2003 Jordan J. Cohen, M.D. Scholarship Essay Winner

By Adam Lee Sewell, 1st Year Medical Student

Although I am just beginning my medical career, I am learning to harness the strengths that a diverse environment offers. I plan to create diversity around myself and in my practice of medicine for the simple reason that a diverse environment is better for everyone – patients, coworkers, and even myself.

In the short time I have been at UTMB, the most prominent example of diversity in action is in the problem based learning (PBL) group that I attend. My PBL group is a medical team consisting of 10 people from various ethnic, religious, social, and even geographic backgrounds. My commitment to diversity stems from three central attributes that I have witnessed from working with my team: Better solutions, a learning environment, and individual growth.

Medicine is about facing challenges – understanding a patient’s ailments and determining a solution to heal the patient. My team solves challenges more successfully because every individual comes to the table from a different background, with different experiences, and often views the same challenge from different perspectives. The more diverse a group, the more perspectives can be shared, allowing for the formulation of multiple approaches. I have come to learn that medicine is as much art as science and the ability to use multiple approaches to solve a challenge allows for greater flexibility and a better solution.

Every member of the medical community must be a life-long learner. Medical technology grows everyday, with new ideas ready to be devoured and redefined. For any medical team to be effective, a learning environment must be created. Such an environment allows for ideas to be exchanged with each idea given consideration and respect. Diversity in itself creates such a learning environment – natural curiosity about each member and about their perspective sets the stage for communication, cooperation, and respect for various points of view. In general, the more varied the team the more interesting, and therefore the best environment for everyone to learn. Furthermore, learning about each team member’s cultural background, perspective, and life makes the team become a stronger more cohesive unit. I have seen that as my team creates more solutions to the challenges we face, every member develops respect and admiration for each other.

Perhaps the most important component of diversity, a diverse environment causes people to grow – learning new skills, ideas, and approaches. Being in a diverse environment affords us the ability to assimilate the languages, lifestyles, and perspectives from each of our team members into our own lives – making everyone better, more well-rounded individuals.

By working with a diverse team of people everyday to solve challenges, learn new skills, and even communicate with patients I can see that my fellow students and I are all growing together because of the differences we have and share with each other. I know that I’m a better person, a better friend, and I will be better doctor because of the diversity here.