The Work & Activities section of the AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service) application gives you an opportunity to showcase your clinical experiences, leadership roles, research, volunteer work, and other relevant extracurricular activities. With 15 activity slots available, choosing what to include and how to describe each experience effectively is crucial for making a strong impression on medical schools.

At AcceptMed, we guide students through the AMCAS application process, helping them curate, refine, and optimize their Work & Activities section to highlight the most impactful experiences. Medical schools aren’t just looking for a long list of activities—they want to see depth, meaningful engagement, and evidence of key qualities like leadership, teamwork, and dedication to medicine.

How the AMCAS Work & Activities Section Works

You can list up to 15 experiences.
You can mark 3 experiences as "Most Meaningful", giving you additional space to explain why they were significant.
Each entry includes:

• Activity type (from a dropdown list).
• Organization name and title/position.
• Total hours completed (be as accurate as possible).
• Short description (700-character limit) or a longer explanation (1,325 characters) for "Most Meaningful" activities.

Key Takeaway: Since space is limited, prioritize quality over quantity and focus on activities that show commitment, impact, and relevance to medicine.

What to Include: The Must-Have Categories

While every applicant's experiences are different, here are the essential types of activities you should include in your AMCAS Work & Activities section.

Clinical Experience (Patient Exposure) – Mandatory

Medical schools want to see hands-on patient interaction, which demonstrates your ability to work with diverse populations and understand the realities of medicine.

Examples:

• Medical scribing
• Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
• Hospital volunteering (direct patient care)
• Hospice care

Pro Tip: Avoid passive experiences like simply shadowing physicians—opt for active roles where you engage with patients directly.

Research Experience – Highly Recommended

Research experience is particularly valuable for applicants interested in academic medicine, competitive specialties, or MD-PhD programs.

Examples:

• Laboratory research (basic science)
• Clinical research (working with patient data)
• Public health research
• Published papers or conference presentations

Pro Tip: If you have research experience, quantify your contributions (e.g., "Analyzed 200 patient records" or "Published in [Journal Name]").

Community Service & Volunteering – Strongly Recommended

Medical schools value service-oriented applicants, so long-term commitment to volunteering is a great way to strengthen your application.

Examples:

• Free clinics
• Crisis hotlines
• Food banks
• Health outreach programs

Pro Tip: Medical schools prefer applicants with sustained involvement in volunteer work rather than short-term or one-time experiences.

Leadership & Teaching Roles – Adds Depth

Leadership and teaching experience demonstrate initiative, teamwork, and communication skills.

Examples:

• Mentorship or tutoring
• Leadership in student organizations
• TA (teaching assistant) positions
• Organizing community health initiatives

Pro Tip: Highlight your impact and growth in leadership positions rather than just listing titles.

Shadowing Experience – Include Only If Significant

Physician shadowing shows that you have observed the day-to-day life of a doctor, but it should not be your only clinical experience.

Examples:

• Shadowing a primary care physician for 50+ hours
• Observing multiple specialties (e.g., surgery, pediatrics, emergency medicine)

Pro Tip: Instead of just listing specialties, reflect on what you learned from shadowing and how it influenced your decision to pursue medicine.

What to Leave Out (or Prioritize Less)

Not all experiences add value to your AMCAS application. Here are some activities that may not be worth including:

DON’T: High School Activities – Avoid Unless Exceptionally Relevant

DO: If you continued an activity into college, it’s worth mentioning. Otherwise, medical schools prefer to see your recent experiences.

DON’T: One-Time Events or Very Short-Term Experiences

DO: An event you attended for a day or a one-week volunteer trip abroad isn’t as impactful as long-term involvement in a cause.

DON’T: Generic Honors and Awards

DO: AMCAS has a separate section for Honors and Awards—avoid using a Work & Activities slot unless you played an active role in achieving it.

Pro Tip: Prioritize depth over breadth—schools want to see substantive engagement, not a long list of minor involvements.

How to Write Strong Work & Activities Descriptions

Each entry allows 700 characters, and your Most Meaningful experiences allow 1,325 characters. Here’s how to maximize this space.

Step 1: Start with a strong action verb

• Weak: “Helped in a hospital setting assisting nurses with tasks.”
• Stronger: “Provided direct patient care by assisting nurses with mobility, feeding, and emotional support for post-surgical patients.”

Step 2: Use numbers and details

• Weak: “Worked as a research assistant.”
• Stronger: “Conducted over 200 hours of wet-lab research, analyzing protein structures in a study on Alzheimer’s disease.”

Step 3: Show impact and reflection

• Weak: “Volunteered at a community clinic.”
• Stronger: “Assisted in providing healthcare services to 50+ uninsured patients weekly, reinforcing my passion for primary care in underserved communities.”

Pro Tip: Use action-oriented, specific descriptions that focus on what you did, the impact of your work, and what you learned.

Selecting Your 3 "Most Meaningful" Experiences

AMCAS allows you to choose three experiences as "Most Meaningful," giving you an additional 1,325 characters to elaborate on why these experiences were transformative.

Best Choices for Most Meaningful:

• Clinical experiences with direct patient impact
• Significant research projects
• Long-term leadership or volunteer work

How to Structure Most Meaningful Descriptions:

1. Describe your role: What did you do?
2. Explain the impact: How did it affect patients, your team, or the community?
3. Personal reflection: What did you learn, and how did it shape your desire to become a doctor?

Pro Tip: Choose experiences that showcase personal growth, commitment, and unique insights into medicine.

Crafting a Standout Work & Activities Section

Your AMCAS Work & Activities section is more than just a list—it’s an opportunity to show who you are, what you value, and how prepared you are for medical school. Selecting the right experiences and writing strong descriptions can set you apart from other applicants.

• Prioritize experiences that show patient interaction, leadership, research, and service.
• Avoid listing minor roles, short-term experiences, or high school activities.
• Write concise, action-oriented descriptions with measurable impact.
• Choose your “Most Meaningful” activities wisely, focusing on personal growth and deep engagement.

A well-crafted Work & Activities section can make a huge difference in your AMCAS application.