Work/Activies - Conflicting Answers

[mdavey]

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Question about Work/Activities section:

Ok, so one adcom person told me that they like to see that you have engaged in a lot of different activities, and basically he said, this section is about quantity more than quality. of course quantity and quality would be ideal.

i've also read elsewhere that adcom look down on just putting "resume fillers" into this section.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[AggieJohn]

Question about Work/Activities section:

Ok, so one adcom person told me that they like to see that you have engaged in a lot of different activities, and basically he said, this section is about quantity more than quality. of course quantity and quality would be ideal.

i've also read elsewhere that adcom look down on just putting "resume fillers" into this section.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks.

I've heard more quality over quantity.

 

[LizzyM]

In terms of quantity, I think that you should fill at least 5 slots. Any less just looks like too little.

Ideally, there should be a variety of experiences: volunteer activities, paid employment, hobbies and/or athletics, publications/presentations and/or research experience, leadership of clubs, fraternities, etc.

The quantity issue is really the duration of the experiences. A volunteer project of several years duration with a growth leading to a leadership position is better than one semester of volunteer work followed by one semester in a different project, followed by one semester in yet another project. Worst of all are applications with nothing but a long list of very short term (1 month or less, sometimes just one day) projects like organizing one blood drive.

 

[relentless11]

LizzyM is probably right about filling up the first 5 slots. Personally it doesn't look impressive when you have 100 little experiences like: shadowed an MD for 1 day, charity carwash drive for 1 day. As Lizzy stated the time committment is often times a good indicator of quality.

If a person applied with only 5 things, and they consisted of 2 years of research in the same lab, 4 years of playing some sport at the division I/II level, shadowed a physician for 1 year, etc, then that shows committment to whatever you do, and they really like that considering medicine is a lengthy journey requiring a lot of committment in its own right.

 

[75969]

About the 'experience' section.....
Would it be a bad idea to put an experience down that would not be possibe to verify? I feel that it was a good learning experience (enough to mention it in the PS) and took place over 5+ years, but there isnt a way for someone to call and verify my involvement....so, should I include it in the experience section? Thanks!

 

[LizzyM]

About the 'experience' section.....
Would it be a bad idea to put an experience down that would not be possibe to verify? I feel that it was a good learning experience (enough to mention it in the PS) and took place over 5+ years, but there isnt a way for someone to call and verify my involvement....so, should I include it in the experience section? Thanks!

Yes. Some people list things like playing a musical instrument or doing a hobby for enjoyment beginning in the primary grades -- short of listing the name of a piano or guitar teacher there is no way to verify this; the expectation of "verification" is overblown. Ditto for activities such as hiking a challenging trail (over the course of 7 days or more) each summer with one or two buddies. This is the stuff that makes you a little bit different than the dozen other applications the adcom member or interviewer will see that week and it should be listed even if it is unverifiable.

 

[PittMedicine]

Question about Work/Activities section:

Ok, so one adcom person told me that they like to see that you have engaged in a lot of different activities, and basically he said, this section is about quantity more than quality. of course quantity and quality would be ideal.

i've also read elsewhere that adcom look down on just putting "resume fillers" into this section.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks.

You should use all you can, every opportunity that you can, to tell medical schools about yourself. Add an activity and you get another 1300 characters to reveal a little more about yourself.

 

[72531]

I have about 10 spaces filled right now. A few of them are things I did over a summer..is this too short of a time to write it? I imagine a lot of people write things they did over the summer though and not longer.

 

[LizzyM]

I have about 10 spaces filled right now. A few of them are things I did over a summer..is this too short of a time to write it? I imagine a lot of people write things they did over the summer though and not longer.

For sure you should have things that you did for a summer. Some adcom members like to see something for each summer since the end of freshman year.

Short experiences as well as long are okay. It is not okay to have only short experiences (it makes it seem like the applicant jumps around and doesn't stick with anything - or that the applicant is doing the minimum on a lot of activities so as to fill up the EC section.

 

[SeminoleFan3]

Lizzy, I have a question. I majored in religion, and decided not to pursue medicine until after I graduated. 2 years later, I have 6 months of hospital volunteer time, and about 25hrs of shadowing. Most of my "long term" activities are ministry-related (i.e. I was involved in the same campus ministry for all 3 yrs of college, went on mission trips with them overseas, and eventually became a student staff member). Is it going to not look so good that my only really long term activites aren't "clinically" related?

 

[72531]

For sure you should have things that you did for a summer. Some adcom members like to see something for each summer since the end of freshman year.

Short experiences as well as long are okay. It is not okay to have only short experiences (it makes it seem like the applicant jumps around and doesn't stick with anything - or that the applicant is doing the minimum on a lot of activities so as to fill up the EC section.

how short is short? i have a couple things i did for a semester.

 

[75969]

Yes. Some people list things like playing a musical instrument or doing a hobby for enjoyment beginning in the primary grades -- short of listing the name of a piano or guitar teacher there is no way to verify this; the expectation of "verification" is overblown. Ditto for activities such as hiking a challenging trail (over the course of 7 days or more) each summer with one or two buddies. This is the stuff that makes you a little bit different than the dozen other applications the adcom member or interviewer will see that week and it should be listed even if it is unverifiable.

Thank you very much! 🙂

 

[LizzyM]

how short is short? i have a couple things i did for a semester.

That's okay. But it is good if you have at least one thing that you did for a couple of years -- shows that you stick with something and perhaps climb the leadership ladder in the organization (team captain, group leader, officer).

 

[LizzyM]

Lizzy, I have a question. I majored in religion, and decided not to pursue medicine until after I graduated. 2 years later, I have 6 months of hospital volunteer time, and about 25hrs of shadowing. Most of my "long term" activities are ministry-related (i.e. I was involved in the same campus ministry for all 3 yrs of college, went on mission trips with them overseas, and eventually became a student staff member). Is it going to not look so good that my only really long term activites aren't "clinically" related?

Not at all. You were a religion major & it shows that you weren't just "classroom" but that you had outside activities reflective of your values and career plans at that time. You were dedicated to some groups for long periods of time and achieved standing as a leader (staff member). The mission trip is good to as it shows that you've been exposed to another culture and that, while I presume it was a short term trip, when put in the context of your longer-term ministry, all fits together very nicely.

 

[tomorrowgirl99]

This is a dumb question but How do the adcoms know that you shadowed someone for one day or one month when you can't specify the day? Must you note that in the description?

 

[shantster]

Does it look bad if we don't provide a contact person? I volunteered at the hospital at home the summer after freshman year, and I don't remember the coordinator's name. I tried finding it online, but the hospital is part of a large medical corporation and so they don't have individual people (besides the physicians that you are able to search for) listed online.

 

[LizzyM]

Does it look bad if we don't provide a contact person? I volunteered at the hospital at home the summer after freshman year, and I don't remember the coordinator's name. I tried finding it online, but the hospital is part of a large medical corporation and so they don't have individual people (besides the physicians that you are able to search for) listed online.

Phone the hospital and ask for the volunteer office. Find out the name. It goes to credibility and attention to detail and resourcefulness.

 

[LizzyM]

This is a dumb question but How do the adcoms know that you shadowed someone for one day or one month when you can't specify the day? Must you note that in the description?

That's what the description is for. Tell how many hours or full work days over what period of time (e.g. daily for a week, three hours per week for six months, etc).

 

[shantster]

Another questions about the activities section. In the physician shadowing section, I shadowed two different physicians that have different practices. What should I put down as the organization and the contact name? Would it be ok to leave that blank since I can't put both people in there?