Medical How should I answer diversity and adversity essays?

[Goro]

Hi all-- had a few questions about my diversity and adversity essays.
When it comes to adversity, i was wondering if it is too clichéd to write about being a caretaker for my grandmother while she slowly died of cancer in high school and how I balanced that with all the other high school things and then how I grieved afterward. It taught me a lot about myself, esp bc I was the one who made the 911 call and was alone with her in the ED as a 16 year old for a bit that night. I just can't imagine writing about anything else bc nothing has been as hard for me as this.

For diversity, I thought maybe to write about my upbringing. My mom comes from an extremely poor family in rural midwest, but she got a scholarship to college and was able to get a middle class job and give us a middle class life. However, i watched my cousins suffer from rural poverty, addiction, incarceration, etc. Watching this had my eye on inequalities and disparities from a young age... I just am not sure bc these things never happened to me, just people I love.

Thanks so much for your input.

Your adversity essay subject is fine.

For diversity, The Prompt is not about your mom or your relatives, it's about you. Do better

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[Mr.Smile12]

I agree. Your mom is not going to medical school for you.

 

[tantacles]

Your adversity essay subject is fine.

For diversity, The Prompt is not about your mom or your relatives, it's about you. Do better

I have to agree with this. Have you ever had an interpersonal issue with someone you had to overcome? Had difficulty in a course or job that you managed well? Those are good places to start looking for inspiration.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

Adversity is good.

Diversity is a no from me. How are YOU different. Just because you WATCHED someone else be different or have hardship doesn't make YOU have a hardship cause you had to watch them and are middle class.

 

[tantacles]

thank you all! yeah I definitely understand now that would be in poor taste.
I have a few different diversity prompts with different wordings and I've talked about unique jobs I've had (job coaching individuals with disabilities, working as a secretary in high school and how this developed my professional people skills, especially with older people), and how/why I decided to get a social work minor.
For schools that didn't have an adversity prompt talking about how being vulnerable and open about grieving my grandmother has helped me help friends and colleagues who are also grieving. Hopefully those are better

I think your jobs are unlikely to be a great source for a diversity essay. Focus on what actually makes you unique and what will make you stand out. It's not a coaching job or a secretary job. It just isn't.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Diversity is not about what you did. It's more about who you are and how you belong.