*~*~*~*Official AMCAS Work/Activities Tips Thread 2017-2018*~*~*~*

[Catalystik]

I'm sorry if a similar question to mine has been asked, I could not seem to find a straight forward answer. Anyways, I completed a research project for a class my senior year. It was sociological, and only involved forming a hypothesis and testing it against survey data (N=480). The statistics were only meant to show correlation and then regression. My hypothesis was that part of the correlation between SES and depression could be explained by beliefs on human nature. Would this technically count as research for AMCAS? No papers were published obviously (though my professor did seek more data because he wanted to publish, it just wasn't out there) and obviously its not bench/lab experience. I dont really know if I should include it, though I really enjoyed the project.

Do you have any other research or lab experience to list?

Research need not be science-related or completed in a lab to "count." You had a hypothesis-based project, and methods, and data, and an analysis of your results. Did you also come to a conclusion? And BTW, a hypothesis doesn't have to be correct.

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[danae39]

Do you have any other research or lab experience to list?

Research need not be science-related or completed in a lab to "count." You had a hypothesis-based project, and methods, and data, and an analysis of your results. Did you also come to a conclusion? And BTW, a hypothesis doesn't have to be correct.

I do not have any other research experience, just a group study course where we discussed scientific studies in cardiopulmonary physiology. Yes, it was a four part hypothesis, with two showing strong statistical significance and the two others showing weak statistical significance. Basically, the hypothesis was correct, with differing significance depending on the specific SES question assessed. Sorry that is a poor explanation but it was a few years ago and I don't have access to the power point right now. The weaknesses were also listed in the project. It took me about 20 hours total to complete, in the last few weeks of the semester.

 

[Catalystik]

I do not have any other research experience, just a group study course where we discussed scientific studies in cardiopulmonary physiology. Yes, it was a four part hypothesis, with two showing strong statistical significance and the two others showing weak statistical significance. Basically, the hypothesis was correct, with differing significance depending on the specific SES question assessed. Sorry that is a poor explanation but it was a few years ago and I don't have access to the power point right now. The weaknesses were also listed in the project. It took me about 20 hours total to complete, in the last few weeks of the semester.

Yes, you can include this as a Research entry. Be sure you have reviewed it thoroughly before interviews, so you can give all the details if asked. If you presented the project to your class with the PowerPoint, include that fact in the Research space.

Since it was a class, how does it show up on your transcript?

 

[danae39]

Yes, you can include this as a Research entry. Be sure you have reviewed it thoroughly before interviews, so you can give all the details if asked. If you presented the project to your class with the PowerPoint, include that fact in the Research space.

Since it was a class, how does it show up on your transcript?

Thanks for your help! I did not receive research credit. It was a population health course that included a research project as the final. So it just shows up as a regular class.

 

[Catalystik]

Thanks for your help! I did not receive research credit. It was a population health course that included a research project as the final. So it just shows up as a regular class.

OK. No need to mention it was a curricular requirement, BTW.

 

[mariposas905]

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[Catalystik]

I assisted a doctor in a foreign country during a surgical procedure, where I was asked to help reduce patient's bleeding by applying a pressure bandage to his wound. Would this be a negative point to include in my application?

Hopefully, it is clear where the wound was and how large, from your description. Applying pressure to a superficial wound while under under trained supervision, having taken proper precautions against bloodborne pathogens, is fine to include (especially if you had experience in the US doing the same thing). If you were not supervised, if it was a large or deep wound, or if you did not wear gloves, you might be subjected to interview questions you'd find uncomfortable.

 

[mariposas905]

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[Catalystik]

Hmm...I'm still not sure so I'll explain a bit more to you in depth . . .

do you still think I should include this in my AMCAS?

Emphasize that the nurse directly supervised you throughout this time and you're fine. If she left the room at any point, best not to say so. Sounds interesting.

 

[mariposas905]

.

 

[Catalystik]

I am thinking about including this in my most meaningful essay, so I will not have much room to explain it.

You needn't mention the bloodborne pathogen training unless you are quizzed on the issue in an interview. Fortunately, you can give the correct response. If you were constantly supervised by a nurse, your lack of experience is moot. You essentially acted as another pair of his/her hands.

Ideally, in the MM, you would give another anecdote and not repeat the same one. Also, keep in mind that the same person may not review both the PS and the Work/Activities section.

 

[atrofine]

I have been dancing since I was three years old and plan to include dance as one of my most meaningful activities. I founded a community outreach program to perform in places of need, like senior homes, hospitals, underserved daycares, etc. and am emphasizing the power of dance/art to heal the mind and body. I was wondering if you could give any feedback on how to count my hours for this "activity." I am also listing it as an "artistic endeavor" but am not sure if it would be better listed as something else. Thanks for your help and good luck to everyone applying this cycle!

 

[lifeguard2014]

I have a few questions on the AMCAS experience section: first if I started an internship at the beginning of June and will finish it in August of this year can I include it in my experiences section? Also if I was only an active member in a premed fraternity what is the best way to describe the experience (what I gained, what we do, or something different)?

If anyone is willing to proof-read my experience section information I would really appreciate another pair of eyes looking over this info.

Thank you so much for any advice! #desperateapplicant

 

[Smelt]

Just a general question:

The Q&A states that if your most meaningful activities conflicts with your personal statement, its best to not repeat yourself and reword one or the other. What about the work and activities vs any particular secondary application topics? For example if we feel like an activity would make a really good "diversity" secondary app essay or fit really well into a different secondary topic from a school that we really want to get into, is it worth adjusting what you write on your primary to suit that?

Would the situation change if I'm not applying to many AMCAS schools due to being a TX resident?

 

[calivianya]

Wish I'd joined SDN and done more research before I applied.

I actually only put three things in my work/activities section. My shadowing, my volunteering... and my full time hands-on patient care career. I only gave myself credit for what I've already done: 36 hours a week x 52 weeks x 4 years = 7,488, but I have worked 60 hours most weeks I wasn't in school full time, so my real total thus far is probably over 10,000 hours, and I will have another whole year of working full time before I apply, so I wouldn't be surprised if I have in reality 13,000+ hours by the time I matriculate.

I have held four separate jobs in my field, so I feel like getting an exact amount of hours would be tricky. No idea how many hours, exactly, I worked at three of them, so it's really all my best guess anyway, but definitely well over the 7,000 hours I stated.

Is going to give myself credit for only 7,000 hours going to bite me? I also didn't give myself multiple entries for this job, which I wish I had. My job is:

• Leadership - I often work as charge, making assignments and being the go-to resource for anyone that needs help.
  
• Accomplishments - I have a specialty and a subspecialty certification, the specialty cert is relatively common (~70,000 people in US), but the subspecialty certification is only held by 1805 people in the US as of 2016.
• Teaching - I precept new hires.
• Hands-on patient care. Lots of it.
• A little bit of diagnosis/decision making - I'm now orienting to the rapid response team, and we don't have a physician of any sort on the RRT team - it's just me and a respiratory therapist. It is considered polite to notify the attendings of what I'm about to do before I do something like push adenosine or cardiovert an unstable patient, so they can choose to be in the room if they want, but neither their presence nor permission is required for me to do anything within the RRT protocols. I can also make independent decisions on patient placement and move patients without physician orders to upgrade patient status to ICU/IMC/etc.

When we're talking about documenting 7,000 hours of doing one thing, is it really still going to count against me that I only put three extracurriculars? Adcoms have to realize it's hard to do much else on top of 7,000 hours of work (mentally demanding, high stress work), plus full time school, plus volunteering, plus studying for the MCAT all at the same time, right?


I'm expecting to get a fair amount of secondaries with my 515 MCAT and 4.0 on my third bachelor's (3.5 cumulative)... should I explain my job a little better if I have the chance? Have I totally screwed myself over at this point or is there hope?

 

[Catalystik]

I have been dancing since I was three years old and plan to include dance as one of my most meaningful activities. I founded a community outreach program to perform in places of need, like senior homes, hospitals, underserved daycares, etc. and am emphasizing the power of dance/art to heal the mind and body.

1) I was wondering if you could give any feedback on how to count my hours for this "activity."
2) I am also listing it as an "artistic endeavor" but am not sure if it would be better listed as something else.

1) Break down the hours into pre-HS, HS, college years, (and after if you're nontrad), using the Repeated feature. Use 99, 999, 9999, or 99999 (whichever is in the ballpark) for each timespan, or alternatively use a good-faith estimate (all the timeframes will appear in the header). Adcomms will be most interested in recent involvement, but including the earlier years shows your dedication.

Alternatively, you can just refer to your early years more vaguely in the narrative and concentrate on recent years. "Since age three, I have taken dance lessons, which continued through high school. In college, I . . ."

2) I agree with Artistic Endeavor for learning dance and and performance for others. You might consider carving out the hours related to the community outreach endeavor and putting them in their own space if they are substantial enough (but don't double count those hours). You could call it leadership (if that's all you'll discuss, and it involved organizing others and delegating authority), Teaching (which can include the leadership element), or Community Service (could include performing, teaching, and leadership). Which one to pick depends on what else you've listed in those categories and what would best balance your application.

 

[Catalystik]

I have a few questions on the AMCAS experience section:

1) first if I started an internship at the beginning of June and will finish it in August of this year can I include it in my experiences section?
2) Also if I was only an active member in a premed fraternity what is the best way to describe the experience (what I gained, what we do, or something different)?

1) Yes, and you can include the future hours, too, if you're sure of them. Either
a) use the Repeated tab and divide current and future hours that way (for future hours make the current month the beginning of timespan 2 and August 2017 the end of it, then all the hours appear in the header), or
b) mention in the narrative the hours you expect to add before you're done.

2) Label it Extracurricular. Attending general membership meetings that discuss business matters won't add much to your application, so I'd concentrate on educational sessions and what you gained, community service outreach (or helping other members), and organizational involvement, if you took on that role.

(I saw you'd posted here after I answered your original post, thus the near duplicate response.)

 

[Catalystik]

1) The Q&A states that if your most meaningful activities conflicts with your personal statement, its best to not repeat yourself and reword one or the other. What about the work and activities vs any particular secondary application topics? For example if we feel like an activity would make a really good "diversity" secondary app essay or fit really well into a different secondary topic from a school that we really want to get into, is it worth adjusting what you write on your primary to suit that?

2) Would the situation change if I'm not applying to many AMCAS schools due to being a TX resident?

1) You never know if one person will review the entire application or if sections are reviewed separately. Don't omit the experience from your application's Work/Activities section so you can use it for a Secondary essay, but in consideration of the former possibility, at the least, switch up the vocabulary and don't repeat word for word when you discuss it the second time. Try to add a new anecdote in the second essay.

2) No.

 

[Catalystik]

Wish I'd joined SDN and done more research before I applied.

I actually only put three things in my work/activities section. My shadowing, my volunteering... and my full time hands-on patient care career. I only gave myself credit for what I've already done: 36 hours a week x 52 weeks x 4 years = 7,488, but I have worked 60 hours most weeks I wasn't in school full time, so my real total thus far is probably over 10,000 hours, and I will have another whole year of working full time before I apply, so I wouldn't be surprised if I have in reality 13,000+ hours by the time I matriculate.

I have held four separate jobs in my field, so I feel like getting an exact amount of hours would be tricky. No idea how many hours, exactly, I worked at three of them, so it's really all my best guess anyway, but definitely well over the 7,000 hours I stated.

Is going to give myself credit for only 7,000 hours going to bite me? I also didn't give myself multiple entries for this job, which I wish I had. My job is:

• Leadership - I often work as charge, making assignments and being the go-to resource for anyone that needs help.
  
• Accomplishments - I have a specialty and a subspecialty certification, the specialty cert is relatively common (~70,000 people in US), but the subspecialty certification is only held by 1805 people in the US as of 2016.
• Teaching - I precept new hires.
• Hands-on patient care. Lots of it.
• A little bit of diagnosis/decision making - I'm now orienting to the rapid response team, and we don't have a physician of any sort on the RRT team - it's just me and a respiratory therapist. It is considered polite to notify the attendings of what I'm about to do before I do something like push adenosine or cardiovert an unstable patient, so they can choose to be in the room if they want, but neither their presence nor permission is required for me to do anything within the RRT protocols. I can also make independent decisions on patient placement and move patients without physician orders to upgrade patient status to ICU/IMC/etc.

When we're talking about documenting 7,000 hours of doing one thing, is it really still going to count against me that I only put three extracurriculars? Adcoms have to realize it's hard to do much else on top of 7,000 hours of work (mentally demanding, high stress work), plus full time school, plus volunteering, plus studying for the MCAT all at the same time, right?


I'm expecting to get a fair amount of secondaries with my 515 MCAT and 4.0 on my third bachelor's (3.5 cumulative)... should I explain my job a little better if I have the chance? Have I totally screwed myself over at this point or is there hope?

I don't feel there would be additional benefit to your application for having claimed 7K+ hours of experience vs 10K.

Yes, it will probably work against you that you've filled only three spaces in the Work/Activities section. Schools that do a more holistic review will certainly appreciate all that you've accomplished, though. Hopefully, you expanded the space available to you for discussion by using the Most Meaningful designation more than once.

Secondaries may give you another opportunity to break down your experiences in various ways. One may ask you to discuss a Leadership role, another Teaching moments, a third Discuss a challenge and how you managed it or What do you do in your leisure time to manage stress? You can preview likely Secondary prompts by accessing the School Specific Forums from the last application season (for the schools you are targeting): Allopathic School-Specific Discussions (<2017) They are usually posted somewhere on the first page.

 

[mariposas905]

Do we need to spell out numbers (sixty instead of 60) in our essays or activities description?

 

[DBC03]

Do we need to spell out numbers (sixty instead of 60) in our essays or activities description?

I gave my activities description to a family member who writes for a major newspaper and that was her only comment. I don't know the answer, unfortunately. I figure it is not the end of the world if you need an additional 3 characters.

 

[frsc_scientist]

First and foremost, thank you so much for being a resource for us question-riddled pre-meds!

I am a 26yo non-traditional applicant with 3 years of forensic lab experience (and interest in becoming a pathologist). Those 3 years were in a lab working daily with evidence such as rape kits, human bones/teeth, and products of conception. I'd really like to list this experience as paid - clinical

This may seem like a silly question, but where does that experience fall on the "smell" the patient scale? Not to be crude, but I could certainly "smell" plenty and read dozens patient histories/statements every day. However, it is certainly not a traditional patient interaction. Thoughts?

 

[Catalystik]

Do we need to spell out numbers (sixty instead of 60) in our essays or activities description?

No.

 

[Catalystik]

First and foremost, thank you so much for being a resource for us question-riddled pre-meds!

I am a 26yo non-traditional applicant with 3 years of forensic lab experience (and interest in becoming a pathologist). Those 3 years were in a lab working daily with evidence such as rape kits, human bones/teeth, and products of conception. I'd really like to list this experience as paid - clinical

This may seem like a silly question, but where does that experience fall on the "smell" the patient scale? Not to be crude, but I could certainly "smell" plenty and read dozens patient histories/statements every day. However, it is certainly not a traditional patient interaction. Thoughts?

Sorry, but this is not "clinical" for the purposes of the AMCAS application, even though it may have taken place in a clinical facility, unless your patients were living humans (aroma test not withstanding). That is not to say it won't be viewed as a terrific experience. It will. But please get in 100 hours of interaction with current patients, by providing a helpful service, perhaps as a volunteer somewhere. You'll need physician shadowing, too, where you observe physician- (living) patient interaction, so it's clear you appreciate what a doc's day is like. Including pathologist shadowing, though, is fine.

 

[frsc_scientist]

Sorry, but this is not "clinical" for the purposes of the AMCAS application, even though it may have taken place in a clinical facility, unless your patients were living humans (aroma test not withstanding). That is not to say it won't be viewed as a terrific experience. It will. But please get in 100 hours of interaction with current patients, by providing a helpful service, perhaps as a volunteer somewhere. You'll need physician shadowing, too, where you observe physician- (living) patient interaction, so it's clear you appreciate what a doc's day is like. Including pathologist shadowing, though, is fine.

Thanks, that was my gut feeling.

Will 100 hours obtained in a couple of months before applying (I'm planning to submit early August) reflect poorly?

 

[Catalystik]

Thanks, that was my gut feeling.

Will 100 hours obtained in a couple of months before applying (I'm planning to submit early August) reflect poorly?

Is there evidence through experiences you can cite that you've been considering medicine as a career for a year or more? Adcomms want to know you aren't making an impulsive decision about a career move.

 

[mariposas905]

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[mariposas905]

Also, can I state that I counseled a troubled student on her personal family and relationships matters as a volunteer tutor? I was not trained to provide any counseling, but the student approached me for help during her tutoring sessions.

 

[Catalystik]

1) In my MM, I said this without any further explanation: "I interacted with the patient as I helped the nurse apply pressure to his wound and control bleeding." Is this fine?
2) I think it's clear from the above sentence that it was under direct nurse supervision?

1) Yes.

2) Yes.

I thought you meant to write about the experience in two places and it seemed you meant the PS and MM, but perhaps you actually meant it would be in both the 700 character count area of the Activity section and again in the MM 1325 character area. If the latter is the case, be aware that the two flow together with only a blank line between them, just like a paragraph break. The only indication of the MM portion is a small notation in the far left margin. So you'd want the 700 + 1325 character areas to seem like one essay.

 

[Catalystik]

Also, can I state that I counseled a troubled student on her personal family and relationships matters as a volunteer tutor? I was not trained to provide any counseling, but the student approached me for help during her tutoring sessions.

This is a hard thing for me to answer without more detail. As you are reluctant to provide it, perhaps you could downgrade the level of your intervention to say only that you acted as a soundingboard for her to ventilate her troubles (and avoid mentioning advice you gave)?

 

[mariposas905]

1) Yes.

2) Yes.

I thought you meant to write about the experience in two places and it seemed you meant the PS and MM, but perhaps you actually meant it would be in both the 700 character count area of the Activity section and again in the MM 1325 character area. If the latter is the case, be aware that the two flow together with only a blank line between them, just like a paragraph break. The only indication of the MM portion is a small notation in the far left margin. So you'd want the 700 + 1325 character areas to seem like one essay.

Yes, I meant that I would include it in the 700 character area and then NOT include it in 1325 character area. But now since you said that the sentence I posted is fine without further clarification, I am not going to include anything about training, etc in either the activity or MM areas. I hope this will be fine

And when you say it has to "seem like one essay," do you mean that the content should be different in both? Or that since the MM is in full sentences, the activity section should be in full sentences too to make it flow like an essay?

 

[mariposas905]

This is a hard thing for me to answer without more detail. As you are reluctant to provide it, perhaps you could downgrade the level of your intervention to say only that you acted as a soundingboard for her to ventilate her troubles (and avoid mentioning advice you gave)?

I'd be happy to provide more detail since I can delete it afterwards. What specific questions did you have?

 

[mostama]

deleted

 

[penguin169]

I just realized I made an extremely big stupid mistake on my application (already submitted).

For my awards/recognition section, I included Dean's Honor List and graduating with College Honors. When I was first filling out this section, for the first name I put "Add" and the last name I put "Name" and the email is [email protected] (obviously not a valid email). I quadruple checked my application and had 2 others do it as well but we all overstepped this stupid mistake of mine.

My question is: should I send an email to the schools or just leave it as is and hope maybe it goes unnoticed. Both Dean's Honor List and College Honors show up on my transcript so schools will know I am not lying.

 

[Smelt]

So....I get that clinical experience on this site is sorta defined as if you can smell patients.

What about work with cadavers in a surgical skills lab? Helping set it up/prep mock surgeries, but also help and shadow/watch docs when they do it? Im struggling to classify this especially since it is not paid.

Would it be first medical/clinical? Then, could I even put it under community service/volunteer if it was just an unpaid internship? Or does this category mean something that is service oriented to the underserved. I was also thinking about putting it under shadowing/clinical observation

 

[Catalystik]

Also, can I state that I counseled a troubled student on her personal family and relationships matters as a volunteer tutor? I was not trained to provide any counseling, but the student approached me for help during her tutoring sessions.

I'd be happy to provide more detail since I can delete it afterwards. What specific questions did you have?

What advice did you give that you are concerned might be viewed as problematic, considering you have no counseling training?

 

[Catalystik]

1) Yes, I meant that I would include it in the 700 character area and then NOT include it in 1325 character area. But now since you said that the sentence I posted is fine without further clarification, I am not going to include anything about training, etc in either the activity or MM areas. I hope this will be fine

2) And when you say it has to "seem like one essay," do you mean that the content should be different in both? Or that since the MM is in full sentences, the activity section should be in full sentences too to make it flow like an essay?

1) Yes, it's fine.

2) I meant that there is no need for repetition of content. It's OK to switch up styles if bullet points seem better for description, duties, what you learned, etc., and narrative form is better suited to what you want to say about anecdotes, impact, insights, future directions, etc.

 

[Catalystik]

I just realized I made an extremely big stupid mistake on my application (already submitted).

For my awards/recognition section, I included Dean's Honor List and graduating with College Honors. When I was first filling out this section, for the first name I put "Add" and the last name I put "Name" and the email is [email protected] (obviously not a valid email). I quadruple checked my application and had 2 others do it as well but we all overstepped this stupid mistake of mine.

My question is: should I send an email to the schools or just leave it as is and hope maybe it goes unnoticed. Both Dean's Honor List and College Honors show up on my transcript so schools will know I am not lying.

Let it be and don't beat yourself up over this. It would be easy enough to figure out how to contact your college registrar or to email you for clarification. And as you said, your final official transcript to whichever school you decide to attend will confirm your recognitions.

 

[Catalystik]

So....I get that clinical experience on this site is sorta defined as if you can smell patients.

What about work with cadavers in a surgical skills lab? Helping set it up/prep mock surgeries, but also help and shadow/watch docs when they do it? Im struggling to classify this especially since it is not paid.

1) Would it be first medical/clinical?
2) Then, could I even put it under community service/volunteer if it was just an unpaid internship? Or does this category mean something that is service oriented to the underserved.
3) I was also thinking about putting it under shadowing/clinical observation

1) No, it is not Medical/Clinical, as no current patients were involved. Sorry, but cadavers do not qualify as patients.

2) This would be weak as a Volunteer - not Medical/Clinical experience. Internships, whether paid or unpaid, are often multi-component experiences that fit best under the Other tag. The terms of the internship were that you engage in various included activities, so they were not voluntary, in my view.

3) The time you spent observing docs would be OK to carve out and include with your Shadowing entry. (Don't double count those hours.

 

[mariposas905]

.

 

[Catalystik]

On my work and activities section, I was going to state in the activity description as: Provided counseling on student misgivings and personal situations
Will this be too vague and should I just leave the counseling part out? Perhaps I can include it in a secondary instead

I suggest you say "Provided educational and career advice" as that lies within your purview as a tutor. You could expand further in a suitable Secondary essay, like "Describe a situation where you made a difference." Or, "Discuss a challenge and how you handled it." You might even be able to stretch it into an ethical dilemma.

 

[mariposas905]

I suggest you say "Provided educational and career advice" as that lies within your purview as a tutor. You could expand further in a suitable Secondary essay, like "Describe a situation where you made a difference." Or, "Discuss a challenge and how you handled it." You might even be able to stretch it into an ethical dilemma.

Alright, thank you so much for clarifying!

 

[mariposas905]

@Catalystik well, it looks like the program I tutored for shut down unexpectedly in 2016 according to a news article online. However, their website is still active I did this program 4 years ago and the volunteer coordinator has since changed (acc to the website). I don't know if they have a record of me in it...but I did call and leave a message. Can I still include it? and if I can't get in touch with anyone (like if it really did shut down), who do I put as a contact?

 

[Catalystik]

@Catalystik well, it looks like the program I tutored for shut down unexpectedly in 2016 according to a news article online. However, their website is still active I did this program 4 years ago and the volunteer coordinator has since changed (acc to the website). I don't know if they have a record of me in it...but I did call and leave a message. Can I still include it? and if I can't get in touch with anyone (like if it really did shut down), who do I put as a contact?

You can include it and you can use yourself as a contact if a more objective one doesn't become evident.

 

[Noctámbulo]

What would you recommend entering in the "organization" slot when grouping multiple activities together (approx. same amount of time commitment for each one)? Is it possible to leave this blank?

 

[mariposas905]

You can include it and you can use yourself as a contact if a more objective one doesn't become evident.

Hmm...yeah no one is returning my call if I do this, won't medical school see it as a red flag? Obviously they will wonder why I put my own name as contact right? I'm worried they may put me aside due to that confusion...

 

[Catalystik]

What would you recommend entering in the "organization" slot when grouping multiple activities together (approx. same amount of time commitment for each one)? Is it possible to leave this blank?

If there is an asterix next to it, you are required to fill it in. Sometimes you can fit two organizations. Most of the time you'd enter the organization for the first activity described and mention it for the others in the narrative space.

 

[Catalystik]

Hmm...yeah no one is returning my call if I do this, won't medical school see it as a red flag? Obviously they will wonder why I put my own name as contact right? I'm worried they may put me aside due to that confusion...

You can explain that the organization is no longer active in the narrative and still include the last known contact info.

If you use this strategy repeatedly, then it would be a red flag.

 

[mariposas905]

You can explain the the organization is no longer active in the narrative and still include the last known contact info.

If you use this strategy repeatedly, then it would be a red flag.

Thanks! Sadly, I have another tricky situation I just called another center I worked at for 75 hrs (at that time the volunteer coordinator left for 6 month maternity leave and a substitute came in her place). Turns out nothing I did during these six months is recorded. The previous coordinator is back and only has me down for 5 hrs I don't even know how she got this number, because I signed in 5 times when she was present and each shift is 2 hrs, so it would have been at least 10. Now, there is a third coordinator who says I can come restart volunteering this summer.

I have a few questions about this situation:

1. First of all, which name do I put as contact? The substitute is gone and the previously pregnant coordinator says she only sees 5 hrs. The third lady doesn't know me at all, but is the current volunteer coordinator.

2. I am continuing this activity throughout the year. In light of my situation, should I just bunch the hours together, so that I can include the 75 hrs I completed plus projected future hrs without possibly being called out for lying? If I divide it into two timeframes according to what I served, the volunteer coordinators will not back me up if the school calls..but they might if it's in one bunch since they will see me still volunteering there.

Looks like I'm in a lot of trouble with listing hours and contact info. since a lot of my volunteer activities are 2-3 years ago and the coordinators have since changed. I'm so frustrated...

 

[Catalystik]

Thanks! Sadly, I have another tricky situation I just called another center I worked at for 75 hrs (at that time the volunteer coordinator left for 6 month maternity leave and a substitute came in her place). Turns out nothing I did during these six months is recorded. The previous coordinator is back and only has me down for 5 hrs I don't even know how she got this number, because I signed in 5 times when she was present and each shift is 2 hrs, so it would have been at least 10. Now, there is a third coordinator who says I can come restart volunteering this summer.

I have a few questions about this situation:

1. First of all, which name do I put as contact? The substitute is gone and the previously pregnant coordinator says she only sees 5 hrs. The third lady doesn't know me at all, but is the current volunteer coordinator.

2. I am continuing this activity throughout the year. In light of my situation, should I just bunch the hours together, so that I can include the 75 hrs I completed plus projected future hrs without possibly being called out for lying? If I divide it into two timeframes according to what I served, the volunteer coordinators will not back me up if the school calls..but they might if it's in one bunch since they will see me still volunteering there.

Looks like I'm in a lot of trouble with listing hours and contact info. since a lot of my volunteer activities are 2-3 years ago and the coordinators have since changed. I'm so frustrated...

1) And the volunteer coordinator might change again by the time someone wants to check with the Contacts. If I were you, I'd enter Frist Name=Volunteer. Last name =Coordinator. Then give the phone or email for the office.

Can you email/bring in your personal records to the office and ask them to update theirs?

2) In this situation, it's reasonable to use the strategy you suggest. I'm sorry for the stress this is putting you under. If at all possible, try to get the volunteer office straightened out.