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- May 9, 2013
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Should I talk about my cultural competency and family like this in my secondaries about diversity? Am I answering the question convincingly? @Goro has said that the goal of diversity is to write about what makes you cool, unique, different, not necessarily about your socioeconomic background. Thoughts? Here's an abbreviated version with the most important parts in bold:
"I may not look diverse, but I am exceptionally diverse in my experiences, perspectives, spiritual practices, communication skills, and cultural competencies. I lived and worked for a year each in India and Dubai. Since my wife of 4 years is Indian, I also married her family, language, and culture. Indeed, her parents and sister have been living with us for a month, and we spent every weekend together when we lived in Dubai....
For hours, I mediated between my father-in-law and the women of the family across cultural, linguistic, gender, and generational differences. I communicated with active listening, simple words in both languages, mirroring, body language, gestures, and empathy....My father-in-law said I made everyone feel understood....
[Sorry! Tell me to delete this and I will:] He let me buy some supplements for his metabolic syndrome and impulsivity. I gave him nutrients his medications deplete plus a dozen promising nutraceuticals with good evidence behind them indicated in the scientific literature to address pathogenic mechanisms underlying his conditions. I also taught him a breathing exercise to reduce stress, calling it pranayama yoga, the traditional name for it in his culture.
My diversity makes me different in a clinical setting too. While volunteering last week, a family member asked a nurse something in another language. The nurse was nonplussed, but I easily interpreted the woman’s body language correctly and lead her to the bathroom using universal gestures to communicate. I hope to take my service to diverse patients to the next level as a physician one day."
For reference, the NIH's definition of cultural competency is: Deliver[ing] services that are respectful of and responsive to the health beliefs, practices and cultural and linguistic needs of diverse patients."
"I may not look diverse, but I am exceptionally diverse in my experiences, perspectives, spiritual practices, communication skills, and cultural competencies. I lived and worked for a year each in India and Dubai. Since my wife of 4 years is Indian, I also married her family, language, and culture. Indeed, her parents and sister have been living with us for a month, and we spent every weekend together when we lived in Dubai....
For hours, I mediated between my father-in-law and the women of the family across cultural, linguistic, gender, and generational differences. I communicated with active listening, simple words in both languages, mirroring, body language, gestures, and empathy....My father-in-law said I made everyone feel understood....
[Sorry! Tell me to delete this and I will:] He let me buy some supplements for his metabolic syndrome and impulsivity. I gave him nutrients his medications deplete plus a dozen promising nutraceuticals with good evidence behind them indicated in the scientific literature to address pathogenic mechanisms underlying his conditions. I also taught him a breathing exercise to reduce stress, calling it pranayama yoga, the traditional name for it in his culture.
My diversity makes me different in a clinical setting too. While volunteering last week, a family member asked a nurse something in another language. The nurse was nonplussed, but I easily interpreted the woman’s body language correctly and lead her to the bathroom using universal gestures to communicate. I hope to take my service to diverse patients to the next level as a physician one day."
For reference, the NIH's definition of cultural competency is: Deliver[ing] services that are respectful of and responsive to the health beliefs, practices and cultural and linguistic needs of diverse patients."