AMCAS Work/Activities

[rcwhite007]

I wanted to add a couple of hobbies but I wanted to see what you guys had to say:

1. For a sport like fishing or hobby like reading, what do you put for the start and end date? Organization Name?

2. Do I make one for each hobby or do I put them on one?

3. I was going to try to keep them low in number so it did not look like I was pulling stuff out of my A**, but how many is TOO many?


Thanks

Ryan

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[Punkn]

I wanted to add a couple of hobbies but I wanted to see what you guys had to say:

1. For a sport like fishing or hobby like reading, what do you put for the start and end date? Organization Name?

2. Do I make one for each hobby or do I put them on one?

3. I was going to try to keep them low in number so it did not look like I was pulling stuff out of my A**, but how many is TOO many?


Thanks

Ryan

For hobbies, don't worry about end date (actually, I just checked "until present") or organization name. Are you just planning on putting the two hobbies in? If so, I would definitely put them together. I mean, really, how much can you say about reading or fishing (not that they aren't good thing, mind you)? 😉 There are some other threads on here that talk about hobbies. Do a search for them; it may help. Good luck!

 

[TexPre-Med]

I wouldn't add either in there period. Maybe the fishing one if you won awards for it or entered contests. I think it is pretty much assumed that pre-meds read.

Disclaimer: If you add stuff like this, be prepared to back it up well. There are good odds that interviewers will test you hard. Could you handle a literary quiz or bait debates?

I have known 2 people get royally busted. One said he played the piano fairly well. The interviewer led him to a piano 4 floors down and asked him to play after quizing him on notes, etc. A second said he knew Swahili (in actuality he only took 1 year). Just so happened that 1 interviewer knew Swahili and asked to do the interview in Swahili.

 

[MasterMD]

should this section be in paragraph format? i have very well written well thought out but bullet pointed descriptions...

 

[snobored18]

should this section be in paragraph format? i have very well written well thought out but bullet pointed descriptions...

yep but it in paragraph form, i'm going to second what was said above...hobbies are cool and all, but stuff like fishing and reading is pointless to put on your AMCAS unless it is a distinguishing feature. The place to bring this stuff up is on your secondaries when they ask questions along the lines of "how do you manage stress" or "How will you survive medical school" this is when you mention how you have managed to balance your life and find a refuge in fly fishing or reading Albert Schweitzer and Pierre Tielhard de Chardin. Putting it on your AMCAS if they truly are just hobbies is using it as a pointless filler that detracts more than anything.

 

[DF38]

Here's another thread on hobbies.

I'll second what I said in that thread, I put down my hobbies. I just had one category (titled "Hobbies"), and put them all under there. My start date was a long time ago (1990, maybe?) and I checked "until present". I didn't put down any organization name or contact info.

Also, for what it's worth, in the other thread LizzyM (an adcom member) said to go ahead and put down your hobbies, because it shows that you're well-rounded.

 

[TexPre-Med]

Here's another thread on hobbies.

I'll second what I said in that thread, I put down my hobbies. I just had one category (titled "Hobbies"), and put them all under there. My start date was a long time ago (1990, maybe?) and I checked "until present". I didn't put down any organization name or contact info.

Also, for what it's worth, in the other thread LizzyM (an adcom member) said to go ahead and put down your hobbies, because it shows that you're well-rounded.

haha - not bashing/ridiculing or anything. I just thought something was funny. To most people pre-meds are nerds, study too much, are antisocial, etc. I get your meaning of hobbies making us well-rounded. However look at the poster's questionable hobbies. The first is reading - an activity you do alone without interacting. The second is fishing - something you can do alone and/or without any interaction. I just don't see how that makes the poster more unique.

However if you led your intramural football team to the intramural championships or you were a guide for big-game hunts, then put that down. The idea is for the interviewer to walk away remembering something unique about you. The big question - how are you different than the average pre-med.

 

[Haemulon]

haha - not bashing/ridiculing or anything. I just thought something was funny. To most people pre-meds are nerds, study too much, are antisocial, etc. I get your meaning of hobbies making us well-rounded. However look at the poster's questionable hobbies. The first is reading - an activity you do alone without interacting. The second is fishing - something you can do alone and/or without any interaction. I just don't see how that makes the poster more unique.

However if you led your intramural football team to the intramural championships or you were a guide for big-game hunts, then put that down. The idea is for the interviewer to walk away remembering something unique about you. The big question - how are you different than the average pre-med.

I ride Harley Davidsons, does that count? Biker MD's 👍