Diversity topic?

[medlife52525]

Hi all,

Would either of these topics be good for diversity secondaries?

My background- grew up in a well-off Asian family in a rural New england community.

1. Talk about rural upbringing and attending schools where the majority came from poverty-ridden families (ie greater awareness of the socioeconomic disparities). Then add how I went to college and used my experiences to mentor underserved students....I did scribing in our local ER and that simultaneously taught me a lot about the barriers to accessing healthcare in rural communities which I could add in?
CONCERN- this is not a SUPER rural midwest type community and I still grew up with a well-off family income, etc.- so I don't want this to be perceived negatively. Also not sure how much the rural perspective is considered diverse to my schools b/c like 75% of my schools are in urban regions...

2. Same start ^(Talk about rural upbringing and attending schools where majority came from poverty-ridden backgrounds (ie greater awareness of the socioeconomic disparities) ...BUT then add my experiences growing up w/ a genetic illness and having to travel hours to reach my doctors. I could bring my perspective as a patient for something I'd add to the class?..this disease is mentioned in a small part of my PS as the reason I want to go into medicine (I also touched upon a treatment component of this illness in my Adversity essay..but I didn't discuss growing up w/ the illness if that makes sense? I also feel scribing made me more aware of rural health disparities (ie. greater cancer rates, lack of chronic illness management, etc. so I'm not sure which direction to write about).......
CONCERN- I feel like everyone is a patient in their life and I'm struggling as to what new perspective I'd bring in or how to describe it in words


Any suggestions, even on recombining topics would be greatly appreciated!


Thank you!

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[Rachapkis]

I fear that #1 focuses on the diversity of others rather than how your unique attributes will contribute to the class. Thus, I would opt for #2.

 

[907914]

I would talk about number two. Specifically, I would address how being from a rural area and needing to travel far for appointments gives you a better understanding and greater respect for the plight of the patient who often struggles with access to care.

 

[medlife52525]

I would talk about number two. Specifically, I would address how being from a rural area and needing to travel far for appointments gives you a better understanding and greater respect for the plight of the patient who often struggles with access to care.

I fear that #1 focuses on the diversity of others rather than how your unique attributes will contribute to the class. Thus, I would opt for #2.

Should I exclude my beginning part of on my schools and understanding of the socioeconomic disparities? If I do so, I'm worried this essay will be a lot about my health which was a topic to the adversity essay/PS...or can i include that part w/ my health and tie them together

 

[907914]

Should I exclude my beginning part of on my schools and understanding of the socioeconomic disparities? If I do so, I'm worried this essay will be a lot about my health which was a topic to the adversity essay/PS.

Your background should definitely be in there, however You can talk about the same thing from different angles. Example:

My adversity is trying to balance work, school, military commitment all with having a newborn.

My diversity is how military contributed to my perspectives and being married/having a child with Native American heritage contributes to my personal cultural competency.

Both are about military/child status - but they are both also unique angles.

 

[Rachapkis]

Should I exclude my beginning part of on my schools and understanding of the socioeconomic disparities? If I do so, I'm worried this essay will be a lot about my health which was a topic to the adversity essay/PS...or can i include that part w/ my health and tie them together

As with most things, the key is how you handle it. You can include both your rural upbringing and your illness as long as the focus is on you and what you have learned.

 

[Goro]

Hi all,

Would either of these topics be good for diversity secondaries?

My background- grew up in a well-off Asian family in a rural New england community.

1. Talk about rural upbringing and attending schools where the majority came from poverty-ridden families (ie greater awareness of the socioeconomic disparities). Then add how I went to college and used my experiences to mentor underserved students....I did scribing in our local ER and that simultaneously taught me a lot about the barriers to accessing healthcare in rural communities which I could add in?
CONCERN- this is not a SUPER rural midwest type community and I still grew up with a well-off family income, etc.- so I don't want this to be perceived negatively. Also not sure how much the rural perspective is considered diverse to my schools b/c like 75% of my schools are in urban regions...

2. Same start ^(Talk about rural upbringing and attending schools where majority came from poverty-ridden backgrounds (ie greater awareness of the socioeconomic disparities) ...BUT then add my experiences growing up w/ a genetic illness and having to travel hours to reach my doctors. I could bring my perspective as a patient for something I'd add to the class?..this disease is mentioned in a small part of my PS as the reason I want to go into medicine (I also touched upon a treatment component of this illness in my Adversity essay..but I didn't discuss growing up w/ the illness if that makes sense? I also feel scribing made me more aware of rural health disparities (ie. greater cancer rates, lack of chronic illness management, etc. so I'm not sure which direction to write about).......
CONCERN- I feel like everyone is a patient in their life and I'm struggling as to what new perspective I'd bring in or how to describe it in words


Any suggestions, even on recombining topics would be greatly appreciated!


Thank you!

I'm not a fan of the "I went to school with poor people" motif.
Being a patient is very common among applicants. Do better.

 

[medlife52525]

I'm not a fan of the "I went to school with poor people" motif.
Being a patient is very common among applicants. Do better.

Hi Goro,

Thank you for the response.. I apologize if it's coming off as 'I went to school w/ poor people" that's not the angle I would write in. If you feel I shouldn't discuss the patient narrative do you recommend I continue w/ my original idea?
I commented a couple of days ago about #1 and you said it that was good (I didn't get to elaborate on some parts here that were in my original post), but then my advisor had told me yesterday to discuss my health and the rural setting for my diversity essay instead so I'm back to drawing board... Any thoughts are appreciated. Here is an original post you commented on:

Appropriate topic for diversity secondary?

Hi all- I'm from a rural community in the Northeast. (meaning rural, but not to the extreme of locations in the midwest per se). This was my idea for a diversity secondary and I would appreciate any feedback: -I want to talk about coming from a rural area and a public school system where...

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[medlife52525]

Your background should definitely be in there, however You can talk about the same thing from different angles. Example:

My adversity is trying to balance work, school, military commitment all with having a newborn.

My diversity is how military contributed to my perspectives and being married/having a child with Native American heritage contributes to my personal cultural competency.

Both are about military/child status - but they are both also unique angles.

Thank you- that makes sense!

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Being a multilingual (English, Spanish and two additional languages (1.1M population in USA) ) qualifies as a diversity element?

 

[Dave1980]

I wouldn't try to force this essay. If you are white or an over-represented minority it's kind of off-putting and silly to grasp at straws about how you add to diversity unless you have an actual compelling angle (growing up on welfare, grew up overseas, first in your family to go to college, whatever).

I'm a white male from a middle class family so I didn't try and force something that isn't there. I basically just said that I grew up in a multicultural community and that my high school and college were very diverse and I always saw that as a positive and want to be somewhere that values and promotes diversity. It worked for me.