Medical Activities Section

[Question]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Does it look better to put a hobby in the activities section? As a part of one of my hobbies I raised money for two nonprofits. Is it worth mentioning this?

Also, is it worth mentioning activities you would begin like 2 months before applying?

— Experts please respond to this post —

 

[Mr.Smile12]

In general, you can list hobbies, and I usually recommend describing one and only one.

I generally ignore activities with fewer than 50 hours (except shadowing).

 

[Goro]

Yes; it's that you're a human being, with a life beyond Medicine.

4.0 automatons are a dime-a-dozen

 

[Med Ed]

I personally don't really register hobbies beyond the name and number of hours. The desire to make delicious food is self-explanatory. It doesn't need to be a manifesto on our interconnected web of being.

I have seen some hobby descriptions get really pedantic, which can be somewhat amusing.

Experience (hobby): Walking - 80,000 hours
Description: Walking is the most common form of human locomotion, primarily involving the bones, muscles, and soft tissues of the lower extremities and pelvic girdle. I began walking at 12 months of age, and since then have really learned to value my ability to get from point A to point B without mechanical assistance. I have walked around houses, across lawns and parks, down sidewalks, and through commercial buildings. Each walk permits the opportunity to engage all of the senses and learn new things. You never know what will happen when you take a walk!

 

[GoSpursGo]

Agree, one hobby is good.

Whether or not it's worth including activities with <2 months or <50 hours really depends on the rest of your app. If it is addressing an otherwise obvious gap in your application, or if it is demonstrably going to continue over the course of your application year (i.e. a gap year job), then it may be worth including. But ultimately it just depends if it's better than the 16th best activity you could otherwise include

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I have seen some hobby descriptions get really pedantic, which can be somewhat amusing.

Experience (hobby): Walking - 80,000 hours
Description: Walking is the most common form of human locomotion, primarily involving the bones, muscles, and soft tissues of the lower extremities and pelvic girdle. I began walking at 12 months of age, and since then have really learned to value my ability to get from point A to point B without mechanical assistance. I have walked around houses, across lawns and parks, down sidewalks, and through commercial buildings. Each walk permits the opportunity to engage all of the senses and learn new things. You never know what will happen when you take a walk!

Don't you mean... pedestrian?

 

[GoSpursGo]

Don't you mean... pedestrian?

It took me a second