provide customer service and manage the food rush. I didn't put this in my application last year, because I just thought it didn't really apply to my career in medicine.

Thank you!

1) As long as your Contact agrees with the numbers you enter, you’re fine. New activities added from past times won’t raise eyebrows, as your further consideration may have determined the activity does indeed reveal traits valuable in a physician that can enhance your application.
2) As long as you try to “show” instead of “tell” you’d be fine. Your example seems fine.
3) Include it, as it does apply to learning & practicing medicine.

 

[needsomehappinessinlife]

I have some questions regarding how to write the poster presentation description.
I have two posters, both of which were submitted as abstracts and accepted. Now I presented both of them. One of my abstracts, I will be submitting a paper soon. How should I write this out?

1st author, "Title", "Conference", 2024. Abstract accepted and presented a poster
1st author, "Title", "Conference", 2025. Abstract accepted and presented a poster. Will submit for publication.

 

[Catalystik]

I have some questions regarding how to write the poster presentation description.
I have two posters, both of which were submitted as abstracts and accepted. Now I presented both of them. One of my abstracts, I will be submitting a paper soon. How should I write this out?

1st author, "Title", "Conference", 2024. Abstract accepted and presented a poster
1st author, "Title", "Conference", 2025. Abstract accepted and presented a poster. Will submit for publication.

Add the conference location and date. If other authors, add them or use et al, except for the PI whom you should include. No need to mention a not-yet-submitted manuscript. Title and conference name can be abbreviated if needed.

 

[centerpiece]

Hi, I have a question about something I was thinking of adding to my honors/awards/recognitions section of my work/activities. I was accepted to an MD early assurance program in my state as a college sophomore (I am a rising senior and applying this cycle, if that matters). This program is non-binding. Can I put this in the mentioned section, and could it help leverage acceptances from other schools/would it be worth including?