Weight of Athletics in Applications

[Turkeyman]

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Hey guys...I was wondering how far athletics may take you in the application process? Do Med Schools like those with unique EC's like dedication to a sport?

I personally have a lot of tournament wins, state championships, etc under my belt from the past few years...I was wondering what that'd do for me?

Thanks

 

[AStudent]

At what level?

Hey guys...I was wondering how far athletics may take you in the application process? Do Med Schools like those with unique EC's like dedication to a sport?

I personally have a lot of tournament wins, state championships, etc under my belt from the past few years...I was wondering what that'd do for me?

Thanks

 

[PineappleGirl]

Hey Turkeyman,
Good question. I really have no idea but would be interesting in hearing if anyone has any insight on this. I seem to recall someone talking about how working on the olympics committee helped with their app. I can't remember if it was on here or on mdapplicants. I tried searching for it but no luck. Also, what about volunteering for with a sports organization? I would love to volunteer teaching kids to play tennis, but worry I should do something more clinical.

 

[ComfortableWolf]

Hey Turkeyman,
Good question. I really have no idea but would be interesting in hearing if anyone has any insight on this. I seem to recall someone talking about how working on the olympics committee helped with their app. I can't remember if it was on here or on mdapplicants. I tried searching for it but no luck. Also, what about volunteering for with a sports organization? I would love to volunteer teaching kids to play tennis, but worry I should do something more clinical.

Rugby=Columbia

 

[boyz of 4d]

I've played squash at college for 3 years and tennis for 1, and I believe its helped my app considerably. A lot of my interviewers either played one of the sports, or told me that it showed a lot of leadership/ability to balance time. I think it helps out your application a little bit because it makes you kind of unique (not to many varsity athletes playin sports), if you have any other questions you can PM me.

 

[Turkeyman]

At what level?

What exactly do you mean by level?

I've competed on World Tae Kwon Do Federation (Same as Olympic-Style Sparring) circuits

Also...recently started competing in Extreme Martial Arts Forms at NASKA tournaments (acrobatic forms)

Thanks for your input so far, would like to hear more =D

 

[skiz knot]

Put all activities on your app to which you put significant time.

Every interview asked about me being in a collegiate level sport. It is unique, and shows you can balance time/ are a regular person, etc...

 

[Annierlend]

Athletic involvement can make a big difference.

I´ve played competitive tennis all my life, won the state championship in high school, and earned a full scholarship to a Division 1 program. So far I´ve done well in the application process, and my tennis experiences might have something to do with it. My numbers are solid(3.89, 34), but maybe my sports background has made my application stand out for some schools. I think admissions committees know what it takes to be a competitive athlete - hardwork, discipline, dedication, etc. - and recognize that you are likely to have the same intensity and passion about your career. Also, I was able to use tennis stories for my essays and interviews at almost every school.

Bottom line: This med school application process is extremely competitive and there tons of many amazing candidates, so anything that can possibly separate you from the rest is huge. Keep up the tae kwon do🙂

Pineapplegirl: My only volunteer experiences were sports-related community service activites. I never thought that was a problem. As long as you have some clincial experience(shadowing, clincal research, etc.), there´s nothing wrong with teaching tennis to kids. However, if you haven´t had many clincal experiences, then it might be better to volunteer in the hospital rather than on the tennis court.

 

[D_LOVE]

I have a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and I have not had a single interview where it hasn't been brought up. It helps differentiate you from every other applicant with the same stats.

 

[i77ac]

Unless you have competed in the UFC, it don't mean nothing. 😀

 

[D_LOVE]

Unless you have competed in the UFC, it don't mean nothing. 😀

But at least I don't have cauliflower ear for my interview.

 

[antissa]

What about sports played at a recreational level? Does it not count for as much just because you're not competing?
I've been sabre fencing for a couple of years and belong to a club, but I've never enjoyed competitions so I decided back when I started that I wouldn't get into that stream

 

[indianboy]

I've been a competitive mathlete since the 8th grade. I got in everywhere.

Hope that Helps.

P 'Integral of e to the x = clever' ShankOut

 

[PTPoeny]

Just out of curiousity Annierlend, have you had any interviewers see athletics as a bad thing? Overall my interviewers have thought it was great, metal poise, teamwork, time management ect. But I did have one student interviewer say to my face that she doubted my grades because I am an athlete at a major division 1A school.

 

[Annierlend]

mdphdgirl...Wow, that´s so insulting. I wonder why she would say that to your face even if it´s what she thought. I don´t know how I would have responded. Nothing like that ever happened in any of my interviews. The only weird question I got was from a student as well. After talking about how I´ve played D1 tennis for the past 4 years, he asked me if I was "good at tennis." I felt like telling him I could probably beat him left-handed, but I stopped myself before I said it. Maybe I shouldn´t have..

 

[IDSpud23]

I played D-I tennis and surprisingly no one even asked me about my experiences on the tennis team.