Achievement outside of classroom: weight loss & overcoming video game addiction?

[AppQuestions]

Hello all, I'm applying for the 2014 cycle and I have a few questions about this secondary.

The prompt is to describe your most meaningful achievement outside of the classroom.

During my high school years, I was severely addicted to an online video game. It got so bad to the point where I would neglect all of my other commitments and all I could focus on was the next time I could play online. As a result, my social life, grades, and overall health suffered greatly. During my senior year of high school, I took steps to quit this addiction and I started to get over it. The real progress came during the summer before college. I decided I would be started a new phase of my life, and this was my opportunity to start fresh. During that summer I started an exercise regimen, re-connected with my friends, and engaged in new hobbies. I lost 45 pounds and my outlook on life had greatly improved. During my four years of undergrad, I truly learned a lot about myself and became a whole new person. All of this could not have happened without my initial step of quitting that addiction.

My question to you guys: Is this an appropriate event to discuss for this prompt? If not, can I discuss it in another question or should I avoid the topic completely?

Thank you all in advance. I just wanted to point out that this website has been immensely helpful during this application process!

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[JustintheDoctor]

Yes I think it is appropriate because i has to do with your life and how you "turned" it around. For me and currently is weight loss. I have been going to the gym almost every day so i can lose 100 pounds before medical school. Which is highly possible.
I'm still addicted to video games and won't give that up. I just play less

 

[TheShaker]

I actually had the exact same problem but I didn't really talk about it in secondaries or interviews. It's somewhat debatable if it qualifies as an actual addiction and even if it is, I don't think it's all that relatable. There will be people who see it your way and others who don't, remember that a lot of these people are old and conservative leaning.

I think that your weight loss achievement is a much better talking point as it is relatable and obviously takes a great amount of effort. I am doing something completely opposite, I'm talking about gaining weight as one of my achievements.

 

[TheShaker]

Yes I think it is appropriate because i has to do with your life and how you "turned" it around. For me and currently is weight loss. I have been going to the gym almost every day so i can lose 100 pounds before medical school. Which is highly possible.
I'm still addicted to video games and won't give that up. I just play less

The addiction never really leaves you does it? I revert right back to my old ways if I let myself play video games regularly again. This usually happens during breaks.

 

[IncognitoGuy]

The addiction never really leaves you does it? I revert right back to my old ways if I let myself play video games regularly again. This usually happens during breaks.

OP, I don't know if a video game addiction will be universally viewed as a hurdle to overcome. Addiction is a tricky subject and I'm not totally sure if that's something you necessarily want to reveal to an adcom, even if it is in the context of a challenge. As TheShaker said, there's a good chance the eyes that pore over your app belong to a more conservative, older crowd who might not understand.

You could instead focus more on how your weight loss springboarded you into motivating yourself to develop yourself further in undergrad and refer to the addiction as more of a general "unhealthy lifestyle". Just remember that the goal is to talk about the steps and process you took to move forward (and how you can continue to learn from it) instead of emphasizing the past.

 

[jm192]

Weight loss, yes. That's a huge thing that so many people struggle with. It shows a great deal of discipline. And discipline is important in medical training and practice.

The video game thing sounds silly at first glance to me. And there are going to be adcoms that think the same thing. Just focus on the weight loss.

 

[Lambda Phage]

You didn't have an "addiction" to video games, you had an "obsession" with playing them. Write about the weight loss.

 

[SN12357]

Hello all, I'm applying for the 2014 cycle and I have a few questions about this secondary.

The prompt is to describe your most meaningful achievement outside of the classroom.

During my high school years, I was severely addicted to an online video game. It got so bad to the point where I would neglect all of my other commitments and all I could focus on was the next time I could play online. As a result, my social life, grades, and overall health suffered greatly. During my senior year of high school, I took steps to quit this addiction and I started to get over it. The real progress came during the summer before college. I decided I would be started a new phase of my life, and this was my opportunity to start fresh. During that summer I started an exercise regimen, re-connected with my friends, and engaged in new hobbies. I lost 45 pounds and my outlook on life had greatly improved. During my four years of undergrad, I truly learned a lot about myself and became a whole new person. All of this could not have happened without my initial step of quitting that addiction.

My question to you guys: Is this an appropriate event to discuss for this prompt? If not, can I discuss it in another question or should I avoid the topic completely?

Thank you all in advance. I just wanted to point out that this website has been immensely helpful during this application process!

Discussing your health turnaround seems like a strong idea, but I'd avoid mentioning the video game aspect if I were you. Seems like a topic a bit too likely to find an unsympathetic audience.

 

[Radon XP]

Discussing your health turnaround seems like a strong idea, but I'd avoid mentioning the video game aspect if I were you. Seems like a topic a bit too likely to find an unsympathetic audience.

 

[Sports Junky]

I actually had the exact same problem but I didn't really talk about it in secondaries or interviews. It's somewhat debatable if it qualifies as an actual addiction and even if it is, I don't think it's all that relatable. There will be people who see it your way and others who don't, remember that a lot of these people are old and conservative leaning.

I think that your weight loss achievement is a much better talking point as it is relatable and obviously takes a great amount of effort. I am doing something completely opposite, I'm talking about gaining weight as one of my achievements.

 

[AppQuestions]

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll refrain from talking about the topic of video game addiction in general. It's probably too risky of a subject. If there's any place to talk about hurdles outside of the classroom, I may talk about weight loss there.

Cheers y'all

 

[littlelight]

In China they have internet and video game rehab facilities.

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacific/2009/0106/p01s03-woap.html

 

[JustintheDoctor]

In China they have internet and video game rehab facilities.

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacific/2009/0106/p01s03-woap.html

That's because they play WoW 24/7 i only played xbox games for 23 hours a day! Only 1 more hour i would have had to go to china

 

[Lucky Louie]

You didn't have an "addiction" to video games, you had an "obsession" with playing them. Write about the weight loss.

Use the wording that you can find in the DSM-V. Your response to gaming is now considered a diagnosable, treatable disorder that can be very real and problematic for many. Since breaking the addiction/obsession was your impetus, I think writing about this tells an important story about you.

 

[nabilesmail]

what about weight gain? I was a twig, 5 ft 7 98 lbs, and started working out heavily, ate 5k calories/day , learned about nutrition etc, and got to 5 ft 7 160 lbs.

Though I talk about this in my primaries, I can talk about a different avenue of it?

 

[Lambda Phage]

Use the wording that you can find in the DSM-V. Your response to gaming is now considered a diagnosable, treatable disorder that can be very real and problematic for many. Since breaking the addiction/obsession was your impetus, I think writing about this tells an important story about you.

Perhaps. But writing about weight loss is the better option here.

Think about your audience, OP. Discussing your issues with video gaming will fall on deaf ears.

 

[rudziutki]

I was told to never mention videogames in the app. There is still a large generation gap between what 20-somethings think about videogames (a means of entertainment) and what older people perceive them as (toys for antisocial nerds).

 

[RedICEE]

Please don't mention video game addiction. Where these people are hearing hundreds of stories of overcoming cancer, poverty, family death, and even weight loss, noone is gonna sympathize with video game addiction. I'm sure it's a legitimate issue that has real consequences, but many will find it silly and might even take it as a sign of a personality fault.

 

[yehhhboiii]

I'm not sure how much of an accomplishment this actually is

 

[jm192]

Use the wording that you can find in the DSM-V. Your response to gaming is now considered a diagnosable, treatable disorder that can be very real and problematic for many. Since breaking the addiction/obsession was your impetus, I think writing about this tells an important story about you.

I honestly think there are going to be people that laugh at it if you write about the video games. You're presumably writing about biggest accomplishments outside of academia. You seriously want to tell someone that one of the greatest things you accomplished was putting down the sticks?

Obesity is a MAJOR problem in the United States. They'll see this as something that shows discipline and initiative. That you have something that can allow you to relate to patients.

But if you do video games--oh poor little you. It must have been so hard playing all that Call of Duty. I can only imagine the horrors.

And that's not to minimize your addiction. I don't know what you went through. I don't know what problems it caused you. It could be a very real thing that you genuinely struggled with. But I promise you, people are going to think you're an idiot if that's your accomplishment for this essay.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Dude, I'm a gamer and even I'm not taking you seriously with the whole video game addiction jazz. How do you think a bunch of old people are going to feel about it?

 

[harnabra01]

Yes I think it is appropriate because i has to do with your life and how you "turned" it around. For me and currently is weight loss. I have been going to the gym almost every day so i can lose 100 pounds before medical school. Which is highly possible.
I'm still addicted to video games and won't give that up. I just play less

I've quit video games.







Until GTA V.

 

[Doctor Strange]

I've quit video games.







Until GTA V.

Lessening my Guild Wars 2 play when med school starts is going to be a struggle.

 

[Radon XP]

Skyrim and Mass Effect are the bane of my existence.

Might make for a good Personal Statement!

 

[Toss]

Lol these aren't achievements at all. You became addicted/overweight; you inflicted the negative qualities upon yourself. Getting over them and back to a normal standard of living is a not an accomplishment. I used to be overweight a couple years back before I lost 25 lbs; I now do long-distance running and have a six-pack. It's a good quality I have but it didn't have an impact on others. Unless you used those experiences to help others, they shouldn't be listed. It's like saying, "I recovered from anorexia."

a·chieve·ment n. - a thing done successfully, typically by effort, courage, or skill

Why do achievements have to involve other people?

 

[KnuxNole]

Weight loss is an achievement...especially 45 pounds, that's a lot! Definitely something to be proud of, and a good topic to talk about in terms of what made you decide on losing the pounds, what you did, any bumps in the road, how you are maintaining it today, etc.

It may sound easy to some...but remember, the general population does not feel that way whatsoever. To a lot of American folks, it's a very hard process. Having someone who went through that struggle can motivate patients to lose weight, after talking with someone who is on the path, as opposed to them thinking "Oh, my doc must have always been skinny, he doesn't know the hardships, screw his advice!".

 

[KnuxNole]

I've quit video games.







Until GTA V.

Excited for this

 

[KnuxNole]

I'm saying that I wouldn't consider the OP's actions to be achievements in others' eyes. You can consider anything to be an achievement based on that definition. Hell, farting can be considered an achievement. Perhaps they're relevant in a counseling group, but certainly not in medicine.

Just out of curiosity, what would be considered a non-academic achievement then? Do you mean starting charities or something else?

 

[jm192]

Lol these aren't achievements at all. You became addicted/overweight; you inflicted the negative qualities upon yourself. Getting over them and back to a normal standard of living is a not an accomplishment. I used to be overweight a couple years back before I lost 25 lbs; I now do long-distance running and have a six-pack. It's a good quality I have but it didn't have an impact on others. Unless you used those experiences to help others, they shouldn't be listed. It's like saying, "I recovered from anorexia."

I disagree 100%. If you want to strictly argue definitions and yada yada, we should make a thread on the social forums.

The question is really "Is this going to make a good essay." And it is. The point of these is to give insight as to you as a person. And discussing one's struggles with obesity does that. Unfortunately, most of us didn't start a charity. I won a spelling bee in the 3rd grade. Is that a better thing to list? No ADCOM is going to pull out their dictionary and say this wasn't an accomplishment and that they're not counting this essay. You're missing the point of the essay if you think you're only supposed to talk about awards and public successes.

 

[Tipp]

I would focus on the weight loss, but you could talk about the video game problem as an example of your previously sedentary lifestyle. Overcoming that in addition to weightloss can add depth to your story. I wouldn't refer to it as an addiction; I would just mention it and explain how you overcame it. Some people can go to the gym regularly and lose weight, but then go home to their basement to continue playing video games the rest of the day. This gives you a chance to show that in addition to losing weight, you are now more sociable and have a more balanced lifestyle as well.

 

[nabilesmail]

Obesity has become so common that weight loss is perceived as an achievement; it's really pathetic. I'd consider an achievement to be something that doesn't simply come from correcting a wrong that you yourself started. It doesn't have to necessarily help society, but it would be relevant to a medical school application if it did. Non-academic achievements could be as simple as creating a flower garden, building your own computer, helping someone else lose weight- this specifically shows your skill to help others and create inspiration.

Losing weight IS an achievement, moreso than any of those (except helping people).

It takes dedication, effort, resilience, self-critique, and once it happens, it leads to confidence etc.

 

[jm192]

Obesity has become so common that weight loss is perceived as an achievement; it's really pathetic. I'd consider an achievement to be something that doesn't simply come from correcting a wrong that you yourself started. It doesn't have to necessarily help society, but it would be relevant to a medical school application if it did. Non-academic achievements could be as simple as creating a flower garden, building your own computer, helping someone else lose weight- this specifically shows your skill to help others and create inspiration.

Why? I think an acheivment is ANYTHING that you set as a goal and you acheived that goal. You can't be proud of screwing up and fixing it?

It would be different if he was talking about recovering from his cocaine addiction.

I think anyone losing weight IS an acheivment. It's something to be proud of. It always has been. As doctors, we encourage people to improve themselves. We're here to pat them on the back when they do well and encourage continuing the journey.

The overwhelming theme of this thread was that video games were a bad thing to discuss, and you come in saying that this notion of bettering yourself being an accomplishment is pathetic. Please take your judgemental 6 pack to Bodybuilding.com

 

[KnuxNole]

Obesity has become so common that weight loss is perceived as an achievement; it's really pathetic. I'd consider an achievement to be something that doesn't simply come from correcting a wrong that you yourself started. It doesn't have to necessarily help society, but it would be relevant to a medical school application if it did. Non-academic achievements could be as simple as creating a flower garden, building your own computer, helping someone else lose weight- this specifically shows your skill to help others and create inspiration.

I still think it is an achievement that people would respect. Sure it might be self inflicted, but instead of keeping the problems and not doing anything about it, they did something about it to correct it and make a direct change to their lifestyle in a positive way. This can bring inspiration. You don't always need to directly help others to create inspiration. Remember, most obese patients you'll see would do anything to lose 5 pounds. Seeing people who can achieve that can bring some hope to them.

Yes, obesity is common, and growing, to the point where fit people might be the minority in the US

 

[IncognitoGuy]

I still don't think it is relevant to medicine; it would be relevant for a job as a personal trainer. There are many other ways of showing discipline. But I'm also not a proponent of toting one's underrepresented minority status, 1st generation status, or any of that stuff in applications so I'm not really a fan of talking about overcoming hardships. That's just my take, no offense intended.

That's the thing - this isn't strictly a medical context. Yes, this is an application for medical school but that doesn't necessarily mean everything has to be medical. This is for the adcom to ask about the applicant and, in a way get to know them better. However the applicant chooses to express this is up to them, and they each have their own views on it. For an applicant to try to tie things to medicine (if it doesn't fit, that is) is somewhat presumptuous, considering they know very little firsthand about the field. I understand somebody can have so many shadowing hours, so many CNA/tech hours but it's still not the same.

It's up to the schools to decide if you have the qualities they are looking for - and this one way they do so.

 

[jm192]

I still don't think it is relevant to medicine; it would be relevant for a job as a personal trainer. There are many other ways of showing discipline. But I'm also not a proponent of toting one's underrepresented minority status, 1st generation status, or any of that stuff in applications so I'm not really a fan of talking about overcoming hardships. That's just my take, no offense intended.

You just yourself said how prevalent obesity has become. As a physician, you'll work with thousands of patients struggling with obesity. You don't see how someone who has struggled with weight and had success losing it is relevant to helping a patient base?

I'd connect the dots for you, but they're laying on top of each other.