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Just looking for opinions....
Maybe we should make an official "help with ERAS" thread, as it took me awhile to sift through a search of several smaller discussions similar to this topic and it would be helpful to have them all in one place.
Here are my questions:
1) I received a scholarship during my 4th year. Yes, it is an "award", however I do not know what it was for. There is no indication of the reason for my selection as the recipient in the letter. I have emailed my school twice, and called once, to no avail. Nobody seems to know why I was chosen for this. Unfortunately, I missed the official dinner as I had surgery the day before, and one further attempt to meet the donor was unsuccessful. I am not planning on listing it, as I will look like a horse's arse when I cannot answer what it was for. Agree?
2) For the descriptions, prose vs. bulleted format? I have been writing in 1-3 phrases, with subject and verb, because it was easier to describe some of the positions this way. However, a friend of mine pointed out that a bulleted format is easier to read. I realize there won't be a consensus on this, but what are advantages/disadvantages of each format that you have noticed?
3) Under hobbies and interests, I am having a hard time because although I kept up with some of my leisure activities during med school, some I have not done in years. If I haven't done an activity in, say, three years or so, but I still really enjoy it and plan to pick it up again, is it ok to list or should I leave it off?
4) In undergrad, I worked in a research lab. I was basically a scut monkey, and followed a lab manual to extract DNA from these chicken egg samples, and I "washed dishes". I was not in any way involved in the actual research, and there's no way I could describe in more than two sentences what it is that they did in that lab. I don't want to put this activity for that reason, again, trying to minimize fodder for unveiling my buffoonness. However, since I have no research experience, a friend thinks I should put it. I'm erring against it, as I think it will be labelled as "fluff" or "padding". What do you think?
I appreciate any opinions you may have, and hopefully this discussion will help answer the questions of other people struggling with this oh-so-fun paperwork!
Maybe we should make an official "help with ERAS" thread, as it took me awhile to sift through a search of several smaller discussions similar to this topic and it would be helpful to have them all in one place.
Here are my questions:
1) I received a scholarship during my 4th year. Yes, it is an "award", however I do not know what it was for. There is no indication of the reason for my selection as the recipient in the letter. I have emailed my school twice, and called once, to no avail. Nobody seems to know why I was chosen for this. Unfortunately, I missed the official dinner as I had surgery the day before, and one further attempt to meet the donor was unsuccessful. I am not planning on listing it, as I will look like a horse's arse when I cannot answer what it was for. Agree?
2) For the descriptions, prose vs. bulleted format? I have been writing in 1-3 phrases, with subject and verb, because it was easier to describe some of the positions this way. However, a friend of mine pointed out that a bulleted format is easier to read. I realize there won't be a consensus on this, but what are advantages/disadvantages of each format that you have noticed?
3) Under hobbies and interests, I am having a hard time because although I kept up with some of my leisure activities during med school, some I have not done in years. If I haven't done an activity in, say, three years or so, but I still really enjoy it and plan to pick it up again, is it ok to list or should I leave it off?
4) In undergrad, I worked in a research lab. I was basically a scut monkey, and followed a lab manual to extract DNA from these chicken egg samples, and I "washed dishes". I was not in any way involved in the actual research, and there's no way I could describe in more than two sentences what it is that they did in that lab. I don't want to put this activity for that reason, again, trying to minimize fodder for unveiling my buffoonness. However, since I have no research experience, a friend thinks I should put it. I'm erring against it, as I think it will be labelled as "fluff" or "padding". What do you think?
I appreciate any opinions you may have, and hopefully this discussion will help answer the questions of other people struggling with this oh-so-fun paperwork!
