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AMCAS: Work/Activities
Contains:
Helpful Materials:
List of Activities w/ Contact Information
Job/Volunteer Descriptions
Experience Types:
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Artistic Endeavors
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Community Service/Volunteer - Medical/Clinical
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Community Service/Volunteer - Not Medical/Clinical
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Conferences Attended
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Extracurricular Activities
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Hobbies
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Honors/Awards/Recognitions
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Intercollegiate Athletics
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Leadership - Not Listed Elsewhere
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Military Service
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Other
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Paid Employment - Medical/Clinical
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Paid Employment - Not Medical/Clinical
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Physician Shadowing/Clinical Observation
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Presentations/Posters
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Publications
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Research/Lab
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Teaching/Tutoring/Teaching Assistant
You may enter zero (0) hours for publications for Honors/Awards/Recognitions entries.
Enter the information (title and first and last names) for a person whom medical schools may contact to verify that the experience occurred. For example, you may enter your supervisor or the individual in charge of a particular program.
If the experience was a student-organized group and there is no advisor, you may list a staff member in the Student Affairs/Activities Office who can verify your experience.
If a contact is not known, you may enter the name of a person who can verify your participation, including yourself.
General Structure (700 characters):
Describe the setting and activity in approximately one sentence
Describe the biggest accomplishment or most tangible result
Discuss the qualities you demonstrated
AMCAS allows you to select 3 of your Work/Activities to be "Most Meaningful Experiences" which gives you an extra 1,325 characters to discuss the experience.
Do's and Don't's of
Most Meaningful Essay
via AMCAS
DON'T
DO
DON'T choose your Most Meaningful Experiences based on what you think will "look best/most impressive"
DO choose the activities that were actually most meaningful to you, which you feel confident you could talk about in terms of a personal transformation/reflection
DON'T repeat your personal statement
DO add a new dimension to your application either by telling a new story or telling the same story from a different angle
DON'T simply state what you did or talk in resume-style bullets
DO discuss how you grew from the experience and how that growth will make you a better physician
What kind of experiential learning experiences should I seek?
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Pursue things that interest you – volunteering, student organizations related to your interests, study abroad, part-time employment in a health setting
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Medical schools look for students who are active and show a wide range of experiences
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Meaningful experiences over a long list of smaller activities (quality over quantity)
Do I need to have medically related experiences?
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Not necessarily, but it is important to show medical schools that you understand the complexities of a healthcare setting and its services
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Want to demonstrate your care for others – volunteering in community programs or teaching or coaching
Career Center
Advice
I think everyone should try a wide variety of activities and find out what you actually enjoy doing. Though there are things that you are almost required to do, such as research, you can still find ways to make sure you enjoy what you are doing. For example, with research opportunities, there are hundreds of labs and it pays off to apply to work only at the labs you are interested in. In addition to doing research, joining student organizations is a great way to strengthen your professional network, and gain valuable insights into different fields. I am a member of a business fraternity, which I joined as a freshman for the networking opportunities and to broaden my horizons beyond science and medicine. If you have interests outside of medicine, I highly recommend that you join an organization that allows you to nurture those interests.
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The most valuable thing I have learned from the various jobs and leadership positions I have had is how to work well with different types of people. I have also learned how to manage time effectively between school, work, volunteering, and student organizations.
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The best way to find leadership opportunities is through the organizations you already participate in. If you stay active and take genuine interest in the organizations and activities you participate in, you will eventually get opportunities for leadership positions.
Aravin
Biochemistry & Economics
UI 2021