Secondaries...academic question?

[dunks94]

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Hey guys,

I had a question about secondaries asking about non-academic pursuits. Would academic pursuits include medical research?

Also, what exactly does the term "academic medicine" entail? Would it include teaching medicine at a med school? THanks!

 

[Doctor-S]

Hey guys,

I had a question about secondaries asking about non-academic pursuits. Would academic pursuits include medical research?

Also, what exactly does the term "academic medicine" entail? Would it include teaching medicine at a med school? THanks!

Ryan

"Medical research" beyond the classroom is non-academic.

In very basic lingo, "academic medicine" can be described as a combination of medicine (physicians) and scholarship (e.g., teaching or research).

In "clinical academic medicine," physicians are often engaged in: (1) clinical (patient) care; (2) teaching/education, and (3) research. Physician-academics are often affiliated with some type of teaching hospital (e.g., academic medical center).

Additional Information:

In case you're interested, some physicians choose to become "clinical" professors. Many clinical professors maintain private clinical practices and teach medical students, post-docs, fellows and residents at AMCs, on a part-time basis. A clinical professor does not have to be engaged in medical research. Some clinical professors publish; and some don't publish.

Thank you.

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

I had a question about secondaries asking about non-academic pursuits. Would academic pursuits include medical research?

What is the secondary question exactly? It sounds like they're asking about hobbies, things you do for fun outside of school. I would consider research an academic pursuit.

 

[dunks94]

What is the secondary question exactly? It sounds like they're asking about hobbies, things you do for fun outside of school. I would consider research an academic pursuit.

it asks for a personal achievement in a non-academic pursuit

The most meaningful achievements are often non-academic in nature. Describe the personal accomplishment that makes you most proud. Why is this important to you?

Detail something about yourself (quality or non-academic accomplishment) that makes you extremely proud

2) Please describe a personal challenge that required resiliency or adaptability (and the skills, resources and strategies you employed to take on the challenge). DO NOT write about the MCAT, a course, or an academic issue.

 

[Doctor-S]

it asks for a personal achievement in a non-academic pursuit

The most meaningful achievements are often non-academic in nature. Describe the personal accomplishment that makes you most proud. Why is this important to you?

Detail something about yourself (quality or non-academic accomplishment) that makes you extremely proud

Thank you for providing further clarification to the first question set forth in your original post.

Many secondary apps specifically invite the applicant to describe his or her involvement in a "non-academic" activity that has been extremely important in the applicant's life. This type of question can "personalize" you to the adcom or show your capacity to "relate" to people outside of academics (e.g., patients). It also adds diversity (e.g., to the composition of the 1st year class) and gives you a chance to show that you have a "life" outside of school, and outside of UG research lab. It is a meaningful question. Indeed, your response to this question can lead to a stimulating (often fascinating) discussion in an interview and you do want to get an interview, eh?

As an aside ... here is some advice from UCLA School of Medicine (published on its website) that you may wish to consider in responding to this type of question:

The qualifier “non-academic” can mean many things including experiences that are already identified on the AMCAS application under one of the self-selected “more meaningful” experiences. If you have already included the additional short description on why a particular experience is one of the “more meaningful” ones (on AMCAS), then this could be a good opportunity to emphasize something different, something that may not necessarily be related to medicine but is personally meaningful and productive to one’s development. This question asks for a personal choice so there isn’t necessarily a right/wrong answer but there may be some activities that will be perceived by some as more or less substantive. Choose wisely."