What to Include in Your Med School Work & Activities Section (2025 Guide)

Why the Work & Activities Section Matters More Than You Think

When applying to U.S. medical schools through AMCAS (or AACOMAS for DO programs), the Work & Activities section is where you bring your application to life. While your GPA and MCAT scores show your academic strength, this section reveals who you are outside the classroom—as a future physician, a community member, and a well-rounded human being.

But what exactly should you include? How do you write compelling activity descriptions? And what types of experiences stand out?

In this guide, we break down what to include in the AMCAS Work & Activities section, how to use your 15 slots wisely, and provide real examples—including how to highlight experiences like clinical internships abroad.

> Explore Pre-Med & Medical Internships Abroad 

AMCAS Work & Activities Overview

Here’s what you’re working with on the AMCAS application:

• 15 activity slots to list your experiences
• 700 characters per description (for most activities)
• 3 Most Meaningful Activities—these allow for an additional 1325 characters each to reflect deeply on your most impactful experiences

Your goal is to showcase a balanced combination of clinical exposure, service, research, leadership, and personal growth.

What Counts as a “Work or Activity”?

Almost anything that contributed meaningfully to your personal, academic, or professional development can be included. Common categories include:

• Clinical experience (e.g., shadowing, scribing, hospital volunteering)
• Physician shadowing (even if unpaid or abroad)
• Research
• Community service/volunteering (non-clinical)
• Leadership roles (clubs, organizations, mentorship)
• Paid employment (tutoring, campus jobs, medical assistant)
• Teaching or tutoring
• Creative endeavors or personal development
• Hobbies with sustained commitment
• Global health internships

> Tip: If you participated in a program like Go Elective’s medical internships abroad, you can break it into multiple entries—one for shadowing, another for public health outreach, and possibly a third for leadership or cultural immersion.

How to Organize Your Activities (By Category)

Here are key types of activities med schools look for—with examples and tips:

1. Clinical Experience

This is non-negotiable. You need to show meaningful exposure to patient care.

Examples:

• Hospital volunteer in emergency department
• Pre-med internship at Coast General Hospital, Kenya (Go Elective)
• Assisting in community health outreach in rural clinics

Example Description (700 characters):

Shadowed physicians in internal medicine, pediatrics, and emergency care during a 4-week internship in Mombasa, Kenya. Observed patient evaluations, assisted with non-invasive procedures, and participated in ward rounds. Gained insight into global health systems and built cross-cultural communication skills.

2. Physician Shadowing

Shadowing is observational—but highly valued. Use it to show commitment, breadth, and maturity.

Examples:

• Shadowed orthopedic surgeon at private hospital in India
• In-person physician shadowing during Go Elective internship

Example Description:

Observed daily workflow of internal medicine and surgical teams during hospital rounds in Arusha, Tanzania. Learned the importance of empathy in patient care and the challenges faced by physicians in resource-limited settings.

3. Research Experience

Research shows intellectual curiosity and evidence-based thinking. Clinical, bench, or social science research all count.

Examples:

• Undergraduate lab research in oncology
• Public health study during gap year

Example Description:

Conducted qualitative interviews for a public health project exploring vaccine hesitancy among underserved populations. Analyzed data using NVivo and contributed to manuscript drafting.

4. Community Service (Non-Clinical)

Show that you care about people—even outside medical settings. Service can take many forms.

Examples:

• Tutoring underserved high school students
• Hygiene and nutrition workshops during Go Elective’s teaching internship

Example Description:

Led weekly health education sessions in primary schools in coastal Kenya. Topics included sanitation, nutrition, and menstrual health. Collaborated with local teachers and adapted content for multilingual classrooms.

5. Leadership

Admissions committees want to see initiative and responsibility.

Examples:

• President of campus pre-med society
• Led a Swahili-language medical outreach team during global internship

Example Description:

Served as team leader during a health outreach campaign in Mombasa. Coordinated logistics, trained new interns, and facilitated debriefing sessions. Developed leadership, cultural sensitivity, and problem-solving skills.

6. Teaching and Tutoring

Teaching is a core part of medicine. Highlight any experience sharing knowledge.

Examples:

• Organic chemistry tutor
• Volunteer English teacher during internship abroad

Example Description:

Tutored high school students in biology and chemistry for college entrance exams. Designed individualized study plans and incorporated learning games to improve retention.

7. Personal Development and Hobbies

Used strategically, this can show balance, resilience, or creativity.

Examples:

• Trained musician or athlete
• Travel blogging about global health experiences
• Long-term commitment to photography, writing, or languages

Example Description:

Maintained a reflective blog chronicling my pre-med internship in Tanzania. Wrote weekly posts on clinical cases, cultural insights, and ethical reflections, reaching over 1,000 readers globally.

Choosing Your Most Meaningful Experiences

You’ll choose 3 activities to designate as “most meaningful.” These deserve extra thought—and extra space (up to 1,325 additional characters).

Choose experiences that:

• Shaped your identity or values
• Clarified your commitment to medicine
• Taught you critical life or clinical skills
• Offered mentorship, growth, or adversity

Example Most Meaningful Experience:

“My internship with Go Elective in Kenya marked a turning point in my pre-med journey. During a rotation in the maternity ward, I observed a complicated birth and witnessed the courage of both the physician and the mother. The intensity of the moment solidified my desire to practice medicine in underserved areas. This experience taught me resilience, cultural humility, and the real impact of patient-centered care.”

Final Tips for the Work & Activities Section

✅ Start early—reflecting takes time
✅ Be concise but descriptive
✅ Use action verbs and specific outcomes
✅ Focus on impact, not just duties
✅ Avoid vague phrases like “helped with” or “assisted in”
✅ Quantify your experience when possible (e.g., “100+ hours shadowing”)
✅ Use global or clinical experiences to add unique perspective

Ready to Add a Meaningful Experience to Your Application?

Go Elective offers pre-med internships in Kenya and Tanzania that count as:

✓ Clinical experience
✓ Shadowing hours
✓ Public health service
✓ Leadership and global health exposure

> Apply now to make your next AMCAS application unforgettable.

Article Details

Categories

Recent Articles , Pre-health, Medical Electives,

Author: Go-Elective Abroad

Date Published: Jun 26, 2025