Volunteer Hours: How current?

[Cinclus]

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Hey, guys. Sorry if this is a repeat of anything. I wasn't sure what keywords to use to search for what I'm looking for. Anyhow, I was wondering what the "oldness" cutoff would be (if any) for putting volunteer hours on the AMCAS application. I've done hundreds of hours of community service, spread out over the last 10 years or so. Most of my hours are actually from more than 4 years ago; my busy, unpredictable research schedule kinda put a damper on the volunteering until recently. So, should I not include any hours that are, say, more than 5 years old? Should I include them all?

Thanks for any input.

 

[KLycos]

Anything after high school. You don't want to get to an interview and have someone ask you to talk about the 100 hours of volunteer work you did at the special olympics that..oh..happened during your freshman year of high school..

 

[LizzyM]

Technically, there is no limit according to AMCAS. The application does ask you the start date (month/year) and end date (month/year or "to present") and the average number of hours per week.

Some years ago, the experience section was limited to post HS activities or activities that began before HS graduation but extended beyond that period but the instructions no longer make that limit.

You are limited to 15 experiences and that includes research, volunteer (clinical or non-clinical), employment (military or non-military), teaching/tutoring, leadership, publications, posters, honors, artistic endeavors, athletic endeavors, hobbies & advocations, etc.

 

[KLycos]

Well, I guess I would now say after being enlightened by LizzyM that, if I were to have started an EC somewhere during high school I would list it only if it were something that I continued during/after college.

 

[LadiiKay]

I have a shadowing experience from my sophmore year of HS can I still put that down?

 

[gettheleadout]

I have a shadowing experience from my sophmore year of HS can I still put that down?

I would imagine some more recent shadowing would be better...isn't it possible your perception of the field could have changed in 6 years?

 

[LadiiKay]

I would imagine some more recent shadowing would be better...isn't it possible your perception of the field could have changed in 6 years?

I do have much more recent experience, but that was my first shadow and only shadow with a pediatrician. It really helped me realize how much I don't want to be a pediatrician lol I try to get shadows in different fields that I'm interested in.

 

[mvenus929]

I do have much more recent experience, but that was my first shadow and only shadow with a pediatrician. It really helped me realize how much I don't want to be a pediatrician lol I try to get shadows in different fields that I'm interested in.

If the only thing you got out the experience is how much you don't want to be a pediatrician, there is absolutely no reason to put it down.

 

[NickNaylor]

I do have much more recent experience, but that was my first shadow and only shadow with a pediatrician. It really helped me realize how much I don't want to be a pediatrician lol I try to get shadows in different fields that I'm interested in.

There has to be something more meaningful than that that you gleamed from your experience.

 

[LadiiKay]

Of course there was a lot more to that experience. I had started out volunteering at his private practice where I got to see/do a lot of the behind the scenes stuff and eventually was able to shadow him at the hospital, during home visits (yea he does those, despite the fact that we're in nyc which is pretty cool) and at his private practice. I love working with kids and I learned a lot from him, but pediatrics isn't something I want to do for the rest of my life.

 

[Cinclus]

I've done a lot of "one-off" volunteering experiences, but it doesn't sound like it would be appropriate to list anything that wasn't done over an extended period of time.

 

[LizzyM]

I've done a lot of "one-off" volunteering experiences, but it doesn't sound like it would be appropriate to list anything that wasn't done over an extended period of time.

You could devote one experience slot to "volunteer" (clinical or non-clinical depending), list the start date to present and leave out hours per week. Then in the text field, describe your involvement with days of service and give some examples. Just as schools are looking for life long learners, some also seek life long volunteers who see giving of their time to help others as part of what they do as a "good citizen" or as part of their religious tradition.