two questions...for this application

[GLO]

1) I've sent in transcripts...how do I know if they've received them?

 

2) for the supplemental information (or sketch) did successful applicants fill in all of the boxes? I've filled most of them, but it seems like such an empty application without them all filled.

[doc2B]

You don't know if they receive your transcripts but if for some reason they haven't they will contact you, otherwise I wouldn't worry.

 

As for the application the supplemental section is important. Try to fill out what you can, obviously if you don't have anything that fits in a particular area you won't get points there. If you have a huge amount of stuff that goes in one section but some of it might be able to fit another section that you don't have any activities for, you may want to think about moving some of it around to where it will best fit.

 

The scoring works as follows:

 

10 pts essay

5 pts interests/activities

5 pts medically related experience (could be paid or unpaid - these can also be listed in jobs if paid)

5 pts non-medical volunteer work

5 pts jobs

5 pts discretion

 

So you can see from the points that jobs are just as important points-wise as medically related experience. Basically for jobs if you worked full-time in the summers and at least some part time in school year doesn't matter what you were doing for work you will likely get full marks. Medically related is a bit different obviously than jobs, but usually you get 1 point per activity if it's a reasonable amount of time/week and a reasonable length of time overall - if it's something major you might get more points i.e. you are a RN working full-time you might get full points for medically related experience or if the activity really wasn't all that medically related or not long-standing they may only give you 0.5 or something. For interests/activities they look for leadership roles and organized clubs/sports, etc but you can also include individual activities you do as well.

 

Keep in mind this is always subject to change, and the individual reviewer may look at things differently than other reviewers.

 

I hope that helps a little.

[GLO]

so the awards and publications section is just discretion? that is sort of upsetting as I have a number of publications in that section which seem to be going to waste.

[doc2B]

Well you'll likely get a lot of discretion points for them. The discretion points aren't exactly bonus points although everyone thinks of them as that. They are not an additional 5 points they are 5 points within the 100 that the application is scored, so you may get 5 points for discretion if you have many publications while someone else may only get 1 or 2 and you may only get 1 or 2 for volunteer work for example while someone else may get full marks, so it is just a different area of the application but it allows for the committee to also give points for other things that don't really fit into any criteria such as working full-time during school while maintaining good marks and extra-curriculars - they will already have full points for jobs but they may get an extra discretion point. Or someone with a graduate degree may get an extra discretion point, etc.

[gb35]

doc2B, you seem to know a lot about the Dal process, so I defer to your wisdom here (although I would welcome other answers too!):

 

- There are seperate categories for medically-relevant experience and jobs. One summer I worked in a lab run by an MD, with a definite clinical focus. Would it be dishonest of me to include it twice, once in each category? Should I add a little note that it is cross-listed?

 

-There doesn't seem to be anywhere to describe the activity... I could try as best I can where it asks us to name the activity, but there isn't much room. Any idea how much info they are expecting on each activity?

 

Those are all the questions I have off the top of my head, but I am sure I will continue to be a thorn in your side as the process continues. Dal is definitely my dream school.

 

Thanks so much!

[doc2B]

Most people would list that under both of those categories. I know it seems like it's getting counted twice but really those are the only 2 sections that should have any redundancy. If you want to make a note that they are cross-listed that's fine too. It's just easier when the person is reviewing the supplemental that they know it is actually medically-related experience and see it as that and when they are reviewing jobs they don't want to have to hunt through the other parts of your supplemental to find out if you were working full-time during the summers and part-time during the school year, etc. Having everything laid out nicely on the page is really good too, so that things are in chronological order and that it is easy to tell how many hours/week was committed to the activity and how long in months or years the activity lasted.

 

I hope that helps!

[gb35]

Perfect. The only thing I don't like is that there doesn't seem to be anywhere to describe the activity in any detail. The way the headings are set up, it looks like I would be expected to just write "Teaching assistant for Microbiology". Is that sufficient?

 

Also, this is more a clerical thing, but if I had a job for 4 consecutive summers, would you put 2003-2007 (summers) or list them seperately. Thanks!

[future_doc]

I would put 2003-2007, which says it all

[doc2B]

Yes you would just list it as one item from 2003-2007. Also, a brief explanation is all that is required. If it is something really important to you, it will likely be discussed in your essay.

[gb35]

Hey doc2b, another couple questions for ya:

 

I asked earlier about including something in both the medically related and jobs fields. You said that those are probably the only two sections that should have overlap. I just noticed however that in the hobbies section, they ask you to put leadership positions in societies/clubs. My most important volunteer activities were as the leader of charitable organizations. Can I list these twice as well? If not, I'm looking at about a 0/5 on volunteering!

 

Also, it specifies everywhere to keep it to things that you did since high school. It does not, however, make this specification in the awards section. Can I include high school sports awards? If so, what is meant by the heading "terms of the award?".

 

Thanks!

[doc2B]

If it was a position volunteering with a charitable organization I would put it in the volunteer section rather than interests/activities. For the interests sections you would put things like member of the Bio society at school (specifically if you were on the exec that would be a leadership position). There should be no overlap between those categories.

 

They won't look at awards from high school, so don't put them. If you have something you started in high school but continued into university you should put that in obviously (the dates will show it was long-standing).

 

Awards like a scholarship to university (even though it's received before you start university) is something you should add.

 

Terms of the award means what you received the award for, and what was required to keep it, etc. E.g. scholarships may be received for top marks in high school and if it's renewable may require a specific GPA, etc.

 

I hope that helps.

[Secondary_Set]

Doc2B, you are emerging on this forum as a guru of knowledge, in my humble opinion.

 

I am so glad to hear the clarification about how to list medically-related experience when it is also job experience.

 

I just want to make 100% sure that I am supposed to list in the volunteering section only non-medically related volunteering activities.

 

Thanks for any guidance, guys.

[doc2B]

Yes as long as that portion of the application has not changed from previous years the volunteer section is only non-medically related volunteer work. You will not receive points for the same thing in both those sections.

[gb35]

Would you list an honours research thesis in the publications/awards/other section? Or just avoid listing it altogether?

[doc2B]

The thesis itself isn't necessarily an award, etc. If you received an award for the work or there was a particular publication that relates to it you could list that. If it's particularly important to you, it should be discussed in your essay.