put down video games in my app and talk about it during interview?

[audigq]

I know many of you say you shouldn't do it but i have valid points

1. one of my favorite hobbies
2. did it for a long time
3. i consider video games a form of art. i play to appreciate the story, music, and its artistic ability much as one would do when watching movies or critiqing art
4. im interested in and read upto date information on the industry and where it's headed


now tell me why I shouldnt talk about one of my passions

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[H Y F R]

This is a great idea. Nothing can go wrong here. Do it.

 

[Bluto385]

:troll:

 

[md_hopeful21]

I know many of you say you shouldn't do it but i have valid points

1. one of my favorite hobbies
2. did it for a long time
3. i consider video games a form of art. i play to appreciate the story, music, and its artistic ability much as one would do when watching movies or critiqing art
4. im interested in and read upto date information on the industry and where it's headed


now tell me why I shouldnt talk about one of my passions

Because most physicians are of a traditional/conservative mindset and think video games are for kids and they're a waist of time. They do generally think a person who plays video games is not very "doctorish" and more "childish".

 

[mimelim]

I know many of you say you shouldn't do it but i have valid points

1. one of my favorite hobbies
2. did it for a long time
3. i consider video games a form of art. i play to appreciate the story, music, and its artistic ability much as one would do when watching movies or critiqing art
4. im interested in and read upto date information on the industry and where it's headed


now tell me why I shouldnt talk about one of my passions

1) This does not make it a good thing to bring up. Applications are about why you are valuable, not about what you like.

2) An activity unrelated to medicine with no cross over, how long you have been doing it makes no difference. Also, an activity that many people have been doing for a long time. I mean you aren't mentioning that you have been breathing for 20+ years...

3) Nobody cares what you consider it.

4) You are interested in your hobby and read about. Earth shattering.

 

[audigq]

1) This does not make it a good thing to bring up. Applications are about why you are valuable, not about what you like.

2) An activity unrelated to medicine with no cross over, how long you have been doing it makes no difference. Also, an activity that many people have been doing for a long time. I mean you aren't mentioning that you have been breathing for 20+ years...

3) Nobody cares what you consider it.

4) You are interested in your hobby and read about. Earth shattering.

okay but let's say someone has great interest in looking at pictures of art as a hobby. wouldnt the admission committe consider this a good thing and the person unique and ask them to talk about it? video games is an art form so why cant i talk about my passions the same way?

1) im going to put this under hobbies

2)so everything i have to put in my app has to do with medicine? than wouldnt everyone be the same using this logic?

3) im pretty sure this isnt the attitude of adcoms

4)same as other people who might invest in say learning how to scuba dive and this is considered nice by adcoms right?

 

[Bluto385]

okay but let's say someone has great interest in looking at pictures of art as a hobby. wouldnt the admission committe consider this a good thing and the person unique and ask them to talk about it? video games is an art form so why cant i talk about my passions the same way?

you made me lol. thank you for that

 

[BABSstudent]

Putting extra stuff like this doesn't make a big difference in the getting invited to interview, but it could give you more to talk about.

I put down aquascaping on my application (much more artistic than video games) and it turned out to be a plus. I have gotten to hand out my business card and talk about aquascaping and why I like it. All my interviewers have seemed to like I have an interesting hobby. One questioned if I would be able to continue it during medical school. I said of course, a student has to have something else to do besides school and my hobby only takes an hour or two every other week.

However, video games seem childish to some. I think younger interviewers may like it, but older ones may be more conservative and think it is a waste of time. Who knows what they may ask!

 

[audigq]

:troll:

gtfo ur the troll

 

[audigq]

Putting extra stuff like this doesn't make a big difference in the getting invited to interview, but it could give you more to talk about.

I put down aquascaping on my application (much more artistic than video games) and it turned out to be a plus. I have gotten to hand out my business card and talk about aquascaping and why I like it. All my interviewers have seemed to like I have an interesting hobby. One questioned if I would be able to continue it during medical school. I said of course, a student has to have something else to do besides school and my hobby only takes an hour or two every other week.

However, video games seem childish to some. I think younger interviewers may like it, but older ones may be more conservative and think it is a waste of time. Who knows what they may ask!

see this is what i mean why does video games have to be looked down upon. it's still a form of art like movie or music. this doesnt seem fair and it is discriminatory

 

[jd989898]

This sounds like something you could respond with if an interviewer asks you what you like to do in your free time. I definitely wouldn't put it on any sort of application unless there is a place specifically designated for "hobbies".

 

[audigq]

This sounds like something you could respond with if an interviewer asks you what you like to do in your free time. I definitely wouldn't put it on any sort of application unless there is a place specifically designated for "hobbies".

okay but my question is should i even mention it in the first place?

 

[Bluto385]

see this is what i mean why does video games have to be looked down upon. it's still a form of art like movie or music. this doesnt seem fair and it is discriminatory

Video games are a time-wasting form of entertainment. Declaring that you like to spend your spare time interacting with a virtual world does not establish any value as a candidate.

 

[BABSstudent]

see this is what i mean why does video games have to be looked down upon. it's still a form of art like movie or music. this doesnt seem fair and it is discriminatory

The difference is you PLAY video games. Do you program, draw, animate, test, produce, etc. for the games? Or do you just enjoy what others have done?

I selectively picked the plants, rocks, wood, fish, supplements and worked with them. I took the time to trim and make sure the plants were how I wanted them. After doing this, I created a business and started to sell the plants.

Do you see a difference?

 

[Doctor Strange]

I would say only put it if you've gamed competitively on a professional level. Otherwise, ain't nobody currrrr.

 

[TheWeeIceMan]

You can say that you are improving your dexterity for a career in laparoscopic surgery. Seriously though, you should probably just play it safe and not mention in your app. If you really want to, I could see bringing it up during in interview as sort of a stress reliever type activity.

 

[mimelim]

okay but let's say someone has great interest in looking at pictures of art as a hobby. wouldnt the admission committe consider this a good thing and the person unique and ask them to talk about it? video games is an art form so why cant i talk about my passions the same way?

1) im going to put this under hobbies

2)so everything i have to put in my app has to do with medicine? than wouldnt everyone be the same using this logic?

3) im pretty sure this isnt the attitude of adcoms

4)same as other people who might invest in say learning how to scuba dive and this is considered nice by adcoms right?

1) So put it under hobbies. Nobody is stopping you.
2) I never said that everything has to be related to medicine. But, again, how does this add to your value to a medical school community? What tangible skills does this activity develop that are lacking in other pre-meds?
3) Yes, it is. The more time you have to spend justifying things in an interview the bigger the hill that you have to climb to make an impact. Gamers are a dime a dozen. I am a semi-expert on Monet, especially his early works. I enjoy traveling and looking at art and have done so extensively. But, there are no tangible skills derived from this hobby. Interesting, yes. Good to use when making friends in medical school, yes. Trying to use as part of your application/interview package, no. Find something else that is better.

You haven't said anything that distinguishes this activity from 10s of millions of Americans. That by definition makes it a weak point in an application.

 

[Bluto385]

I would say only put it if you've gamed competitively on a professional level. Otherwise, ain't nobody currrrr.

Even then I would be hesitant to put that on a medical school application. It might take up a significant amount of time, but it doesn't really demonstrate qualities that are typically desirable by the vast majority of ADCOMs, especially in this competitive atmosphere.

 

[mimelim]

I would say only put it if you've gamed competitively on a professional level. Otherwise, ain't nobody currrrr.

Or done something productive. I casually mentioned owning/running minecraft servers for my residency applications. It helped that we were making a lot of money from the endeavor and I was doing most of the coding/hardware myself. I had several programs specifically cite the need for those skills.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Or done something productive. I casually mentioned owning/running minecraft servers for my residency applications. It helped that we were making a lot of money from the endeavor and I was doing most of the coding/hardware myself. I had several programs specifically cite the need for those skills.

Kind of off the thread topic, but I LOVE MINECRAFT!

 

[audigq]

Video games are a time-wasting form of entertainment. Declaring that you like to spend your spare time interacting with a virtual world does not establish any value as a candidate.

everything outside of work can be labeled as a time wasting form of entertainment

 

[Bluto385]

everything outside of work can be labeled as a time wasting form of entertainment

Not if it benefits society. Try not to be such a consumer.

 

[audigq]

The difference is you PLAY video games. Do you program, draw, animate, test, produce, etc. for the games? Or do you just enjoy what others have done?

I selectively picked the plants, rocks, wood, fish, supplements and worked with them. I took the time to trim and make sure the plants were how I wanted them. After doing this, I created a business and started to sell the plants.

Do you see a difference?

its just a hobby bro. not sure why i gotta turn in into a business or something. its just something i like to do in my free time

 

[audigq]

I would say only put it if you've gamed competitively on a professional level. Otherwise, ain't nobody currrrr.

by this logic 90% of people wouldnt be able to put anything under hobbies or mention anything they like to do during interviews. how about doing something you like in your spare time huh? i dont know why i got to turn it into a profession/competition

 

[Bluto385]

by this logic 90% of people wouldnt be able to put anything under hobbies or mention anything they like to do during interviews. how about doing something you like in your spare time huh? i dont know why i got to turn it into a profession/competition

I like watching Adam Sandler movies on my spare time. No reason an ADCOM needs to know about that, and there's no reason they would ever care.

 

[BABSstudent]

its just a hobby bro. not sure why i gotta turn in into a business or something. its just something i like to do in my free time

Whatever.

I am just saying it isn't unique. I am sure half the people here play games

It's up to you. You can use of the 15 spots on the AMCAS to list gaming as a hobby. Make sure you list XBOX or Playstation. You should even include your gamer score and what games you play.

Have fun coming up with a contact for that and explaining gaming to an adcom member.

 

[HughMyron]

If you've been a competitive player who has made at least several thousand dollars from tournament money and sponsorships, you can put it down I think.

 

[Bluto385]

If you've been a competitive player who has made at least several thousand dollars from tournament money and sponsorships, you can put it down I think.

If the tournament was a charity fundraising effort organized by you, then okay. But if not, then why would you? What exactly does that prove? Superb reaction time or hand-eye coordination?

 

[audigq]

I like watching Adam Sandler movies on my spare time. No reason an ADCOM needs to know about that, and there's no reason they would ever care.

but do you watch adam sandler movies every week? or do you watch the movie for the quality of its story of cinema tics. or do you collect movies. i dont think so. all of this points can be applied to my video gaming hobby

 

[jd989898]

but do you watch adam sandler movies every week? or do you watch the movie for the quality of its story of cinema tics. or do you collect movies. i dont think so. all of this points can be applied to my video gaming hobby

Ok this has to be a troll haha

 

[Bluto385]

Ok this has to be a troll haha

Now this is something OP can list as an art form.

 

[Wipeout416]

I've lead guilds in wow to server firsts... Maybe I should put this under leadership?

 

[audigq]

If the tournament was a charity fundraising effort organized by you, then okay. But if not, then why would you? What exactly does that prove? Superb reaction time or hand-eye coordination?

okay then why is the hobby section even there? or why do they ask what you like to do in your free time?

must you always say something that contribute something to society 100% of your time?

brb "well i like to cut lawns for the elderly in the neighborhood while taking a break from studying for the mcat"

oh gotta love the gunners on this forum

 

[typicalindian]

Good luck with your med school goals OP.

 

[BABSstudent]

okay then why is the hobby section even there? or why do they ask what you like to do in your free time?

must you always say something that contribute something to society 100% of your time?

brb "well i like to cut lawns for the elderly in the neighborhood while taking a break from studying for the mcat"

oh gotta love the gunners on this forum

Well, you came here for advice, and I am sure you have gotten it.

List it on the application. Come up with contact information of someone who can verify. Select it as a hobby on your 15 experiences.

/thread

 

[Bluto385]

okay then why is the hobby section even there? or why do they ask what you like to do in your free time?

must you always say something that contribute something to society 100% of your time?

brb "well i like to cut lawns for the elderly in the neighborhood while taking a break from studying for the mcat"

oh gotta love the gunners on this forum

The hope is that you actually do something productive on your spare time that is both useful and widely recognized by society as an art form. Some examples like you have already mentioned are music and cinema. There are also the art forms of dance, drama, photography, etc. Though these may not necessarily make one a better candidate to be a physician, they are legitimate forms of self-expression and can make someone more interesting to talk to. These ADCOMs don't want to hang around people that are boring for the next four years. We have already told you why video gaming does not fit in this category of classical art forms. You can major in Music. You can major in Film. You can't major in ****ing video games.

 

[audigq]

The hope is that you actually do something productive on your spare time that is both useful and widely recognized by society as an art form. Some examples like you have already mentioned are music and cinema. There are also the art forms of dance, drama, photography, etc. Though these may not necessarily make one a better candidate to be a physician, they are legitimate forms of self-expression and can make someone more interesting to talk to. These ADCOMs don't want to hang around people that are boring for the next four years. We have already told you why video gaming does not fit in this category of classical art forms. You can major in Music. You can major in Film. You can't major in ****ing video games.

well then i must be the only one in this thread who sit around, eat, and go on the internet in my free time cuz eveyone else is doing tae kwon do tournaments or drawing a canvas to submit to the art gallery🙄

 

[BiopsychStudent]

Even if you see them as an artform, you're not the artist. Its like saying you like to look at paintings.

Have you played any role in the creation of games at an amateurish level? Do you run a well-written blog to critique and review them? Those might be acceptable hobbies.

 

[BABSstudent]

well then i must be the only one in this thread who sit around, eat, and go on the internet in my free time cuz eveyone else is doing tae kwon do tournaments or drawing a canvas to submit to the art gallery🙄

I draw things all the time. The last thing I drew was on a tablet. It was a unicorn firing a laser out of its horn at a dragon that was smashing a castle. I would post it here, but I signed it on the bottom.

It is totally hanging up in my living room next to a large dopamine molecule.

Edit: I should say that I did not list drawing on the AMCAS.

 

[Bluto385]

well then i must be the only one in this thread who sit around, eat, and go on the internet in my free time cuz eveyone else is doing tae kwon do tournaments or drawing a canvas to submit to the art gallery

I will level with you on this. At times while I was preparing my application, I was tempted to just say that I enjoy going to the bar with friends and downing some good beers. That's something that I do like to do on my spare time, and I do it often during undergrad. But ADCOMs already assume that time-wasting activities like this occur with everyone. There's no need to inform them of them.

What you need to realize that from the minute that an ADCOM picks up your application to the minute you are accepted, you have to sell the crap out of yourself. You need to give them a reason to accept you over the thousands of other applicants that they are inevitably going to turn down. This is why productive hobbies are worth listing. I am a marathon runner, and I listed that because it is both useful to me as stress relief and as a good example to set for patients. You need to be able to relate it to the profession whenever possible.

 

[HughMyron]

If the tournament was a charity fundraising effort organized by you, then okay. But if not, then why would you? What exactly does that prove? Superb reaction time or hand-eye coordination?

Proves you're at the very top of your field. People like that.

It has to be a legit game like Starcraft or League or Dota though.

 

[Bluto385]

Proves you're at the very top of your field. People like that.

It has to be a legit game like Starcraft or League or Dota though.

If it were Madden, then you could at least shoot the bull over bowl picks. Otherwise I find it hard for most interviewers to relate to that.

 

[La Presse]

Cool Story Bro. Good luck with apps or convincing your interviewer about that. In other news, I am quite skilled at Diablo 3. Are you admiring?

 

[audigq]

Cool Story Bro. Good luck with apps or convincing your interviewer about that. In other news, I am quite skilled at Diablo 3. Are you admiring?

diablo 3 is a terrible game.pls go

 

[TheShaker]

Talking about gaming in a professional interview with such conviction will make you seem immature and socially underdeveloped and judging from your posts and how you type, I suspect this to be true.

I mentioned that I like playing games in passing during one my interviews, the interviewer just gave me a little squint and I knew to move on immediately. Don't do it.

 

[music2doc]

I know many of you say you shouldn't do it but i have valid points

1. one of my favorite hobbies
2. did it for a long time
3. i consider video games a form of art. i play to appreciate the story, music, and its artistic ability much as one would do when watching movies or critiqing art
4. im interested in and read upto date information on the industry and where it's headed


now tell me why I shouldnt talk about one of my passions

Umm... so I take it you're couch potato who contributes absolutely nothing to society. I must say this will surely make an excellent medical student and future physician -- absolutely someone I want to interview. At least that's why I would take from the information above. It simply is not flattering. Do yourself a favor and develop some hobbies that involve other people, producing things, developing useful skills and talents, etc.

I would advise looking at the AMCAS experience categories to get an idea of what should go there. Some of mine were things like:

Academic tutoring
Teaching a lab
Clinical volunteering
Job at the hospital
Research assistant/lead
Research presentation/publication
Volunteer at church
Martial arts (participant, also played into other parts of app in a positive way)
Shadowing
Music instructor (volunteer)
TA'ing several classes
Founding/leading a major pre-health organization
Music/dance/theatre experience/performances
Recording/production (music)

Notice that these are all fairly active, involve other people, and generally have some sort of crossover with medicine and medical school -- at least tangentially. They are also fairly diverse and can be good points of shared interest. (You're not likely to get an interviewer who shares your passion for Diablo II.)

 

[sunflower18]

My opinion: saying that you like to play video games really has no place on your application. If it comes up in an interview, then maybe you could mention it, but it just doesn't really seem like the best face you want the admissions committee to see. At best, they could smile or chuckle and say, "Well, at least he's honest." and at worst, they could see you as having time-wasting hobbies and poor judgement for thinking that said hobbies are a positive reflection on yourself. I don't know why you'd want to take that risk. Nobody will look at that and think that it is unique or impressive. It couldn't possibly tip any scales in your favour, in my opinion, but it could tip them against you -- so why bother? I get that it's important to you and you think it's fun to do. That's cool. Do that! But your medical school application is not the place to write down everything that you do. It's not a Facebook profile, and you're not looking to make friends who share similar interests. It's about presenting information about yourself that makes you look like a great candidate to become a physician. Unless you really truly believe that video games are an essential part of your reasons for pursuing medicine, I don't know how it could have a place on your application.

Now, I do have a question for other people reading/responding/thinking about this. Would it be different to list "board games" or "card games" in a list of hobbies? Obviously, they would not be something that could be listed in their own spot, but perhaps as part of a larger hobby list (e.g. "Running, swimming, drawing, playing cards, reading"). I mean, it's a similar thing -- both are pastimes that take time and have no bearing on being a physician. But is there a particular stigma against video games? I know that, for me, if I hear that someone plays video games extensively, I immediately get an image in my head of a stereotyped "gamer". I try not to let that influence my opinion of someone of course, but it is an image that definitely exists. I don't really feel the same way about board or card games. It's interesting to consider. Thoughts?

 

[music2doc]

My opinion: saying that you like to play video games really has no place on your application. If it comes up in an interview, then maybe you could mention it, but it just doesn't really seem like the best face you want the admissions committee to see. At best, they could smile or chuckle and say, "Well, at least he's honest." and at worst, they could see you as having time-wasting hobbies and poor judgement for thinking that said hobbies are a positive reflection on yourself. I don't know why you'd want to take that risk. Nobody will look at that and think that it is unique or impressive. It couldn't possibly tip any scales in your favour, in my opinion, but it could tip them against you -- so why bother? I get that it's important to you and you think it's fun to do. That's cool. Do that! But your medical school application is not the place to write down everything that you do. It's not a Facebook profile, and you're not looking to make friends who share similar interests. It's about presenting information about yourself that makes you look like a great candidate to become a physician. Unless you really truly believe that video games are an essential part of your reasons for pursuing medicine, I don't know how it could have a place on your application.

Now, I do have a question for other people reading/responding/thinking about this. Would it be different to list "board games" or "card games" in a list of hobbies? Obviously, they would not be something that could be listed in their own spot, but perhaps as part of a larger hobby list (e.g. "Running, swimming, drawing, playing cards, reading"). I mean, it's a similar thing -- both are pastimes that take time and have no bearing on being a physician. But is there a particular stigma against video games? I know that, for me, if I hear that someone plays video games extensively, I immediately get an image in my head of a stereotyped "gamer". I try not to let that influence my opinion of someone of course, but it is an image that definitely exists. I don't really feel the same way about board or card games. It's interesting to consider. Thoughts?

I probably wouldn't. Think about the function of these things in the context of medical school. Board games and cards have some advantage over video games (less stereotyping, more social interaction) but still they seem to lack something. Activities involving exercise are good for you and are good for relieving stress. (I wouldn't put reading either. It's passive.) I would suggest looking at the list I posted above. Those are some of the sorts of things they like to see (volunteer activities, clinical activities, productive hobbies, exercise/sports, academic activities, leadership, teaching/tutoring, jobs/employment, accomplishments/achievements, research, unique activities, etc.)

Also, don't do a "hobby list." That defeats the purpose of listing an activity. Who cares what your "hobbies" are. These aren't personal ads.

 

[KnuxNole]

Minecraft is awesome.

I wouldn't put it down on a medical school app, unless like others mentioned, went to gaming tourneys, were part of game development(there are majors for that!). I wouldn't put watching TV shows as a hobby on an application.

However, if asked what to do for fun, depending on the interviewee, you can casually mention gaming. FWIW, during interviews, the student interviewers always had positive reactions to the "what do you do for fun" question.

And they always ask that, at least in my experience. They don't care about your volunteer work or grades, but if this guy/gal can be a decent peer to his/her classmates.

 

[mcloaf]

everything outside of work can be labeled as a time wasting form of entertainment

No, you're just deliberately misinterpreting what people are telling you because you don't want to face reality.

its just a hobby bro. not sure why i gotta turn in into a business or something. its just something i like to do in my free time

I agree, but this is also why you don't need to include it.

well then i must be the only one in this thread who sit around, eat, and go on the internet in my free time cuz eveyone else is doing tae kwon do tournaments or drawing a canvas to submit to the art gallery🙄

Again, deliberately misinterpreting what people are telling you.

Proves you're at the very top of your field. People like that.

It has to be a legit game like Starcraft or League or Dota though.

Lol, nobody at the top of those games has time to do anything except eat, sleep, and train. No way they're applying to med school.