What, besides AOA, are medical school awards?

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golfman

golfman

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I don't really understand what medical student awards are (besides AOA).

Does anybody have any examples? I was elected to various leadership positions in medical school, but those aren't really awards.

The topic of honors in rotations has already been covered quite thoroughly, sounds like those don't belong in awards. So what does?
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sometimes people get scholarships during med school, or research awards, or other honors (we have overall honor awarded to the top 20% of the class after each year, for instance). Gold humanism qualifies too.
 
turkeyjerky said:
sometimes people get scholarships during med school, or research awards, or other honors (we have overall honor awarded to the top 20% of the class after each year, for instance). Gold humanism qualifies too.
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So would applying for and receiving a grant to do research during the summer after 1st year be an award? Or would that go under research experience? I didn't even know what Gold Humanism was. Good to know (although a little late for me). Thanks, your reply helped! Any other examples here?
 
We have awards for the top grade in each course. Also as others said, Gold Humanism, scholarships, HHMI or other research fellowships.
 
golfman said:
So would applying for and receiving a grant to do research during the summer after 1st year be an award? Or would that go under research experience?
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Yes it would. Although most of those "grants" (at least the institutional ones) are gimmes to anyone who can put together a moderately coherent 1 page proposal. Still...no reason not to put it out there when everyone else will be doing the same.

And yes, you can put the research experience itself in the research section as well.
 
Cool. This is excellent feedback. Last question, I'm the President of our school's AMA chapter. Does that go under experiences or awards? I at first thought experience but somebody told me I should put it under award because it was something I was elected to.
 
I've seen people put if they honored clinical clerkships under awards. Like "Clinical Honors in Surgical Care Clerkship" - is that legit?
 
LeLu said:
I've seen people put if they honored clinical clerkships under awards. Like "Clinical Honors in Surgical Care Clerkship" - is that legit?
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Is Honors just the top grade in the course or is there Honors only given to a few of those with the top grade?
 
LeLu said:
I've seen people put if they honored clinical clerkships under awards. Like "Clinical Honors in Surgical Care Clerkship" - is that legit?
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No...assuming "Honors" is just the same as an "A" and is just a grade...that's just padding and, at best the person reading your app will laugh at you. At worst, they'll think you're a total wanker and won't invite you for an interview.
 
If you know that you received the highest grade in particular classes based on the grade ranges and observing that the max grade on the range is yours, can you list this as an accomplishment in the Misc. section? Like obtained highest score in x/10 classes during second year of classes? Thanks.
 
Mortal_Lessons said:
If you know that you received the highest grade in particular classes based on the grade ranges and observing that the max grade on the range is yours, can you list this as an accomplishment in the Misc. section? Like obtained highest score in x/10 classes during second year of classes? Thanks.
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If you wish to be pre-labelled a d-bag gunner by programs, go ahead. Otherwise...no.
 
turkeyjerky said:
sometimes people get scholarships during med school, or research awards, or other honors (we have overall honor awarded to the top 20% of the class after each year, for instance). Gold humanism qualifies too.
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I'm glad this qualifies as an award. I was going to put it under "Membership in Honorary/Professional Societies."
 
Mortal_Lessons said:
Thanks for your insightful comment.
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You're welcome. Also, I just now realized that you were talking about 2nd year classes, not even clerkships.

Nobody but you (and possibly your mom) cares about your pre-clinical grades now. Congrats for doing so well. Let it go and move on. Try not to be "that guy" from here on out.
 
gutonc said:
No...assuming "Honors" is just the same as an "A" and is just a grade...that's just padding and, at best the person reading your app will laugh at you. At worst, they'll think you're a total wanker and won't invite you for an interview.
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Does it really look that bad to put it on? I've seen several of my classmates applications and they are all putting honors on their awards (our school gives honors to about 20% for each class/clerkship).

I still don't know what I"m going to do. I really have other med school awards. I'd like something to go there.

All I would say is: "I honored the majority of my MS1 and MS2 classes and several of my 3rd year clerkships." I'm not a fan of listing every class and rotation you got honors in, but would somebody really think I was a wanker with that statement there?
 
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golfman said:
Does it really look that bad to put it on? I've seen several of my classmates applications and they are all putting honors on their awards (our school gives honors to about 20% for each class/clerkship).

I still don't know what I"m going to do. I really have other med school awards. I'd like something to go there.

All I would say is: "I honored the majority of my MS1 and MS2 classes and several of my 3rd year clerkships." I'm not a fan of listing every class and rotation you got honors in, but would somebody really think I was a wanker with that statement there?
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That stuff will go in your MSPE and your transcript which is where it belongs. Putting it anywhere else will be seen as padding your CV.

Think about it this way...when you applied to med school, did you list all the A's you got on your AMCAS? This is the same thing. Don't do it.

Just like not everybody has publications, not everybody has awards. Nothing you can do about it now.
 
gutonc said:
That stuff will go in your MSPE and your transcript which is where it belongs. Putting it anywhere else will be seen as padding your CV.

Think about it this way...when you applied to med school, did you list all the A's you got on your AMCAS? This is the same thing. Don't do it.

Just like not everybody has publications, not everybody has awards. Nothing you can do about it now.
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Cool. Good to know.
 
If I received 2 scholarships given by my med school before starting med school and received 1 after the first year of med school - would this go in the "medical school awards" or "other awards" section? Thank you!

and can I include full merit scholarship in college or Dean's List from undergrad in the "other awards" section?
 
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golfman said:
Does it really look that bad to put it on? I've seen several of my classmates applications and they are all putting honors on their awards (our school gives honors to about 20% for each class/clerkship).

I still don't know what I"m going to do. I really have other med school awards. I'd like something to go there.

All I would say is: "I honored the majority of my MS1 and MS2 classes and several of my 3rd year clerkships." I'm not a fan of listing every class and rotation you got honors in, but would somebody really think I was a wanker with that statement there?
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I'd say it sounds terrible. Either list which ones you got or just let your transcript speak for itself. Unless Honors is something above and beyond just the top grade I wouldn't put it on there. Top grades are expected in competitive specialties.

Just my 2 cents.
 
Well then I shall not put that statement in there. Thank you
 
Our school told us to list Honors under Medical School Awards, and I was planning to until stumbling on this thread. Since the transcripts are not released until October 1, should you list them to give the programs a sense of your academic powers along with your personal experiences? Or does it really look that foolish? I would think it'd be nice to know more about the candidate early on, as a PD.

I guess since our school told us to do it I'm inclined to put them on. Any more thoughts?
 
paje00 said:
Our school told us to list Honors under Medical School Awards, and I was planning to until stumbling on this thread. Since the transcripts are not released until October 1, should you list them to give the programs a sense of your academic powers along with your personal experiences? Or does it really look that foolish? I would think it'd be nice to know more about the candidate early on, as a PD.

I guess since our school told us to do it I'm inclined to put them on. Any more thoughts?
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Transcripts aren't released until october 1?
 
illixir said:
Transcripts aren't released until october 1?
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Transcripts are released whenever your school releases them.

Some places do it on a specific date, others do it whenever they're requested. My school had two specific dates (9/15 and 11/1 IIRC) but they would only send one transcript to ERAS per student.
 
paje00 said:
Our school told us to list Honors under Medical School Awards, and I was planning to until stumbling on this thread. Since the transcripts are not released until October 1, should you list them to give the programs a sense of your academic powers along with your personal experiences? Or does it really look that foolish? I would think it'd be nice to know more about the candidate early on, as a PD.

I guess since our school told us to do it I'm inclined to put them on. Any more thoughts?
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That's strange. Mine told me not to use them, without a doubt. This does worry me, because our school's "official transcript" only has pass/fail information and doesn't show honors until the Deans letter is sent out.

But, I'm not putting them on. My school told me not to very strongly and consensus on here is to not put them on.
 
golfman said:
That's strange. Mine told me not to use them, without a doubt. This does worry me, because our school's "official transcript" only has pass/fail information and doesn't show honors until the Deans letter is sent out.

But, I'm not putting them on. My school told me not to very strongly and consensus on here is to not put them on.
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does your official transcript not show your GPA either?
 
is there any value to RE-requesting/sending a transcript after our MS4 sub-I month is completed if we're honoring it? will that grade be on it? will that even matter? thanks!
 
I definitely wouldn't list honors in classes/clerkships in that section. It just doesn't seem like it belongs.

AOA obviously should, and any other awards that your school might offer (Humanism awards, Service awards, etc).
 
Listing Honors in ERAS under awards is pointless. They are going to have your transcript anyways.
 
does anyone have any more examples of Medical School Honors/Awards/Accomplishments. I feel lame leaving that field blank :(
 
Dral said:
A lot can be school specific. I earned this one:

http://www.apcprods.org/HS/

It may be kind of late for people applying now, but students should be proactive in searching them out instead of just letting them happen.
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But was that given my your school? I don't even think my school gives out an awards, except AOA?
 
HappyGenome said:
does anyone have any more examples of Medical School Honors/Awards/Accomplishments. I feel lame leaving that field blank :(
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Mine is blank too. My med school doesn't give out awards until graduation.
 
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