What is the "15" blank spaces for extracurriculars on application that everyone talks about?

[Midom]

I've done a lot of shadowing/volunteering/2 leadership positions/ research, but what is this 15 blanks that you have to fill in the application?! My stuff add up to like 10 things that I've done

Research for a year
President of PRESOMA/ secretary of another club (done over 50 hours probably for around 1 and a half years)
active involvement of a volunteer club that does diverse things for volunteering
Nursing home (120+ hours over 1 year)
shadowing 2 doctors (1 MD 1 DO) probably trying to get one more in (around 35 hours)
Homeless shelter volunteering (around 10 hours but over a course of 1 year)
Disability resource center volunteering (1 semester around 40 hours)
Mentoring ( they dont really keep track of hours, but I've been doing it for a year)

Have I not done enough because thats only like 9 things.

Also, some told me that awards and achievements count as that in that case I got 4x Deans list, but I am a bit skeptical because a lot of people have probably done this so its not really a big accomplishment.

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[prehealthadvisor55]

You're leaving out a key component of what can help us answer your question...how many hours? If you spent 200 hours at the nursing home volunteering, that's one thing. But 20? You probably need more. You definitely need more clinical experience if none of the things you listed have a clinical component you didn't mention.

Yes, there are 15 spaces available. But in all honesty most applicants have more than 15 things, and they choose the 15 most relevant. It all depends on what you're doing, not how many boxes you fill.

 

[ProspectiveKidd]

You're leaving out a key component of what can help us answer your question...how many hours? If you spent 200 hours at the nursing home volunteering, that's one thing. But 20? You probably need more. You definitely need more clinical experience if none of the things you listed have a clinical component you didn't mention.

Yes, there are 15 spaces available. But in all honesty most applicants have more than 15 things, and they choose the 15 most relevant. It all depends on what you're doing, not how many boxes you fill.

Just wondering, I have worked at a nursing home for about 7 years and I'm always interacting with patients and family members due to the nature of my job and setting. I'm not directly involved in patient care though with my job in particular, but there has never been a day I'm not directly interacting with patients and family members. How will they view this type of clinical exposure? I also have some other volunteer activities with nursing homes in addition.

 

[Rainbow Zebra]

I've done a lot of shadowing/volunteering/2 leadership positions/ research, but what is this 15 blanks that you have to fill in the application?! My stuff add up to like 10 things that I've done

Research for a year
President of PRESOMA/ secretary of another club
active involvement of a volunteer club that does diverse things for volunteering
Nursing home
shadowing 2 doctors (1 MD 1 DO) probably trying to get one more in
Homeless shelter volunteering
Disability resource center volunteering
Mentoring

Have I not done enough because thats only like 9 things.

Also, some told me that awards and achievements count as that in that case I got 4x Deans list, but I am a bit skeptical because a lot of people have probably done this so its not really a big accomplishment.

Also use a space for honors and awards, have you worked at all during undergrad?? That is another space. You can look up the AMCAS documentation on the sections, and what each means. Or create an AMCAS account, and see what information you need, and how much space you get. Doesn't cost anything to create an account, as long as you don't submit it. Good luck to you.

 

[Midom]

You're leaving out a key component of what can help us answer your question...how many hours? If you spent 200 hours at the nursing home volunteering, that's one thing. But 20? You probably need more. You definitely need more clinical experience if none of the things you listed have a clinical component you didn't mention.

Yes, there are 15 spaces available. But in all honesty most applicants have more than 15 things, and they choose the 15 most relevant. It all depends on what you're doing, not how many boxes you fill.

I edited around the hours, I have the exact hours recorded on my transcript. But I mean those are the most significant things I have done. And clinical experience wise, does the nursing home not count as clinical and volunteering at the same time. Also I've shadowed, and I'm probably gonna be looking for one more doctor to try to shadow. So should I include the fact that I got on deans list four times or no? And is it okay if I don't fill all 15, just say 12 or 11?

 

[Rainbow Zebra]

I edited around the hours, I have the exact hours recorded on my transcript. But I mean those are the most significant things I have done. And clinical experience wise, does the nursing home not count as clinical and volunteering at the same time. Also I've shadowed, and I'm probably gonna be looking for one more doctor to try to shadow. So should I include the fact that I got on deans list four times or no? And is it okay if I don't fill all 15, just say 12 or 11?

I put on the Deans list and graduated with High Honors all in one space. Just listed the dates and designations that showed up on my transcript.

 

[LizzyM]

There are 15 spaces for "experiences". You need not fill all 15. Most people use spaces for:
volunteering, non-clinical
volunteering, clinical
employment (of some kind) and/or teaching/tutoring
research
hobbies/advocations and/or artistic endeavors and/or athletics and/or club membership
shadowing

Each item gets one "tag". You get to decide what tag is the best fit. You list your title, the place, the time frame(s), the total hours per time frame (if more than one time frame such as working at the same job more than one summer)

 

[prehealthadvisor55]

Just wondering, I have worked at a nursing home for about 7 years and I'm always interacting with patients and family members due to the nature of my job and setting. I'm not directly involved in patient care though with my job in particular, but there has never been a day I'm not directly interacting with patients and family members. How will they view this type of clinical exposure? I also have some other volunteer activities with nursing homes in addition.

Generally I would say if you're around doctor/patient interactions, call it clinical. If it were being around someone who goes to a doctor at some point, walking down the street could be clinical. I definitely wouldn't hedge all your clinical hours on nursing home experiences though.

 

[Midom]

There are 15 spaces for "experiences". You need not fill all 15. Most people use spaces for:
volunteering, non-clinical
volunteering, clinical
employment (of some kind) and/or teaching/tutoring
research
hobbies/advocations and/or artistic endeavors and/or athletics and/or club membership
shadowing

Each item gets one "tag". You get to decide what tag is the best fit. You list your title, the place, the time frame(s), the total hours per time frame (if more than one time frame such as working at the same job more than one summer)

Do you think with a 3.73 GPA and all of that stuff and MCAT pending, I might have a good chance at some MD or DO school? Thanks everyone for being so helpful!

 

[AsianPersuasion]

There are 15 spaces for "experiences". You need not fill all 15. Most people use spaces for:
volunteering, non-clinical
volunteering, clinical
employment (of some kind) and/or teaching/tutoring
research
hobbies/advocations and/or artistic endeavors and/or athletics and/or club membership
shadowing

Each item gets one "tag". You get to decide what tag is the best fit. You list your title, the place, the time frame(s), the total hours per time frame (if more than one time frame such as working at the same job more than one summer)

Thanks, LizzyM for the clarification. Again, my ill informed adviser told me I can't put shadowing in those spaces

 

[LizzyM]

Do you think with a 3.73 GPA and all of that stuff and MCAT pending, I might have a good chance at some MD or DO school? Thanks everyone for being so helpful!

Start a new thread in "what are my chances" to ask that question.

 

[NickNaylor]

You're leaving out a key component of what can help us answer your question...how many hours? If you spent 200 hours at the nursing home volunteering, that's one thing. But 20? You probably need more. You definitely need more clinical experience if none of the things you listed have a clinical component you didn't mention.

Yes, there are 15 spaces available. But in all honesty most applicants have more than 15 things, and they choose the 15 most relevant. It all depends on what you're doing, not how many boxes you fill.

Total number of hours is only one part of understanding what someone took away from an experience. There are plenty of applicants that have tons of hours doing whatever yet seemingly took very little or nothing from those experiences when asked about them in an interview.