Using Physics Major for Diversity Essay?

[wolfie77]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Retail work experiences would exemplify most of the qualities, yet it is not a valid experience. Clinical volunteerism isn't required, yet >85% of matriculants have volunteering experience. I'm forced to volunteer.

Volunteering -- working for free -- sucks. Bitterness should be expected.

 

[SpecterGT260]

 

[wolfie77]

my cartoon > yours

 

[circulus vitios]

Hating volunteering makes me sad and strange? Most of my family and friends think I'm a ****** for working for free.

 

[DietSexy5000]

Weird how this thread is almost exactly me. Middle class, normal family background, etc. Also a physics major. I answered some of the diversity questions like this especially when they explicitly mention 'how will you contribute to the student body?' or 'what can you bring to the educational community?'. It's a more than legitimate answer to say something like, 'I've been trained to think like a physicist. I problem solve. I use math. I break things down.' etc. etc. That brings something very unique to the class that many other students can't claim. Not every student is diverse because they were born to two dudes in Vietnam in a cave with only one leg, built a raft, floated to Cuba then swam to Florida only to find that they didn't speak English and learned American Sign to communicate. No. You are an individual as a result of your academic training. I wouldn't discuss physics content and ideas but I would absolutely discuss how it makes you a unique part of the student body as a result of your mindset.

 

[FSU2013]

At the risk of losing any shred of anonymity......whoever said that there are thousands of physics majors applying every year, that's just not true. Physical sciences? Sure, because that can include chem (or at least subsets) and/or types of engineering. Tons of physicists? No.

I wrote about how being a physics major made me unique and I didn't have any problems. My school has been open for 11 years and I'm the first physic major they have ever had. Since me, they have admitted one more. So yes, it does make you unique. The depth of logic and the way you have to think through problems is unique to physics. The type of people that enjoy physics are different (albeit sadistic).

The stupid essays you write are only a small portion of your app. You'll probably be fine either way. Plus, I got a perverse sense of gratification by writing my essay about that, because, guess what? it's not wrong to be a traditional middle class white male applying to med school. Be proud of who you are. If you can sell yourself as being a unique physics major, then do it. If you can write a better essay about something else, do that.

 

[WorldWiz]

First of all, I'm sorry if this thread has already passed a certain date beyond which I'm not supposed to revive it.

It seems that more than one poster above has stated that being a physics major can be considered diverse due to the heavy emphasis on critical thinking and problem solving that that requires. I started as a bio major under the mistaken assumption that that's the course pre-meds should take, but at the end of my junior year I decided that I did not want to spend my last year on rote-memorization bio courses, and switched to biochem, which at my university required me to make up most of the additional requisites of a regular chem major (inorganic and physical chem). I enjoyed this more because chemistry had a lot more emphasis on critical thinking and problem solving (though less than and different from physics). But would the critical-thinking mentality shown by my preference for chemistry (bio-, organic, inorganic, and physical) be too dilute, in comparison to physics, to discuss as "diversity"? Thanks.

 

[Doctor Strange]

First of all, I'm sorry if this thread has already passed a certain date beyond which I'm not supposed to revive it.

It seems that more than one poster above has stated that being a physics major can be considered diverse due to the heavy emphasis on critical thinking and problem solving that that requires. I started as a bio major under the mistaken assumption that that's the course pre-meds should take, but at the end of my junior year I decided that I did not want to spend my last year on rote-memorization bio courses, and switched to biochem, which at my university required me to make up most of the additional requisites of a regular chem major (inorganic and physical chem). I enjoyed this more because chemistry had a lot more emphasis on critical thinking and problem solving (though less than and different from physics). But would the critical-thinking mentality shown by my preference for chemistry (bio-, organic, inorganic, and physical) be too dilute, in comparison to physics, to discuss as "diversity"? Thanks.

Being a chem or physics major should not be used to discuss diversity. You're going to get laughed at if you try to take this angle.

 

[deleted407021]

What specific understandings or perspectives that you have make you think differently than your peers? Any personal philosophies that influence your personality and decision making?

 

[Narmerguy]

Being a chem or physics major should not be used to discuss diversity. You're going to get laughed at if you try to take this angle.

I disagree. There are many ways to use this to discuss diversity. As has been pointed out already, there's almost nothing one can do that hasn't been done by many applicants already. What matters is the personal perspective and narrative that you can bring to your experiences, and how you use those experiences to build upon your desire to become a great physician.

 

[deleted547339]

First of all, I'm sorry if this thread has already passed a certain date beyond which I'm not supposed to revive it.

It seems that more than one poster above has stated that being a physics major can be considered diverse due to the heavy emphasis on critical thinking and problem solving that that requires. I started as a bio major under the mistaken assumption that that's the course pre-meds should take, but at the end of my junior year I decided that I did not want to spend my last year on rote-memorization bio courses, and switched to biochem, which at my university required me to make up most of the additional requisites of a regular chem major (inorganic and physical chem). I enjoyed this more because chemistry had a lot more emphasis on critical thinking and problem solving (though less than and different from physics). But would the critical-thinking mentality shown by my preference for chemistry (bio-, organic, inorganic, and physical) be too dilute, in comparison to physics, to discuss as "diversity"? Thanks.

Physics major for diversity makes sense. There aren't a lot of people with physics degrees. Chem was probably the 2nd most common major in my class behind bio. Definitely don't think chem makes sense as a factor for diversity.

 

[WorldWiz]

This morning I thought of another angle, but still partly academic, so I'd like your critique. A few posters already focused on discussing one's mentality (e.g. physics majors as critical thinkers) for diversity, so can I highlight my creative thinking through miscellaneous examples such as successfully improvising to make outdated lab equipment work for my research? Or should I be able to fully discuss one quality based on one experience instead of a miscellany of episodes?

 

[Espadaleader]

Hey OP just because you're white doesn't mean you're not diverse and cannot bring diversity to the table.

 

[Urnathok]

Interesting that you should bring up critical thinking, when I was a Chemistry major I always felt that it was pretty lacking in that. Fantastic problem-solving skills -- it felt kind of like majoring in one great puzzle game, but lateral and critical thinking felt scant at best.

That said, no, I wouldn't think it makes you stand out, nor should you approach it as such. Focus on how studying chemistry makes your thought process one that would prosper in medicine. Think about why Organic is weighted as heavily as it is. "Get from A to B; there are multiple ways to get to B, some better, some worse, plenty of ways to go wrong, some that will take you back to A, others that will give you C." If you went through two years of that, I'd bet you have a few things to say about why that makes you a contributing member of the class.