Diversity question options

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Hi! I hope this is in the right place!

I'm trying to brainstorm for my secondaries and I don't know what to focus on for the diversity essay. Here are my current thoughts:

1. Lived abroad as a child - tiny village, definitely different than the American suburb I moved to. Had a huge culture shock when we came back. Spoke English without an accent but had a really hard time at first because of being so out of touch with US pop culture and educational system. (worried it will seem like I am focusing on something from 10+ years ago)

2. I do identify as LGBTQ and have a history of advocacy, but I worry including this will do more harm than good. I don't want to seem like I am milking this part of my identity, and I don't want to unnecessarily out myself.

3. I could try to spin one of my hobbies? I don't have any truly unusual hobbies - music, poetry, cooking, etc.

Any advice would be appreciated!

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I think #2 is an example of meaningful diversity and you should use it if you feel comfortable with it. It's not "milking" anything, you'd be honestly answering the question of what kind of diversity you would bring to the class. Just like medicine needs more URM doctors, medicine needs more LGBTQ doctors.
 
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I'm going thru the application process as well, and I find that the responses I give are much better when I say what I want to say rather than worrying about what I think the adcom wants to hear. (as long as I still answer the question well, of course)

I don't really want to tell you what to write about, that's ultimately your decision, but I think the personal statements and secondaries are all about painting yourself as an interesting person, while still showing off qualities doctors should have. Read some of the advice stickied about personal statements and whatnot for clues, I find they help me a lot, even for secondaries.
 
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go for #2 though which part(s) of the acronym do you identify with? (Sorry a pet peeve, like are you a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer person?). I think almost all schools (like not Loma Linda ) will view this positively if you frame it correctly, talking about your advocacy is a great way to do this .

I'm a cis gay man and I regret not being more out in my application, I only came out when asked for diversity and the like though all my HIV/AIDS work probably read as pretty gay
 
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go for #2 though which part(s) of the acronym do you identify with? (Sorry a pet peeve, like are you a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer person?). I think almost all schools (like not Loma Linda ) will view this positively if you frame it correctly, talking about your advocacy is a great way to do this .

I'm a cis gay man and I regret not being more out in my application, I only came out when asked for diversity and the like though all my HIV/AIDS work probably read as pretty gay

Lolz I was trying to be a little vague but I suppose it doesn't matter - I identify with the B and the Q if you must know ;)

Can I just talk about my advocacy without explicitly referencing my sexuality? It honestly just feels really odd to be talking about myself so intimately to a committee of people I don't know. I really don't want to spend my interviews talking about whether this is just a phase and "woww but you don't look queer" (this happened to a friend).
 
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Hi! I hope this is in the right place!

I'm trying to brainstorm for my secondaries and I don't know what to focus on for the diversity essay. Here are my current thoughts:

1. Lived abroad as a child - tiny village, definitely different than the American suburb I moved to. Had a huge culture shock when we came back. Spoke English without an accent but had a really hard time at first because of being so out of touch with US pop culture and educational system. (worried it will seem like I am focusing on something from 10+ years ago)

2. I do identify as LGBTQ and have a history of advocacy, but I worry including this will do more harm than good. I don't want to seem like I am milking this part of my identity, and I don't want to unnecessarily out myself.

3. I could try to spin one of my hobbies? I don't have any truly unusual hobbies - music, poetry, cooking, etc.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Depending on how long you lived abroad and where and how deeply you got to know the culture, and whether there are many immigrants from that country here in the US, this could be valuable knowledge that would otherwise be unrepresented in your class. In other words, if you lived in a small village in Mexico or Haiti it could be very valuable. If you lived in a small village in Norway, maybe not so much.
 
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Haha, sorry I didn't mean to press you in that way, more just meant some specificity might be needed in your application. I think if you frame it as I'm bi/queer and given my personal perspective on issues queer people face in medicine (or life ) I've engaged in blah blah activism. Keeping it in the frame of your advocacy can help it be less intimate but offering the context that you are part of this community and bring a different perspective is something schools want to hear.

That sounds like an awful interviewer! I fortunately am blessed with "gay voice" so no one questions me in that sense. I would reply by gently reminding the interview that queer people look and act all kinds of ways and maybe segue into talking about your advocacy work or even talk about how as clinicians assuming someone is heterosexual could lead to worse care.

The only interviewer that talked about LGBTIQ stuff with me was excited about improving the curriculum as regards LGBTIQ patients and wanted to talk to me about it-- so while you have a (I think small) risk potentially awkward questions, you also out yourself to all the people that value your perspective and experience and will advocate for you.
 
Both 1 and 2 are fine. Do keep in mind that "diversity" prompt is not a demographic or ethnic thing, but more like "what is cool and unique about you?"


Hi! I hope this is in the right place!

I'm trying to brainstorm for my secondaries and I don't know what to focus on for the diversity essay. Here are my current thoughts:

1. Lived abroad as a child - tiny village, definitely different than the American suburb I moved to. Had a huge culture shock when we came back. Spoke English without an accent but had a really hard time at first because of being so out of touch with US pop culture and educational system. (worried it will seem like I am focusing on something from 10+ years ago)

2. I do identify as LGBTQ and have a history of advocacy, but I worry including this will do more harm than good. I don't want to seem like I am milking this part of my identity, and I don't want to unnecessarily out myself.

3. I could try to spin one of my hobbies? I don't have any truly unusual hobbies - music, poetry, cooking, etc.

Any advice would be appreciated!
 
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Unless one has actually eaten lutefisk.

Depending on how long you lived abroad and where and how deeply you got to know the culture, and whether there are many immigrants from that country here in the US, this could be valuable knowledge that would otherwise be unrepresented in your class. In other words, if you lived in a small village in Mexico or Haiti it could be very valuable. If you lived in a small village in Norway, maybe not so much.
 
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#2 for most schools, but there are still some schools where I would use #1 instead for fear of being discriminated on!
 
Depending on how long you lived abroad and where and how deeply you got to know the culture, and whether there are many immigrants from that country here in the US, this could be valuable knowledge that would otherwise be unrepresented in your class. In other words, if you lived in a small village in Mexico or Haiti it could be very valuable. If you lived in a small village in Norway, maybe not so much.

Hmm definitely more Norway than Mexico in that example, so I should probably use something else.
 
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Haha, sorry I didn't mean to press you in that way, more just meant some specificity might be needed in your application. I think if you frame it as I'm bi/queer and given my personal perspective on issues queer people face in medicine (or life ) I've engaged in blah blah activism. Keeping it in the frame of your advocacy can help it be less intimate but offering the context that you are part of this community and bring a different perspective is something schools want to hear.

That sounds like an awful interviewer! I fortunately am blessed with "gay voice" so no one questions me in that sense. I would reply by gently reminding the interview that queer people look and act all kinds of ways and maybe segue into talking about your advocacy work or even talk about how as clinicians assuming someone is heterosexual could lead to worse care.

The only interviewer that talked about LGBTIQ stuff with me was excited about improving the curriculum as regards LGBTIQ patients and wanted to talk to me about it-- so while you have a (I think small) risk potentially awkward questions, you also out yourself to all the people that value your perspective and experience and will advocate for you.

Ahah no worries! :)

Yeah that interview sounded truly terrible. Apparently he was very friendly just clearly clueless. I'm glad you had much more positive experiences!

I definitely would have a lot to talk about in the context of providing appropriate care to non-cishet folks. Do you think it would be okay to talk about my/my friends' experiences of queerphobia/lack of sensitivity in medical environments? I wouldn't want to get too negative or seem preachy.
 
Both 1 and 2 are fine. Do keep in mind that "diversity" prompt is not a demographic or ethnic thing, but more like "what is cool and unique about you?"

So would you prefer it for an applicant to discuss a unique hobby rather than sexual orientation?

I feel like the way these questions are phrased, some schools seem to be looking for ways you will contribute to the school culture (really interesting hobby would fit) and others are looking for backgrounds that will be important when caring for diverse patients (hobbies less relevant, but LGBTQ, URM, etc would be important)
 
Maybe private/Jesuit schools like SLU

If you can speak persuasively and be impactful about your sexual orientation I see it as a very strong part of your app. Your history of advocacy will also help you articulate these views. But "hey I'm gay and different"=no.

The Jesuit schools are very much about taking care of the whole patient and having an understanding of patients' issues is very important. Having physicians who have walked in the patient's shoes can be very helpful. They will not be judging a student or applicant who is gay as being unworthy of admission. That's not how they roll.
 
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Sexual orientation is a hook for some schools, like JHU, but it's so commonplace now to have gay applicants that does it really make you cool and unique?


So would you prefer it for an applicant to discuss a unique hobby rather than sexual orientation?

I feel like the way these questions are phrased, some schools seem to be looking for ways you will contribute to the school culture (really interesting hobby would fit) and others are looking for backgrounds that will be important when caring for diverse patients (hobbies less relevant, but LGBTQ, URM, etc would be important)
 
I'm gay too, but besides that aspect of my life, I'm struggling to brainstorm prompts for the diversity essay. I don't really have a history of advocacy because I came out midway through undergrad. Any suggestions on how to talk about this? How can I talk about caring for LGBTQ patients if I don't have any experience doing so? Thanks everybody :)
 
About 1 in 10 members of the general public identify as LGBTQ and I am not sure that they are under-represented in medicine. You might expect that there would be 10-20 LGBTQ students in the average medical school class.

If you felt uncomfortable not being completely candid with providers before you were out, how might you want to change the experience for children and adults you might care for as a physician? That might be a reasonable approach to the secondary question @buzzl1ghtyear
 
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About 1 in 10 members of the general public identify as LGBTQ and I am not sure that they are under-represented in medicine. You might expect that there would be 10-20 LGBTQ students in the average medical school class.

If you felt uncomfortable not being completely candid with providers before you were out, how might you want to change the experience for children and adults you might care for as a physician? That might be a reasonable approach to the secondary question @buzzl1ghtyear

Sorry, I sort of already asked this above, but in terms of talking about changing the experience for our patients, would it be appropriate to include personal examples of times when physicians were insensitive and what they could have done differently? I wouldn't want to seem like I am being overly critical of my past physicians, but just to highlight how physicians can be unintentionally invalidating? Or would it be best to discuss things more broadly?
 
Sorry, I sort of already asked this above, but in terms of talking about changing the experience for our patients, would it be appropriate to include personal examples of times when physicians were insensitive and what they could have done differently? I wouldn't want to seem like I am being overly critical of my past physicians, but just to highlight how physicians can be unintentionally invalidating? Or would it be best to discuss things more broadly?

You can talk about how it made you feel rather than what the physician did. "I know first hand what it feels like to hear a physician casually josh about my future popularity with the opposite sex. I cringed inside because I did not feel comfortable talking to someone who had known me all my life."
 
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What would your best friends say is cool about you? What's special about you???

THAT'S what you bring to the class. NOT ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or national origin.

I'm gay too, but besides that aspect of my life, I'm struggling to brainstorm prompts for the diversity essay. I don't really have a history of advocacy because I came out midway through undergrad. Any suggestions on how to talk about this? How can I talk about caring for LGBTQ patients if I don't have any experience doing so? Thanks everybody :)
 
What would your best friends say is cool about you? What's special about you???

THAT'S what you bring to the class. NOT ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or national origin.
To be honest they'd say I'm hilarious and really fun to be around... How would you write that in a diversity essay without sounding like a quack?
 
What would your best friends say is cool about you? What's special about you???

THAT'S what you bring to the class. NOT ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or national origin.

I disagree. One school specifically asks in the secondary if you are from any of the following categories and goes on to list race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, as well as adopted, foster child or had siblings who were adopted/foster, grew up abroad, etc etc.
 
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Now, now colleague, don't go all specific on me....I have been referring to the secondary prompt in the OP, which is more the traditional "what diversity do you bring to the Class"? The categories listed in your post are quite obvious, and many people will have to leave them blank.


I disagree. One school specifically asks in the secondary if you are from any of the following categories and goes on to list race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, as well as adopted, foster child or had siblings who were adopted/foster, grew up abroad, etc etc.
 
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What do you do for them that's hilarious? Imitations? Joke telling? Improve comedy??
Just being witty and situationally funny haha. But you can't just write "oh I'm funny, ask my friends." I feel like other forms of diversity like race and whatnot have concrete examples you can elaborate on

I always viewed the diversity question as what will you contribute to a medical school class that's unique, not easily acquired, and enhances your peers education? As funny as I am, it's not that unique. Now a certain race or socioeconomic status can actively help enhance another's education as they treat that patient population. I think that's more of how I interpret this question, personally.
 
Could having a unique artistic talent (wood burning) be a topic for a diversity essay? I taught myself how to do it in college after being involved in various forms of art for years. I was thinking of talking about how it requires creativity, planning, and precision and then tying that in to how I am a very deliberate thinker


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Now, now colleague, don't go all specific on me....I have been referring to the secondary prompt in the OP, which is more the traditional "what diversity do you bring to the Class"? The categories listed in your post are quite obvious, and many people will have to leave them blank.

Thank you both for your perspectives, @LizzyM and @Goro ! I was actually wondering what to do in both of those scenarios so it's really helpful to hear your takes.

Here are some diversity prompts I've seen that differ slightly in focus and my initial thoughts for how to tackle them:

Stanford: The Committee on Admissions regards the diversity (broadly defined) of an entering class as an important factor in serving the educational mission of the school. The Committee on Admissions strongly encourages you to share unique, personally important, and/or challenging factors in your background, such as the quality of your early educational environment, socioeconomic status, culture, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and life or work experiences. Please discuss how such factors have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine. Please limit your answer to 2,000 characters including spaces.
Sexual orientation specifically mentioned! LizzyM advice applies here

NYU: The Admissions Committee uses a holistic approach to evaluate a wide range of student qualities and life experiences that are complementary to demonstrated academic excellence, strong interpersonal skills and leadership potential. What unique qualities or experiences do you possess that would contribute specifically to the NYU School of Medicine community?
Sexual orientation could fit, but probably more appropriate to mention what Goro was saying about what makes us cool or interesting

Pitt: UPSOM is a culturally diverse and talented community. How would you enrich/enliven the UPSOM community? The essay should discuss material that is not included in the rest of your application. (Limit your response to 250 words or less.)

Definitely more along the lines of what Goro was saying (although still at a loss there... I have fairly commonplace hobbies/interests and I mentioned most of them in my primary application)
 
Could having a unique artistic talent (wood burning) be a topic for a diversity essay? I taught myself how to do it in college after being involved in various forms of art for years. I was thinking of talking about how it requires creativity, planning, and precision and then tying that in to how I am a very deliberate thinker


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That sounds great to me! :)

(Full disclosure: I know nothing)
 
Many thanks for the research. As one can see, like a lot of things in life, both LizzyM and I are correct. It all depends upon the prompts used.

I think U Chicago also considers LGBT as URM.

Thank you both for your perspectives, @LizzyM and @Goro ! I was actually wondering what to do in both of those scenarios so it's really helpful to hear your takes.

Here are some diversity prompts I've seen that differ slightly in focus and my initial thoughts for how to tackle them:

Stanford: The Committee on Admissions regards the diversity (broadly defined) of an entering class as an important factor in serving the educational mission of the school. The Committee on Admissions strongly encourages you to share unique, personally important, and/or challenging factors in your background, such as the quality of your early educational environment, socioeconomic status, culture, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and life or work experiences. Please discuss how such factors have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine. Please limit your answer to 2,000 characters including spaces.
Sexual orientation specifically mentioned! LizzyM advice applies here

NYU: The Admissions Committee uses a holistic approach to evaluate a wide range of student qualities and life experiences that are complementary to demonstrated academic excellence, strong interpersonal skills and leadership potential. What unique qualities or experiences do you possess that would contribute specifically to the NYU School of Medicine community?
Sexual orientation could fit, but probably more appropriate to mention what Goro was saying about what makes us cool or interesting

Pitt: UPSOM is a culturally diverse and talented community. How would you enrich/enliven the UPSOM community? The essay should discuss material that is not included in the rest of your application. (Limit your response to 250 words or less.)

Definitely more along the lines of what Goro was saying (although still at a loss there... I have fairly commonplace hobbies/interests and I mentioned most of them in my primary application)
 
I think U Chicago also considers LGBT as URM.

This is UChicago's diversity prompt:
At the University of Chicago, in an atmosphere of interdisciplinary scholarship and discovery, the Pritzker School of Medicine is dedicated to inspiring diverse students of exceptional promise to become leaders and innovators in science and medicine for the betterment of humanity.... Essay Question 1. Our Mission Statement above is an expression of our core purpose and educational philosophy. In particular, it highlights the value we place on diversity since we regard the diversity of the entering class as essential for educational excellence. Please write an essay on how you would enhance diversity at Pritzker and advance the Pritzker mission. We suggest that you limit your essay to about 550 words.

Would you advise mentioning sexual orientation in this essay then?

Also, Keck's secondary has this question:
If you believe that you are a member of a group that is under-represented in medicine, tell us how this may affect your role as a physician. (200 words or less)

It would not have even occurred to me to consider answering this question before (especially as a white/middle class person), but you're saying some places consider LGBTQ folks URM?
 
I would consider LBTQ to be under represented in medicine.
 
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That sounds great to me! :)

(Full disclosure: I know nothing)

Thanks for the reply!

Could having a unique artistic talent (wood burning) be a topic for a diversity essay? I taught myself how to do it in college after being involved in various forms of art for years. I was thinking of talking about how it requires creativity, planning, and precision and then tying that in to how I am a very deliberate thinker


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Does anyone else have any feedback on using this as a potential topic?


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Hmm definitely more Norway than Mexico in that example, so I should probably use something else.

I think you could combine 1 & 2 into a coherent "learning new cultures and moving between cultures from a fish out of water perspective"
 
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Yes to both. Even better if you can spin a health angle to being gay, like any involvement with AIDS/HIV+ patients, health advocacy, STD prevention, etc.


This is UChicago's diversity prompt:
At the University of Chicago, in an atmosphere of interdisciplinary scholarship and discovery, the Pritzker School of Medicine is dedicated to inspiring diverse students of exceptional promise to become leaders and innovators in science and medicine for the betterment of humanity.... Essay Question 1. Our Mission Statement above is an expression of our core purpose and educational philosophy. In particular, it highlights the value we place on diversity since we regard the diversity of the entering class as essential for educational excellence. Please write an essay on how you would enhance diversity at Pritzker and advance the Pritzker mission. We suggest that you limit your essay to about 550 words.

Would you advise mentioning sexual orientation in this essay then?

Also, Keck's secondary has this question:
If you believe that you are a member of a group that is under-represented in medicine, tell us how this may affect your role as a physician. (200 words or less)

It would not have even occurred to me to consider answering this question before (especially as a white/middle class person), but you're saying some places consider LGBTQ folks URM?
 
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Yes to both. Even better if you can spin a health angle to being gay, like any involvement with AIDS/HIV+ patients, health advocacy, STD prevention, etc.

I haven't done any explicitly health related activities related to being queer, but I worked at my school's LGBTQ center and we did a lot of work on campus to help foster a culture of acceptance (workshops for student groups, fraternities, freshman residence halls, etc.) I have also read a lot about how to reduce queerphobia and ignorance in health care (as well as have had personal experiences with both). Would it be inappropriate to mention a history of advocacy dating back to high school or should I stick to college?

Side question - if schools don't explicitly have a diversity question, do people include information about sexual orientation in those optional additional essays? As demonstrated by my OP, I was a little hesitant at first to include any information about my sexuality, but if schools are really going to view it positively, then I am wondering if I should be more out on my app. I include my work with the LBGTQ center on my primary, but don't include anything else.

Thanks!
 
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Depending on how long you lived abroad and where and how deeply you got to know the culture, and whether there are many immigrants from that country here in the US, this could be valuable knowledge that would otherwise be unrepresented in your class. In other words, if you lived in a small village in Mexico or Haiti it could be very valuable. If you lived in a small village in Norway, maybe not so much.

What's wrong with a small village in Norway?
 
What's wrong with a small village in Norway?

In terms of being a resource in class and in clinic to care for patients from that culture and to inform others of cultural nuances they may be unaware of, there are more opportunities for someone knowledgable of Mexican culture than of Norwegian (with, perhaps, some rare geographic exceptions to the rule).
 
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In terms of being a resource in class and in clinic to care for patients from that culture and to inform others of cultural nuances they may be unaware of, there are more opportunities for someone knowledgable of Mexican culture than of Norwegian (with, perhaps, some rare geographic exceptions to the rule).
Does working in the medical field extensively in a very urban and underserved area count as diversity? For my diversity prompts I always start with my race and discrimination/problems I've personally faced and then delve into talking about working with other marganilzed and low socioeconomic races and how I've learned to better serve them and how I can be a tool to my peers that way. It's much more involved than "I have a friend who told me about his experience." I just want to make sure I'm on the right path with this prompt, it appears everywhere haha
 
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Somebody has to take care of patients in Minnesota! If you're a fan of Prairie Home Companion, you'll know what I mean.


In terms of being a resource in class and in clinic to care for patients from that culture and to inform others of cultural nuances they may be unaware of, there are more opportunities for someone knowledgable of Mexican culture than of Norwegian (with, perhaps, some rare geographic exceptions to the rule).
 
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Does working in the medical field extensively in a very urban and underserved area count as diversity? For my diversity prompts I always start with my race and discrimination/problems I've personally faced and then delve into talking about working with other marganilzed and low socioeconomic races and how I've learned to better serve them and how I can be a tool to my peers that way. It's much more involved than "I have a friend who told me about his experience." I just want to make sure I'm on the right path with this prompt, it appears everywhere haha

Sounds good. Love your sig line; my mom's patients could smell her coming down the hall but it was the scent of her bubble bath. :)
 
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Sounds good. Love your sig line; my mom's patients could smell her coming down the hall but it was the scent of her bubble bath. :)
Haha thank you! I'm glad because the alternative isn't so sweet :p
 
This is fine

1. Lived abroad as a child - tiny village, definitely different than the American suburb I moved to. Had a huge culture shock when we came back. Spoke English without an accent but had a really hard time at first because of being so out of touch with US pop culture and educational system. (worried it will seem like I am focusing on something from 10+ years ago)

Also fine. LGBT are considered URM by some schools. But skip LUCOM and Loma Linda.

2. I do identify as LGBTQ and have a history of advocacy, but I worry including this will do more harm than good. I don't want to seem like I am milking this part of my identity, and I don't want to unnecessarily out myself.

C'mon, what's cool about you? What would your friends say is the neatest thing about you. What cool thing to you bring to a medical school class?
3. I could try to spin one of my hobbies? I don't have any truly unusual hobbies - music, poetry, cooking, etc.
 
Hello everyone,

Would love to get some second opinions on some topics I've been brainstorming for general diversity questions:

1. Racial/Ethnic Identity: For the sake of anonymity I will not state it (makes me highly identifiable since so few of us pursue medicine, hence URM), but it's big part of who I am, as it is for many people. I was born here, grew up in single-parent low-income household, first-generation citizen and college student. Loss, sacrifice, and resilience in the face of violence are experiences my community shares. As such, growing up with their stories and struggle has shaped my perspective of the world from a young age, as well as provided the spark for entering a career in service to others. If I go this route I would discuss how my identity and experience with survivors contributes to my diversity in that I am able to offer insight and perspective to working with underserved patient populations, especially minority and refugee populations. I am hesitant to take this route as I feel I ought to challenge myself more by thinking outside the box of racial/ethnic diversity. If I end up writing about something else I might mention it briefly.

2. Personal Interest: My interest and esoteric knowledge on late 18th-early 20th century European history, and by extension, my appreciation/crazy-obsession for antiques and ancient architecture. This interest stems from a larger interest in learning how people from different time periods and places lived (and also, a high school obsession with Jane Austen). I'm always imagining what living in a certain country during a certain time was like, it's what inspired my undergraduate research in literature. I'm inclined to write about this since it is something I feel makes me unique as an individual, except I have no idea how I can translate this to medicine or how it will contribute diversity to my future school? I mean, nobody really needs to know that during Marie Antoinette's time, they used to perfume their food because their halls smelled so bad from everyone taking a dookie behind curtains...

3. Personal Skill: My creativity. Or specifically my ability to improvise, think creatively, and find value in everything and every situation. Maybe it's because I grew up poor, maybe it's because I grew up with a mechanic dad, a mechanic grandfather, and mechanic step-father. But I've grown up interest in pulling things apart, figuring what's wrong, and putting it back together ever since I was little. It first started with taking apart and putting back together pens and toys. Then it was remotes and gameboys. I learned to change my bicycle wheels at 10, my car oil and tires at 18. In general I'm not afraid of getting my hands dirty. My boyfriend recently learned that I can fix my own toilets (for the most part), sinks, snake my own drains. If there's something that I can learn to do myself, I will do my research and do it myself. When I got bored of that I started to thing about ways I could create and repurpose things. It's why I got into art and also why I got into research in college. I love the challenge of improvising with limited resources and solving new problems with new solutions. Being that my interests in medicine include working with underserved populations and in health disparities research, I feel that there is a lot of applicability here, but also I feel that lots of awesome medical students have this ability, so I'm not sure if it's really "unique".

Any thoughts?

@Goro @DokterMom @LizzyM

I like #1 but love #3. Some of the information in #1 is included in your AMCAS application (parents' highest level of education, etc) but #3 is interesting because the creativity and innovation spark you bring to the table is really exciting and could make you a very attractive applicant.
 
I like #1 but love #3. Some of the information in #1 is included in your AMCAS application (parents' highest level of education, etc) but #3 is interesting because the creativity and innovation spark you bring to the table is really exciting and could make you a very attractive applicant.
Thank you for your input @LizzyM !
 
Could having a unique artistic talent (wood burning) be a topic for a diversity essay? I taught myself how to do it in college after being involved in various forms of art for years. I was thinking of talking about how it requires creativity, planning, and precision and then tying that in to how I am a very deliberate thinker


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Reading through this thread and your username. I love it!
 
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