Racism - topic of greatest struggle overcome?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
It's an excellent topic, IF done CORRECTLY. This sort of a paper should be reviewed by people of different races and different backgrounds to ensure that it's fantastic before submitting.
 
I would say go for it if you can talk about it tactfully and discuss what you've learned from the experience. If it's just a time when someone said something racist to you and that was that, I can empathize, but I can't recommend it as a good essay topic.
 
Popular topic these days. Care to share?
 
As others have said, tread carefully. You don't want it to read like the only purpose of your essay is to garner sympathy for being a victim of racism. While you certainly do deserve sympathy for being the victim of racism, asking for sympathy is never an endeavor that impresses others.
 
Is it full of 'micro-aggressions' and possibly imaginary slights? No.
Genuine story of actual racism overcome with dignity and tact? Sure, but avoid sounding whiny.
I'd like to hear this story myself.
 
It is impossible to answer that question without understanding more but regardless, it is going to come with risks. Considering that you are using it as a reflection of your most significant struggle, the best policy would be to make sure that it is universally approved by a handful of unbiased and trustworthy reviewers.
 
I don't get why people can't avoid talking about race, religion, politics, and relationships. These are minefields. If you talk about anything else, your good.
 
md-2020 said:
Only if you're a URM.
Click to expand...

I'm not a URM, but I actually talked about overcoming/dealing with racism as a major essay in one of my secondaries and ended up getting an interview at said school. Racism doesn't just affect URMs.

Edit: sorry! quoted wrong person initially
 
sensitive topic but it could probably be pulled off
 
twospadz said:
I don't get why people can't avoid talking about race, religion, politics, and relationships. These are minefields. If you talk about anything else, your good.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Experience taught me that if there is any probability of something backfiring on you, don't put it on your app. Considering the nature of the subject for a medical school app, its likely going to be low yield high risk at best.
 
Race and religion can play a major role in defining who a person is, and what experiences they have had. If done tactfully, they are fine to talk about.
 
Banco said:
Race and religion can play a major role in defining who a person is, and what experiences they have had. If done tactfully, they are fine to talk about.
Click to expand...
Tactfully? What do you mean?
 
Hyde said:
See post #17 for tactful "in context." If you're going to offer advice, pls be honest about minefields.
Click to expand...

Everyone's story/situation will be different, so its hard to offer specific advice.

But an example if you're going to address racism that you have faced:

Do not: badmouth other races, blame other races for your failures, act overly victimized

Do: explain any hardships you have overcome/how, explain how this has positively shaped you, explain how it will benefit you as a physician/medical student

I.e. "Tact".
 
Last edited:
WedgeDawg said:
I'm not a URM, but I actually talked about overcoming/dealing with racism as a major essay in one of my secondaries and ended up getting an interview at said school. Racism doesn't just affect URMs.

Edit: sorry! quoted wrong person initially
Click to expand...
Guess I should have phrased that better: "only if you're not white."
 
I don't really think it's a great topic, honestly: There's a small upside if you do it well and a massive downside if you don't.
 
It would have to depend on the context. Institutional racism, if significant and taught you a valuable lesson, would be great. Personal racism, like having a drunk guy yell slurs at you, isnt that significant. I'm jewish and think thats a pretty good example. I've had uneducated people say offensive things to me, but don't consider it overcoming racism at all. But I've never been pulled over and harrased by cops, or asked to show immigration papers. Having to deal with stuff like that, and learning from it, would be a good essay topic.
 
I read a secondary about someone coming from a confederate flag waving, white supremacist family and how difficult it was to balance family and living in the 'real world' after going to college. Helped that she was a very strong writer, but they pulled it off.
 
I definitely talk about institutional racism in my secondaries because it has played a huge role in my decision to become a physician. I do touch on my own experiences with racism and how I was able to relate those to the struggles that underserved people were facing, but I didn't dwell on my own personal experiences, and I tried my best not to pass blame onto other groups. It really depends on what kind of racism you're talking about.
 
Banco said:
Everyone's story/situation will be different, so its hard to offer specific advice.

But an example if you're going to address racism that you have faced:

Do not: badmouth other races, blame other races for your failures, act overly victimized

Do: explain any hardships you have overcome/how, explain how this has positively shaped you, explain how it will benefit you as a physician/medical student

I.e. "Tact".
Click to expand...

"act overly victimized"

I hear you, and even agree -- inasmuch as what 'act overly victimized' means to me. I think the danger zone here is that reasonable people have widely divergent ideas of what 'acting overly victimized' is. How much victimization is OK and how much is a pity party?

I remember trying to explain 'white male privilege' to a privileged young white man, and he was absolutely blind to all but the most overt discrimination faced by others. The impact of having to plan your day's itinerary so you don't get caught out alone after dark, of having to go with a friend to avoid being harassed, of having to avoid a certain neighborhood, or of having to always build in time for a possible traffic stop because they seem to happen so frequently. He truly could not appreciate the cumulative annoyance and emotional erosion of repeatedly being asked when the homeowner would be back, what 'your business' was in the neighborhood, whether you needed assistance in the store (and then being 'discretely' followed), of being asked whether your husband or boyfriend or father 'minded' that you were doing something, or of having people cross the street because either they were scared of you or thought you would be scared of them. Of reading news reports about how a shooting was deemed 'reasonable' because the gender, age and race of the victim caused the shooter to feel 'reasonable fear'. Those things eat at you.

I used the analogy of life being an obstacle course or a steeplechase race, and how being a woman or minority was like having a whole bunch of extra little obstacles thrown onto your course. Yes, the 'extra obstacles' are, for the most part, very little. But cumulatively, they mean you constantly have to 'watch your every step' -- and that's not how you win a race.

He thought I was 'acting overly victimized' and was derisively offended and contemptuous. I won't say exactly what I thought of him :beat:
 
Hyde said:
"I remember trying to explain 'white male privilege'".... LOL! Seriously? Get over yourself.
Click to expand...

Maybe it was you I was trying to explain it to... Your cultural sensitivity astounds.
 
It's wasn't me. I do take pride in my cultural sensitivity, so I'm glad you noticed.
 
Just being female or minority does not mean you were discriminated against, and hence won't make a good essay topic. Being able to describe significant adversity you overcame within the context of discrimination, and articulate how you learned from it and became a better person is what counts in this case. Id say it like this - If "microaggressions" are the worst thing you've had to overcome in your life, that's not very significant. Going to DokterMom's example, talking about "having to always build in time for a possible traffic stop" is not adversity. Discussing the ACTUAL traffic stops, and how it affected you, is where the adversity is.
 
I think it'd be true no matter what the topic of your diversity essay is...If you come off as winey and victimized it wont be compelling, but if you write tactfully and considerately, it will
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
Challenge Essay Topic?
Replies
1
Views
1K
EEqualsRx2
EEqualsRx2
S
challenge secondary topic decision
Replies
4
Views
1K
LizzyM
LizzyM
M
adversity/challenge essay topic?
Replies
3
Views
1K
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
S
Diversity Essay Topic Help
Replies
0
Views
844
soccerguy974
S
TheRealBibFortuna
Help me understand: the struggle against patients going AMA
Replies
5
Views
1K
mistafab
mistafab
Top