Niche/Quirky Extracurriculars on CV/ERAS application

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Coltuna

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Hello all,

Question regarding CV/ERAS activities. Is it okay to include somewhat niche non-academic hobbies that you spend a lot of time doing? For example, would it be okay to list fantasy sports or video game tournaments as a few of your hobbies? Or are people reading the CV/application going to think you aren't taking things serious by listing these things? Thanks.
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Last edited:
Coltuna said:
Hello all,

Question regarding CV/ERAS activities. Is it okay to include somewhat niche non-academic hobbies that you spend a lot of time doing? For example, would it be okay to list fantasy sports or video game tournaments as a few of your hobbies? Or are people reading the CV/application going to think you aren't taking things serious by listing things? Thanks.
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That is what the hobbies/extracurricular activities section is for. As someone who has reviewed candidate CVs, it irks me to no end to see that people spend their free time working on things like "U.S. health policy" or some other bs. Really? You spend your free time doing that? Be real. Include things you're actually interested in.
 
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Maybe, depends. But generally speaking... just don't. You're application should sell itself.

We had a applicant write about a quirky hobby... and instantly, that was all they were remembered for. Even the chief was like "Hey, remember :: insert quirky hobby :: person?! That was strange. I was like, so what the heck is this? Yeah... hard pass"

Just write the same BS as everyone else "Reading, sports, spending time with friends, cooking". Blah, blah, blah. As said above, be honest... but be vague. Once you put "nude underwater painting"... you might of as well written nothing at all.

It's not good to be memorable for the wrong things.
 
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SurfingDoctor said:
Maybe, depends. But generally speaking... just don't. You're application should sell itself.

We had a applicant write about a quirky hobby... and instantly, that was all they were remembered for. Even the chief was like "Hey, remember :: insert quirky hobby :: person?! That was strange. I was like, so what the heck is this? Yeah... hard pass"

Just write the same BS as everyone else "Reading, sports, spending time with friends, cooking". Blah, blah, blah. As said above, be honest... but be vague. Once you put "nude underwater painting"... you might of as well written nothing at all.

It's not good to be memorable for the wrong things.
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Strongly disagree. I could not care any less about boring research or some canned LOR. Every interview I do for my program the main place I find stuff to talk about is their hobbies. Resident interview here carries same weight as faculty interview or even more. Maybe you won't match at SurfingDoctors program, but you wouldn't want to be there anyway.

You do you OP.
 
SurfingDoctor said:
Maybe, depends. But generally speaking... just don't. You're application should sell itself.

We had a applicant write about a quirky hobby... and instantly, that was all they were remembered for. Even the chief was like "Hey, remember :: insert quirky hobby :: person?! That was strange. I was like, so what the heck is this? Yeah... hard pass"

Just write the same BS as everyone else "Reading, sports, spending time with friends, cooking". Blah, blah, blah. As said above, be honest... but be vague. Once you put "nude underwater painting"... you might of as well written nothing at all.

It's not good to be memorable for the wrong things.
Click to expand...
How would you respond to marathon running as a hobby? 🤔
 
Rekt said:
Strongly disagree. I could not care any less about boring research or some canned LOR. Every interview I do for my program the main place I find stuff to talk about is their hobbies. Resident interview here carries same weight as faculty interview or even more. Maybe you won't match at SurfingDoctors program, but you wouldn't want to be there anyway.

You do you OP.
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I mean, that's pretty unusual, but sure... do whatever.

tenor.gif
 
SurfingDoctor said:
I mostly ignore the hobby section, but is running a quirky hobby?
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Running itself, no, but marathons seem uncommon and require a lot of preparation and training. So maybe? I was wondering if something like this could be viewed as a "good hobby".

I guess other good quirky hobbies could be being a musician, artist in professional settings etc but thats rare and likely seen before med school from nontrad backgrounds
 
Lawpy said:
Running itself, no, but marathons seem uncommon and require a lot of preparation and training. So maybe? I was wondering if something like this could be viewed as a "good hobby".

I guess other good quirky hobbies could be being a musician, artist in professional settings etc but thats rare and likely seen before med school from nontrad backgrounds
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Nobody cares that your interest is running... yours just happens to be more of it.

Write it though. I bet less than 10% would even bring it up and the other 90% don't give. That's not what I would define as quirky.
 
SurfingDoctor said:
I mean, that's pretty unusual, but sure... do whatever.

tenor.gif
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Peds is probably different since peds residency is 99% hand holding and even ordering tylenol gets scrutiny. Need some submissive boring folks I guess. Different worlds.
 
Rekt said:
Peds is probably different since peds residency is 99% hand holding and even ordering tylenol gets scrutiny. Need some submissive boring folks I guess. Different worlds.
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Ha...
200.gif


Definitely put "I'm not a rapper" under hobbies...

But no, I doubt it's peds specific... writing in your weird hobbies on a general job application doesn't make you a better applicant. Like... ever. It just makes you weird and less likely to get the job compared to though who differentiate themselves on merit.
 
Eh, 'quirky' hobbies are fine but I would exercise discretion...personally I'd avoid anything video game related because it might rub some people the wrong way unless you were like a successful professional gamer imo. I think hobbies are something you should just play safe because it most likely won't make any difference. I had a peds attending tell me she interviewed someone who was really into animated and Disney films and she thought that was really weird.

'unusual' hobbies though that would be fine/safe are creative things like knitting or crocheting, bit more unique in younger people.
 
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Coltuna said:
Hello all,

Question regarding CV/ERAS activities. Is it okay to include somewhat niche non-academic hobbies that you spend a lot of time doing? For example, would it be okay to list fantasy sports or video game tournaments as a few of your hobbies? Or are people reading the CV/application going to think you aren't taking things serious by listing these things? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Absolutely. They served as good conversation in the interview. I had a few athletic accomplishments I mixed in, but also wrote about spending time with family as a major hobby. Both were brought up.
 
Lawpy said:
Running itself, no, but marathons seem uncommon and require a lot of preparation and training. So maybe? I was wondering if something like this could be viewed as a "good hobby".

I guess other good quirky hobbies could be being a musician, artist in professional settings etc but thats rare and likely seen before med school from nontrad backgrounds
Click to expand...
I've run a few and it actually has been received quite well. Definitely worth listing as well as times if they're impressive. Some people are impressed with the ability to balance that with medical school, etc.
 
Recently matched M4 here just wanted to say if you have work experience in the restaurant or retail industry you should heavily consider putting it on your app! I had 2-3 PDs tell me on the interview trail that working a job like this actually got you a point on their internal applicant scoring system. I was shocked to learn how many of my classmates omitted these work experiences on eras. I worked at Chili’s for 4 years and it literally came up in 80% of interviews.

also, I went ahead and actually listed my fav shows on Netflix/Hulu and this was clutch. I ended up quoting things like the office or always Sunny with PDs and it was awesome. Obvi if you’re watching weird af shows don’t put that, read the room lol.
 
SurfingDoctor said:
Maybe, depends. But generally speaking... just don't. You're application should sell itself.

We had a applicant write about a quirky hobby... and instantly, that was all they were remembered for. Even the chief was like "Hey, remember :: insert quirky hobby :: person?! That was strange. I was like, so what the heck is this? Yeah... hard pass"

Just write the same BS as everyone else "Reading, sports, spending time with friends, cooking". Blah, blah, blah. As said above, be honest... but be vague. Once you put "nude underwater painting"... you might of as well written nothing at all.

It's not good to be memorable for the wrong things.
Click to expand...
You realize this actually makes you and your program seem bad not the other way around lol.
 
SurfingDoctor said:
I mostly ignore the hobby section, but is running a quirky hobby?
Click to expand...
For any rising M4s read this with a grain of salt. The hobbies section on eras was the VAST majority of what was talked about in my interviews and this sentiment is shared pretty universally across most specialties. Yes there are strange programs and interviewers that don’t care but they are going to me in the minority. Do not tailor your app to them lol.
 
Everyone puts baking or hiking, so I put a specific thing I like and am at good at baking.

Nearly every program brought it up, and it was a real good way to tell how personable the PD/residents were. Maybe coincidentally, the programs that did not bring up this niche hobby were ranked at the bottom of my list. I had a feeling some of them did not read that far on my application.
 
I put skateboarding on mine (I’ve been doing it fit like 10+ years) and got asked about it in nearly every interview. Put something you enjoy and can talk a lot about and it’ll definitely be a good conversation starter
 
Similar to fantasy football, one of my main hobbies is following esports like valorant, league, etc. Are most PDs still too old-fashioned and would look down on this?
 
Lawpy said:
How would you respond to marathon running as a hobby? 🤔
Click to expand...
Love it! Exemplifies dedication, willingness to work hard, and tolerance of delayed gratification. Marathon runners never complain!
 
I put a couple hobbies that were interesting. They were brought up by about half of my interviewers. An example was photography - one of the interviewers asked me to share-screen a couple pics I had from my travels and we ended up talking about it for like 10 minutes. Much easier to break the ice with that. I don't think a hobby in and of itself improves your matching chances, but if your interviews go smoother and more personable, that certainly can help.


Now, I would also know my audience. Maybe if you're applying for surgery and you put "D&D Guild Leader" or "Anime body pillow collector," that may come across as "what?" to a lot of older interviewers. I suppose a good rule of thumb is anything that you have to overly explain to people and they still might not get it, probably leave it off.


Just be genuine, don't look for a unique hobby for the hell of it. It's just as fine to put "running and traveling" as it is to put "fantasy football and language learning." etc.
 
The problem with questions and answers like this are that it assumes programs and program directors are a monolith. Some programs and fields are more laid-back, and some are more formal. That will determine how they respond to your hobbies.

The advice I got from an assistant program director it was to put unique hobbies or stories in the application. It helps you stand out during interviews and makes you more memorable. But we also can’t ignore the fact that there are some people who just have interests that are flat out weird and may stand out in a negative way. So I see both sides of the argument. If you’re in doubt, run your hobby by a few friends and people at your local program to see what they think. Generally speaking you want to include things that give programs a glimpse of you as a unique person. Just don’t be too far out there.
 
Dr.Bruh said:
Recently matched M4 here just wanted to say if you have work experience in the restaurant or retail industry you should heavily consider putting it on your app! I had 2-3 PDs tell me on the interview trail that working a job like this actually got you a point on their internal applicant scoring system. I was shocked to learn how many of my classmates omitted these work experiences on eras. I worked at Chili’s for 4 years and it literally came up in 80% of interviews.

also, I went ahead and actually listed my fav shows on Netflix/Hulu and this was clutch. I ended up quoting things like the office or always Sunny with PDs and it was awesome. Obvi if you’re watching weird af shows don’t put that, read the room lol.
Click to expand...
Did you do this before medical school? Or during? I waited tables for 2-3 years in undergrad but wasn't sure if this was worth including on my app since it didn't occur during med school
 
Coltuna said:
Did you do this before medical school? Or during? I waited tables for 2-3 years in undergrad but wasn't sure if this was worth including on my app since it didn't occur during med school
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Are you in medical school? I ask that because any med student should know that it would be damn near impossible to work a job and do well in medical school.
 
Steve_Zissou said:
Are you in medical school? I ask that because any med student should know that it would be damn near impossible to work a job and do well in medical school.
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I figured it was beforehand but just didn't even think to include non-medical jobs completed before med school on my ERAS application. While I know it isn't the norm, I actually do know a couple classmates who have done part-time work during school hence the inquiry.
 
Coltuna said:
Did you do this before medical school? Or during? I waited tables for 2-3 years in undergrad but wasn't sure if this was worth including on my app since it didn't occur during med school
Click to expand...
Before. If you’re only putting stuff you did in med school you’re doing it wrong lol. But also like a user above said know your audience. I applied EM and it’s pretty well known the similarities between working in a busy restaurant/bar and working in the ED. So I knew it would play well in interviews. It did and like I said earlier some programs told me applicants who had these jobs on their apps got an extra point in their applicant ranking point system.
 
Coltuna said:
I figured it was beforehand but just didn't even think to include non-medical jobs completed before med school on my ERAS application. While I know it isn't the norm, I actually do know a couple classmates who have done part-time work during school hence the inquiry.
Click to expand...
Sorry if my question came off as condescending, was not intended to sound that way. The question was out of legitimate curiosity.
 
How important are work experiences? Unfortunately for me, all my extracurriculars were on a volunteer basis prior to med school (curse unpaid research positions).
 
Lebron's hairline said:
How important are work experiences? Unfortunately for me, all my extracurriculars were on a volunteer basis prior to med school (curse unpaid research positions).
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Like you never had a paid job prior to medical school?
 
Dr.Bruh said:
Like you never had a paid job prior to medical school?
Click to expand...
yeah I never had a paid job. I started med school straight out of undergrad. I did research and tutored at local schools but that was all unpaid.
 
Lebron's hairline said:
How important are work experiences? Unfortunately for me, all my extracurriculars were on a volunteer basis prior to med school (curse unpaid research positions).
Click to expand...

What do you mean "how important?"

It's certainly not required. Anything that makes your application better, you should put on it, regardless if it was pre-medical school. Otherwise leave it off. That's the basic rule.
 
Banco said:
I put a couple hobbies that were interesting. They were brought up by about half of my interviewers. An example was photography - one of the interviewers asked me to share-screen a couple pics I had from my travels and we ended up talking about it for like 10 minutes. Much easier to break the ice with that. I don't think a hobby in and of itself improves your matching chances, but if your interviews go smoother and more personable, that certainly can help.


Now, I would also know my audience. Maybe if you're applying for surgery and you put "D&D Guild Leader" or "Anime body pillow collector," that may come across as "what?" to a lot of older interviewers. I suppose a good rule of thumb is anything that you have to overly explain to people and they still might not get it, probably leave it off.


Just be genuine, don't look for a unique hobby for the hell of it. It's just as fine to put "running and traveling" as it is to put "fantasy football and language learning." etc.
Click to expand...
I would agree with the bolded. I've never heard it be brought up in rank list meetings other that to say, if it makes the conversation better (which is a large part of the interview), it can help you. Alternatively, if you can speak volumes about how amazing your cooking skills are, but can't articulate with the same interest/passion where you see yourself as a physician 5 to 10 years down the road (ie the elevator speech)... then it raises flags.

I have to stay though, I've seen quirky hobbies listed on applications, and I haven't seen any actual ones listed yet. The ones you listed are probably the closest I read in this thread yet. Maybe, I have a different definition of "quirky".
 
Lebron's hairline said:
yeah I never had a paid job. I started med school straight out of undergrad. I did research and tutored at local schools but that was all unpaid.
Click to expand...
I would say people often put work/volunteer experiences somewhat interchangeably on their applications. If you did something, if anything it shows a little bit more drive that it was unpaid as opposed to paid.

But if you had any experience where you did something and were compensated for it, you could put it as work. It doesn't really have to be a job.
 
You guys are tame.

I haven’t seen a many quirky hobbies listed seriously in this thread, IMO. I was really looking for someone to come and ask about their taxidermy hobby, their adventures cosplaying Jeffrey Dahmer, all the furry conventions they attended in full costume (with a detailed description of what animal they are on the inside), or their artistic photo collections of attractive women’s feet.
 
OraclePL said:
The problem with questions and answers like this are that it assumes programs and program directors are a monolith. Some programs and fields are more laid-back, and some are more formal. That will determine how they respond to your hobbies.

The advice I got from an assistant program director it was to put unique hobbies or stories in the application. It helps you stand out during interviews and makes you more memorable. But we also can’t ignore the fact that there are some people who just have interests that are flat out weird and may stand out in a negative way. So I see both sides of the argument. If you’re in doubt, run your hobby by a few friends and people at your local program to see what they think. Generally speaking you want to include things that give programs a glimpse of you as a unique person. Just don’t be too far out there.
Click to expand...
Agree with bolded. We talk on here making that assumption way too often. Even attendings on here disagree. This isn't rocket science and ya'll have already been through this a few times but a couple pieces of advice.

1.) Generally humble-brags as hobbies are what they want to see in that section of ERAS. Oh, I run marathons, I play a musical instrument in an city orchestra, or my dance team won nationals. This is ERAS candy PDs eat up because they can write that on their "snapshots of residents page" to make their program look awesome.

2.) If you don't have that, then the best advice I have is to paint yourself in a positive light to a broad, conventional audience. Instead of talking about your LARP hobby, saying you like to spend time with your SO watching <insert popular show> has a pretty broad appeal. If you actually read books, list a few recent ones and be ready to discuss them if your interviewer's read the same ones. If you like to bake, list some things you like to bake (but please don't mention sour dough bread).
 
I have an unique artistic hobby that I listed in my hobbies and talked about extensively in my personal statement. It was brought up in every single interview and I was told by many interviewers that they loved how I used my hobby as a metaphor for my passion for pediatrics in my personal statement. Don't be afraid to get a little creative with your personal statement if you have a strong passion for something.
 
calivianya said:
You guys are tame.

I haven’t seen a many quirky hobbies listed seriously in this thread, IMO. I was really looking for someone to come and ask about their taxidermy hobby, their adventures cosplaying Jeffrey Dahmer, all the furry conventions they attended in full costume (with a detailed description of what animal they are on the inside), or their artistic photo collections of attractive women’s feet.
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@Foot Fetish
 
WhoTellsYourStory? said:
I have an unique artistic hobby that I listed in my hobbies and talked about extensively in my personal statement. It was brought up in every single interview and I was told by many interviewers that they loved how I used my hobby as a metaphor for my passion for pediatrics in my personal statement. Don't be afraid to get a little creative with your personal statement if you have a strong passion for something.
Click to expand...
Willing to bet that hobby while it may be unique in that few do it still has a broad appeal.
 
calivianya said:
You guys are tame.

I haven’t seen a many quirky hobbies listed seriously in this thread, IMO. I was really looking for someone to come and ask about their taxidermy hobby, their adventures cosplaying Jeffrey Dahmer, all the furry conventions they attended in full costume (with a detailed description of what animal they are on the inside), or their artistic photo collections of attractive women’s feet.
Click to expand...

I used to routinely light myself on fire for fun, does that count?
 
Hobbies that I've seen that caught my eye included (all of these were listed by multiple people, by the way):
-Blacksmithing/metalworking
-Fitness/bodybuilding competitor
-Raising bees or some kind of animal
-Watch/clock repair
-Home fermentation/brewing

When applying to residency I listed an unusual hobby which I was asked about (in a positive light) at every program, by the majority of interviewers. If you list something, be ready to talk about it.

Also, everyone likes trying new restaurants, going on hikes, going to concerts, spending time with friends, etc. That's fine, that means you'll be fun to do those things with.
 
BacktotheBasics said:
Willing to bet that hobby while it may be unique in that few do it still has a broad appeal.
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Haha pretty much. It's recognizable enough that most of my interviewers knew what it was but had never met anyone who did it. Which is definitely the best kind of hobby to have for interviews because they loved asking me questions about it and I got to do a lot of show and tell over Zoom.
 
WhoTellsYourStory? said:
Haha pretty much. It's recognizable enough that most of my interviewers knew what it was but had never met anyone who did it. Which is definitely the best kind of hobby to have for interviews because they loved asking me questions about it and I got to do a lot of show and tell over Zoom.
Click to expand...

I wonder if PDs will ask me to play them my sax over zoom.
 
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