The OMSAS autobiographical sketch is a structured list of up to 32 short entries that summarize your employment, volunteer work, extracurricular activities, research, awards, and other experiences since age 16. With 150 characters per entry, every word must demonstrate growth and readiness for medicine. This guide explains how admissions committees interpret your entries, how to be strategic in the selection of your activities, and how to write concise descriptions that strengthen your OMSAS application.
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OMSAS Autobiographical Sketch: The Basics
Medical schools in Ontario use the OMSAS application system, which includes the Autobiographical Sketch (ABS). The sketch summarizes your extracurriculars for medical school, accomplishments, employment, education, and more. It allows admission committees to understand your unique qualities, strengths, and formative experiences as they evaluate your readiness for medical training beyond your grades and MCAT score.
How the OMSAS Autobiographical Sketch Is Structured
The OMSAS sketch provides a standardized outline of your academic and professional development since age 16. It’s structured as a list of up to 32 entries organized into six categories:
The Ontario Universities’ Application Center (OUAC) recommends initially approaching these categories and activities by simply “list[ing] all activities that will give the admission committees insight into who you are.” You can include both structured and non-structured experiences. For example, leading a school club is structured, whereas self-teaching guitar is non-structured.
Character Limits and Formatting Rules
Because the OMSAS ABS is a concise overview of your background, many students struggle with selecting the right activities and effectively condensing them within the strict 150-character limit for most description fields. Some categories include additional character limits, for example, research activities have 100 characters for type of publication and 150 characters for my role. It is vital that you plan ahead to capture impact and key details clearly within the space provided.
A few programs will ask you to identify the top 3 most meaningful entries, similar to the AMCAS Most Meaningful Experiences required by medical schools in the US.
To ensure a cohesive OMSAS ABS, focus on 15–20 activities that demonstrate personal growth, impact, and qualities aligned with the CanMEDS framework. Aim to prioritize clarity, depth, and relevance in each of your entries.
Check out the tips below to help you get started on your OMSAS sketch and make it stand out.
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OMSAS Autobiographical Sketch Tip #1: Quality Over Quantity
When you write your OMSAS ABS, focus on the quality of your entries. Using all 32 entries can dilute the strength of your application asThe point of the OMSAS autobiographical sketch is to demonstrate the essential qualities that medical schools value. If your sketch fills up the allotted space with short-term or low-impact activities, it may hinder how the admissions committees evaluate your sense of judgement.
“Quality always trumps quantity. I’ve seen applicants with just 20 entries, well below the 32-entry limit, get accepted. While it’s ideal to include activities across all categories to show balance, it’s perfectly fine to leave one out if you demonstrate exceptional strengths elsewhere.” – Dr. Neel Mistry, MD.
How to Begin Selecting Quality Activities
The first step is to create an organized document that you can populate with all activities you can think of that have occurred since age 16. If possible, start keeping a log or journal of your work and extracurricular activities to keep track of your hours, contacts, and details about your experiences.
Be comprehensive when creating this document, as it becomes the foundation for your autobiographical sketch. As you list these activities, organize them into their appropriate category using the list above, and provide ample details about them to access later when you begin editing your sketch entries. Once you have a list of at least 15 to 20 entries, begin focusing on the most impactful activities.
“What I think of as most meaningful are the things in my life that were the most formative of who I am today. What were the events/experiences that I still look back on today and that change how I react to things around me? In general, it is usually good to have meaningful experiences to draw on from each area of your life.” – Dr. Jaime Cazes, MD, former admissions officer at the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine.
You must explain why each entry is meaningful so avoid including experiences like brief jobs that did not provide significant value, such as a paper route job that only lasted a week.
OMSAS Autobiographical Sketch Tip #2: Be Clear and Concise
Clarity and precise use of language in your OMSAS ABS signals strong communication skills. Using an entry to describe your hard-to-summarize activity within the limit is challenging but taking your time to refine your sketch is worth what it reflects about your grasp on strong communication skills.
More words do not improve the quality of an entry. Rather it leaves less room for important details as every word should be tailored to count. Begin drafting your OMSAS ABS early to prevent rushing through your sketch, allowing you to meticulously polish each word and phrase for maximum impact and clarity.
A Simple Formula for Writing Strong 150-Character Entries
Use the following formula (action + context + impact) to make each word count:
- Action: What you did
- Context: Where or with whom
- Impact: The result or skill developed
Weak example:
Volunteered at hospital
Improved Version:
Volunteered in ER triage, supporting nurses and streamlining patient intake.
The improved version shows contribution and responsibility rather than simple participation, which signals specificity. When revising your entries, replace vague verbs, such as “helped” or “assisted,” with precise actions like “coordinated,” “implemented,” and so forth. If you’re unsure whether your entry is specific enough, ask yourself:
- What were my exact responsibilities?
- What changed because I was involved?
- What skill did I demonstrate?
In a 150-character entry, ambiguity prevents your contributions from standing out.
Also, it is vital to be consistent in how you write locations and dates by picking one style and using it throughout. For example, City, Province and MM/YYYY–MM/YYYY. Uniformity in formatting across your chosen entries demonstrates attention to detail and organization, enhancing how your application is perceived.
Note that the location field only allows 12 characters, so many City–Province combinations will not fit. In this case, OUAC recommends using the postal code if necessary.
Want more autobiographical sketch entry tips? Check out our in-depth video:
OMSAS Autobiographical Sketch Tip #3: Secure High-Impact Verifiers
On your OMSAS autobiographical sketch, you must secure a verifier for each activity except for formal education .
Structured activities typically use a supervisor, manager, or coach as a verifier. For non-structured activities, choose an organizer, community leader, mentor, or colleague who can reliably confirm your participation and level of involvement.
Reach out to potential verifiers as you draft your initial entries to make sure these people are comfortable with you listing them for a specific activity or experience.
As you decide which entries to refine into your final sketch, be mindful not only of what a given verifier might say, but whether they can be relied upon to respond if contacted by admission committees.
Choose verifiers who know you well and can confidently support your involvement. For instance, if you put down a store manager for an occupational entry but rarely interacted with that person directly, consider moving down the hierarchy to a department or team manager with whom you spent more time. The temptation to try to include high-ranking verifiers may be strong, but what matters most is their reliability and ability to attest to your involvement in the activity.
OMSAS Autobiographical Sketch Tip #4: Be Honest
You must be honest in your OMSAS autobiographical sketch as admissions committees read hundreds of applications, making it easy for them to spot exaggerations or insincerity. If a volunteering experience wasn’t life-changing, refrain from framing it as if it was, focusing on what you genuinely learned instead. Your verifier may not support an embellished story, and any hint of dishonesty undermines your entire application.
“It can be easy for people to look through your application and spot the ‘CV stuffers’. And these things are activities that you don’t have a long commitment with, aren’t passionate about, or that seem like things you just do to pad your CV with.” – Dr. Jaime Cazes, MD.
Admissions committee members are able to build a holistic picture of each applicant based on their OMSAS autobiographical sketch. When one entry does not match the tone or depth of the others, it will read as inauthentic or even contradictory.
Avoid exaggerating hobbies or self-verified experiences as well. For example, if you enjoy running, you don’t need to claim marathon medals, what matters more is demonstrating consistency, discipline, and personal growth.
OMSAS Autobiographical Sketch Examples
Below are sample OMSAS autobiographical sketch entries across multiple categories. These examples demonstrate how to present impact, responsibility, and skill progression within the 150-character limit.
Strong experiences can lose their impact if they are vaguely written, which is why the next step is to avoid common pitfalls.
Common OMSAS Autobiographical Sketch Mistakes
Most OMSAS autobiographical sketches fall flat due to weak positioning. Here are common mistakes that often undermine otherwise strong applicants.
1. Listing Responsibilities Instead of Demonstrating Impact
Applicants tend to describe what they were supposed to do instead of what they accomplished.
Weak example:
Responsible for assisting physicians in clinic.
Improved version:
Supported physicians in high-volume clinic, improving patient flow through intake coordination.
Admissions committees are looking for evidence of skill progression and contribution.
2. Choosing Prestige Over Meaning
Applicants assume that impressive-sounding activities are the ones reserved for being one of their most meaningful.
However, admission committees value:
- Growth
- Consistency
- Depth
A multi-year community initiative where you demonstrate leadership carries more weight than a short research placement at a well-known institution.
3. Overloading One Category While Neglecting Others
A heavily research-focused sketch with minimal service, or vice versa, may raise concerns about balance.
While you do not need equal entries in every category, a complete application reflects multiple dimensions of development.
4. Ignoring Progression Over Time
Your OMSAS autobiographical sketch must demonstrate how you’ve progressed vital skills since the age of 16.
If your entries:
- Appear random
- Show no increasing responsibility
- Lack thematic consistency
They will not read as a coherent trajectory toward medicine. When reviewing your sketch, ask whether each entry is effective in its demonstrating growth and how it contributed to your current skill set.
5. Repeating Information Without Adding Depth
If your OMSAS autobiographical sketch mirrors or repeats information that appears elsewhere in your application, without sharpening or adding context, you are missing out on an opportunity to add nuance.
Each entry must reinforce your strengths from a different angle, adding further depth to your application.
A strong OMSAS autobiographical sketch is deliberate and cohesive. Avoiding these common mistakes can strengthen how your experiences are interpreted by admissions committees.
Final Thoughts on the OMSAS Autobiographical Sketch
The OMSAS autobiographical sketch is a structured representation of your development since age 16. Admissions committees interpret it collectively, looking for skill progression and readiness for medical training.
When your entries are strategically selected, clearly written, and cohesively aligned, the OMSAS ABS reinforces the strengths demonstrated throughout the rest of your application. For this reason, the difference between a competitive and average OMSAS autobiographical sketch lies in how clearly growth and responsibility are demonstrated within and across entries.
FAQs
1. How long can my OMSAS sketch entries be?
Most OMSAS ABS entry fields have a 150-character limit, so you must be concise and often write in point form. However, some categories include additional restrictions — for example, Research activities allow 100 characters for Type of Publication and 150 characters for My Role.
2. Should I tailor my sketch entries to address the CanMEDS framework?
To some extent, yes. Don’t just list CanMEDS roles in a job description, for example, but instead identify a skill you gained while performing the job’s duties that implicitly corresponds to some aspect of the framework.
How do I choose my top 3 most meaningful OMSAS entries?
Focus on pivotal experiences that shaped your decision to pursue medicine, demonstrate leadership or community service while emphasizing long-term commitment.
4. How many entries am I allowed for my OMSAS Sketch?
OMSAS allows you to submit up to 32 entries, but you don’t need to use all of them. Prioritize quality over quantity, and aim to include at least one entry in each category if possible.
5. What are some important details to include in Extracurricular Activities entries?
Describe how the extracurricular activity influenced your personal growth, skills, or academic performance. For example, coaching a little league baseball team may have helped you develop stronger communication skills by working with both children and their parents.
6. Who should I use as OMSAS verifiers?
People who are notoriously hard to get a hold of should be replaced with someone more accessible, even if they held a position of higher stature in the given activity or experience. It’s much more important to have someone reliable act as your verifier.
7. Can I reuse my OMSAS autobiographical sketch content in secondary essays?
You can expand on autobiographical sketch entries in essays. However, avoid copying text directly as secondary essays should provide deeper reflection.
8. I participated in a research project that unfortunately wasn’t published. Should I still include it?
Yes, you should still include research projects that weren’t published. In your description, include the project title, your role, location, timeframe, and type of work. If there’s no publication, leave that field blank and use the space to highlight your contribution or what you learned.
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2 Comments
Rayane • 04/26/2021 16:51
Very useful, thank you!
ReplyChristina • 05/18/2022 04:43
How much does it cost to have someone look at my ABS and help to improve it.
Reply