AMCAS Work and Activities: The BEST Strategies

[@markjtvelasquez]

Very helpful. It was once said, “having a strong MCAT and GPA is like having arms and legs to run a marathon”. Anyone can have arms and legs, but who can run a marathon RIGHT NOW? It’s a matter of preparation (experiences from activities and work). So, it’s important to develop these competencies. Thank you for your insight.

[@Shemmassian]

Interesting analogy! Thanks for sharing.

[@denisedenise9518]

This video was extremely helpful. Than you for taking the time out to create it.

[@Shemmassian]

Hey Denise ^ 2 ! Glad you felt this way. :) Please let us know if we can help in any other way. If you found this video valuable, you'd love our supplementary blog article on this same topic as well. www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/amcas-work-and-activities

[@thefenerbahcesk4156]

If I shadowed multiple doctors for short periods of time, and I want "shadowing" to be my most meaningful activity, who should my primary contact be?

[@Shemmassian]

You can select the physician you shadowed the most to be the primary contact and then list the contacts of the other physicians in the description section!

[@butterfliesndaisies3105]

Thank you Dr. Shemassian

[@goodalykcheese]

Hey I know I am a little late but, I keep hearing a few different things for this section. Some say write out what you did similar how you stated, others are saying "show" what you did by using examples and lots of anecdotes. I am unsure of which one is "better" and if I should focus on trying to use anecdotes to show things I learned which I feel makes me miss out on some stuff (hard to say everything I learned in my 3 years doing something in an anecdote) vs just sort of "selling" myself which I feel might not be as effective as a hard example.

[@Shemmassian]

Hey Drew! It's a little bit of both. I encourage you to check out our guide for some examples that do this effectively: www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/amcas-work-and-activities

[@finleyjabari7407]

sorry to be off topic but does someone know a way to get back into an Instagram account?? I was dumb forgot my login password. I would appreciate any tricks you can give me

[@richarddempsey6486]

perfect video! very helpful and not too long

[@celeschil007]

When writing about activities should I use past tense or present tense? Writing in present tense help with the 700 character limit but do you think it's appropriate grammatically? Thanks

[@Shemmassian]

If activities were completed in the past, I'd use the past tense. If they're ongoing, I'd use the present!

[@talashaibi913]

I was wondering if I could include the volunteering I did at a hospital (about 52 hours) during senior year of high school. I know you mentioned only including activities that we did after graduating high school, but the only reason I am asking is because this was a very enriching experience for me that sparked my interest in medical school. I communicated/dealt with patients very often and got to hear their stories/backgrounds as I helped care for them, which was a very eye-opening experience for me and eventually led to my turning point towards medicine. I am thinking of including this experience & patient interaction/stories in my personal statement as well. Thank you Dr. Shemmassian!

[@michelle_zhao]

Hi! Did you end up including it and how did your application cycle go? I'm applying this cycle and have a similar dilemma

[@allisonkuehn1911]

If I had a non clinical job (food industry) starting in high school but it carried out until my sophomore year of college, should I include it? the main reason I’m considering is because I was a supervisor which could potentially show leadership. it wasn’t a life changing experience, but it would it show that I’m well rounded?

[@Shemmassian]

If it's important to your personal and professional development, by all means! I wouldn't do it to simply show you're well rounded because how you discuss it on paper and on the interview will demonstrate that. Don't add things to the work & activities section just to add them!

[@adamleone3449]

Best video yet! Thank you so much

[@Shemmassian]

Aww thanks, Adam!

[@kansasmypie6466]

I have some activities where I felt that I was able to make a impact/accomplishments that went beyond the line of duty. Would you recommend to focus on this impact I made or instead focus on how the activity impacted me? I feel like if I discuss how the activity impacted me, a lot of my accomplishments are left out.

[@Shemmassian]

Both would be important to highlight, especially if it's a most meaningful entry!

[@DSnowaws]

Hello Dr. S, I had a personal questions in regards to transcripts, so I have a 3.93 Gpa as a senior in university but recently had to drop microbiology with a W for family reasons. Will this affect my chances in getting interviews (it’s my first W but I’m stressing out about it a lot).

[@Shemmassian]

One W is unlikely to harm your chances. Just make sure to avoid a pattern of Ws

[@JuliaGuil]

You could mention the family situation in your personal statement or secondaries so that without explicitly justifying your W they'll be able to understand why you chose to withdraw from the class. Instead of assuming that you were getting a bad grade in the course and you didn't want it to affect your gpa.

[@varmapenmetcha2479]

Hi! I put three clinically unrelated activities for my most meaningful activities. (Research, study abroad/internship, and teaching). How will adcoms view this? Should I remove one and put a clinical activity instead?

[@Shemmassian]

Hi! AdComs may wonder why the clinical experiences you had weren't one of your three most meaningful. With that being said, the goal is to demonstrate why you want to be a physician through your primary app. This isn't exclusive to your most meaningful activities. You can certainly demonstrate that through the W&A sections you do dedicate to your clinical experiences and/or through your personal statement. I encourage you to also check out this guide to facilitate your W&A section writing: www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/amcas-work-and-activities