Work experience during UG count for anything?

[OHSUplease]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hello,

I was curious if working during my UG years counts for anything when applying to med school? I have spent the the last three years going to school, while working a job as a hotel manager supprting my family. Would this be a good thing to include in my personal statement? The reason I ask is that my gpa (3.15) has suffered a bit because of my "over-extension."

I have approximately 6 terms of courework left to finish (primarily prereq classes), and will likely bring my gpa up a bit, which I'm sure will help...

Thanks!

 

[dokein]

Short answer: Yes

 

[Catalystik]

Longer answer: having to work is not an excuse for a low GPA, as good time management skills are expected, but the work you've done is valuable in other ways, and certainly should be listed. Working as a hotel manager gives you a leadership activity (assuming you're not the only one present) and requires essential "people skills" that adcomms want to see evidence of. You can also include problem solving, lon-term planning, conflict resolution, etc in the narrative, all of which are valuable in a practicing physician.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Longer answer: having to work is not an excuse for a low GPA, as good time management skills are expected, but the work you've done is valuable in other ways, and certainly should be listed. Working as a hotel manager gives you a leadership activity (assuming you're not the only one present) and requires essential "people skills" that adcomms want to see evidence of. You can also include problem solving, lon-term planning, conflict resolution, etc in the narrative, all of which are valuable in a practicing physician.

Overall, agree that it's always better to have better grades, but I think adcoms might understand that working your way through school is hard and character building. So definitely include it in your personal statement both as an explanation for the grades and to highlight skills you gained.