Mention League of Legends in app/interview? (Serious)

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Furan

Furan

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First off, this is a legitimate question.

I'm a non-traditional applicant that has played video games as a hobby for most of my adult life. Yes, I commit more hours to it than most would consider healthy. No it has not hindered the rest of my application (3.4 cGPA, 4.0 sGPA, 33 MCAT, multiple publications, 200+ clinical hours, etc.).

My issue: Without going into too much detail, I am a very highly ranked League of Legends player (a game with 67 million global active players). I have declared over $120,000 in taxable earnings over the last two years from playing. Along with other business ventures, it has helped provide good supplemental income for me and my family (I'm married with a daughter). Should I mention this in my application and/or interviews, or is the video game stereotype strong enough to deter some schools from accepting me?

I'd be appreciative of any feedback anyone may be able to provide.
 
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You already know the answer to this since you had the forethought to ask.
 
I would not bring it up.

But let's say you do, just for the sake of being helpful.

If you were to mention it, I would paint it as a "fun fact." Maybe don't mention the six-figure earnings or the number of hours, but just that you're a very highly ranked player who sometimes makes money off of your skill. Keep in mind that you will never get to play/compete as much as you do now, and that video games are about to become a hobby of yours, nothing more. Talk about it like a hobby.

What you don't want: to "weird out" your interviewer (rightly or wrongly) by how much you play or how invested you are.
What won't hurt you: to have a little fun fact about yourself that says "I'm super sick at video games but I also recognize that it's only ever going to be a hobby once I start down this path and I don't really take video games seriously (whether this is true or untrue, you can't have physician interviewers/future colleagues questioning your maturity) and the rest of my app is pretty solid so just take it for what it's worth."
 
onceawolverine said:
I would not bring it up.

But let's say you do, just for the sake of being helpful.

If you were to mention it, I would paint it as a "fun fact." Maybe don't mention the six-figure earnings or the number of hours, but just that you're a very highly ranked player who sometimes makes money off of your skill. Keep in mind that you will never get to play/compete as much as you do now, and that video games are about to become a hobby of yours, nothing more. Talk about it like a hobby.

What you don't want: to "weird out" your interviewer (rightly or wrongly) by how much you play or how invested you are.
What won't hurt you: to have a little fun fact about yourself that says "I'm super sick at video games but I also recognize that it's only ever going to be a hobby once I start down this path and I don't really take video games seriously (whether this is true or untrue, you can't have physician interviewers/future colleagues questioning your maturity) and the rest of my app is pretty solid so just take it for what it's worth."
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I think you've pretty much summarized my feelings prior to asking.

I've always considered it to be a hobby (as I said, I still make money elsewhere). I don't expect to continue making money from it during medical school or at any point thereafter. But the fact is it has occupied a large portion of my life, even if it hasn't hindered my ability to spend time with my family and build a medical school application. I'm just worried about the "well what else have you done with your time?" question during interviews.
 
This will only impress upon an interviewer an air of immaturity.

Bragging about how much it made you will only turn a wait list decision into a rejection.

Furan said:
First off, this is a legitimate question.

I'm a non-traditional applicant that has played video games as a hobby for most of my adult life. Yes, I commit more hours to it than most would consider healthy. No it has not hindered the rest of my application (3.4 cGPA, 4.0 sGPA, 33 MCAT, multiple publications, 200+ clinical hours, etc.).

My issue: Without going into too much detail, I am a very highly ranked League of Legends player (a game with 67 million global active players). I have declared over $120,000 in taxable earnings over the last two years from playing. Along with other business ventures, it has helped provide good supplemental income for me and my family (I'm married with a daughter). Should I mention this in my application and/or interviews, or is the video game stereotype strong enough to deter some schools from accepting me?

I'd be appreciative of any feedback anyone may be able to provide.
Click to expand...
 
Furan said:
I think you've pretty much summarized my feelings prior to asking.

I've always considered it to be a hobby (as I said, I still make money elsewhere). I don't expect to continue making money from it during medical school or at any point thereafter. But the fact is it has occupied a large portion of my life, even if it hasn't hindered my ability to spend time with my family and build a medical school application. I'm just worried about the "well what else have you done with your time?" question during interviews.
Click to expand...

Will you be able to put the games down when it comes time to study? Some people get addicted to it and the time passes without really realizing it and then they are behind. Those would be my concerns if this was mentioned in an application.
 
Furan said:
I have declared over $120,000 in taxable earnings over the last two years from playing.
Click to expand...


If this is true, you are not engaged in a hobby. This is a JOB. You could in theory call yourself self-employed (assuming you aren't on a pro team...).
 
Furan said:
I'm just worried about the "well what else have you done with your time?" question during interviews.
Click to expand...
I think that, as long as you have 2ish OTHER activities besides video games that you can bring up in answer to that question, then there's nothing wrong with flashing the interviewer a smile and saying that you also play league of legends. I'm pretty sure that, given the same question, I would talk about sports and theater, then add (with a healthy grin) that I watch plenty of netflix too. But I would NOT mention how much money you've made or go too far into detail, as I've said before. IF you're going to mention it (and that should be a big if), it has to be done so artfully. Concisely and in passing. Without a lot of emphasis or detail, and without dwelling on the point. You've already seen how some of the physicians on here react - you don't want that reaction in person either.

PS: I think it's awesome that you're so good. But it's not the kind of awesome that gets you into medical school, and is probably best reserved for less formal conversations, where less is on the line so to speak.
 
Goro said:
This will only impress upon an interviewer an air of immaturity.

Bragging about how much it made you will only turn a wait list decision into a rejection.
Click to expand...

Thank you, I appreciate the response.

I think the association of video games with immaturity is close minded, and productivity wise should be viewed in the same light as golf. But that's a debate for another time; the only thing that matters is how an interviewer will view it.

I only brought up the numerical value for context. I could technically classify this as a job, if I chose to. Sorry if it came across as arrogant as that wasn't my intention.
 
Interesting Thread.

I dont understand what the difference between golf and making money and difference between video games and making money is besides social sanctions deeming video games as immature tho.

Just my 2 cents.
 
Cyberdyne 101 said:
Does this happen often?!
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More often than I'd like.
We had one come back from re-hab to finish, but the year long hole in his resume was hard to explain.
I haven't seen a golf addiction interrupt medical school yet!
 
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ThoracicGuy said:
Will you be able to put the games down when it comes time to study? Some people get addicted to it and the time passes without really realizing it and then they are behind. Those would be my concerns if this was mentioned in an application.
Click to expand...

I think there's an element to it that helps relax my mind, so I don't think I will ever quit entirely. That said, I've gone through stretches of several months without playing even a mobile game on my phone (namely, the first year of my daughter's life). I like to think I know how to prioritize my life and I've always viewed it as a hobby. I just happened to get quite good at this hobby and managed to make some money from it.

Though, based on the responses in this thread, I think I have my answer. Nobody in this community is going to be impressed by it, so why mention something that won't help me.
 
Furan said:
Thank you, I appreciate the response.

I think the association of video games with immaturity is close minded, and productivity wise should be viewed in the same light as golf. But that's a debate for another time; the only thing that matters is how an interviewer will view it.

I only brought up the numerical value for context. I could technically classify this as a job, if I chose to. Sorry if it came across as arrogant as that wasn't my intention.
Click to expand...

The people interviewing you and making the decisions are likely to be in your parents generation or older. Video games would likely be seen as more of a distraction. Some interviewers may not mind, but why give them a reason to look down on you?
 
Doctor Bob said:
My first question as an interviewer would be "if you're making 120k a year playing video games, why are you applying to med school?"
Click to expand...

Not to deviate the thread, but I've made a lot more annually (through other sources) in the last few years than I likely ever will as a physician. Money is at the absolute bottom of my list of reasons for changing careers.
 
gyngyn said:
More often than I'd like.
We had one come back from re-hab to finish, but the hole in his resume was hard to explain.
I haven't seen a golf addiction interrupt medical school yet!
Click to expand...
Well, if these gamers focus that energy on their studies, they could potentially find success/satisfaction in a surgical specialty that utilizes endoscopic technology.
 
Furan said:
Not to deviate the thread, but I've made a lot more annually (through other sources) in the last few years than I likely ever will as a physician. Money is at the absolute bottom of my list of reasons for changing careers.
Click to expand...

That should be addressed. Non-trads have to field the "you're a successful businessperson/lawyer/nurse/etc/etc... why do you want to switch to medicine" questions every year. And they're legitimate questions.

If you spun the video game playing as a job (that you just happened to really enjoy), you could use it during an interview and would just have to answer the same line of questioning as you'd have to answer anyways because of the other ventures.
 
I think it is pathetic this stigma still exists. You can tell in Goro and gyngyn's comments that their view is why this stigma exists. Of course video game addiction ruins lives, so does alcoholism and every other type of addiction. When our generation is older, I believe that the video game stigma will be eradicated. Honestly your situation should be comparable to someone playing a major/minor league sport and making an income that way. Personally I think it shows a level of dedication and commitment unrivaled by "real" sports, as I believe e-sports are much more mentally taxing in addition to the technical skill they require. It is certainly not easy to be one of the best in a competitive video game, and it is not all fun and games to reach that point.

That said, I would not mention it. It can only hurt based on the ages of the people looking at your application. If I ever become an adcom, I will definitely applaud professional gamers, though.
 
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I was asked about hobbies/things I enjoy doing in my spare time in an interview and mentioned PC gaming. The interviewer asked me what games I liked and we had a bit of a discussion about computers and whatnot. No problem arose from this. The key would be how you frame it. In the context of a hobby, I think its fine. Video gaming is every bit as acceptable a hobby as playing guitar, a sport, collecting stamps, or whatever IMO, I just wouldn't go in being like "hey i'm totally MLG!!"
 
I believe that if you properly spin this in your application you should be fine, but I would be careful with your wording so that it isn't negatively received.
 
By the way I know I'm not the only person here who tried to figure out which player OP is.
 
I think there aren't enough positives to really justify mentioning it. At best it will only be seen as a hobby that you were able to make money from. At worst you get whatever random baggage that particular interviewer/school has related to video games.
 
The funny thing is... you might come across a super nerdy interviewer. You should insert offhand comments that will draw out his or her hidden LoL. Then you'll know it's safe to come out of the electronic closet. Otherwise, keep it low key.

(I'm being very facetious.)
 
milk1993 said:
I think it is pathetic this stigma still exists. You can tell in Goro and gyngyn's comments that their view is why this stigma exists. Of course video game addiction ruins lives, so does alcoholism and every other type of addiction.
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👍 👍 👍
 
BTW, are professional gamers a URM? You could try playing that card.
 
lol i have personal experience with this although it was when i interviewed for college

i invested countless hours on starcraft back in the day 10+ years ago and won #2 in my state at the WCG tournament. i got carried away and talked a bit too much about that during the interview because i was a nervous high school senior and knew nothing else to talk about. needless to say, i got rejected.
 
I wasn't going to venture down this path, and certainly wouldn't in an interview, but in my personal (and obviously biased) opinion if you're in the top couple hundred or so out of 67 million in ANYTHING competitive, that shouldn't be viewed as a negative.

As others suggested though, the stigma is what it is.
 
Furan said:
I wasn't going to venture down this path, and certainly wouldn't in an interview, but in my personal (and obviously biased) opinion if you're in the top couple hundred or so out of 67 million in ANYTHING competitive, that shouldn't be viewed as a negative.

As others suggested though, the stigma is what it is.
Click to expand...

I'm the top P I M P in the game. But I don't go throwing it around. Adcoms just know from my walk. You need a walk. Make sure it's 300 steps per minute though.
 
Cyberdyne 101 said:
Well, if these gamers focus that energy on their studies, they could potentially find success/satisfaction in a surgical specialty that utilizes endoscopic technology.
Click to expand...
If they make it that far and manage to translate those skills.
Those with an avocation may do just as you say.
Those with addiction don't get the grades and also find themselves with professionalism issues that don't allow for professional growth.

I don't have an opinion regarding this activity. I am reporting the likely response at a medical school. Like any other hobby I'm sure it can be personally enriching.
 
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If you're playing in the LCS and/or run a successful stream (e.g., 1000+ viewers regularly) and making bank, then I would actually disagree with others and include it in your app. Perhaps it's just because I follow that "scene" and know a bit more about it than most, but streaming and making a living off gaming are no longer ridiculous notions. The advent of the internet and a variety of media that allow people to monetize their gameplay has made gaming a very legitimate business. I would just be sure to portray it as such should you decide to include it in your application: focus on the business side of things, your success, etc. and discuss the skills you developed in order to succeed. You could probably even leave out the gaming aspect altogether and simply say that you ran your own business that netted you $x and you spent y amount of time doing it. At the end of the day, adcoms are looking for people that can excel in things they're interested in and have the drive to do so. Whether that's through gaming or building a non-profit I personally see no difference. That being said, I'm likely in the minority here as evidenced by the posts in this thread.
 
When ESPN starts covering video game playing, then I guess it won't have such a stigma for my generation.


milk1993 said:
I think it is pathetic this stigma still exists. You can tell in Goro and gyngyn's comments that their view is why this stigma exists. Of course video game addiction ruins lives, so does alcoholism and every other type of addiction. When our generation is older, I believe that the video game stigma will be eradicated. Honestly your situation should be comparable to someone playing a major/minor league sport and making an income that way. Personally I think it shows a level of dedication and commitment unrivaled by "real" sports, as I believe e-sports are much more mentally taxing in addition to the technical skill they require. It is certainly not easy to be one of the best in a competitive video game, and it is not all fun and games to reach that point.

That said, I would not mention it. It can only hurt based on the ages of the people looking at your application. If I ever become an adcom, I will definitely applaud professional gamers, though.
Click to expand...
 
Goro said:
When ESPN starts covering video game playing, then I guess it won't have such a stigma for my generation.
Click to expand...

Goro, in Korea they have cable television dedicated to this. Twitch.tv is already a multimillion dollar internet broadcaster in this realm. The end is nigh!
 
Im afraid that I too must side against SDNs collective wisdom. If this was a matter of just being a top player, I would say pass, but you should focus on the financial aspect of this without quoting amounts. You have found a way to profit from a hobby. I would be impressed just like if someone made a living by broadcasting their knowledge of a hobby on youtube. You have a family and a career with solids ecs you arent a 21 year old Gamer. Its a weak argumment that in your case you are immature because of this.
 
A profession full of nerds values physical sports over competitive online strategy games. :smack:

There's definitely a way to go about discussing it that's acceptable, just like there are ways to discuss involvement in Greek life. If you get an interviewer who has absolute bias against whatever you do, then you're screwed. Not expressing a part of yourself when prompted to is also bad because you might not give them the full picture. Pointing out *why* you did it (financial reasons) and assuring them that it's not going to be an issue because your family/long-term future is your priority is fine. Your sGPA is awesome, your MCAT is good... just go through this dialogue with random people and get feedback about how it would sound.
 
Spinach Dip said:
It's nice to know that making money to support your family--while doing something you enjoy!--is seen as immature.
Click to expand...

Unfortunate as it is, that is still a prevailing view in medicine. Even outside of the Adcoms and attending faculty, you'll be surprised by how many of your fellow students also stigmatize video gaming, regardless of whether or not you're an actual addict.

The douchebaggery doesn't stop at the AdCom level, maybe it will by the time our generation moves up to into leadership positions in medicine.
 
CrimsonKing said:
Unfortunate as it is, that is still a prevailing view in medicine. Even outside of the Adcoms and attending faculty, you'll be surprised by how many of your fellow students also stigmatize video gaming, regardless of whether or not you're an actual addict.

The douchebaggery doesn't stop at the AdCom level, maybe it will by the time our generation moves up to into leadership positions in medicine.
Click to expand...

What? Medicine is your family. Unless you play video games with me and support my residency salary with your earnings. NIYAH! No other family allowed.
 
milk1993 said:
Personally I think it shows a level of dedication and commitment unrivaled by "real" sports
Click to expand...

As someone who loves video games, used to watch a lot of MLG, looks forward to a time when gaming isn't considered a juvenile hobby, and never really enjoyed "real" sports, I think this is laughable.
 
Don't do it man. Just don't. While I think that the teamwork required of LoL would be a great asset to a future physician, most adcom members haven't a clue what goes into competitive gaming and will likely look down upon it.
 
The ortho bros and uro bros and plasti bros will mock you. but they're all closet nerds anyhoo.
 
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