Writing About Your Brigade Experiences on Medical School Applications: Tips & Strategies

1. Utilizing AAMC Resources: Core Competencies

Explore the Core Competencies list provided on the AAMC website, regardless of whether you're applying to Canadian, US or International medical schools.?

Some of the core competencies include:

• Commitment to Learning and Growth
• Resilience and Adaptability?
• Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others
• Empathy and Compassion

Your participation with Global Brigades Canada can strongly align with these competencies: cultural awareness, cultural humility, and teamwork and collaboration. Additionally, your experiences may fit within the newly introduced "Social Justice/Advocacy” category under your application’s work and activities section.

Focus on competencies relevant to your brigade experiences and reflect on how these experiences have contributed to developing or enhancing these core competency skills and how you've grown as a result.

2. Reflecting on personal and professional growth

Participating in a brigade undoubtedly offers invaluable experiences. While documenting the brigade activities is important, reflecting on their impact on personal and professional growth can significantly enhance your application. By highlighting how you apply the knowledge gained during the brigade to your journey as an aspiring medical professional, you offer a more comprehensive portrayal of the significance of your Global Brigades Canada involvement.

3. Highlight Interpersonal and Cross-Cultural Skills:

Consider emphasizing how your Global Brigades Canada experience improved your ability to work well in diverse environments and with people from different cultures. Discuss how these experiences enhanced your communication and teamwork skills, demonstrating your readiness for the diverse healthcare settings you'll encounter in medical school and beyond. This proves your practical skill development and signifies your capacity to thrive in diverse and dynamic environments, helping your application stand out to admissions committees.

4. Showcasing Effective Leadership

If applicable, highlight any leadership roles or initiatives you undertook during the brigade. Whether it involved organizing the brigade, leading educational sessions like the Charla, or coordinating logistics, demonstrate your ability to take initiative and lead effectively.

5. Avoid “Saviorism”

• Collaborating and Empowering Local Community Members:

Emphasize the collaborative nature of your brigade experience over depicting yourself as a saviour or hero. Global Brigades Canada prioritizes a holistic approach, ensuring community needs are central to decision-making. Highlight how local communities were empowered by achieving sustainable solutions and improving resource access.?

• Avoiding Stereotypes and Generalizations:?

Avoid stereotypes or oversimplifying complex issues. Instead, offer detailed perspectives into the social, economic, and cultural factors contributing to health disparities in the communities you worked with.

• Acknowledge Privilege and Bias:

Consider reflecting on your privilege and biases, acknowledging how they might have shaped your perspectives before or during your volunteer experience. By recognizing these influences and sharing the challenges you encountered along with the lessons you learned, you not only showcase your experiences but also illustrate your capacity for growth and understanding in diverse environments.

• Use Language Carefully:

Be mindful of the language you use when describing your experiences. Avoid framing the narrative in terms of "saving" or "fixing" and focus on mutual respect, the importance of collaboration, and empowerment.