• The 2026-2027 DO School Specific Threads are now available in the School Specific Discussions forum. The 2025-2026 discussions are now available in the prior year discussions forum.
  • Bring your 2026 application questions to our open office hours with Emil Chuck, PhD, Director of Advising Services for HPSA, and get them answered live. Personal statements, secondaries, interview prep, school list strategy. Sunday, May 17 at 9 p.m. Eastern.

Question on AACOMAS

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

waverunner

Member
10+ Year Member
5+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
Hi everyone 🙂 .
I just have a quick question on how to fill out the additional information section of the AACOMAS.
There is a section asking for the information on experiences (paid or volunteer).

I was wondering if we are supposed to give them some description of what I did, or we are just supposed to "list" them.

Also, for the paid position, since I have only two paid experiences, I was thinking of putting my research experiences. I did not get paid in cash, but I received units compensation for working with a professor. Do you think this is valid for me to say this was paid? I have nothing else to talk about there and I would like to indicate somewhere that I did 2 years of research. Is there a better place for me to do that other than in that paid experience section?

Thanks for your time!
 
waverunner said:
Hi everyone 🙂 .
I just have a quick question on how to fill out the additional information section of the AACOMAS.
There is a section asking for the information on experiences (paid or volunteer).

I was wondering if we are supposed to give them some description of what I did, or we are just supposed to "list" them.

Also, for the paid position, since I have only two paid experiences, I was thinking of putting my research experiences. I did not get paid in cash, but I received units compensation for working with a professor. Do you think this is valid for me to say this was paid? I have nothing else to talk about there and I would like to indicate somewhere that I did 2 years of research. Is there a better place for me to do that other than in that paid experience section?

Thanks for your time!


yeh i would like some feedback on this too!!! please answer someone!
 
With the 600 (I think) character limit you'd be hard-pressed to fit in much of a description unless you are listing one thing. I found it very frustrating. I think you should just list the dates and your title. If you can, maybe put in the topic of the research? Good luck.

I suspect secondaries are going to be very long since there isn't much room to put anything in on the AACOM primary.
 
hoberto said:
With the 600 (I think) character limit you'd be hard-pressed to fit in much of a description unless you are listing one thing. I found it very frustrating. I think you should just list the dates and your title. If you can, maybe put in the topic of the research? Good luck.

I suspect secondaries are going to be very long since there isn't much room to put anything in on the AACOM primary.

Thanks everone 🙂

What I did was I listed three of them and gave them about 200 words each to put the dates, describe what I did briefly.

I kinda included researches in my paid-experience because I was compensated for the hours by units. Do you think it's valid?

I am only applying to Western U in Pomona. That school requires a shadowing experience and a LOR of DO or MD but I have not shadowed anyone. Do you think it is too late to start looking for a DO? If not, do I just find a DO on the AOA website and start contacting them if I can shadow them?

Please keep me adviced!

😀