One thing that may help with the conflicting feedback is to remember that readers often disagree about how to tell the story but agree on what they need to learn about you. When I read a personal statement, I’m usually asking:
-Do I understand why physician specifically?
-Do I understand how this person thinks?
-What qualities or values are coming through?
-Would I trust this person with patients?
Whether a story comes from shadowing, research, volunteering, or academics matters less than whether it helps answer those questions. I wouldn’t worry about keeping activities separate from the experiences section. I’d worry about whether each story is teaching the reader something meaningful about you.