I've (biochem major) tried to think of anything unique about me relative to other premeds and have come up with these ideas:
(1) I've been a huge fan of birds for the past ~6 years. I go birdwatching both at home and state/national parks. I continuously participate in citizen science for the Cornell Lab, e.g. counting birds, bird feeder watch, reporting sick birds. At my university, I participate in group bird walks and participate in bird banding, which requires a lot of team coordination. My research relates to global warming and birds. Taught me a ton of attention to detail (needed to quickly identify birds), teamwork skills, a strong connection to nature, and a chance to exercise my visual/audio memory
(2) I've also been heavily invested into computer science since middle school (10+ years). I'm quite skilled in several programming languages (c#, c/c++, etc) and, despite having no formal education in computer science, have had to tutor actual CS majors at university to help them get through challenging c++ and assembly classes. I've used my computer programming knowledge to efficiently get through my homework both in college and before, automate tasks throughout life, help plan and organize events, perform mathematical analyses, generate complex graphics and presentations, and more. It has also played a major role in my bird-related research. I have distributed my programs to other people as well. This has taught me strong analytical & logical thinking and greatly reinforced problem solving and diagnostic skills.
(3) I have been doing calligraphy & typography for the past several years. I enjoy finding historic (500-1500 AD) examples of ancient writing early printing in Latin and other languages (paleography), which has major connections to linguistics and history. I have been commissioned (paid) to make autographs and event place cards for people. I have also created fonts that accurately replicate historic writing. This taught me a steady hand and the general skills associated with selling art
(4) I joined my university as part of a specific medical humanities program and have been continuously exploring the role of humanities in medicine. I am taking a minor with a self-declared theme of religion in medicine, taking coursework to better understand the interconnection between healthcare and religious belief after I have seen it in-person at clinical experiences (e.g. religion and sexual health, the role of women in religious paradigms, alternative & folk medicine, the sociological health effects of religion and religious community), alongside plentiful studying and reading outside of classes. This gives me an extra perspective on medicine/healthcare. It is also part of my long-term personal development from being hostile toward religion in high school to become very appreciative of it over time.
I would really appreciate if you could please let me know which one, if any, work best for a diversity essay. Thank you.
