Should I record my experience hours in a spreadsheet?

[Backwoods Boy]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I was wondering if it is a good idea to log the experience I obtain in a spreadsheet that would include type of experience (SA, LA, equine...), date, hours done, and work done? I am sure this could be somewhat useful. Has anyone else done this?

 

[sumstorm]

The admissions crew at NCSU recommends this to all potential applicants. Don't forget to include supervisor, address, and phone number as all of that might be useful in the future.

 

[Backwoods Boy]

Thanks sumstorm. I figured it wouldn't hurt but I failed to think about the addresses, etc...

 

[bunnity]

I think it's a good idea, if only because it's hard to keep track of in your head after a while. VMCAS asks for things like dates (from month/year to month/year), number of hours per week, total hours, if you were paid, who you were supervised by (with their contract info) and what you did. The what you did section you only get 200 characters or something for so you have to keep it short! Make sure you back it up or make a paper copy so you still have your list if your computer dies!

 

[david594]

I wouldn't worry about recording what you do on a day to day basis. You will remember the important details.

 

[Ben and Me]

I used a spreadsheet to keep track of mine. Very helpful since I could easily get totals for the number of hours in each area, etc. I do think it's a good idea to note any cool procedures you see while the name of the procedure is fresh in your mind, haha. It would've definitely helped me while writing my personal statement to have all that in front of me!

 

[StillDreaming]

YES! If you have the idea in you rhead now when you experience is just growing, DO IT! I tried to make a spreadsheet right before i filled out the app, just to get it all together, and it was sooooo time consuming to try to remember it all. I mean i kinda just guestimated, but i usually guesstimated down so as to not lie on the app, taking away hours in certain areas of exprience for me.

So yes, start a spreadsheet and keep it up to date! Make sure once a week or once a month (dpeneding on how much experience you are getting) put in all the hours and make sure it is good to go.

Good luck!

 

[cRose]

Kind of along these lines...when I first started shadowing, I kept a journal. My adviser recommended this, and I'm really glad that I followed her advice. Every time I came home from shadowing, I got my journal out and just jotted down anything especially interesting that I learned that day, or any event that really stuck out in my mind (a sad euth, a cool surgery, etc). I also put the number of hours that I spent in the clinic down at the bottom corner of the page, so that I could easily go through at the end of the summer and tally them up.

I'd really recommend it. It really helped me write my personal statement.