Entering something "fun" as EC's

[camd2b]

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All of my extracurricular activities involve leadership, medicine, volunteering, and research blah blah. I have read advice to include something "fun" or interesting to talk about.

My concern is that while I enjoy activities like photography, hiking, bird watching, and traveling.. I don't necessary have any formal accomplishments that go along with them i.e. enjoying music and being the president of music club.

Can I still write about these as an EC?

 

[jochi1543]

I just put all of those into the same category, writing "hobbies & interests" as the title and then listing the actual activities in the 1325 character description box. I just wrote smth like "in my free time, I enjoy X, Y, and Z."

 

[ryandote]

I just put all of those into the same category, writing "hobbies & interests" as the title and then listing the actual activities in the 1325 character description box. I just wrote smth like "in my free time, I enjoy X, Y, and Z."

I agree. It's kind of nice if you have a few specific hobbies and at least a little bit to say about them. One of the things I was asked most at my interviews (besides "why medicine? why here?") was about flyfishing. Go figure.

 

[medstuddude]

what are some hobbies that I can talk about with my interviewers?

 

[Dookter]

what are some hobbies that I can talk about with my interviewers?

I'd start with whatever hobbies you actually have.

 

[63768]

what are some hobbies that I can talk about with my interviewers?

hmm this is a no-brainer. wait. you do have hobbies outside of medicine right?

i put things like autocross, working on cars, and dancing. stuff that has nothing to do with medicine and that i have fun doing.

 

[smq123]

what are some hobbies that I can talk about with my interviewers?

😕 You really have to ask?

In the (unfortunate) event that you truly don't have any hobbies to talk about, do NOT say that "studying" is your hobby. It's better to lie in that case, than to earn your interviewer's eternal pity as the "kid who has no life outside school."

I'd start with whatever hobbies you actually have.

Just don't do what I did. At my first interview, I talked about how my favorite hobby of cutting up my neighbor's pets proved that I already had top-notch surgical skills. That was pretty dumb - bragging like that. I should've been more modest and said that it showed that I had "acceptable" surgical skills. 🙂:shakes head with regret:: )

 

[TheRealMD]

😕 You really have to ask?

In the (unfortunate) event that you truly don't have any hobbies to talk about, do NOT say that "studying" is your hobby. It's better to lie in that case, than to earn your interviewer's eternal pity as the "kid who has no life outside school."



Just don't do what I did. At my first interview, I talked about how my favorite hobby of cutting up my neighbor's pets proved that I already had top-notch surgical skills. That was pretty dumb - bragging like that. I should've been more modest and said that it showed that I had "acceptable" surgical skills. 🙂:shakes head with regret:: )

😵

 

[artaxerxes]

For these sort of things, do we need a contact person for verification in the unlikely case that they check it?

 

[MystA RavE]

For these sort of things, do we need a contact person for verification in the unlikely case that they check it?

Yeah give them your phone number so you can confirm you do these things when they call you 😀

 

[braluk]

One of my roommates, thought it wasn't fun to my knowledge, did a very thorough job of recreating his family tree and found the family crest and everythig as a hobbie. To his credit, he also put more "credibility" to it by joining a national organization that shared the goal of creating family trees. That also might be something you may consider also- finding a national organization to share your interests and also have it show on your AMCAS.

 

[LolaGene]

I DONT think you should put hobbies in a section unless you are part of some association, take extracurricular classes, have achievements in the hobbie or teach in it. I think you could sound like youre trying to fill space (even though you probably are not). You will have plenty of times ot discuss in the secondary and interview

 

[munnabhai]

can I list "otaku" as a description of myself under the hobbies and interests? cause seriously thats all there is besides studying 🙁

 

[63768]

I DONT think you should put hobbies in a section unless you are part of some association, take extracurricular classes, have achievements in the hobbie or teach in it. I think you could sound like youre trying to fill space (even though you probably are not). You will have plenty of times ot discuss in the secondary and interview

i completely disagree with this post.

just because you are the best in your hobby does not mean it is not worthy of putting on your application. this is an incredibly faulty train of thought. if it's something you've committed yourself to and enjoy doing, put it down. believe it or not, med schools look for the well-rounded student as much as they look for high GPA and MCAT. they don't want socially inept and reclusive people.

and lol, have you even interviewed yet? you have 30 mins to interview at most places and those 30 mins go by quickly. you will barely have time to talk about what matters let alone side topics.

 

[IDBasco]

hmm this is a no-brainer. wait. you do have hobbies outside of medicine right?

i put things like autocross, working on cars, and dancing. stuff that has nothing to do with medicine and that i have fun doing.

Are you just applying for the first time right now or have you been through a previous cycle? I have Auto-x'd and done a fair bit of drag racing too, but was worried that putting something about that on my app might be a bad idea.

Edit: just noted you have TCOM listed in your sig. Did any of the adcom folks mention the auto-x or anything?