Veganism as answer to diversity question...?

[DrivenAndDangerous]

I know the general public opinion towards veganism, and ask those opinions be kept aside... I know what you're thinking, I've seen all the memes!

I'm not gung-ho on animal rights and am more vegan for health reasons. I've done my research and I know where the vegan diet is lacking and I know how to properly supplement. I'm not missing anything, I'm healthy, been vegan for almost 2 years now and have had several normal blood tests since.

That aside, this is a serious question and I'd like opinions on it. I've been pondering my answer to the diversity question for a couple of days now. I, like many others, am an ORM and have spent a lot of time on forums looking for some advice on how to answer it without referring to race.

Something pretty different about me is that I am vegan. Obviously I wouldn't simply mull over the fact that I only eat plants and how that's different from the typical Western diet. I could talk about how this part of me has led to a passion for learning about nutrition, how I'm aware of the positive environmental effects, and things of that nature.

As mentioned above, I know how most people view the vegan diet. I'm not sensitive to people's negative opinions, but I am aware of how... it's not generally accepted, and it's more often than not made fun of. I posted recently asking how recent employment with tutor.com would come off to adcoms and most responded with "You're feeling guilty about wanting money?" which okay, I get it and I shouldn't feel the need to hide that, but this might be a little different. Not only are opinions generally negative, but I'm not sure if it's on the right track of what they're looking for as an answer to "What makes you diverse?"

On the other hand, I am majoring in biomedical engineering. That might be considered diverse and might be better to talk about?

Thoughts?

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[deleted854547]

Veganism require immense amounts of willpower, discipline and preparation. My interactions with vegans have only been positive. If you can find a way to frame how being a vegan would contribute to your med school, I don't see what the problem is.

 

[SuaveCardigans]

I think more people make jokes about vegans than actually harboring any ill will.

As long as you avoid the "preachy" stereotype, this sounds like a great essay to me.

 

[Save a life]

I think it's a great way to answer a diversity question

 

[LizzyM]

Be prepared to be asked how you manage social situations that involve food. From what I've seen, a lot of medical school, starting with the interviews, involves sharing meals and snacks.

 

[SuaveCardigans]

Be prepared to be asked how you manage social situations that involve food. From what I've seen, a lot of medical school, starting with the interviews, involves sharing meals and snacks.

He could eat the lettuce and tomato off of my burger.

 

[LizzyM]

He could eat the lettuce and tomato off of my burger.

You are too kind.

 

[OchemOficionado]

Just in case you didn't know, I believe Loma Linda still has a vegetarian cafeteria. I know that's still not vegan, but if you go to that school you may have more food options. (Although most vegans I know make all their own food)

 

[DrHart]

The more important question is... are you a level 5 vegan?


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[raiderette]

I think it is a great way to show your diversity. Preaching would be horrible, but you sound upbeat and positive.

 

[fluffysquirrel]

I think it's a great way to answer the question, my fellow vegan friend ^_^

 

[Goro]

Does being vegan make you cool?
This is a serious question.

I know the general public opinion towards veganism, and ask those opinions be kept aside... I know what you're thinking, I've seen all the memes!

I'm not gung-ho on animal rights and am more vegan for health reasons. I've done my research and I know where the vegan diet is lacking and I know how to properly supplement. I'm not missing anything, I'm healthy, been vegan for almost 2 years now and have had several normal blood tests since.

That aside, this is a serious question and I'd like opinions on it. I've been pondering my answer to the diversity question for a couple of days now. I, like many others, am an ORM and have spent a lot of time on forums looking for some advice on how to answer it without referring to race.

Something pretty different about me is that I am vegan. Obviously I wouldn't simply mull over the fact that I only eat plants and how that's different from the typical Western diet. I could talk about how this part of me has led to a passion for learning about nutrition, how I'm aware of the positive environmental effects, and things of that nature.

As mentioned above, I know how most people view the vegan diet. I'm not sensitive to people's negative opinions, but I am aware of how... it's not generally accepted, and it's more often than not made fun of. I posted recently asking how recent employment with tutor.com would come off to adcoms and most responded with "You're feeling guilty about wanting money?" which okay, I get it and I shouldn't feel the need to hide that, but this might be a little different. Not only are opinions generally negative, but I'm not sure if it's on the right track of what they're looking for as an answer to "What makes you diverse?"

On the other hand, I am majoring in biomedical engineering. That might be considered diverse and might be better to talk about?

Thoughts?

 

[OchemOficionado]

Does being vegan make you cool?
This is a serious question.

Cool? Maybe. But vegans are another "C" word for sure.








Compassionate (to every species)

 

[Goro]

Cool? Maybe. But vegans are another "C" for sure.





Compassionate (to every species)

My question was to the OP, and in dead seriousness.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Does being vegan make you cool?
This is a serious question.

In California, absolutely.

 

[OchemOficionado]

My question was to the OP, and in dead seriousness.

Haha. Opps. I'm curious too now. How do we measure coolness though?

 

[cactusman]

Does being vegan make you cool?
This is a serious question.

When people learn that I'm vegetarian I get sometimes get "thank God he's not a vegan!" jokes. So I would say no (unfortunately, considering how good it is for the environment).

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

When people learn that I'm vegetarian I get sometimes get "thank God he's not a vegan!" jokes. So I would say no (unfortunately, considering how good it is for the environment).

Move to San Diego. We even have our own vegan fast food joints.

 

[DrfluffyMD]

Oh please. I personally (stress personally) only had bad experience with vegans, including an ex partner who was very keen on converting me (no thanks).

I wouldn't write about that if I were you. In case you get somebody like me who happened to be pro-meat and aren't keen on this vegan thing.

In general you don't want to write anything that's too controversial to the point where it can hurt you.

 

[DrivenAndDangerous]

Does being vegan make you cool?
This is a serious question.

No. It makes me that person who asks for the salad without the cheese or the chicken and maybe even no dressing, too. It makes me the person who orders the baked potato plain, emphasis on the plain - that means no butter, please. My family cringes every time I order.

 

[cactusman]

Oh please. I personally (stress personally) only had bad experience with vegans, including an ex partner who was very keen on converting me (no thanks).

I wouldn't write about that if I were you. In case you get somebody like me who happened to be pro-meat and aren't keen on this vegan thing.

In general you don't want to write anything that's too controversial to the point where it can hurt you.

I find it really weird that not eating certain foods (foods which happen to have worse environmental impacts, basically no reasonable argument that they don't) has any potential to be controversial.

 

[Goro]

No. It makes me that person who asks for the salad without the cheese or the chicken and maybe even no dressing, too. It makes me the person who orders the baked potato plain, emphasis on the plain - that means no butter, please. My family cringes every time I order.

Then don't mention it. Most people don't understand the prompt is for "what do YOU bring to the class?" or "What's cool about you?"

So, what's cool about you? What would your three best friends say?

 

[DrfluffyMD]

I find it really weird that not eating certain foods (foods which happen to have worse environmental impacts, basically no reasonable argument that they don't) has any potential to be controversial.

I am not annoyed about whatever people decide to do to their body. It's a problem when they push their belief on people.

For example, what if your partner ask you to not kiss them after you eat meat/whatever food you don't like?

Fine, maybe I am not trying to date OP. What about potlucks? If I bring some bacon to OP's place, do I need to bring my own utensil too? etc.

I respect OP for whatever he likes to do, but I find it laughable when they think it makes them more diverse and add more value to the class, then say people who play instruments or video games really well.

 

[cactusman]

I am not annoyed about whatever people decide to do to their body. It's a problem when they push their belief on people.

For example, what if your partner ask you to not kiss them after you eat meat/whatever food you don't like?

Fine, maybe I am not trying to date OP. What about potlucks? If I bring some bacon to OP's place, do I need to bring my own utensil too? etc.

I respect OP for whatever he likes to do, but I find it laughable when they think it makes them more diverse and add more value to the class, then say people who play instruments or video games really well.

If you have a problem with bringing your own fork when you go to an event hosted by your friend, then don't go. I don't see an issue with not going because of that, but they're not "pushing their beliefs on you" in the same way an Orthodox Jew wouldn't be pushing their beliefs if they asked you not to use the sour cream spoon for the ground beef when they host taco night.

 

[DrivenAndDangerous]

I am not annoyed about whatever people decide to do to their body. It's a problem when they push their belief on people.

For example, what if your partner ask you to not kiss them after you eat meat/whatever food you don't like?

Fine, maybe I am not trying to date OP. What about potlucks? If I bring some bacon to OP's place, do I need to bring my own utensil too? etc.

I respect OP for whatever he likes to do, but I find it laughable when they think it makes them more diverse and add more value to the class, then say people who play instruments or video games really well.

I respect your opinion and I can understand how me thinking veganism makes me diverse, and that I'm able to add value because of it, is laughable. That's why I asked in the first place. I, however, am not the type to make anyone bring their own utensils, etc. When I'm home, my mother cooks food with meat in it and I just pick it out. If I eat something on accident I don't make a big deal of it.

Why veganism makes me diverse isn't because I have food "restrictions" and I make things difficult on others as a result, it makes me diverse because I am passionate about nutrition, holistic health, and I made a conscious decision to make a drastic diet change because of it.

I'm never "preach-y" as people say, I dated a meat eater for a year while vegan and it was never an issue. I never made it a requirement for him to go vegan. (I'm female, by the way).

@Goro has a good point, however. It's not well-accepted. It's a way of eating. Some might think it's "cool," some might think it's ridiculous and annoying.

 

[bioboy23]

 

[gyngyn]

I read your title: Vaginismus as an answer to the diversity question...?
I was delighted to see veganism instead.

 

[Goro]

I read your title: Vaginismus as an answer to the diversity question...?
I was delighted to see veganism instead.

Oh, you gynecologist, you.

 

[gyngyn]

Oh, you gynecologist, you.

One sees what they expect to see...

 

[Ismet]

OP I think it would be fine to write about if it's well-written. Have people you trust read over your answer and give you honest feedback.

I am not annoyed about whatever people decide to do to their body. It's a problem when they push their belief on people.

For example, what if your partner ask you to not kiss them after you eat meat/whatever food you don't like?

Fine, maybe I am not trying to date OP. What about potlucks? If I bring some bacon to OP's place, do I need to bring my own utensil too? etc.

I respect OP for whatever he likes to do, but I find it laughable when they think it makes them more diverse and add more value to the class, then say people who play instruments or video games really well.

I'm sorry you've had bad experiences, but not all vegan/vegetarians are like that. I'm vegetarian, and none of my veggie or vegan friends are like that either. I made that choice for me and not for anyone else, and I don't impose my choice on anyone else. If a vegan does, it's because they're a crappy person, not because they're vegan.

As for potlucks, it's not like I can't have meat cross the threshold of my house, I'm just not going to be the one buying it or consuming it. If people want to bring a dish with meat, by all means go for it. Use my utensils and dishes, they'll get washed when we're done like everything else and they're not "tainted" because they came in contact with meat. Perhaps have a little awareness and don't double dip your bacon spoon into a vegetarian dish, but if it happens, a decent person isn't going to make a big deal about it. My parents have leather couches in their living room. I sit on them. My friends all eat meat when we go out to eat. I don't care. We're not all bad

 

[P0ke]

I respect your opinion and I can understand how me thinking veganism makes me diverse, and that I'm able to add value because of it, is laughable. That's why I asked in the first place. I, however, am not the type to make anyone bring their own utensils, etc. When I'm home, my mother cooks food with meat in it and I just pick it out. If I eat something on accident I don't make a big deal of it.

Why veganism makes me diverse isn't because I have food "restrictions" and I make things difficult on others as a result, it makes me diverse because I am passionate about nutrition, holistic health, and I made a conscious decision to make a drastic diet change because of it.

I'm never "preach-y" as people say, I dated a meat eater for a year while vegan and it was never an issue. I never made it a requirement for him to go vegan. (I'm female, by the way).

@Goro has a good point, however. It's not well-accepted. It's a way of eating. Some might think it's "cool," some might think it's ridiculous and annoying.

I'm not sure if you would pass as "vegan" by the strictest definition of the word. If you're eating food cooked with meat, and you just pick the meat out, I guarantee you're still eating animal products, just not macroscopic ones. Maybe "selective eater" would be a more correct term?

 

[DrivenAndDangerous]

I'm not sure if you would pass as "vegan" by the strictest definition of the word. If you're eating food cooked with meat, and you just pick the meat out, I guarantee you're still eating animal products, just not macroscopic ones. Maybe "selective eater" would be a more correct term?

To each their own I guess

 

[Dr.Kat]

To each their own I guess

you seem like such a nice person - I say write about being vegan for diversity essays, it stands out and it does make you diverse

 

[Ismet]

I'm not sure if you would pass as "vegan" by the strictest definition of the word. If you're eating food cooked with meat, and you just pick the meat out, I guarantee you're still eating animal products, just not macroscopic ones. Maybe "selective eater" would be a more correct term?

It's more of a spectrum than an all or none kind of thing. Some people are very strict plant based eaters. Some people will make an exception for this or that, here or there. OP sounds like the kind of person who makes a conscious effort to avoid animal products, but is not going to make someone go out of their way to make something vegan for them.