Whoa, Pokemon Go?

I, like many others, joined in the craze of Pokémon Go when it first arrived. I was pretty bummed at first because there were never any Pokémon or PokeStops where I lived. At college, there were many more stops and creatures, but the game was still pretty boring. Not a lot of people played the game, so there wasn't much competition.

When I got to medical school, I quickly realized that there was a whole group playing the game. My mentor introduced me to the group at first, so I re-downloaded the game. I'm not going to lie. Niantic really stepped up their game with Pokémon Go over the last couple years. They have released many more creatures and events to spice things up. There are raid battles where you can battle as a group and catch rare Pokémon. Again, it has come a long way from where it started.

It is quite funny how a bunch of us - both first and second year students with some third year students occasionally - just show up in a group to battle in a raid. The looks on my friends' faces are priceless when I start talking in a seemingly different language  to some of the others playing the game. Sometimes they look so confused until they realize that we are all just talking about the game.

Personally, the game gives me a slight break in my studying for a couple minutes at a time. It is a small mental break when I can mindlessly catch random creatures. Some days the game is the only reason that I leave my apartment. It is really neat how I have some good relationships with the second year students due to Pokémon Go. I hope I continue to meet people while playing the game.

So, if you are ever super bored or trying to pass some time, I would definitely suggest Pokémon Go. It is not too addictive, so you can play the game on your own time. Plus, there are rewards for walking and exercising. An app that rewards you for walking and running? Sounds healthy and fun.