How many OMSAS ABS entries should I aim for?

[panda999]

In total, I will have around 20 entries.

Some sections in my ABS are weaker than others such as:

• work/employment (only 1 - science tutoring)

• awards (1 scholarship award and deans list)

Is what I have competitive? Or should I apply for a job to boost the work section and apply to more awards. I also don't even know how I can get awards. I am aiming for Queens Med and I know they highly value the ABS which is why I am concerned about my app.

[EthicsForBreakfast]

I filled all of them and actually had to decide on things to leave out like early university or unrelated volunteer activities. That being said, my award section was my strongest and it's probably one of the easier ones to get a bunch of individual entries in if you are lucky early on. Not sure why they cut the numbers down but I guess they felt like they were getting insignificant entries? I think you should do what makes you happy and gives you a sense of fulfilment without acting in the interest of your ABS though. Because I didn't decide on medicine till much later, nothing I did was done for ABS but it still filled up by just doing what makes me happy. This included sports, jobs I was interested in, and several unrelated volunteer opportunities like university governing committees. For awards it's possible to be chosen for like travel grants or to present at conferences in order to get more entries. If you had to pick one to work on you should focus on work/employment I believe because like you said, awards are more out of your control. Not sure if you're from Ontario, but surely they'll be ramping up mass hiring schemes for things like vaccine clinics that will probably have entry level positions! Best of luck!