Should I save several important ECs for the secondaries?

[libraryismyhome]

---

Members do not see this ad.

If I have about 5 activities which were very significant then if I use like 4 for the primary in order to support my points then I would have only one left for the secondaries. I still have 5 to 7 more okay activities but what if they are not strong enough to support my assertions in secondaries??? Is it possible to "recycle" the activities if the questions are redundant?

 

[DrBowtie]

Use everything for primaries.

 

[gravitywave]

put everything into AMCAS. pick and choose from them to address secondary prompts. recycle ad nauseum.

 

[libraryismyhome]

Use everything for primaries.

You mean every important things correct?

put everything into AMCAS. pick and choose from them to address secondary prompts. recycle ad nauseum.

So, try to answer secondaries after picking and choosing between minor ECs?

 

[rhesuspieces]

I'm not clear on what you're asking. Are you wondering which activities you should reference in your personal statement?

On the AMCAS there is a section in which you list every single one of your activities along with a short description. You shouldn't leave any activities out here.

Your personal statement, on the other hand, is not a list of EC's but an essay meant to convey your reasons for pursuing medicine. You should reference specific experiences (e.g. "when shadowing a physician I met a child with cancer and hearing her hopes and dreams inspired me to pursue medicine") as opposed to general (e.g. "shadowing several physicians cultivated my interest in medicine"). You should avoid repeating material from your PS in your secondary essays, but you can certainly refer to another experience or lesson learned while participating in the same EC.