Work/Activities Advice

[Insaiyandave]

Hey! I will be applying MD in the upcoming cycle and was just starting to organize all my experiences and jobs that I have had during my undergraduate career. However, I am having an issue with putting contacts for one of my jobs, as I was self-employed. For the past 5 years or so I have been a self-employed, for lack of a better term, farmer. I purchase livestock and raise them on family land. I buy young dairy cattle and eventually artificially inseminate them and sell them to dairy farmers. This has paid for my undergrad and has taken a large portion of my time (15-20hrs/week for 5 years), so I think it would be a wise idea to put on my application. Do you think this would look good on an application, and if so, what should I do for contact info?

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[Dagrimsta1]

I would put it up seeing as it took up a significant amount of your time during undergrad and helped you pay off your debt. That is a big deal. For contact info, if you are truly self employed and answer only to yourself, put your own contact info. Under the details/experience part, mention how it was this job was helpful to you and what qualities of it you can use to help yourself progress further into and beyond med school.

 

[Catalystik]

Hey! I will be applying MD in the upcoming cycle and was just starting to organize all my experiences and jobs that I have had during my undergraduate career. However, I am having an issue with putting contacts for one of my jobs, as I was self-employed. For the past 5 years or so I have been a self-employed, for lack of a better term, farmer. I purchase livestock and raise them on family land. I buy young dairy cattle and eventually artificially inseminate them and sell them to dairy farmers. This has paid for my undergrad and has taken a large portion of my time (15-20hrs/week for 5 years), so I think it would be a wise idea to put on my application. Do you think this would look good on an application, and if so, what should I do for contact info?

Wouldn't one of your local customers vouch for you?

 

[Insaiyandave]

Wouldn't one of your local customers vouch for you?

Generally they are sold at auction, but that is certainly a possibility, yes.

 

[Rachapkis]

I would try to identify third parties (e.g., auctioneer, feed salesman, etc.) who could vouch for you.

 

[TheAverageDoctor]

I would definitely put this on your application. It does a lot to show who you are other than a student who studied all day, joined pre-med clubs, and did clinical research.

Is there a spot to list "self employed" under contacts? If not, can you list a customer/auctioneer/anyone who could say "yes, Insaiyandave did sell livestock here for 5 years"?

 

[stubblesmcgee]

The AMCAS faq says you can list yourself as a contact if you explain why. But yes, there is no way you should leave this off.