How Do Med Schools view ATHLETICS??

[Denver89]

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Hey I have a quick question..

How do med schools view Athletics? Im considering joining my team here at my undergrad but it is a very big time commitment. Practice every day for multiple hours, scheduled workouts, and travel/games.

I would think that most med schools would understand that being a student athlete takes commitment, team work, effort, and persistence all the same qualities needed in a doctor.

So does anyone know more on this subject?

Will being on a school team make a big difference on my application or is it just taking time away from potential hospital volunteering experience etc..?

 

[CoolWhipp]

Will being on a school team make a big difference on my application or is it just taking time away from potential hospital volunteering experience etc..?

Many people put their athletic activities on their application. It does look great. Hospital volunteering is roughly 4 hours a week at most hospitals I know of. I don't see how anything can take away your ability to do 4 hours a week. Not saying you absolutely have to volunteer at a hospital, but you get my drift.

Good luck.

 

[Beta Cell]

Hey I have a quick question..

How do med schools view Athletics? Im considering joining my team here at my undergrad but it is a very big time commitment. Practice every day for multiple hours, scheduled workouts, and travel/games.

I would think that most med schools would understand that being a student athlete takes commitment, team work, effort, and persistence all the same qualities needed in a doctor.

So does anyone know more on this subject?

Will being on a school team make a big difference on my application or is it just taking time away from potential hospital volunteering experience etc..?

The major thing it would take away from is studying. Think about it more academically than extracurricularly. If it's an actual varsity sport and not some silly club/intramural team asking you to devote varsity-level time to it, then I would recommend to do it. Don't waste that much time on club/intramural stuff.

 

[Denver89]

It's varsity lacrosse

 

[derArzt]

The major thing it would take away from is studying. Think about it more academically than extracurricularly. If it's an actual varsity sport and not some silly club/intramural team asking you to devote varsity-level time to it, then I would recommend to do it. Don't waste that much time on club/intramural stuff.

"waste time"?
"silly"?

I wouldn't discourage people from doing activities that they enjoy/ can relieve stress/ keep them fit.

Don't let academics take over your life!!

 

[Mobius1985]

Adcomms would view athletics as evidence of teamwork and dedication, qualities they value, but athletic involvement will not excuse you from having the same EC and grade expectations as your competition in the application process.

 

[flip26]

Adcomms would view athletics as evidence of teamwork and dedication, qualities they value, but athletic involvement will not excuse you from having the same EC and grade expectations as your competition in the application process.

Absolutely correct.

Don't expect leniency for grades, ECs, research, etc.

 

[parafilm]

I'm an athlete at a varsity level, although my team is fairly relaxed. Still, I have at least a 10 hour time commitment each week, and when weekend matches are added in, it can be more like 20-30 hrs each week.

You should still be able to juggle studying and at least one solid EC. I do research for about 15-20hrs/wk. While in season, I'm doing research, class, studying, and sports, which amounts to about 80 hours a week. Plus I try to keep some kind of social life, so I'm really busy during sports season. Other ECs, such as hospital volunteering, shadowing, clinical stuff, etc., have to be in the summer.

It's doable, though, and it's worth it if it's what you want to do. I enjoy my research, I enjoy being a student, and I'm really happy to be playing my sport, so I choose to commit a lot of time to all of them, sometimes at the sacrifice of sleep and my own sanity.

Plus, sports aren't year-round. During season things are crazy, but suddenly when I don't have to be at practice everyday for 2 hours, I don't know what to do with all my free time.

 

[caniac]

Plus, sports aren't year-round.

On behalf of all the track athletes out there, I beg to differ. At my D1 institution, track started the first week of classes and ended the week before finals (unless you went to nationals, at which point it went a week past graduation). Every day, 3:30-6:30 or 7, plus time spent before and after (p)rehabbing in the training room. Then meets every weekend and a "voluntary" training program during the summer. Plus the kind of mentality and self-discipline required to compete put a limit on your time, i.e. not staying up to 1am every night studying/partying. Or, all the science/pre-med groups on campus met during my practice times, so I could never partipate. Sometimes, you have to prioritize sleep over studying--that notion can be applied to a number of different extracurriculars though.

Many of us still managed research/volunteering/other ECs--not the case at some of my friends' schools--and I credit my coaches who truly believed in the "student-athlete". I still found that I needed to take time off to make sure my application was sufficiently well-rounded (I hadn't done any volunteering in college, just research).

Sports are no different than other ECs--but make sure if you're going to do a sport that you specifically spell out the time commitment on your AMCAS. Football season might last from August to November, and games might just be from 12-4 on Saturdays, but you need to spell out the fact that you're at the fieldhouse from 7am to 7pm on gamedays, and that you're practicing at 5am for 2 hours a day in the off-season (at least that was their schedule at my school). The worst thing that could happen is that folks might underestimate how much time you spend out there.

I realize that rant sounded rather meat-headed, but having 7 seasons of track and one season of "freedom" (i broke myself beyond simple repair and couldn't compete senior spring) really showed me the sacrifices that athletes make when they choose to participate in Varsity sports. One thing that sports taught me was, that given sufficient time management skills, anything is possible. Despite track commitments, I did 2 years of research, studied abroad for a summer, played in some music groups, and tutored part-time. Realize that it will be a significant part of your life, but lax shouldn't have to be ALL of your life.

if you have questions/think I'm being an jerk in this post (I can kind of see my rant coming across that way, though it was certainly NOT my intention) feel free to send me a PM 😀

 

[Pghboy18]

Athletics was probably the most rewarding aspect of my college experience. Do it while you can. Just make sure you manage your time and get the grades that you need. You get one chance to compete on an intercollegiate level and the rest of your life to slave away in a largely academic profession.

 

[nogolfinsnow]

Plus, sports aren't year-round. During season things are crazy, but suddenly when I don't have to be at practice everyday for 2 hours, I don't know what to do with all my free time.

D1 sports (and probably a lot of D2 and D3) are year-round. Even if it's not your competition season, you train in the off season. For baseball we started individual workouts + conditioning in the fall (20+hrs/week), competitive season went January-May (40-50hrs depending on travel), then everyone plays summer ball June-August. Football players have spring practice, summer practice, compete in the fall, and get just enough time off in the winter to try and heal up and do it all over again.

All that being said, as others have said sports doesn't make up for anything. But if you have the same GPA and MCAT as another person, it can help bump you up. My interviewers definitely liked the fact that I played sports.

If you really want to play the sport, do it. It's truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I highly doubt you'll regret it.

 

[redrower]

im gonna agree with caniac.

as a D1 rower, I can attest to the fact that we practice year round and average around 15 hours a week in the off season and closer to 20 in season. this doesnt include away races and weekend long regattas.

if you enjoy lax, do it. you wont regret it. just make sure academics comes first though. and dont take any sh|t from your coach if you have to take time off from practice to study for a big final. its not worth the grade drop

 

[BlueElmo]

I think any type of athletics, whether intercollegiate, intramural, club, or just for fun, can help you in your application. It shows you are not one of those cookie-cutter pre-med who only volunteers, shadows, TAs, and joins pre-med clubs. If you can write and talk about your sport, I think that could be a big plus.

 

[LizzyM]

Athletics can be a plus. Some adcom members really value the applicants involved with varsity sports, others are less impressed.

However, there is no substitute for good grades. I've seen varsity athletes who destroyed any chance at graduate school (never mind medical school) because of a miserable academic record.

 

[zuiikin]

Definitely agree with the above -- athletics will look great on your app (and will be good to talk about in your interviews) -- but it's not gonna cut it as an excuse for bad grades. Med schools want the whole package.

 

[flip26]

Another thought: instead of being a typical pre-med, getting a science degree, and taking the MCAT as a junior, and applying as a rising senior - why not pursue an "easier" undergrad course of study - make As - and then do a post bacc year to pick up the pre reqs?

Otherwise, I am guessing that many athlete pre-meds have crashed and burned trying to "do it all" in 4 years...LizzyM's comments allude to this...

 

[Narmerguy]

Athletics can be a plus. Some adcom members really value the applicants involved with varsity sports, others are less impressed.

However, there is no substitute for good grades. I've seen varsity athletes who destroyed any chance at graduate school (never mind medical school) because of a miserable academic record.

What about club atheltics? Does the hours put into the sport matter significantly to an adcom or do they simply lump all intermurals/club sports into one sum category. Because I've done both and devoted perhaps 1 hour a week to intermurals for the span of 3 weeks and 9+ hours (not including away games) a week to my club sport.

 

[BlueElmo]

What about club atheltics? Does the hours put into the sport matter significantly to an adcom or do they simply lump all intermurals/club sports into one sum category. Because I've done both and devoted perhaps 1 hour a week to intermurals for the span of 3 weeks and 9+ hours (not including away games) a week to my club sport.

You can describe your commitment in your primary application.

 

[Narmerguy]

You can describe your commitment in your primary application.

Well I don't want it to become the focus of my application, I just want it to be something that they strongly consider. Shouldn't the primary be focused more on other things?

 

[BlueElmo]

Well I don't want it to become the focus of my application, I just want it to be something that they strongly consider. Shouldn't the primary be focused more on other things?

There are 15 slots in the Activities section. Put your athletics in one of the slots. It won't become the focus of your application.

 

[Denver89]

wow thanks for all the advice... And yes I definitely understand that grades are my #1 priority.

 

[itsallthesame]

athletic team involvement was indicated as a better predictor of success in surgical residency in a recent study than most other things (except like aoa and boards, i think). this included volunteering and some other typical ec's that had no predictive value at all.

i don't know what committees think, but i had an interview with a program director and it came out that he did my sport in college. i got some pretty serious leeway in the grades dept. my opinion is that various administrators weight participation in different sports strongly and will "adjust" your gpa to compensate a bit, while others really don't care that you did a sport. this generally depends on their experience in college. the old "wow, you did a thesis and woke up at 6am every morning of the year for practice" thing tends to impress some folks more than others.

 

[Steeler7588]

Absolutely correct.

Don't expect leniency for grades, ECs, research, etc.

Although some adcoms will in fact give you a little leeway in light of the time commitment.

 

[Podalarius]

The major thing it would take away from is studying. Think about it more academically than extracurricularly. If it's an actual varsity sport and not some silly club/intramural team asking you to devote varsity-level time to it, then I would recommend to do it. Don't waste that much time on club/intramural stuff.

I played a club sport through college - not quite a varsity commitment, but practice (around 8 hours a week) and tournaments (full weekend for most of those - around 7-9 a year) through the year. It was a great way to stay in shape and many of my close friends were my teammates. As a captain while a student and then a coach after college, there were many leadership opportunities as well. Since interviewers often ask about what you do away from the lab and classroom (and medicine in general), it was a common topic that they brought up, and for those interviewers who played, it was also a topic that made for some interesting way to connect with interviewers. It was a hardly a waste of time before I knew I wanted to apply to med school, and it was one of my main extracurriculars on my application (in terms of time). Nothing will replace grades/research/MCAT/etc., but sports kept me sane through college, and I hope I'll manage to fit them in my life as a medical student.

 

[mallard]

The major thing it would take away from is studying. Think about it more academically than extracurricularly. If it's an actual varsity sport and not some silly club/intramural team asking you to devote varsity-level time to it, then I would recommend to do it. Don't waste that much time on club/intramural stuff.

Come on man.... this is straight up ignorant and sad. Just because a sport isn't classified as varsity doesn't mean that it won't provide any beneficial effects whether those are related to med school admissions or not. To say non-varsity sports are silly and a waste of time is absolutely not true unless you only think about one thing in life and thats how you look on paper and if thats true I feel for you

 

[BlueElmo]

Come on man.... this is straight up ignorant and sad. Just because a sport isn't classified as varsity doesn't mean that it won't provide any beneficial effects whether those are related to med school admissions or not. To say non-varsity sports are silly and a waste of time is absolutely not true unless you only think about one thing in life and thats how you look on paper and if thats true I feel for you

Agreed. Non-varsity sports are definitely not worthless.

 

[fatty19]

Any D1 (and probably D2 and D3) varsity athlete can attest to the huge year-round time commitment of athletics. For my sport I estimated about 900-1000 hours per year on training/rehab alone. Over 4 years that's ~4000 hours!!! (that doesn't include time spent travelling either)

Most will also say that athletics was the most valuable experience they had in college. It's a great opportunity to make friends, see the country, and experience the team environment. It also paid for school so that was nice. It probably ended up costing me a couple tenths on my GPA but the opportunity to compete against, and train with world-class athletes was invaluable. I've already forgotten what classes I got B's in but I still remember competitions from several years ago.

With all the being said I really have NO idea how an adcom views athletics. If it were me I would see it as a indication of commitment, leadership, time management etc., along with the ability to excel in something beyond the classroom. I didn't manage many EC's until after my athletics was over so I took a year off to boost them up.

In conclusion, I don't see how athletics could possibly be a bad thing as long as you don't tank your classes.

 

[CheerleaderMD]

Im the captain of the varsity cheerleading team at a D-1 school and unlike other sports, we follow both football and basketball and practice even in the spring.

I've been able to take extra classes, volunteer at a hospital weekly, and participate in other community service activities. Granted, my grades aren't stellar because of all of this, but I'd certainly hope that being an athlete is much more telling than someone volunteering for 2 hours a week.