POST-SECONDARY Experiences for (Insert your name)
(Modified on 6/3/13 to provide additional information now requested by health professions schools.)
To contact: (insert your phone), (insert your e-mail)
Date updated: (insert date)
This POST-SECONDARY Experiences (PSE) Form is designed to help students interested in medicine, dentistry, or similar health
professions schools at Xavier University of Louisiana keep a detailed record of work and activities that they have engaged in since
graduating from high school. It is intended for use on Xavier’s campus only (i.e. this form is NOT the same as a TRADITIONAL
RESUMÈ) . Students are expected to maintain an updated copy throughout their enrollment at Xavier to use when requesting
letters of evaluation and/or completing application to health professions school.
The activities to be included in your Post-Secondary Experiences Form are based on the categories for the Work and Activities
section of the online medical school application (AMCAS). They are:
•ARTISTIC ENDEAVORS
•COMMUNITY SERVICE/VOLUNTEER – Not Medical/Clinical
•COMMUNITY SERVICE/VOLUNTEER – Medical/Clinical
•CONFERENCES ATTENDED
•EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
•HOBBIES
•HONORS/AWARDS/RECOGNITION
•INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
•LEADERSHIP—NOT LISTED ELSEWHERE
•MILITARY SERVICES
•OTHER
•PAID EMPLOYMENT– Medical/Clinical
•PAID EMPLOYMENT– Not Medical/Clinical
•PHYSICIAN SHADOWING/CLINICAL OBSERVATION
•PRESENTATIONS/POSTERS
•PUBLICATIONS
•RESEARCH/LAB
•TEACHING/TUTORING/TEACHING ASSISTANT
To prepare your Post-Secondary Experiences Form, you should…
1) Eliminate the tables for categories which do not apply;
2) Duplicate the tables* for categories which do apply (MAKING SURE YOU LEAVE THEM IN THE SAME ORDER);
3) Within each category enter your activities into separate tables in REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, i.e. listing the
most recent entries first;
4) Be sure to eliminate the instruction pages before printing your Post-Secondary Experiences Form or submitting it for review
to the Premed Office via email. NOTE: Please rename the document “PSELastNameFirstName.doc” (for example,
PSESmithJohn.doc) before forwarding to the PM Office for review.
*When duplicating the tables for additional entries, it is very important that you do this carefully. When you copy a table to
make a new entry, make sure you highlight the section you want, including the spaces before and after the table. When you
go to paste it, make sure you have at least two blank spaces separating the tables where you want to insert a new table. BE
CONSISTENT WITH SPACING BETWEEN TABLES; and
5) Depending on the version of Microsoft Word that you are using to download and complete this form, there may be
compatibility issues that result in formatting changes; if your PSE font, type size, margins, tables, etc. have been altered due to
MS Word incompatibility, please be prepared to correct accordingly.
SUGGESTION: Download an additional BLANK copy of the PSE form and keep it handy so you can copy and paste tables
as needed to the PSE that you’re using to enter your work and activities information.
NOTE: New to this form updated 6/3/13: In addition to entering “Average
Hours/Week” for each experience, you should also enter “Total Hours”
completed for each experience through the current date. Also, new categories
have been added to the form.

The maximum size of the “Experience Description” in each table is 700 characters (including spaces).
1
POST-SECONDARY Experiences for (Insert your name)
(Modified on 6/3/13 to provide additional information now requested by health professions schools.)
To contact: (insert your phone), (insert your e-mail)
Date updated: (insert date)
CHECKLIST BEFORE PRINTING/SUBMITTING YOUR FORM:
 Did you make sure to only include experiences that you’ve engaged in since graduating from high school?
 Did you properly edit the heading on the first page to include you name, contact information, and date you last revised
this document?
 Did you remove the parentheses after entering your name, contact information, and the date last revised?
 Did you make sure that the header and footer that appears on the blank PSE appears on your form?
 Are categories arranged in the order listed above?
 Did you list experiences in REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER (most recent experience entered first for each
category type) AND include both starting and ending dates in each table (use Month Year format e.g. May 2013)?
 Did you leave a consistent amount of space between all tables so they are easy to read? (When duplicating the tables for
additional entries, it is very important that you do this carefully. When you copy a table to make a new entry, make sure
you highlight the section you want, including the spaces before and after the table. When you go to paste it, make sure
you have at least two blank spaces separating the tables where you want to insert a new table.)
 Did you indicate the “Average Hours/Week” and/or “Total Hours” for each experience? NOTE: For “Average
Hours/Week” do NOT change the units and do NOT INFLATE or exaggerate your time commitment---the reader WILL
look at your experiences individually and as a whole, so if something looks “off”, it could hurt you! If you did not engage
in an experience on a weekly basis, put “0” for “Average Hours/Week” and indicate the “Total Hours” to date that you’ve
committed to the experience (if applicable).
 Did you explain what any acronym you used means?
 Did you fill out all spaces in each table or put “NA” if “Not Applicable”? NOTE: Don’t just put “NA” simply because
you don’t have the information readily available! If you engaged in the experience, you should be able to fill in all
sections of the table.
 Did you make sure that all tables were totally on the page, i.e. that your tables don’t break across the pages?
 Did you delete the instruction pages before printing or emailing the Post-Secondary Experiences Form?
 Did you use the same font (Times New Roman), type size (10 pt for tables/12 pt for header), etc. as used in the blank
Post-Secondary Experiences Form?
 Did you avoid adding extra lines to the tables?
 Did you avoid changing the alignment of the tables and specific fields within the tables?
 Did you use titles such as “Ms.”, “Mr.”, or “Dr.” when listing contact names? NOTE: It is okay to omit the “Dr.” if you
put the degree earned after the person’s name, e.g. JW Carmichael, Ph.D.
 Did you make sure that the contact person for each experience is a faculty member or staff person, NOT a student or
office?
 Did you use the full, correctly spelled name and title for each contact person and correct contact information?
 Did you run the spell check?
 Did you use complete sentences in the “Experience Description” to describe YOUR actual involvement in the activity,
making sure to use correct subject and verb agreement AND correct verb tense (i.e. past, present, or future)?
 Did you limit the “Experience Description” in each table to 700 characters (including spaces)?
 Did you make sure to concisely state what YOU have done/accomplished in your time with the organization as opposed
to merely giving a brief history of the organization or its purpose in the Experience Description? (e.g. If you indicate that
you spent/spend 2 hours/week on an activity, your description should provide a brief accounting of activities that merit
such a time investment)
ITEMS RELATED TO SPECIFIC FIELDS/TABLES
 For “Experience Name” enter the name of the experience or title you held during the experience.
 For “Organization Name” enter the name of the organization through which the experience occurred.
 Include the Biomedical Honor Corps (i.e. Freshman Premed Meetings) in “Extracurricular Activities.” NOTE: This is a
freshman year org. so your dates must reflect this reality; only include this activity if you completed the meetings.
 Include honor societies such as Alpha Epsilon Delta, Beta Beta Beta, Alpha Kappa Mu, etc. in
“Honors/Awards/Recognition.”
 Include scholarships to attend Xavier or those you received after enrolling at Xavier in “Honors/Awards/Recognition.”
 Include being on Xavier’s Dean’s List as part of “Honors/Awards/Recognition.”
 Include participation in summer programs like SMDEP and the Biomedical Scholar Summer Program as “Other” since
they do not fit well into any of the other categories on this form.
 Participation in a summer program that focuses on RESEARCH should be listed as “Research/Lab.”
 The end date for entries in which you are currently engaged should be Present, for example: January 2009-Present.

The maximum size of the “Experience Description” in each table is 700 characters (including spaces).
2
POST-SECONDARY Experiences for (Insert your name)
(Modified on 6/3/13 to provide additional information now requested by health professions schools.)
To contact: (insert your phone), (insert your e-mail)
Date updated: (insert date)
ADVICE FOR ENTERING POST-SECONDARY EXPERIENCES ON AMCAS AND OTHER
PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL APPLICATIONS (Summer between Junior and Senior Years)
Most medical, dental, etc. school applications (e.g. AMCAS) limit the number of experiences that you can enter when you apply during the
summer between junior and senior years. AMCAS, for example, limits you to fifteen (15) entries in the Experience section; as a result, it is
CRUCIAL that you choose wisely which experiences should be included on your actual professional school application. Here are some
guidelines to assist you with prioritizing your post-secondary experiences for entry on professional school applications:

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
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
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Please be aware that activities that have lasted over a longer period of time are going to carry more weight than activities that last only
one or two days.
Some of you have multiple entries for organizations like honor societies, Greek organizations or various departmental/campus clubs
(member, leadership position, community service activities, etc.). If you have more than 15 total entries, these could be combined into
one entry since they can be considered one activity. Then in your description you could delineate each facet of your participation.
It’s obvious from the PSE forms that have already been critiqued, that in post-Katrina New Orleans there have been numerous
opportunities for community service through neighborhood clean-up. Several PSE forms have contained multiple clean-up entries,
each one of one day’s duration. It is strongly suggested that you look for ways to combine these (easily accomplished if they were all
done with the same organization) or, if that’s not possible, just list the most recent one.
Another area that needs some attention is the Honors/Awards category. Several PSE forms that have come in for critique had page
after page of scholarships and honor societies listed. It is strongly suggested that you look at these to decide which one or, at the most
two, you would like to list for scholarships and honor societies. Your academic record will give those who evaluate your application
much fuller information about your scholastic achievement than lists of scholarships and honor societies will.
Under no circumstances should you be listing things like Pell Grants or the fact that you were approved for a loan to finance your
education. These are NOT honors – they are part of your financial aid package.
As the name suggests, the experiences listed in this section are to be ones that you have engaged in AFTER your high school
experience. Please do not be tempted to “pad” your listing with experiences that are from high school.
If, after applying the guidelines already listed, you still have to choose among experiences to include on your professional school
application, choose in favor of…
*experiences that have involved clinical or research experience to show that you have some sense of the
demands and rewards of a career in the health professions;
*work experiences that have helped you to develop people skills, responsibility, organization, time-management,
etc.;
*significant leadership positions; and
*community service activities that have involved working with people, the development of communication and
other important professional skills.
Special Message about “Experiences” from the Medical School Admissions Requirements, 2012-2013, page 12
Your undergraduate years offer wonderful opportunities to become involved in a wide range of extracurricular activities, and certainly at least a
few of them should involve the medical field…
These pursuits provide you with the chance to learn more about the medical profession – and yourself…
Admissions committees evaluate your experiences using at least three different criteria, and a greater value is assigned to certain types of
pursuits than others. Specifically, admissions committees look at the length of time you’ve invested, the depth of the experience, and lessons
learned—in relation to any particular activity—so that a day-long blood drive or one-time-only shadowing experience is less enlightening than
semester or year-long commitments. By the same token, active participation in an activity is viewed as more instructive than a passive one (such
as observation). Most important, though, admissions committees want to know what students learned from their experiences, and you should
therefore be prepared to address these kinds of questions about your community, clinical, or research experiences in your application materials.
BE WARY OF THE CHECKLIST APPROACH
Do NOT approach your extracurricular activities with the idea of “checking off” a wide range and number of pursuits in order to impress the
admissions committee. Three or four in-depth experiences from which you gained valuable lessons are far more significant—and telling—to
admissions officers than dozens of short-term involvements.
**********ATTENTION**********
Eliminate the “instruction” pages above AND this statement BEFORE printing or
emailing your completed Post-Secondary Experiences Form!!!

The maximum size of the “Experience Description” in each table is 700 characters (including spaces).
3
POST-SECONDARY Experiences for (Insert your name)
(Modified on 6/3/13 to provide additional information now requested by health professions schools.)
To contact: (insert your phone), (insert your e-mail)
ARTISTIC ENDEAVORS
Experience
Name
Organization
Name
Experience
Description*
Contact
Person
Contact
Email
Contact City,
State
Date updated: (insert date)
Dates
Average
Hours/Week
Contact Title
Contact
Phone
COMMUNITY SERVICE/VOLUNTEER-Not Medical/Clinical
Experience
Name
Organization
Name
Experience
Description*
Contact
Contact Title
Person
Contact
Contact
Email
Phone
Contact City,
State
COMMUNITY SERVICE/VOLUNTEER-Medical/Clinical
Experience
Name
Organization
Name
Experience
Description*
Contact
Person
Contact
Email
Contact City,
State

Total
Hours
Dates
Average
Hours/Week
Total
Hours
Dates
Average
Hours/Week
Total
Hours
Contact Title
Contact
Phone
The maximum size of the “Experience Description” in each table is 700 characters (including spaces).
4
POST-SECONDARY Experiences for (Insert your name)
(Modified on 6/3/13 to provide additional information now requested by health professions schools.)
To contact: (insert your phone), (insert your e-mail)
CONFERENCES ATTENDED
Experience
Name
Organization
Name
Experience
Description*
Contact
Person
Contact
Email
Contact City,
State
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Experience
Name
Organization
Name
Experience
Description*
Contact
Person
Contact
Email
Contact City,
State
HOBBIES
Experience
Name
Organization
Name
Experience
Description*
Contact
Person
Contact
Email
Contact
City, State

Date updated: (insert date)
Dates
Average
Hours/Week
Total
Hours
Contact Title
Contact
Phone
Dates
Average
Hours/Week
Total
Hours
Contact Title
Contact
Phone
Dates
Average
Hours/Week
Total
Hours
Contact Title
Contact
Phone
The maximum size of the “Experience Description” in each table is 700 characters (including spaces).
5
POST-SECONDARY Experiences for (Insert your name)
(Modified on 6/3/13 to provide additional information now requested by health professions schools.)
To contact: (insert your phone), (insert your e-mail)
HONORS/AWARDS/RECOGNITION
Experience
Name
Organization
Name
Experience
Description*
Contact
Person
Contact
Email
Contact
City, State
INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
Experience
Name
Organization
Name
Experience
Description*
Contact
Person
Contact
Email
Contact City,
State
LEADERSHIP-Not Listed Elsewhere
Experience
Name
Organization
Name
Experience
Description*
Contact
Person
Contact
Email
Contact City,
State

Date updated: (insert date)
Dates
Average
Hours/Week
Total
Hours
Contact Title
Contact
Phone
Dates
Average
Hours/Week
Total
Hours
Contact Title
Contact
Phone
Dates
Average
Hours/Week
Total
Hours
Contact Title
Contact
Phone
The maximum size of the “Experience Description” in each table is 700 characters (including spaces).
6
POST-SECONDARY Experiences for (Insert your name)
(Modified on 6/3/13 to provide additional information now requested by health professions schools.)
To contact: (insert your phone), (insert your e-mail)
MILITARY SERVICES
Experience
Name
Organization
Name
Experience
Description*
Contact
Person
Contact
Email
Contact City,
State
OTHER
Experience
Name
Organization
Name
Experience
Description*
Contact
Person
Contact
Email
Contact
City, State
PAID EMPLOYMENT-Medical/Clinical
Experience
Name
Organization
Name
Experience
Description*
Contact
Person
Contact
Email
Contact
City, State

Date updated: (insert date)
Dates
Average
Hours/Week
Total
Hours
Contact Title
Contact
Phone
Dates
Average
Hours/Week
Total
Hours
Contact Title
Contact
Phone
Dates
Average
Hours/Week
Total
Hours
Contact Title
Contact
Phone
The maximum size of the “Experience Description” in each table is 700 characters (including spaces).
7
POST-SECONDARY Experiences for (Insert your name)
(Modified on 6/3/13 to provide additional information now requested by health professions schools.)
To contact: (insert your phone), (insert your e-mail)
PAID EMPLOYMENT-Not Medical/Clinical
Experience
Name
Organization
Name
Experience
Description*
Contact
Person
Contact
Email
Contact City,
State
PHYSICIAN SHADOWING/CLINICAL OBSERVATION
Experience
Name
Organization
Name
Experience
Description*
Contact
Person
Contact
Email
Contact City,
State
PRESENTATIONS/POSTERS
Experience
Name
Organization
Name
Experience
Description*
Contact
Person
Contact
Email
Contact City,
State

Date updated: (insert date)
Dates
Average
Hours/Week
Total
Hours
Contact Title
Contact
Phone
Dates
Average
Hours/Week
Total
Hours
Contact Title
Contact
Phone
Dates
Average
Hours/Week
Total
Hours
Contact Title
Contact
Phone
The maximum size of the “Experience Description” in each table is 700 characters (including spaces).
8
POST-SECONDARY Experiences for (Insert your name)
(Modified on 6/3/13 to provide additional information now requested by health professions schools.)
To contact: (insert your phone), (insert your e-mail)
PUBLICATIONS
Experience
Name
Organization
Name
Experience
Description*
Contact
Person
Contact
Email
Contact City,
State
RESEARCH/LAB
Experience
Name
Organization
Name
Experience
Description*
Contact
Person
Contact
Email
Contact City,
State
TEACHING/TUTORING/TEACHING ASSISTANT
Experience
Name
Organization
Name
Experience
Description*
Contact
Person
Contact
Email
Contact City,
State

Date updated: (insert date)
Dates
Average
Hours/Week
Total
Hours
Contact Title
Contact
Phone
Dates
Average
Hours/Week
Total
Hours
Contact Title
Contact
Phone
Dates
Average
Hours/Week
Total
Hours
Contact Title
Contact
Phone
The maximum size of the “Experience Description” in each table is 700 characters (including spaces).
9