Experiences & Activities

In addition to academic metrics and written essays, health professional applications include sections dedicated to your pre-health experiences. These sections allow admissions committees to understand how you have explored your profession, developed key competencies, and contributed to your communities over time.

Depending on the application service, these sections may be referred to as Work and Activities, Experiences and Achievements, or similar titles. While the format and character limits vary, the goal remains the same: to provide context for the experiences that have shaped your development as a future healthcare professional.

Applicants should think strategically about the experiences they include. Admissions committees are generally interested in a broad range of experiences, including clinical exposure, community service, research, leadership, employment, teaching, extracurricular involvement, and other meaningful commitments. The strongest applications demonstrate sustained engagement, personal growth, and a thoughtful exploration of the profession rather than simply accumulating activities.

When writing experience descriptions, focus on more than just listing responsibilities. Admissions committees can often infer what a role involved; what they cannot infer is what the experience meant to you. Strong descriptions highlight your contributions, skills developed, lessons learned, and insights gained. Consider how each experience influenced your understanding of healthcare, your personal growth, or your readiness for professional training.

Many application services also allow applicants to designate particularly meaningful experiences or provide additional reflection on select activities. These opportunities should be used thoughtfully to highlight experiences that had a significant impact on your development, values, career goals, or understanding of your chosen profession.

As you prepare your application, maintain detailed records of your experiences, including dates, hours, supervisor information, and key accomplishments using the Northeastern University PreMed and PreHealth Advising Program’s Experience Portfolio Template. Accurate recordkeeping will make the application process significantly easier and help ensure your experiences are presented clearly and consistently across applications, secondary essays, and interviews.

For additional guidance, review our Work & Activities Workshop, which provides a comprehensive overview of the experiences sections within health professional applications. The workshop includes visuals and walkthroughs of the actual application platforms, along with guidance on experience classifications, writing strategies, and best practices.