Weight loss = Mention it?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
ya, mention it. it's quite an accomplishment and you should be proud of it. Losing that much weight shows dedication, hardwork, and perserverance...maybe make mention about what you learned through the process
 
Diocletian said:
This cycle's almost to a close and I'm thinking about what extracurriculars to mention for the next cycle when I reapply.

I've lost about 80 pounds since freshman year of college, coming down from 38 BMI to something like 25. This is all through diet and exercise, btw. A lot of this is due to me talking to my doctor and consulting closely with him every few months to make sure I was on target and doing the right thing.

Should I emphasize that when I state my reasons for being interested in family medicine in particular? Should I mention weight loss as one of my extracurriculars in the AMCAS, since I spent like 1.5 hours a day on it, 5 days a week for the last four years? I want to, but am afraid it may come off as trying to score political points instead of being genuine.
Click to expand...

I think you could mention it as extra-curricular; it sounds like it was definitly a regimented commitment. Or you could just mention it as a hobby. It should get mentioned though. That is a crazy accomplishment. Congrats!!👍
 
Diocletian said:
This cycle's almost to a close and I'm thinking about what extracurriculars to mention for the next cycle when I reapply.

I've lost about 80 pounds since freshman year of college, coming down from 38 BMI to something like 25. This is all through diet and exercise, btw. A lot of this is due to me talking to my doctor and consulting closely with him every few months to make sure I was on target and doing the right thing.

Should I emphasize that when I state my reasons for being interested in family medicine in particular? Should I mention weight loss as one of my extracurriculars in the AMCAS, since I spent like 1.5 hours a day on it, 5 days a week for the last four years? I want to, but am afraid it may come off as trying to score political points instead of being genuine.
Click to expand...

Seems like I'm in the minority here and I don't want to sound rude, but why would being health conscious count as an EC?
 
MedPR said:
Seems like I'm in the minority here and I don't want to sound rude, but why would being health conscious count as an EC?
Click to expand...

+1 I totally agree, and I'll probly sound like a jerk but I don't understand why you'd ever list that as an EC. If it really contributed that much to you wanting to be a doctor then maybe talk about it in the personal statement-- but as an EC I think that sounds mad weird.

Congrats on losing the weight though!
 
It's not really an extracurricular activity. Some people may consider it akin to how lifting weights or bodybuilding may be an EC, but I wouldn't list those either.

If it plays a direct role in your reasoning for being interested in family medicine, mention it in your personal statement.

This is ignoring the part where some of the more cynical adcoms may wonder why you "let yourself go" in the first place, so I wouldn't emphasize it emotionally.
 
MedPR said:
Seems like I'm in the minority here and I don't want to sound rude, but why would being health conscious count as an EC?
Click to expand...

I'd credit this guy for the sheer effort in making that kinda progress. An EC? Idk. But mentioning it somewhere? Probably a sound plan imo.
 
Keep it up OP, and compete in an amateur bodybuilding/powerlifting competition. Then you'll have something really great to write about.
 
Diocletian said:
This cycle's almost to a close and I'm thinking about what extracurriculars to mention for the next cycle when I reapply.

I've lost about 80 pounds since freshman year of college, coming down from 38 BMI to something like 25. This is all through diet and exercise, btw. A lot of this is due to me talking to my doctor and consulting closely with him every few months to make sure I was on target and doing the right thing.

Should I emphasize that when I state my reasons for being interested in family medicine in particular? Should I mention weight loss as one of my extracurriculars in the AMCAS, since I spent like 1.5 hours a day on it, 5 days a week for the last four years? I want to, but am afraid it may come off as trying to score political points instead of being genuine.
Click to expand...

Just mention how you run marathons or half marathons or something.
 
Bearstronaut said:
It's not really an extracurricular activity. Some people may consider it akin to how lifting weights or bodybuilding may be an EC, but I wouldn't list those either.

If it plays a direct role in your reasoning for being interested in family medicine, mention it in your personal statement.

This is ignoring the part where some of the more cynical adcoms may wonder why you "let yourself go" in the first place, so I wouldn't emphasize it emotionally.
Click to expand...

Eh bodybuilding is an ec just like any other competition would be. If you work out and go on stage to show off I'd say it's similar to participating in sports.




Lysilegluleu said:
I'd credit this guy for the sheer effort in making that kinda progress. An EC? Idk. But mentioning it somewhere? Probably a sound plan imo.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure where weight loss fits in a medical school application. I think it's akin to saying you quit smoking. It's great for you, but doesn't really have a place in a professional application.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile
 
MedPR said:
I'm not sure where weight loss fits in a medical school application. I think it's akin to saying you quit smoking. It's great for you, but doesn't really have a place in a professional application.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile
Click to expand...

Shows dedication to a long term goal. I would make an applicant prove it though.
 
kgpremed11 said:
Shows dedication to a long term goal. I would make an applicant prove it though.
Click to expand...

So people who work out consistently throughout college should put it as an EC?

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile
 
MedPR said:
So people who work out consistently throughout college should put it as an EC?

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile
Click to expand...

Losing 80 pounds is a lot harder than maintaining already healthy weight.
 
Hobbies: Weight Loss


2422107393_are_you_crazy_xlarge.jpeg
 
kgpremed11 said:
Losing 80 pounds is a lot harder than maintaining already healthy weight.
Click to expand...

Tell that to the thousands of people who lose weight and then put it all back on months later.



Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile
 
EC for weight loss = no

Maybe you could make it a positive by working at your university's wellness center or something like that.

Taking care of your own personal health does not count as an EC, whether it is for weight loss or a for a chronic condition.

I would steer away from talking about your personal health to Adcoms in general or in your application.

Doing something like being a marathon enthusiast is different, but only counts as an EC if it truly becomes an extracurricular activity.
 
MedPR said:
Tell that to the thousands of people who lose weight and then put it all back on months later.



Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile
Click to expand...

Losing 50+ pounds of weight and keeping it low takes some serious perseverance and dedication. It's not an EC like volunteering or working a job, but I think it's very mentionable (and how you personally grew from it) under "hobbies."
 
kgpremed11 said:
Losing 80 pounds is a lot harder than maintaining already healthy weight.
Click to expand...

The fact of the matter is that it's personal, whether they lost 80 pounds, or were just maintaining weight. You're applying to a professional school, taking care of a sick family member, raising a child, being pregnant are all things that you could in some way relate to health and well being but their not extracurriculars, their personal. I really don't know how to explain it any other way besides it's just not appropriate for a resume.

Again, if it's really that big of a deal to you, mention it in the personal statement.
 
moco89 said:
EC for weight loss = no

Taking care of your own personal health does not count as an EC, whether it is for weight loss or a for a chronic condition.

Doing something like being a marathon enthusiast is different.
Click to expand...

Agree.







Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile
 
Stumpyman said:
Losing 50+ pounds of weight and keeping it low takes some serious perseverance and dedication. It's not an EC like volunteering or working a job, but I think it's very mentionable (and how you personally grew from it) under "hobbies."
Click to expand...

I agree it's quite an accomplishment. I disagree that it's relevant to an application.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile
 
Or spin it in your PS somehow if it fits. To clarify, I wouldn't count weight loss as an AMCAS extracurricular though.
 
And I don't think it should be the focus of a PS either, mentioned somewhere then okay but definitely not the focus
 
For example, OP, I have diabetes and I use an insulin pump and a continuous glucose monitor.

A couple of years ago, I wrote a program in MatLab using the Artificial Pancreas algorithms, that make dosage calculations, by running the data from my medical devices through it as inputs.

It is like 2,000 lines of code and I put in over 100 hours of coding.

You can see it here. The *.m files open up as a text file.
http://www.2shared.com/file/TESIzd71/Dosing_Project.html

There is no way I could genuinely call it an EC or make it a part of my personal statement.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
My reasoning: Obesity is a growing epidemic and will be a problem especially on the shoulders of primary care physicians in the coming years, since they're the first providers that obese people come to when they start having major problems.

Well, since I was once obese, I have unique insight into the challenges it faces and know how to best approach a problem like that. This would make me a good primary care doc because it allows me to empathize with people who have similar problems, since I was once in their shoes. You never really can quite empathize perfectly with someone until you've been in their situation. And compassion/understanding/situational knowledge is important for a doctor.

Of course, I have other extracurriculars and decent grades/MCAT. But I thought it couldn't hurt me to talk about the journey I've been through. Maybe not as an extracurricular but rather in my personal statement.

EDIT: For those of you who said that obesity was my fault and that losing weight is expected... it's more complicated than that. I was fat since age 8 and by the time I was mature enough to understand good health, it was incredibly difficult because of how fat I already was. So it's not like I "let myself go". What 8 year old kid is expected to commit to a regimen of excellent health?
 
Diocletian said:
My reasoning: Obesity is a growing epidemic and will be a problem especially on the shoulders of primary care physicians in the coming years, since they're the first providers that obese people come to when they start having major problems.

Well, since I was once obese, I have unique insight into the challenges it faces and know how to best approach a problem like that. This would make me a good primary care doc because it allows me to empathize with people who have similar problems, since I was once in their shoes. You never really can quite empathize perfectly with someone until you've been in their situation. And compassion/understanding/situational knowledge is important for a doctor.

Of course, I have other extracurriculars and decent grades/MCAT. But I thought it couldn't hurt me to talk about the journey I've been through. Maybe not as an extracurricular but rather in my personal statement.

EDIT: For those of you who said that obesity was my fault and that losing weight is expected... it's more complicated than that. I was fat since age 8 and by the time I was mature enough to understand good health, it was incredibly difficult because of how fat I already was. So it's not like I "let myself go". What 8 year old kid is expected to commit to a regimen of excellent health?
Click to expand...

The tone of pre-meds is really hilarious. They use million dollar words and talk of their personal struggles and how that will help them with their patients blah blah blah. Coming from the other end of this process, these idealistic notions of what medicine is like could not be more ridiculous.

What are you going to do as a FP? Tell people to exercise and eat well?! :laugh:
 
Diocletian said:
My reasoning: Obesity is a growing epidemic and will be a problem especially on the shoulders of primary care physicians in the coming years, since they're the first providers that obese people come to when they start having major problems.

Well, since I was once obese, I have unique insight into the challenges it faces and know how to best approach a problem like that. This would make me a good primary care doc because it allows me to empathize with people who have similar problems, since I was once in their shoes. You never really can quite empathize perfectly with someone until you've been in their situation. And compassion/understanding/situational knowledge is important for a doctor.

Of course, I have other extracurriculars and decent grades/MCAT. But I thought it couldn't hurt me to talk about the journey I've been through. Maybe not as an extracurricular but rather in my personal statement.

EDIT: For those of you who said that obesity was my fault and that losing weight is expected... it's more complicated than that. I was fat since age 8 and by the time I was mature enough to understand good health, it was incredibly difficult because of how fat I already was. So it's not like I "let myself go". What 8 year old kid is expected to commit to a regimen of excellent health?
Click to expand...


Obese people are just one type of patient you will have. And even further, their particular situations/health problems will vary so much that to say "I can empathize with primary care patients because they're obese and I was obese once too" doesn't make too much sense.
 
Diocletian said:
My reasoning: Obesity is a growing epidemic and will be a problem especially on the shoulders of primary care physicians in the coming years, since they're the first providers that obese people come to when they start having major problems.

Well, since I was once obese, I have unique insight into the challenges it faces and know how to best approach a problem like that. This would make me a good primary care doc because it allows me to empathize with people who have similar problems, since I was once in their shoes. You never really can quite empathize perfectly with someone until you've been in their situation. And compassion/understanding/situational knowledge is important for a doctor.

Of course, I have other extracurriculars and decent grades/MCAT. But I thought it couldn't hurt me to talk about the journey I've been through. Maybe not as an extracurricular but rather in my personal statement.

EDIT: For those of you who said that obesity was my fault and that losing weight is expected... it's more complicated than that. I was fat since age 8 and by the time I was mature enough to understand good health, it was incredibly difficult because of how fat I already was. So it's not like I "let myself go". What 8 year old kid is expected to commit to a regimen of excellent health?
Click to expand...

You could use it as credentials to become a wellness coach/weight loss coach, etc.

You have to use your weight loss as something higher than yourself, by being a part of something.

Like, I can be a mentor to somebody with type 1 diabetes with the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) because I have type 1. As for being diabetic...who cares. A lot of people are diabetic and I cannot use it as the main point of my personal statement or as an EC for any particular reason. And just because I have been through a lot (not entirely due to diabetes) doesn't mean anything. It is what you do beyond what happens to yourself that makes a difference.

It's not like I am handed a silver platter or something because I decide to take care of my health and my health problems. Medicine is supposed to be about serving a cause higher than yourself.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Diocletian said:
My reasoning: Obesity is a growing epidemic and will be a problem especially on the shoulders of primary care physicians in the coming years, since they're the first providers that obese people come to when they start having major problems.

Well, since I was once obese, I have unique insight into the challenges it faces and know how to best approach a problem like that. This would make me a good primary care doc because it allows me to empathize with people who have similar problems, since I was once in their shoes. You never really can quite empathize perfectly with someone until you've been in their situation. And compassion/understanding/situational knowledge is important for a doctor.

Of course, I have other extracurriculars and decent grades/MCAT. But I thought it couldn't hurt me to talk about the journey I've been through. Maybe not as an extracurricular but rather in my personal statement.

EDIT: For those of you who said that obesity was my fault and that losing weight is expected... it's more complicated than that. I was fat since age 8 and by the time I was mature enough to understand good health, it was incredibly difficult because of how fat I already was. So it's not like I "let myself go". What 8 year old kid is expected to commit to a regimen of excellent health?
Click to expand...

Lol that sounded pretty legit, you almost had me for a moment. But it's still not an EC. I think one of the few times you could use the "I've been through it and now I want to help people in this same struggle" card, is when you were diagnosed with a disease/disorder like say Cancer, and you have loads of relay for life type EC's to back it up and you talk about this in a PS-- maybe even mention that you aspire to be an oncologist.

The difference is that losing weight would not be respected nearly as much as having Cancer and even then-- it's still not an extracurricular of itself. So bottom line is that you just shouldn't do it.
 
moco89 said:
You could use it as credentials to become a wellness coach/weight loss coach, etc.

You have to use your weight loss as something higher than yourself, by being a part of something.

Like, I can be a mentor to somebody with type 1 diabetes with the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundations) because I have type 1.
Click to expand...

+1 Yesssss exactly
 
Who said anything about this being the focus of a PS? Maybe a side note. I assume that personal statements derive at least in part from an original motivator to pursue medicine. While it may be difficult to centralize this story as the spine of the PS, it is not unreasonable to cite it as a demonstration of how hard a worker OP can be when determined, for example.
 
Lysilegluleu said:
Who said anything about this being the focus of a PS? Maybe a side note. I assume that personal statements derive at least in part from an original motivator to pursue medicine. While it may be difficult to centralize this story as the spine of the PS, it is not unreasonable to cite it as a demonstration of how hard a worker OP can be when determined, for example.
Click to expand...

Right. Anything to do with significant weight loss, health problems, significant obstacles overcome due to problems in the past...etc, should never play a significant part or portion of the personal statement. Generally, they should be avoided.

You do not want to directly tell the Adcoms that you have problems or had problems in the past. It just does not look good.

If you got something out of your problem, overcame it, did some outreach and work in your community to influence others with your problem(s)--proceed with caution. But I would imagine you would be rewarded, if you had a decent GPA and MCAT. Just focus on what you did after the problem was solved for the personal statement.
 
A Nony Mouse said:
Save it for a secondary essay about overcoming adversity
Click to expand...

That's a direction I'd probably aim. 👍 As far as the PS goes, I really wouldn't expect it to be featured unless it was somehow central to the decision to pursue medicine or could be strongly tied in in another way. "Proceed with caution" is something I agree with.

In a very very general sense, what did you guys write about in your PS? Please do not respond if you're not comfortable or if you think it could compromise your anonymity.
 
I was pretty hefty myself about 6 mo ago before I started eating right and exercising. I think all the obesity out there and the health problems associated with it finally started resonating with me. I've lost 40 and I hadn't thought about putting it on my app until now. Thanks OP
 
I would be very careful about mentioning extensive weight loss in general.

I have type 1 diabetes, which is autoimmune diabetes. But I do have morbidly obese relatives with type 2 diabetes and watching them eat is scary. They are out of control when it comes to their diabetes, their activity and their lifestyle. These two types of diabetes are different, but very stereotyped, for different reasons. Unfortunately, a lot of the stereotypes are true.

I have lots of friends with type 1 who have complications, some that have unfortunately died, etc. I have also seen the horrors of type 2 diabetes--and also obesity--from volunteering in nursing homes and hospitals.

Since some of you have experienced weight problems in the past, how are you going to keep it off when you are extremely stressed out in medical school?

If I were on the adcom committee as a diabetic and somebody mentioned weight loss in their application, I would be thinking "good for them" but I would not be able to associate the individual positively, especially with the obesity epidemic, the exploding rate of diabetes, etc. To me, it means that you have a problem, overcame it for awhile, and still is an ongoing issue--since nobody can avoid food.
 
The only safe place for this on your app is listing an interest in fitness in your hobbies section. Anything else would be risky IMO, but you could certainly use it to your advantage in interviews.
 
I mentioned losing 80 lbs during my interview, and i got accepted 3 weeks later, so it's obviously not a dealbreaker. I'd recommend saving it for the Secondaries though. They tend to have an "is there anything else you'd like us to know?" section. The majority of medical school interviewees I've seen have been average-to-fit, so I'm guessing most of the pre-meds here just don't "get it."

In a sea of thousands upon thousands of applicants, you need to find things that will set you apart from the herd.

Btw now I've lost 95 lbs total. Went from 5'11" 280 lbs to 185 lbs over the past 18 months, and I'm still dropping.

good luck man
 
MedPR said:
I agree it's quite an accomplishment. I disagree that it's relevant to an application.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile
Click to expand...

Only one person can really say if its relevant to an application.

I talked a bit about losing weight on my secondaries. My interviewers were all really interested in it and seemed impressed.
 
MedPR said:
I agree it's quite an accomplishment. I disagree that it's relevant to an application.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile
Click to expand...

I disagree. If nothing else it can be included as part of a hobby. I listed weightlifting and running as an activity (primarily only because I finished a half marathon and wanted to mention that) and included in the description that I lost about 60 pounds over a year. I agree that it isn't directly relevant to your ability to be a physician, but it does say something about yourself, what interests you, and even your character to some extent, all of which are valuable.

I understand the argument of "lol y u list activity that is the result of bad choices," but I don't think it's quite that easy or really even relevant. To the OP, I would absolutely include it. As others mentioned, I also think it's appropriate to list under a challenge /adversity type secondary question. People who have never lost weight often dismiss it, but it's definitely a difficult thing to do to be able to see dramatic results like that.

(sent from my phone)
 
I've lost 20 pounds just since last May (which is quite a bit for someone who is barely over 5 feet tall....) so I understand the dedication and hard work it takes to do it. But like others have mentioned before, I would just list "fitness" as one of your hobbies and not make too huge of a deal about it... I didn't mention weight loss anywhere in my app even though I was pretty proud of it. However, I did briefly talk about it in just one of my interviews only because it happened to come up, while talking about what I like to do in my free time (working out, running, sports, learning about nutrition, I have a fitness/health blog, etc). I didn't bring it up on my own, though. The interviewer seemed pretty receptive to it, too, but I just wouldn't dwell on it.
 
A Nony Mouse said:
Save it for a secondary essay about overcoming adversity
Click to expand...

+1.

I did this. The topic was a great influence in your life and it was related to the person who helped me lose weight. Dropped 65 pounds in about 2 years and it came up in my interview as a positive thing.

No mention was made about exercising/weight in my primary though.
 
Instead of multi-quoting, I'll just address this to everyone saying weight loss is an example of adversity.

Can you explain that to me? Perhaps if you were disabled and/or had health problems that lead to obesity, then I might consider weight loss "overcoming adversity". If you're just heavy because as a kid you weren't active, didn't eat well, or any other lifestyle choices I don't think it counts as adversity.
.
 
MedPR said:
Instead of multi-quoting, I'll just address this to everyone saying weight loss is an example of adversity.

Can you explain that to me? Perhaps if you were disabled and/or had health problems that lead to obesity, then I might consider weight loss "overcoming adversity". If you're just heavy because as a kid you weren't active, didn't eat well, or any other lifestyle choices I don't think it counts as adversity.
.
Click to expand...

It doesnt matter how you got fat, it just matters how disciplined, commited you were to take the weight off. If you have never been fat, you probably wouldn't understand. Losing weight especially 50+ pounds is a very tough thing to do which is why the vast majority of people dont. You have to be smart and commited to lose lots of weight ( which probably explains why there are so many overweight nurses).
 
kgpremed11 said:
It doesnt matter how you got fat, it just matters how disciplined, commited you were to take the weight off. If you have never been fat, you probably wouldn't understand. Losing weight especially 50+ pounds is a very tough thing to do which is why the vast majority of people dont. You have to be smart and commited to lose lots of weight ( which probably explains why there are so many overweight nurses).
Click to expand...

But difficult tasks don't always qualify as overcoming adversity. That's what I'm asking about.

Studying for a difficult test and getting an A isn't overcoming adversity. Studying for a difficult test if you have a mental disability and still getting an A is overcoming adversity. See how it's different given the circumstances?

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile
 
kgpremed11 said:
It doesnt matter how you got fat, it just matters how disciplined, commited you were to take the weight off. If you have never been fat, you probably wouldn't understand. Losing weight especially 50+ pounds is a very tough thing to do which is why the vast majority of people dont. You have to be smart and commited to lose lots of weight ( which probably explains why there are so many overweight nurses).
Click to expand...

:flame:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

P
Should I mention rural med interest in PS?
Replies
13
Views
738
LizzyM
LizzyM
M
Should I mention other acceptances in LOI?
Replies
4
Views
1K
Goro
Goro
F
How much weight does boyfriend resident at an institution carry
Replies
11
Views
1K
throwawayftw
T
S
How to mention this in update letter?
Replies
2
Views
569
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
jrlybob1
Is this something I should mention?
Replies
7
Views
847
jrlybob1
jrlybob1
Top