TMDSAS Personal Characteristics Essay Prompt Question

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Prompt: "Learning from others is enhanced in educational settings that include individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Please describe your personal characteristics (background, talents, skills, etc.) or experiences that would add to the educational experience of others."


I am having quite the bit of trouble trying to understand what the personal characteristics essay prompt is asking. I have a good idea of the unique experiences that may make me different from other applicants, however, I am having trouble conveying how it would directly add to the educational experience of others.

Does the essay prompt assume that whatever unique experience/characteristic I write about will automatically contribute the education of others by the virtue of how unique it is? Or is that part of the essay prompt something that I need to address more explicitly?

I feel as though I can easily relate my unique experiences to how it would enhance my capacity to be a physician, however, I am having difficulty thinking of how it would directly add to the education of my potential peers in medical school.

 

[DokterMom]

In the simplest sense, your having had certain unique experiences should make you able to explain to your classmates how having those experiences feels. For example, if you have a visible facial deformity, you could explain to your colleagues what that feels like and advise them how they might counsel parents of newborns with similar issues. If you are the child of non-English-speaking immigrants, you could help explain how poor comprehension of instructions constituted a barrier to care.

So what's unique, and how did it impact your life?