NCAA athletics and pre-med?

[biochemista]

I am currently a NCAA D1 pre-med student athlete in cross country and indoor/outdoor track. Just a few questions for those of you who played sports in college...

1) Did you find that participating in elite college athletics was a plus on med school apps or in interviews? How so?

2) Do you know of any scholarships for NCAA athletes that can help pay for medical school (besides the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship)?

3) Is it worth soliciting a letter of rec from my coach? He knows me very well and can describe my work ethic/character, but is not the most educated sounding person in written form (ex. emails).

4) Any other tid-bits or tips from people with similar backgrounds?

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=638381

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[kasho11]

Given I haven't applied yet and it's only anecdotal, but whenever I talk to family friends who are doctors, including one on an admissions board, I mention I played a sport in college and they always say something along the lines of "Oh yeah, you'll get in." Which they roughly explain as (as long as your grades and MCAT are decent enough) if you play a sport in college you are generally a friendly, normal person who can interact with people well, and should have no problem getting in.

That said, it definitely won't make up for a lack of activities on your application. Research, clinical experience, and some form of volunteering are basically required nowadays.

 

[lo215]

I would say being a college athlete certainly helps in the application process. Med schools like people that have had that kind of commitment and work ethic. I was careful in the application process to focus on what I learned from my experience as a college athlete that can be applied in the future (ex. teamwork, discipline, communication skills). I would certainly get a recommendation from your coach. I did, and I felt she could provide a different perspective than my PI, professors, etc.

 

[Catalystik]

Med schools like people that have had that kind of commitment and work ethic. I was careful in the application process to focus on what I learned from my experience as a college athlete that can be applied in the future (ex. teamwork, discipline, communication skills).

I would add ability to rise above self interest (altruism) to this potential list of characteristics that translate well to good traits for a potential physician. Every adcomm may not consider athletic participation a plus, and it certainly won't excuse a low GPA or lack of other suitable ECs, but in general, intercollegiate sports participation is likely to be viewed favorably.

The lack of polished written communication skills in an LOR will not be held against you.

 

[western1]

I am currently a NCAA D1 pre-med student athlete in cross country and indoor/outdoor track. Just a few questions for those of you who played sports in college...

1) Did you find that participating in elite college athletics was a plus on med school apps or in interviews? How so?

2) Do you know of any scholarships for NCAA athletes that can help pay for medical school (besides the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship)?

3) Is it worth soliciting a letter of rec from my coach? He knows me very well and can describe my work ethic/character, but is not the most educated sounding person in written form (ex. emails).

4) Any other tid-bits or tips from people with similar backgrounds?

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=638381

Let me start by saying that I am a graduating senior and am a NCAA Div I track and field athlete (Javelin/Sprints/Hurdles). I'll do my best to answer your questions. Feel free to pm me with any other questions.
1) I definitely found that it was a plus for my application/interviews. It is another activity that, quite honestly, very few pre-med students are (a lot are D II or D III, but not too many D I ). Bring up how time management played a crucial role in your development, as well as the challenges you faced vs. other non athlete students. (I.E. 30 hours practice/week, indoor and cross meets every weekend, etc. )

2) There are a few scholarships for NCAA SA, check their scholarship website. Just be aware that a lot of the larger scholarships typically do not go to DI athletes because, quite simply, its next to impossible to have a national championship in your respective sport (especially T/F), as well as maintain a high gpa and EC's. Most of the highest scholarships will go to DII or DIII athletes who can be average, athletically, but still be considered "all american" in their respective sports and conferences. You know how that goes, I'm sure.

3) It definitely wouldn't hurt to get a letter from your coach. If he is the type of coach that probably doesn't have a lot of experience writing letter of rec's for medical schools, I would probably give him an outline. For example, tell him that you would like him to accentuate your work ethic, determination, time management skills, and commitment to learning/athletics. It also wouldn't hurt to ask him if it would be possible for you to proof the letter, given the importance that letter can carry. If you do not want to see the letter yourself, ask if he can forward the letter to your pre-med adviser and ask him/her to proof the letter for you.

4) Enjoy it. Enjoy every part of being an athlete. Good luck with everything.

 

[DrRower]

I am currently a NCAA D1 pre-med student athlete in cross country and indoor/outdoor track. Just a few questions for those of you who played sports in college...

1) Did you find that participating in elite college athletics was a plus on med school apps or in interviews? How so?

2) Do you know of any scholarships for NCAA athletes that can help pay for medical school (besides the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship)?

3) Is it worth soliciting a letter of rec from my coach? He knows me very well and can describe my work ethic/character, but is not the most educated sounding person in written form (ex. emails).

4) Any other tid-bits or tips from people with similar backgrounds?

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=638381

It's great that you're thinking so far ahead! I sort of figured I could just do my thing in my sport, do my best in school, and everything would work out, but I ended up getting into med schools by the skin of my teeth! Athletics had taken so much time that my GPA was low, and it took a huge toll on my application.

Being an athlete was a plus in interviews & applications in general, but more so in talking to the select people who understand what the commitment really meant. You WILL run into people who say, "What does red shirt mean?" or who think that college sports are a lot like the high school sports their kids play . . . you show up to practice for an hour or two most days, unless you've got a big test or a lot of homework to do, haha! If they understand that you probably went to practice 3 or 4 hours a day, 6 days a week, 50 weeks a year, for 4 years, then they'll be impressed. Otherwise they might not understand. I know when I said things like, "I missed practice once, freshman year, because I was in the hospital" it helped them understand. If you can say you've never been late for practice in 4 years or something (or have your coach say that) it will definitely make you stand out in their minds.

I don't know of any scholarships, myself, sorry. Definitely get the letter from your coach. Some people can class up their act when they're writing formally -- ya never know! And committees won't be overly concerned with his grammar anyway.

Other than that, I would just say to seriously consider how much athletics is keeping you from school work. You might be smarter than me and have zero trouble keeping a 3.7+, but I learned the hard way that even though they might cognitively reason that being a SA lowered my GPA by ~.2 (that's what most people estimate), some schools rejected me pre-interview based on GPA alone.

GOOD LUCK! And my number 1 advice for all applicants is to apply early!!! Think of June 1 as your deadline -- not the first day to submit!

 

[7nut12]

I am a former college athlete myself. I played football at the D1 & 2 level. This year, I am a first time applicant who recently finished the interview process. Football was a topic of discussion in every single interview I had this year. A good portion*of each interview was on the topic of being a student athlete. Some of it was casual conversation about my experience and how much fun being a college football players was, but more importantly, the conversation always moved in the direction of what I was able to take away from being a college athlete. For example, it was a great opportunity to describe the camaraderie I had with teammates and how I truly understand the importance of "team over self". I was also able to convey my ability to overcome constant adversity by persevering in difficult times in order to achieve goals in a field that I was passionate about. Also, my interviewers always seemed impressed with my time management skills. One even said, "It's hard to believe you kept your grades high", because of the time constraints that come with being a student-athlete, working 10-20 hours per week, and being married. Also, leadership gets brought up, and that's always good. Conclusion: it was a great conversation starter and allowed me to describe my character, show how I had matured over the years, and convey why I felt my experiences shaped me in a way to prepare me for medical school and a future physician.*

Being a student athlete is not going to save low GPAs and terrible MCAT scores, but it will be looked favorably upon if you are able to maintain a high level of academic excellence. By no means did I have a superstar gpa or MCAT score (closer to average), but the dean of admissions at one school specifically told me that he thought I had a "Great" gpa considering everything I was involved in and how I really had to have made the most of the limited free time I had, to study, in order to make good grades. I think we could all agree that medical school is unlike undergrad in that there is so much more information to be learned in a short period of time. I believe that if you keep your gpa above average as a student-athlete, it shows that you are capable of synthesizing information in a shorter time frame.*

As far as volunteering and shadowing goes, it was very hard for me to find time to do much during football season. So that meant I had to really work hard in the offseason and summer to shadow physicians and do things in the community. (Side note for all applicants [not just student-athletes], don't volunteer just for the sake of doing it. Find something that you enjoy doing, and then invest yourself in that area. You will get more out of it, and I think adcom members can tell the difference between people who did activities just to fill their applications versus those who were committed to something). Just make sure you get involved.*

Anyways, it can be tough at times. Some of your classmates will study more than you, wonder why in the world you are taking upper level science classes, and think your a stupid jock just because you're an athlete (until that first Genetics or Cell bio test when they are left speechless because you scored higher than them😱😉), and your friends will party more than you; but if you're passionate about going into medicine then it will be worth it. There's a time to have fun with friends as well as a lot of all-nighters studying; you just have to find your balance. I wouldn't trade my experience for anything in the world.*

 

[searun]

I was a D3 athlete in soccer for 4 years, team captain my senior year. I also was a competitive snow boarder during my college years and participated in various national snow boarding competitions. I maintained a 3.8+ gpa with a hard science major but I had to take a gap year after college to obtain the necessary clinical exposure that I was too busy to get during college.

My college athletic background definitely was a big plus during my med school interview season. But, as other have said, you still have to perform very well academically and cannot use athletics as an excuse for subpar grades and MCAT score.

 

[TheUltimate12]

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[GS Mikami]

I am currently a NCAA D1 pre-med student athlete in cross country and indoor/outdoor track. Just a few questions for those of you who played sports in college...

1) Did you find that participating in elite college athletics was a plus on med school apps or in interviews? How so?

2) Do you know of any scholarships for NCAA athletes that can help pay for medical school (besides the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship)?

3) Is it worth soliciting a letter of rec from my coach? He knows me very well and can describe my work ethic/character, but is not the most educated sounding person in written form (ex. emails).

4) Any other tid-bits or tips from people with similar backgrounds?

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=638381

OP, I was also an NCAA D1 XC/Track athlete.

As long as you have a good GPA/MCAT, you will have absolutely no problem when it comes to applying to medschool.

I believe that I had a really good application cycle because I was an athlete. It shows that you have a really good work ethic.

Feel free to send me a PM if you have any questions.

 

[ppfizenm]

I swam in college, it was brought up in practically every interview. I don't think it was a make or break thing though. More often than not the people who are getting in don't have athletic experience so it is obviously not necessary by any stretch. I'd imagine it's a plus like anything else somewhat interesting you can put on an application. Considering that it's not extremely rare to see college athlete on an app though it's probably better than more common things but not as good as the more unique things.

 

[AllDay24]

So which one of you is Ryan Tannehill?

 

[western1]

So which one of you is Ryan Tannehill?

Lol.
I've got these small hands... Probably couldn't throw a football too well.

 

[7nut12]

So which one of you is Ryan Tannehill?

Lol. I've been known to thrown the pigskin around a little bit...

 

[dougfunnie]

OP, you received some great opinions on the things that adcoms see in student-athletes from several knowledgable folks, including Cat. Thought I'd take a crack at your questions as well... (FYI I was a DI student-athlete at a really tough academic school that also has a strong athletic reputation so I have several older friends on other teams that have helped through the process)

1) Did you find that participating in elite college athletics was a plus on med school apps or in interviews? How so?

2) Do you know of any scholarships for NCAA athletes that can help pay for medical school (besides the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship)?

3) Is it worth soliciting a letter of rec from my coach? He knows me very well and can describe my work ethic/character, but is not the most educated sounding person in written form (ex. emails).

4) Any other tid-bits or tips from people with similar backgrounds?

1) I am applying this upcoming cycle, but my friends with similar numbers all said that it dominated their interviews. Also, you should know that certain schools have a reputation for really liking athletes and certain schools frankly don't care, although these seem to be dying out. Talk to other athletes at your school who are going through the app process so that you will know which schools will appreciate that your were an athlete and which won't.

2) Like I said before, pinpoint the schools that appreciate student-athletes because they will also be more likely to offer merit scholarships. For example, I have two friends, both former D1 athletes, that were offered full tuition scholarships by the same school. Other than athletics, their applications couldn't have been more different. Find schools like this!

3) Think of it this way: many pre-meds have an employer, volunteer coordinator, or PI send a letter. Don't you agree that your head coach knows you better than one of these people would? They've seen you work through incredible challenges, develop as a human being over 4 years, and can attest to your leadership skills.

4) I think I laid it out above. Also, some of my best friends in college were track athletes.😍 Keep those grades up and remember to use your summers wisely after nationals. Also consider taking a year or two off to make up for the activities you didn't have time for in college. I almost gave up before I realized I could do this.

Edit - clarification on taking a gap year: Some athletes I know that did relatively well in the app process went straight out. The ones with 3.9+ GPAs that got into top-5 schools needed a gap year. Their extra study time crowded out other ECs that they needed to be competitive at top schools. Hope that helps!

 

[gostudy]

D1 athletics do nothing but help and depending on the sport and where you went to school can in some cases make up for academic deficiencies. Not to say that it's a guaranteed "in" for med school, but it helps a lot. Fact of the matter is that medicine is not that hard, it doesn't require being a genius to do it well. It requires a baseline level of intelligence and the ability to work VERY hard and interact with groups of people. The latter two are absolutely essentially to being an elite athlete at the collegiate level...even for individual sports like swimming and track (since unlike pro track athletes and swimmers everyone in college is on a "team").

Some people (myself included) find that grades IMPROVE in season. It may be a sequelae of having to budget time more efficiently in season than out, therefore one is more focused on doing work. With the right attitude and work ethic you can get to med school after playing any sport at an elite level at any school. You just have to recognize that to do so you can't be like every non-athlete premed or non-premed athlete...i.e. not being able to go out with premed friends after a big test because of a game/competition the next day or not being able to chillax on the bus ride home from the game because of a test coming up.

The effect of D1 athletics doesn't stop in med school applications. Many residency programs look favorably on college athletics especially ones that emphasize musculoskeletal medicine like PM&R and orthopaedic surgery and fields like surgery where teamwork is essential. For that matter, the affect of D1 athletics carries on all the way through life as it is a "signal" that at baseline you are a hard working, reasonable person to get along with.

A thing to consider which a lot of other former D1 athlete doctors I know did is to take at least one year off between undergrad and med school. Especially if you are in a winter or spring sport, applications/interviews can get in the way of practice/competition and practice/competition can get in the way of applications/interviews. Better just to finish up school strong, finish up your sport strong, and take a year to apply without being stressed out about school and sports along with applications.

 

[gostudy]

The effect of D1 athletics doesn't stop in med school applications. Many residency programs look favorably on college athletics especially ones that emphasize musculoskeletal medicine like PM&R and orthopaedic surgery and fields like surgery where teamwork is essential. For that matter, the affect of D1 athletics carries on all the way through life as it is a "signal" that at baseline you are a hard working, reasonable person to get along with.

Update on this...recent investigation out of Wash U ENT: prior excellence in athletics is a better predictor than grades and board scores for future success in residency.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/21/us-athletes-doctors-idUSBRE87K0YV20120821