Our program and institution values a culturally diverse and inclusive atmosphere. How do you expect to thrive and prosper in this environment?
Physician assistant programs across the country emphasize increasing the diversity of their students, as will the hospitals and clinics you will be rotating in. During your PA school MMI process, you can expect at least one station to ask you to discuss your experiences and values related to succeeding in a culturally diverse environment.
Before your PA school MMI interview, research the diversity and inclusion websites of the program and institution you are interviewing with. This research will help you come prepared to speak to their philosophies and how you value them as a person and future student with their program.
The best way to answer a question like this on diversity and inclusion is to speak from the heart of your own experiences. As you discuss your experiences working closely with and alongside others from a different background than you, you should highlight how learning from others and seeing things in a new way has helped you become a better person, student, and future physician assistant. Be sure to touch on how you've familiarized yourself with the institution's DE&I policies and how you hold the same values for yourself, both now and in your career in practice.
"Your institution's diversity, equity & inclusion opening statement, 'Our differences make us stronger,' couldn't be said any better. In a culturally diverse climate, students, faculty, and even patients can help each other grow and learn new ways of doing things, and this is an environment that I would be proud to be a part of. Coming from a small Midwest town that wasn't very diverse, my four years of my undergraduate program helped me grow an appreciation for now working closely with others who were born and raised differently than I was. From studying together for tests, working together in the Commons, and working on group projects, I've been able to see so many things from a different perspective, which has helped me grow both as a person and professionally. A goal of mine is to one day practice in primary care in a large metro area where I will see a diverse patient base, and I am confident that my training here will help me best prepare for my future career goals."
