Diversity

[Crabbygas]

I have put in my 20 years as a board certified physician and now I am considering the next thing. Laugh if you will, I am considering getting a masters in therapy. The schools I am looking at want an essay on diversity. The thing is I am: Male, white, (relatively) wealthy, straight, etc. Basically I am the demographic benchmark against which diversity is measured. The only thing I got going for me is being left handed and that's hardly a burden. So how do I write something meaningful about diversity? I figured the collective mind here might have a few ideas. Thanks.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Istilldontknow]

When asked to write a diversity essay, your automatic thought was of your own experience being a cis white male. That's something right there you can write about because it's highlighting your privilege. Why does the essay need to be about YOUR identity? You're allowed to write about other cultures and identities, including a desire to learn about a particular identity, MH challenges or systemic barriers to treating diverse clients, experiences with systemic racism in your field...etc. Working in the medical field, you've obviously witnessed these issues both interpersonally and systemically that you can write about. You can examine how your identity has influenced your perceptions of others and how patients have responded to you. You can analyze your own thought process when asked about issues of diversity. You can discuss how your place in the social hierarchy may not make you the best for for certain clients. The possibilities are endless.

 

[R. Matey]

I'm not laughing, but I am curious about your career goals.

To answer your question more directly, I would approach it by acknowledging your privilege as a white man and discuss what your training goals are for increasing multicultural competence while attending the program. Write actionable goals that you yourself intend on carrying out instead of relying on others to teach you about their experiences. You could also talk about the MC training that you have attended and how it has informed your thinking.

 

[Crabbygas]

Thanks for the ideas. That's why I came here. As for my career goals I guess part of the beauty of my situation is that I don't have to have any. I might like to get the training purely for my own growth. Indeed just the contemplation of this option and why I might want to do it has gotten me to do some real thinking. That said, I like the idea of being able to hang out my own shingle and I could imagine having a practice focused on physicians. I'm guessing I would have a lot of open slots, haha. But I think there is a need and there are people who would be receptive to getting therapy from a doc. I suppose a psychiatry residency would be a theoretical option but I would prefer to focus on therapy rather than full spectrum mental health care.

 

[R. Matey]

That'd be cool. I see physicians in my current position and I can see where you're coming from though my patients aren't complaining lol. FWIW, I think you would probably get better training in a psychiatry residency than a master's program. There is a lot of emphasis on non-directive supportive interventions in both counseling and social work with less of an emphasis on evidenced based practice where a psychiatry program would give you more of a balanced experience. I also wonder if you went into a psychiatry residency saying that you're really just there for the therapy experience if you could focus your training in that direction.

Good luck.

 

[Dave1980]

Write about the diversity of experience you bring. 20 years of medicine and you will surely have a lot to add to the class.

 

[Dave1980]

When asked to write a diversity essay, your automatic thought was of your own experience being a cis white male. That's something right there you can write about because it's highlighting your privilege. Why does the essay need to be about YOUR identity? You're allowed to write about other cultures and identities, including a desire to learn about a particular identity, MH challenges or systemic barriers to treating diverse clients, experiences with systemic racism in your field...etc. Working in the medical field, you've obviously witnessed these issues both interpersonally and systemically that you can write about. You can examine how your identity has influenced your perceptions of others and how patients have responded to you. You can analyze your own thought process when asked about issues of diversity. You can discuss how your place in the social hierarchy may not make you the best for for certain clients. The possibilities are endless.

No need to be hyper woke