For some reason, I find this question a little odd:
How will you contribute to the diversity of our medical school?
As a person of color, it seems to me the answer is obvious, although I’d be quite hesitant to say that in an interview, lol!!
Anyone else heard of any interesting questions?
Having had to answer the same question, I asked around. Most of the advice I got was that they weren’t asking about ethnic diversity so much as a diversity of your experiences. Being a nontrad student, you’ll probably have a lot to offer that other students haven’t been exposed to. It may pay to focus more on that than on the ethnicity angle.
That said, that was the advice given to me as an overrepresented minority. It’s possible I would have been advised differently if I were from a different background.
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And to answer your question, the most interesting question I heard was one I’m glad I didn’t get asked:
“It’s 50 years from now, and you’re accepting an award for your advances in medicine. An opponent of yours comes to the stage to criticize you. What does he say?”
I paraphrased it poorly, but it felt like it boiled down to “What flaws do you expect you’ll still have 50 years from now?” IMHO, that’s harder to answer than “What flaws do you have now?”
- pi1304 Said:
Having had to answer the same question, I asked around. Most of the advice I got was that they weren't asking about ethnic diversity so much as a diversity of your experiences.
I understand that the question is more about how you differentiate yourself from the "premed" crowd (I guess my attempt at a little humor in this stressful process needs some work). However, in my case though, it is a fact that the diversity of my experiences especially as they relate to medicine, are definitely tied to my ethnicity. Or is it the other way around, or both ways?
Anyhoo, I think this type of question actually favors the nontraditional applicant!
The main purpose of this question is not to answer with the fact that you are a minority and that is it. Rather, what can you bring with you? It is like being at a job interview and the HR manager asks you “Why should we take you over the other applicants? What can you bring to the table?”
Think about how your experiences as a nontraditional student will make the school proud that you are an alumna.
- gabelerman Said:
The main purpose of this question is not to answer with the fact that you are a minority and that is it.
At an interview, it will be obvious that I'm some sort of minority although people often have a time trying to determine which one. You're right though, I won't need to state the obvious!
However, I disagree that this type of question is similar to being in a job interview. In 24 years of working, I've NEVER been asked about my ability to bring diversity to company or organization.
With diversity, it does not necessarily mean ethnic, but rather your background and experience.
In job interviews, I have been asked, what can I bring with me. In my mind, this is the same question as how can I contribute to the diversity of the student body.
Gabe, I agree totally. Over the years I have been asked at job interviews what do I have to contribute that makes me different from other candidates.
I fully expect to hear the same question at residency interviews this fall. I think the term ‘diversity’, when used in the interview environment, is more in respect to your unique qualities.
I’ve been asked in job interviews what are you bringing to the table in so many words. But
I dunno, it’s just strange to me for a PI to have asked me how can I contribute to the diversity of what? His Lab? In my experience, most PI’s are looking for someone who fits into whatever idea they have about how their research should be conducted and how their lab should be run, very contrary to diversity, however you define it, IMHO.
Well, an interview by a PI for a lab position is a (relatively) narrow scope. Whereas asking how you contribute to the diversity of a medschool class is extremely broad. And it’s that sort of “working environment” that I think Gabe is evoking. The idea is that there are a whole lot of people on the team, each of them with unique talents and viewpoints – what would be YOUR contribution to broadening that team’s ability and scope?