"Tons" of sports

[Dumblydorr]

When reading the posts in the acceptance threads, I see a load of people saying that they have "lots" or "tons" of sports in the app.

 

So, why exactly do you mean by this? Do you list sports that you actively play? Or only if you take part in competitions? As an example, I play tennis and basketball every other week, as well as skiing in the appropriate seasons. Would I list these?

 

And how about referees? I play with friends but using them as referees seems sort of......screwed up. Clearly, I can lie and put 10 different sports on the application andlist my friends and tell them to support me if called.

I'm sure people take advantage of the system this way.

 

Thanks for answering!

[future_doc]

Anybody who lies to pad their ECs is an unethical fool and cheat and deserves the consequences if caught. It is just not worth it.

 

Yes, your unorganized activities, be they sports or volunteering are legitimate and should be included, and it is reasonable that friends be your verifiers in these instances. It is not necessary to be invovled only in competitions. As it happens some of my volunteering is not organized.

[UTPEOPLE]

When reading the posts in the acceptance threads, I see a load of people saying that they have "lots" or "tons" of sports in the app.

 

So, why exactly do you mean by this? Do you list sports that you actively play? Or only if you take part in competitions? As an example, I play tennis and basketball every other week, as well as skiing in the appropriate seasons. Would I list these?

 

And how about referees? I play with friends but using them as referees seems sort of......screwed up. Clearly, I can lie and put 10 different sports on the application andlist my friends and tell them to support me if called.

I'm sure people take advantage of the system this way.

 

Thanks for answering!

 

yeah... I know that this can happen too... cheating sucks.... but at the end of the day... if they know that they got into med school illegitimately, that will haunt them for the rest of their lives... Besides, aside from really high performance sports, I doubt that large amounts of recreational sports will make a real difference in the app

[fandanstan]

yeah... I know that this can happen too... cheating sucks.... but at the end of the day... if they know that they got into med school illegitimately, that will haunt them for the rest of their lives... Besides, aside from really high performance sports, I doubt that large amounts of recreational sports will make a real difference in the app

 

You know, you could just use commas instead of ellipses.

[UTPEOPLE]

but.... old habits are hard to break!

[trymeover]

Oh no, it's the undercover punctuation police. C'mon guy...

[sgt.pepper]

http://wesleying.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Grammar-Police.png

 

I doubt the people that lie and got in think about how they lied.

[future_doc]

They should - deception in the application can lead to expulsion while you are in med school.

[Dumblydorr]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

 

They should - deception in the application can lead to expulsion while you are in med school.

 

I doubt it. If you lied that you did so and so sports and got your friends as referees, how is anyone going to find out otherwise later on? And I doubt such people would be 'haunted forever' by their activities. It just doesn't happen. If you're going to cheat, you have no conscience in the first place. And, without a doubt, a portion of MD graduates practicing today surely lied in their applications.

[Tango Charlie]

Who really cares about pick-up sports you do with your buddies on the weekend, anyway? I doubt they'd expel you for lying because I doubt they care at all, let alone care enough to want to call up your buddy Dave and ask him about it.

[UTPEOPLE]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

 

 

 

I doubt it. If you lied that you did so and so sports and got your friends as referees, how is anyone going to find out otherwise later on? And I doubt such people would be 'haunted forever' by their activities. It just doesn't happen. If you're going to cheat, you have no conscience in the first place. And, without a doubt, a portion of MD graduates practicing today surely lied in their applications.

 

You would be surprised.. thats the problem with a lie. Once you do, you have to maintain it your entire life. And the perp would probably live in fear during his entire medical school career. Cause heres the thing, from what i have heard, they dont neccessarily check your refs out before you get in. Often, the checking occurs as you are in medical school, and there have been instances where a med student was kicked out in fourth year for lying on their app. A single slip of the tongue or overheard conversion could screw cheaters over, and thats why the straight and narrow is the way to go!

[nemesis]

Who really cares about pick-up sports you do with your buddies on the weekend, anyway? I doubt they'd expel you for lying because I doubt they care at all, let alone care enough to want to call up your buddy Dave and ask him about it.

 

Haha!

 

My buddy Dave is on my application as a verifier!

 

Don't knock on Dave, alright?

[UTPEOPLE]

Who really cares about pick-up sports you do with your buddies on the weekend, anyway? I doubt they'd expel you for lying because I doubt they care at all, let alone care enough to want to call up your buddy Dave and ask him about it.

 

I think that they do care, because it establishes you as a person willing to do something for fun, as opposed to pad your resume. Its a nice reserve to have for those "so how do you spend your free time" questions during an interview. From what I heard, adcoms might frown upon people who seem only interested in doing something if there is an "official" ring to it. Ive met people who claim to be sooo interested in tutoring, and then quiting their obligations (albeit in a volunteer capacity) when it turns out that they wouldnt get a ref letter out of it in time for med apps.

[UTPEOPLE]

Haha!

 

My buddy Dave is on my application as a verifier!

 

Don't knock on Dave, alright?

 

Hey nemesis, i got the impression that you were working for u of t med as a med student already!

[hkmedic]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

 

 

 

I doubt it. If you lied that you did so and so sports and got your friends as referees, how is anyone going to find out otherwise later on? And I doubt such people would be 'haunted forever' by their activities. It just doesn't happen. If you're going to cheat, you have no conscience in the first place. And, without a doubt, a portion of MD graduates practicing today surely lied in their applications.

 

I think lying is a bit extreme, but I'm quite sure a large number of applicants (successful or not) do over-exaggerate, sugarcoat and pad their applications.

 

To the OP: For me, I'd stay away from using friends as referees, that's why you shouldn't include things you do for fun with friends on your sketch. When the time comes on the interview, you could probably mention it, like a stress type question.

[Dumblydorr]

Who really cares about pick-up sports you do with your buddies on the weekend, anyway? I doubt they'd expel you for lying because I doubt they care at all, let alone care enough to want to call up your buddy Dave and ask him about it.

 

That was my initial question. If sports you do on a casual basis carry little merit, then what sport activities do? That's why I asked whether you're expected to participate in competitions.

 

Frankly, I'm not going to do any such thing. I enjoy playing tennis etc on a regular basis and am not going to enter stuff just for med school apps. I'm not that skilled and I'm not interested either, but I'm wondering what general expectations seem to be.

[UTPEOPLE]

I think lying is a bit extreme, but I'm quite sure a large number of applicants (successful or not) do over-exaggerate, sugarcoat and pad their applications.

 

To the OP: For me, I'd stay away from using friends as referees, that's why you shouldn't include things you do for fun with friends on your sketch. When the time comes on the interview, you could probably mention it, like a stress type question.

 

i do know people who flat out lied... for example, havent played tennis for the past 5 years because of school, but got a friend to verify that he did.

[Dumblydorr]

To the OP: For me, I'd stay away from using friends as referees, that's why you shouldn't include things you do for fun with friends on your sketch. When the time comes on the interview, you could probably mention it, like a stress type question.

 

So perhaps the person at the check in counter at the sports complex could serve as the referee? I'm naturally going to have to include the time I spend playing sports (often around 8 hrs a week, which I consider a significant time investment), but if I ought not use friends as referees, then who?

 

And if I don't include a referee, the item listed will be ignored, according to the general gist I've gotten from this board.

[HBP]

I used my friends as weightlifting/fitness referees. I don't see anything wrong with it, they're my workout partners.

[UTPEOPLE]

So perhaps the person at the check in counter at the sports complex could serve as the referee? I'm naturally going to have to include the time I spend playing sports (often around 8 hrs a week, which I consider a significant time investment), but if I ought not use friends as referees, then who?

 

And if I don't include a referee, the item listed will be ignored, according to the general gist I've gotten from this board.

 

If you really want to be safe... just mention it to one of your 3 letter ref people and ask them if they would be comfortable acting as a ref

[NewfieMike]

some ideas in here are way out of proportion. If someone lied and put down that they went to bingo once a week and got in to medical school, I highly doubt they are going to spend their entire medical career cowering in fear that their medical admissions committee might find out.

 

This is just ridiculous

[Cnussey]

some ideas in here are way out of proportion. If someone lied and put down that they went to bingo once a week and got in to medical school, I highly doubt they are going to spend their entire medical career cowering in fear that their medical admissions committee might find out.

 

This is just ridiculous

 

Anyone who puts down bingo is probably not lying. Lol.

 

Agreed. Anyone petty enough to lie about simple ECs probably won't cower in fear.

[trymeover]

You guys are so ignorant.

 

There've been several cases where 35 year old Doctors were found to have lied on their medschool applications and they had their license and MD degree revoked.

 

Lying on medschool apps Is Not A Joke.

[Cnussey]

You guys are so ignorant.

 

There've been several cases where 35 year old Doctors were found to have lied on their medschool applications and they had their license and MD degree revoked.

 

Lying on medschool apps Is Not A Joke.

 

Didn't say it was a joke and didn't say it didn't happen.

[NewfieMike]

You guys are so ignorant.

 

There've been several cases where 35 year old Doctors were found to have lied on their medschool applications and they had their license and MD degree revoked.

 

Lying on medschool apps Is Not A Joke.

 

reference?