Supplementary Application Help

[audacious055]

Can applicants who scored well (above average score) in the supplementary section provide advice on how they described their activities? I did not do well and is looking for advice. Thank you for all your help. 

[NotADoctor]

3 hours ago, audacious055 said:

Can applicants who scored well (above average score) in the supplementary section provide advice on how they described their activities? I did not do well and is looking for advice. Thank you for all your help. 

Hey, 

It has been a couple of years for me; however, the supplemental/essay section is an area where it is easy to lose points, but also easy to gain if you do it correctly. Firstly, it is crucial to have an excellent essay; one that actually answers the prompt Dal provides and is well written (I cannot express how important your writing is)!! I have read essays before and a lot of applicants try to write a fluffy essay saying that they are a "good person" and that this has "always been their dream" or that they want something "better/more"......this does not answer the question. If you want to see what Dal hopes their med graduates are like, look at the CanMed guidelines. If you have experiences that have allowed you to start developing those qualities.... talk about them......why do you think these experiences have shaped you into a good candidate for medicine? etc....Do not under estimate the essay!!! 

In terms of the supplemental part, I don't think you need to describe your activities in great detail. Follow the instructions given! Get to the point, if you volunteered with sick kids (whatever it was) describe your role and what you did, be clear and concise. You have a limited amount of activities in each section, so choose wisely. Pick a few that are medically related and then others that show you have diverse experiences, are community engaged, have a life outside of school, etc.. 

Make sure your verifiers know that you are applying and using them as reference. Make sure their contact info is up to date, that they will say good things about you, and that the info you give is correct (that may sound silly, but if you give the wrong dates, then it looks bad). 

Hopefully someone from this past cycle replies as well, but I hope this helps and if you have more specific questions, ask away!!!

 

[dankmeme]

44 minutes ago, NotADoctor said:

Hey, 

It has been a couple of years for me; however, the supplemental/essay section is an area where it is easy to lose points, but also easy to gain if you do it correctly. Firstly, it is crucial to have an excellent essay; one that actually answers the prompt Dal provides and is well written (I cannot express how important your writing is)!! I have read essays before and a lot of applicants try to write a fluffy essay saying that they are a "good person" and that this has "always been their dream" or that they want something "better/more"......this does not answer the question. If you want to see what Dal hopes their med graduates are like, look at the CanMed guidelines. If you have experiences that have allowed you to start developing those qualities.... talk about them......why do you think these experiences have shaped you into a good candidate for medicine? etc....Do not under estimate the essay!!! 

In terms of the supplemental part, I don't think you need to describe your activities in great detail. Follow the instructions given! Get to the point, if you volunteered with sick kids (whatever it was) describe your role and what you did, be clear and concise. You have a limited amount of activities in each section, so choose wisely. Pick a few that are medically related and then others that show you have diverse experiences, are community engaged, have a life outside of school, etc.. 

Make sure your verifiers know that you are applying and using them as reference. Make sure their contact info is up to date, that they will say good things about you, and that the info you give is correct (that may sound silly, but if you give the wrong dates, then it looks bad). 

Hopefully someone from this past cycle replies as well, but I hope this helps and if you have more specific questions, ask away!!!

 

Totally agree with this advice - so many people forget to just answer exactly what the essay question is asking! Nail that down well and you've done half the battle. Have plenty of people read it and try and finish it early so you can come back to it every few days and change things you don't like.

Agree with the supplemental form advice here too. I followed the general rule of writing a few points points per box in the volunteering/skills sections - 1) what my role was/what I personally did (thinking of canmeds qualities and how they apply to your role), and 2) what the outcome of your work was, if applicable (e.g. lab work resulting in a conference presentation or something). But really, you should not be exceeding 2-3 bullet points as NotADoctor said. Keep it concise!

Best of luck!

[isitlunchtimeyet]

I got in this year as an OOP and 100% agree with the above. I based my essay on the CanMEDS roles. The only other thing i would add is that I not only stated the outcome, but I very concisely reflected on what I learned and how it relates to medicine. It's important that it reads smoothly (kinda like a story) rather than "i am a professional because this. I am a leader because this." Think about the person reading and scoring your essay. They're probably tired and busy. Would they enjoy reading it? Is it engaging/fun/unique to read?

Another thing is find a someone who is suuupppeerr critical and can give you very honest feedback. I had my friend who had applied and gotten into a few professional schools the year before review it twice and rip my essays apart, which I think was key to them ending up great. 

[boggie111]

Agreed with all of the above - while keeping in mind that you should write your essay with the CanMEDS roles in mind, it's absolutely PARAMOUNT that you talk about what you have learned through your experience and how that relates to why you want to study medicine (e.g., learned the importance of humility through experience A, which will be invaluable in medicine because of reason A, B, C...you get the idea).