Is anyone else sick of trying to "unique"?

[mrh125]

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is anyone else sick of trying to be"unique"? having unique ECs, unique reasons for wanting to be a doctor, having unique life experience, being bent arrows. Why is not okay anymore to just want to be doctor because you love medicine, the challenge of medical school, the reward of healing, and nice job stability?

Yes, for sure. You could say that the idea of being unique and diverse has lost its uniqueness (how can schools be diverse if they're all looking for similar sorts of diversity anyway?). Most of the applicants look the same from admissions standpoint regardless of how hard you try too which just adds insult to injury. This process is really ridiculous though. Up until medicine I've never heard of a profession that desperately needs more (primary care) doctors, yet rejects you because there are so many people applying. Admissions should be changed, but unfortunately there's no easy solution to it aside from just dealing with it and trying your hardest.

 

[Ismet]

Yes, for sure. You could say that the idea of being unique and diverse has lost its uniqueness (how can schools be diverse if they're all looking for similar sorts of diversity anyway?). Most of the applicants look the same from admissions standpoint regardless of how hard you try too which just adds insult to injury. This process is really ridiculous though. Up until medicine I've never heard of a profession that desperately needs more (primary care) doctors, yet rejects you because there are so many people applying. Admissions should be changed, but unfortunately there's no easy solution to it aside from just dealing with it and trying your hardest.

Read LizzyM's post earlier in the thread, what she says about having a "hook." Med schools are not looking for "similar sorts of diversity." Being unique or having a "hook" is definitely beneficial, but the majority of traditional med school matriculants are variants of cookie cutter applicants.

The issue with needing more primary care doctors is beyond the scope of med school admissions. More and more people are specializing, which leaves primary care dwindling. Not the fault of med school admissions. There is a cap on the number of residency slots, so that is why every medical school cannot have 250-person classes. Not the fault of med school admissions.