Tips for the Hobbies and Awards Sections of the ERAS Application
Written by Lindsay Henry, MD
You should treat all sections of ERAS as an opportunity to put your best foot forward and make your application stronger. Don’t waste your opportunity to stand out!
Hobbies and Interests:
Other than your personal statement, this is the only section you can really show your personality in your application, and many applicants do not utilize this section to their advantage. Plus, I have found that this section can help move along the conversation in interviews!
● Formatting
○ Pick a format and be consistent. The section has a restrictive word count, so make each word matter to help you stand out.
○ Format Suggestions:
■ I do not recommend simply listing several hobbies - it does not properly use this section to your advantage, and you may be wasting valuable application space.
■ Two-three hobbies with a brief interesting statement on each
● I recommend this format to most people - it is the easiest format to read and for your interviewer to find something interesting quickly in a conversation. It also makes you more selective in what you wish to share about each hobby.
■ Two-three hobbies in a paragraph
● You may be able to fit more information here, but it may be more difficult for your interviewer to glance down at your application and remember something.
● Selecting Hobbies
○ High quality and honest
■ Pick carefully, as each interest must be something you can talk about. Don’t lie in this section, you may get asked for recommendations based on your hobbies.
■ Things to consider: What makes this hobby special? How did getting involved in a hobby change you as a person? Is there some attribute that is missing in your application that you could convey in this section through your interests?
○ Interesting yet relatable
■ It is OK to include more relatable hobbies. Some interviewers will be more likely to bring up a hobby if they enjoy it too, so it could be worth it to include some relatable ones - just add your touch to make it memorable! However…
○ Avoid the most common hobbies
■ Most people enjoy traveling and cooking, so including these may not allow you to stand out. However, if you can add something really interesting and it is a huge part of who you are (i.e., if you are truly a chef or you have seen all seven wonders of the world), then it still may be worth mentioning.
● Examples:
○ Tabletop roleplay games: Throughout medical school, I hosted game nights weekly, having my friends complete the campaigns I created myself.
○ Classical Guitar: I took guitar lessons as a child, but I decided to pursue this style while in medical school.
○ iPhone App Design: I have always enjoyed coding and created three iPhone Apps while in medical school.
Medical School Awards and Other Awards/Accomplishments:
Compared to the hobbies and interests section, the awards sections are much more straightforward. Overall, be proud of your accomplishments and be willing to share them!
● Formatting
○ Listing is appropriate along with the date awarded and an explanation if necessary. These sections also have a restrictive word count, so I recommend having a very brief description for an award unless it warrants no explanation. Be sure to put in order of the date awarded.
● Awards to Include
○ Medical School Awards
■ Include the awards obtained while in medical school. If you want to share specific scholarships or Dean’s List recognition this is the place to do so.
○ Other Awards/Accomplishments
■ This can be an opportunity to share awards you received while in college or in gap years, such as if you graduated college with a recognition not otherwise listed on the application.
○ You can be selective on what you include! If you want to emphasize your research, you may include an award received for the best poster at a conference and leave out a scholarship you may have received.
● Avoid redundancy
○ If an award is represented somewhere else in the application, put it only in the section you think makes the most sense. If you are a member of AOA/GHHS/Phi Beta Kappa/etc, this should be in the membership in professional organizations section NOT in the awards section.
■ Other examples:
● If you graduated college with honors, this should be either in the education section OR the other awards section.
● If you received a grant for a research project, this should be either in that research experience OR in the appropriate awards section.
● Examples:
○ Dean’s List (Spring 2021)
○ Service Award (January 2022) - recognized for excellence in community service
○ Academic Scholarship (July 2022) - partial-tuition, merit-based scholarship
