Smoking as an EC

[Dial71]

Or rather the lack thereof.

From the age of approximately 16, I smoked about a pack a day. I picked up the dirty habit working in kitchens and shamefully carried it with me until my Junior year of college.

Well, last fall I quit for good with the help of some nicotine gum and encouragement from my girlfriend (who quit cocurrently). I feel so much better physically and mentally now.

So, would it be a good idea to list quiting smoking as an EC on my application. It was a big accomplishment for me. Moreover, it would help me relate to patients, because even today, about a third of the popultion smokes.

I'd like to hear from anyone on the subject, smoker, ex-, or not.

Thanks.

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[cliffhuxtableDO]

maybe include it in secondaries for a challenge you over came, but i don't think it has a place in your EC's

 

[Sammich117]

I agree. That's not really an extracurricular.

 

[Marcus Brody]

eventual SDN thread: "fapping as an EC?"

 

[Catalystik]

Many Secondaries have a required essay about a challenge you overcame or a stress and how you handled it. I think that would be the best place to discuss your achievement.

 

[Dial71]

Many Secondaries have a required essay about a challenge you overcame or a stress and how you handled it. I think that would be the best place to discuss your achievement.

Very true; I didn't consider secondaries. Quiting smoking doesn't quite fall in the EC category.

 

[Dial71]

eventual SDN thread: "fapping as an EC?"

I actually had to look "fapping" up. I can't believe that I graduated middle school without learning that!

 

[apumic]

maybe include it in secondaries for a challenge you over came, but i don't think it has a place in your EC's

So the side question then:

How about resisting cigarettes? Can that go down as a challenge you overcame? Peer pressure and all. Shows strength of character and all that yadayada.... j/k.

 

[mmmcdowe]

I actually had to look "fapping" up. I can't believe that I graduated middle school without learning that!

Maybe you just never read pornographic webcomics

 

[oaklandguy]

I don't think that it's personally going to impress anyone. But that's just my opinion. However, Gov. Jennifer Granholm might enjoy it if you sent her a letter on why you quit because of her new smoking ban laws, who knows what she will send you in return. (I'm trying to mock the corruption of Michigan, she bans smoking indoors everywhere except the casinos... hmm I wonder why?)

 

[Dial71]

I don't think that it's personally going to impress anyone. But that's just my opinion.

True. I imagine that most Adcoms will have little sympathy for those who made the choice to smoke.

 

[orthomyxo]

eventual SDN thread: "fapping as an EC?"

YES!

 

[J ROD]

no EC.....

 

[FluffyRabbit]

I don't think that it's personally going to impress anyone. But that's just my opinion. However, Gov. Jennifer Granholm might enjoy it if you sent her a letter on why you quit because of her new smoking ban laws, who knows what she will send you in return. (I'm trying to mock the corruption of Michigan, she bans smoking indoors everywhere except the casinos... hmm I wonder why?)

True. I imagine that most Adcoms will have little sympathy for those who made the choice to smoke.

+1 on this. I feel like the initial reaction will be negative simply on the basis of you having chosen to smoke before.

 

[175961]

eventual SDN thread: "fapping as an EC?"

I can see it now

shadowing: 2 years, 100 hours
Hospital Volunteer: 3 years, 300 hours
Fapping:9 years, too many hours to count

 

[marble30]

I can see it now

shadowing: 2 years, 100 hours
Hospital Volunteer: 3 years, 300 hours
Fapping:9 years, too many hours to count

LOL. How about all those household chores? Those are even more time-consuming AND they build character (according to parents)!

 

[boaz]

It's not an "EC". It's a challenge you overcame, so you might want to mention it (if it comes up) in the secondaries and/or interviews.

 

[tennisball80]

eventual SDN thread: "fapping as an EC?"

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But seriously, OP, you should include it on the EC. Was it a significant change for you? Go for it. You know, your life is different from others. No one knows how significant quiting smoking was for you. If you think it's worth it to bring up, believe yourself and include in the EC. Show your guts. Good luck. And I am serious. If this is something significant for you, not for other people, and you want to show it to adcoms that you quit smoking. Right on!
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[175961]

Off topic:

I am humbled, thankful and proud that fapping has something to do with the ECs to medical school. Although it is not widely accepted, I wholeheartedly support to include fapping to the ECs in the process of med school admission. It's the time to show your difference. It's the time to show your capability of becoming an excellent surgeon. Now I understand why traditionally men are more in the surgical field. Because we have trained our hands for a long time since middle school, we have steady hands and we know how to use them at every direction. We know the tiny difference when we move our hands. We can use our fingers to make it fast or slow. Imagine, when we hold the surgical censors. Everything is depended on us. With the excellent technique we have acquired through the long and the complicated process, we are excellent surgeons. That's why men are traditionally involved in the surgical field. Therefore, it is important to include fapping to the ECs. Change is never easy. But, we need it to ensure the quality in medical school admission, which is to produce excellent physicians.
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hmmmmm, I'm thinking you might need some male enhancement products. "tiny" differences, using just your fingers to make it fast or slow???

 

[298609]

i had no idea what fapping was, but due to my excellent inference skillz i used for the verbal section of the MCAT, i have figured out what it is.

 

[Snowman334]

maybe include it in secondaries for a challenge you over came, but i don't think it has a place in your EC's

Like others have said, I don't think this would make a very good example of a challenge you have overcome. However, if it comes up in the interview you could relate it somehow to your realization that you wanted to become a physician.

eventual SDN thread: "fapping as an EC?"

 

[ThaliaNox]

I have a funny anecdote from a past job of mine where I often interviewed people to work at my place of employment. The person who told me what the business was looking for randomly mentioned, "Make sure you SMELL the interviewees. I don't want any smokers here."

 

[da8s0859q]

Challenge to be mentioned in a PS or other essay response somewhere, but definitely not an EC.

A notable thing to mention, though. Kudos.

 

[mechanictodr]

eventual SDN thread: "fapping as an EC?"

 

[FlunkTank]

I actually had to look "fapping" up. I can't believe that I graduated middle school without learning that!

 

[runawayclock]

This is a joke, right??