What is considered "unique"?

[Persistence101]

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What if we list a quality that isn't unique? Will schools (ie, USC) hate this? How do we know that our qualities/abilties are unique since there are thousands of students that may have these qualities? Please help 🙁 Thanks

 

[chapinsita]

Don't take it so seriously! With 6 billion people in the world, I doubt anyone is unique! Just explain what makes you special/different/better than other pre-meds who you know who are also applying right now. What makes you special among your friends? You must have something! Even if it is playing the piano, I'm sure many do that, but how many premeds play piano concerts and give lessons to inner city children? Not many. That's unique. That's not me by the way, I wish I did. Just think.

 

[LoneCoyote]

Originally posted by chapinsita
Don't take it so seriously! With 6 billion people in the world, I doubt anyone is unique! Just explain what makes you special/different/better than other pre-meds who you know who are also applying right now. What makes you special among your friends? You must have something! Even if it is playing the piano, I'm sure many do that, but how many premeds play piano concerts and give lessons to inner city children? Not many. That's unique. That's not me by the way, I wish I did. Just think.

agreed. i think people get all wrapped up in this concept of being "unique." everyone has something they do that is unique and it is also how you put a spin on what you did in your apps. personally, i think of it meaning is not doing the "typical" pre-med resume. there were plenty of people in my classes who did stuff just for their applications and it was all the same stuff over and over. they did not have any reason for doing it other than it "looked good" on the resume and they were hard pressed to explain how it was meaningful for them. so i think if your application doesn't read like the "cookie cutter" pre-med resume without anything meaningful to say, you'll be fine and unique enough.

 

[calebho501]

Sometimes it's easy to overlook what's unique about us, b/c we often have a list of things that we believe admissions are looking for. Look beyond your research and extra curricular activities, and see if there is any travel experience, knowledge about a particular area, etc. that may stand out.

 

[jenni4476]

I had a nice discussion with my premed advisor on this.....she said basically as long as you've demonstrated that you're familiar with the medical field through clinical exposure of some kind, and that you're altruistic by volunteering (altho if work or family prevents that, it's not necessary), everything else is up in the air. Of course your stats have to be at least close to competitive. Do what you like for your own reasons and be able to stand behind it, and you'll have a much better chance than a "cookie-cutter" who can't give any convincing in-depth reasons. That in and of itself will make you unique.

 

[kito]

Originally posted by jenni4476
That in and of itself will make you unique.

Word.

 

[....]

Tell them you have syphilis 😉

 

[Mike59]

Originally posted by Persistence101
What if we list a quality that isn't unique? Will schools (ie, USC) hate this? How do we know that our qualities/abilties are unique since there are thousands of students that may have these qualities? Please help 🙁 Thanks

You are NOT unique if more than 2 of the following are in your application, and yes, schools will "hate" this:

- You want to enter medicine primarily because you wish to "help people"
- You work in a research lab
- You have volunteered in a hospital
- You are a member of AED
- and last but not least, you majored in Biology


Just kidding 🙂

 

[SaltySqueegee]

Originally posted by Mike59
You are NOT unique if more than 2 of the following are in your application, and yes, schools will "hate" this:

- You want to enter medicine primarily because you wish to "help people"
Damn...
- You work in a research lab
Double Damn...
- You have volunteered in a hospital
Damn Again...
- You are a member of AED
AED???
- You have syphilis
Hang on... let me check... fweeewwww.... i'm okay... ???
- and last but not least, you majored in Biology
Son of a B!7C4

Just kidding 🙂

Well that sucked... 😉