Paragraphs vs Bullet points

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Hi all,

For the work and activities section, did most of you use bullet points or a paragraph?

For example, I did research in a pediatric emergency dept.

Should I put:

As a research assistant in the emergency department, it is my duty to enroll eligible patients in various research studies. Not only does
this experience give me valuable patient contact, it also involves me with the medical process. For example, a study I have enrolled
patients for is the efficacy of discharge instructions after the patient has been diagnosed with a concussion. I am directly involved with
patient treatment and how these discharge instructions will affect the patient's prognosis. When enrolling patients, I have the responsibility
of acquiring informed consent, determining if a patient's condition meets the inclusion criteria, and excluding the patient if his condition
meets any of the exclusion criteria. As a research assistant, I have also worked with attendings and residents as they diagnose and treat
patients. Observing the environment of the emergency department has given me new insight into an area of medicine different from
primary care.

Or should I put this:

-Shadowed pediatric emergency medicine attendings and/or residents.
-Enrolled subjects for a research study regarding concussed patients.
-Performed chart auditing for an asthma study.


I think the paragraph might be a bit much with a paragraph per activity, but I also think bullet points don't show what I gained from the experience.

Any thoughts?

 

[NickNaylor]

Everyone's going to have their own opinion. Personally I used paragraphs because I wanted to explain all of my activities. The responsibilities that went along with them aren't so obvious, and I feel like bullet points wouldn't have done them justice.

As long as you explain everything clearly and write well, I really don't think it matters. Just be consistent.

 

[EpiIV]

1325 characters is a lot of space. Have you considered...

using extra bullet points to spell out what you took home?

writing a sentence or two at the end of the bullet points that feels a little more personable?

Why does this have to be a choice between clarity and content? There has got to be a way that you can express yourself in a way that satisfies both.

Personally, I like bullets because I see this as a resume. I want them to be able to scan the best things I've done in 30 seconds and if they need to see more, then they can read the more detailed account underneath. Is this because I'm the type of person who skims walls of text and only absorbs <50% at a time? Yeah, it's an assumption. I skip text walls in comic books too. I can come back if I like the rest of the book.

I'm human. So are admissions committees. Find the right balance for yourself that makes someone want you as their colleague.

 

[Practitioner]

I did a mix. Bullet points on most issues (listing clinical experiences, where I've shadowed, number of patient's I've cared for, total hours of experience, etc) and paragraphs for parts that needed explaining (purpose of research, clarifying leadership components of my work, how I use my hobby to volunteer for community, etc).