Does being Egyptian Classify you as URM?

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Legally I am a Caucasian male and I can be confused as being a Caucasian. But I am Egyptian, my parents were born in Egypt ( I was born in the United States). Egypt is in Africa, So can I consider myself African American and be a URM? My father actually looks African American. I somewhat do, but I am confused as being of European origin.

Will the Medical School staff have a problem with this-especially the interviewers. My first language was not english-it is arabic and then I learned english and My family is very very poor.

Am I a URM? or Can i be?

No, sorry. Middle-Easterners are not URM.

If you look black go for it, it will help.

Originally Posted by mclinkin94

Legally I am a Caucasian male and I can be confused as being a Caucasian. But I am Egyptian, my parents were born in Egypt ( I was born in the United States). Egypt is in Africa, So can I consider myself African American and be a URM? My father actually looks African American. I somewhat do, but I am confused as being of European origin.

Will the Medical School staff have a problem with this-especially the interviewers. My first language was not english-it is arabic and then I learned english and My family is very very poor.

Am I a URM? or Can i be?

No. Correct me if I'm wrong butI understand that Egyptians in Egypt do NOT consider them Africans and believe themselves separate from those who live to their south.

Don't think that adcoms don't see through that bull ****.

No. URM states African American but what they really mean is Black...my friend is Egyptians and she ask my uni medical school (FAU COM) and they told her to check other and type Egyptian.

Originally Posted by maybemed2013

No. URM states African American but what they really mean is Black...my friend is Egyptians and she ask my uni medical school (FAU COM) and they told her to check other and type Egyptian.

The AMCAS category is African-American/Black. If you are from Canada and Black (yes, there is such a thing) you are Black but not African-American.

Originally Posted by LizzyM

The AMCAS category is African-American/Black. If you are from Canada and Black (yes, there is such a thing) you are Black but not African-American.

Originally Posted by mclinkin94

Legally I am a Caucasian male and I can be confused as being a Caucasian.

Am I a URM? or Can i be?

Case closed.

Is it better to tick caucasian or other/middle-eastern?

Originally Posted by chiddler

Is it better to tick caucasian or other/middle-eastern?

It's best to tick whatever you ticked on the last census.

Here's a little tip: when it comes to URM, medical schools want to see one of three minorities: Native Americans, Hispanic Americans and blacks. The reason behind this is clear: these minorities are more likely to provide their services to their ethnic communities. Correct me if I'm wrong, but there is not a large Egyptian community in this country that you feel emotionally bonded to and wish to serve exclusively as a doctor.

Take a look at the bigger picture.

I am a descendant of now-extinct Neanderthals but I was born in America and have never spoken to them. Can I claim URM? Adcoms may be confused because I don't have that forehead thing going on, and I'm not that hairy.

I marked Neanderthal-American on my college apps, if that helps.

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There is no doubt that I cannot put African American. If adcom has a problem, just change it to black. You don't have to be white to be Caucasian and you don't have to be black to be African American.

Right?

What about Afrikanners?

Originally Posted by serenade

What about Afrikanners?

Clearly Afrikaan-Amerikaan

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OP, if this is a joke then lmao. if not, please just stop. Your argument is just plain retarded, especially when you stated in the other thread that you are legally a caucasian male.

I am Egyptian. What happens if I put Af American in my application? What will they do? deny?

Perhaps you are on a troll roll today.
Only a matter of time till mods close this duplicate thread.

Originally Posted by Poetic Silence

Here's a little tip: when it comes to URM, medical schools want to see one of three minorities: Native Americans, Hispanic Americans and blacks. The reason behind this is clear: these minorities are more likely to provide their services to their ethnic communities. Correct me if I'm wrong, but there is not a large Egyptian community in this country that you feel emotionally bonded to and wish to serve exclusively as a doctor.

Take a look at the bigger picture.

Half my family is Eastern African, there's not a big community of them either. None of the doctors in my family work with in black communities and are mostly Soviet trained specialists/ intellectuals and related to the Royal family of Ethopia. They relate more with whites and the Jewish community in the US. Do you think they should have URM status or should that only apply to African-Americans with deeper roots in the US? Obviously this isn't supposed to set a precedent, but hey food for thought.

Originally Posted by gaystains

Clearly Afrikaan-Amerikaan

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I kinda love you now....

i think his overarching argument is pretty clear, but that's just me.

Originally Posted by serenade

Half my family is Eastern African, there's not a big community of them either. None of the doctors in my family work with in black communities and are mostly Soviet trained specialists/ intellectuals and related to the Royal family of Ethopia. They relate more with whites and the Jewish community in the US. Do you think they should have URM status or should that only apply to African-Americans with deeper roots in the US? Obviously this isn't supposed to set a precedent, but hey food for thought.

I think that Africans in general have some kind of disdain towards American blacks. most of my entire family (western africans) dislike being associated with AAs. No idea as to why.

Originally Posted by serenade

Half my family is Eastern African, there's not a big community of them either. None of the doctors in my family work with in black communities and are mostly Soviet trained specialists/ intellectuals and related to the Royal family of Ethopia. They relate more with whites and the Jewish community in the US. Do you think they should have URM status or should that only apply to African-Americans with deeper roots in the US? Obviously this isn't supposed to set a precedent, but hey food for thought.

List yourself as you've listed yourself on your MDapps.

Originally Posted by Thego2guy

Perhaps you are on a troll roll today.
Only a matter of time till mods close this duplicate thread.

I havent got the answer I wanted.

Originally Posted by mclinkin94

I am Egyptian. What happens if I put Af American in my application? What will they do? deny?

yes put it. see what happens and report back

Originally Posted by jesse120

yes put it. see what happens and report back

OP, real answer to your real question: Call the admissions office. You don't have to tell them your name, but call them and ask them that question. Or email them. That's it. Making 3+ threads on this forum within an hour is not going to win you any good advice.

Originally Posted by rblgenius

I listed myself as native american.

All you gotta do is be sure to know a name of a reservation for your interviews and your golden.

also, REFUSE ALL BLOOD TESTS AND NEEDLES THEY MAY TRY TO STICK IN YOU.

it works brah

Drug geek, is it you?

Originally Posted by mclinkin94

I havent got the answer I wanted.

Sorry you didnt get the answer you want but it is what it is..you only want to put African american on your amcas to get the URM boost..but you can not put african american on your amcas....when you go to the interview you will look like a dumbass if you do... Egyptians are NOT what Americans consider African -American they are consider Caucasians / white/ middle easterners.

If you know your history you would know your ancestors migrated to Egypt and are therefore not true Africans.... there are people of European descent in South Africa and they are classified as white/ caucasian... if a black person moves to Japan are they now Asian

Merging related threads.

Originally Posted by gaystains

I am a descendant of now-extinct Neanderthals but I was born in America and have never spoken to them. Can I claim URM? Adcoms may be confused because I don't have that forehead thing going on, and I'm not that hairy.

I marked Neanderthal-American on my college apps, if that helps.

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Originally Posted by gaystains

Clearly Afrikaan-Amerikaan

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You are quickly becoming my new favorite poster.

Originally Posted by mclinkin94

I havent got the answer I wanted.

Uh, because the answer you wanted wasn't the right one.

Originally Posted by Neurosis

I think that Africans in general have some kind of disdain towards American blacks. most of my entire family (western africans) dislike being associated with AAs. No idea as to why.

Different cultures, ideals, and values.

Originally Posted by gaystains

I am a descendant of now-extinct Neanderthals but I was born in America and have never spoken to them. Can I claim URM? Adcoms may be confused because I don't have that forehead thing going on, and I'm not that hairy.

I marked Neanderthal-American on my college apps, if that helps.

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False. humans did not descend from Neanderthals. the current line of thinking is that neanderthals were a separate lineage

Originally Posted by maybemed2013

Sorry you didnt get the answer you want but it is what it is..you only want to put African american on your amcas to get the URM boost..but you can not put african american on your amcas....when you go to the interview you will look like a dumbass if you do... Egyptians are NOT what Americans consider African -American they are consider Caucasians / white/ middle easterners.

If you know your history you would know your ancestors migrated to Egypt and are therefore not true Africans.... there are people of European descent in South Africa and they are classified as white/ caucasian... if a black person moves to Japan are they now Asian

Should we call Native Americans and other indigenous groups Asian then? It's a moot point.
If I move to Japan and become a permant resident then I'll be Japanese, I will however not ever become Yamamoto( ethnic group specific to Japan and decended from mainland Asia.

Originally Posted by Rumalum

False. humans did not descend from Neanderthals. the current line of thinking is that neanderthals were a separate lineage

Guess that definitely makes him a URM, then, if he did descend from Neanderthals.

Originally Posted by Rumalum

False. humans did not descend from Neanderthals. the current line of thinking is that neanderthals were a separate lineage

There is extensive data to show that Cro-Magnon and Neanderthals interbreed to the point that a few percent of your genome will be directly Neanderthal, maybe even some humans have mitochondrial DNA from them.

Originally Posted by Poetic Silence

Here's a little tip: when it comes to URM, medical schools want to see one of three minorities: Native Americans, Hispanic Americans and blacks. The reason behind this is clear: these minorities are more likely to provide their services to their ethnic communities. Correct me if I'm wrong, but there is not a large Egyptian community in this country that you feel emotionally bonded to and wish to serve exclusively as a doctor.

Take a look at the bigger picture.

Just out of curiosity, is there evidence to support this claim? Similarly, my state med school has a program that guarantees admission to "scholars" from rural parts of the state. Obviously the logic is the same, i.e., presumably they are more likely to return to a rural area to practice. I'm curious if this is just PC BS or if there is actually some truth behind it.

Originally Posted by serenade

Half my family is Eastern African, there's not a big community of them either. None of the doctors in my family work with in black communities and are mostly Soviet trained specialists/ intellectuals and related to the Royal family of Ethopia. They relate more with whites and the Jewish community in the US. Do you think they should have URM status or should that only apply to African-Americans with deeper roots in the US? Obviously this isn't supposed to set a precedent, but hey food for thought.

I've noticed very different philosophies between African Americans and African immigrants. The former tend to be more bonded to their black communities whereas the latter tend to prefer the Caucasian community. I'd say that that is the exception to the rule and why I said, "more likely," rather than, "absolutely."

Originally Posted by Marge

Just out of curiosity, is there evidence to support this claim? Similarly, my state med school has a program that guarantees admission to "scholars" from rural parts of the state. Obviously the logic is the same, i.e., presumably they are more likely to return to a rural area to practice. I'm curious if this is just PC BS or if there is actually some truth behind it.

I believe there are more than a few agendas to fill, and it certainly varies by school, but this is clearly a heavy pro used for justifying the recruitment of certain URM's.

Originally Posted by Poetic Silence

I believe there are more than a few agendas to fill, and it certainly varies by school, but this is clearly a heavy pro used for justifying the recruitment of certain URM's.

The policy is fine with me. I'm just curious if the reasons they typically give are legit. I live in a Midwest state. The students from rural parts of the state are invariably white. If these students don't go on to practice in a rural area, then the justification for the program is bogus. That doesn't mean the program is bogus, it just means they need to come up with a better reason for it.

Originally Posted by Marge

The policy is fine with me. I'm just curious if the reasons they typically give are legit. I live in a Midwest state. The students from rural parts of the state are invariably white. If these students don't go on to practice in a rural area, then the justification for the program is bogus. That doesn't mean the program is bogus, it just means they need to come up with a better reason for it.

Two things Marge:

One is that the student from a rural area brings a point of view that may not be obvious to those who were born in raised in large cities or densely populated areas. How far does one drive to purchase a quart of milk? see a primary care provider? a dentist? have surgery? see an orthodontist? The responses might surprise some city folk who have no concept of the life style of those who live in remote areas.

The second is that if someone is going to practice medicine in an underserved rural area over the long haul (not just a couple years to pay off loans), it is most likley to be someone who has lived in such an area in the past and is familiar with that way of life and the culture of the place and who has an affection for it. The alternative is often an immigrant/foreign medical graduate who is happy to practice anywhere and who ends up shunted to an area that is deemed undesirable but native born, US medical school graduates who have no ties to Small Hamlet, USA and no desire to live and work in such a cow town.

OP, before you classify yourself as either an URM or anything of the sort. You need to look at your very first statement.... As someone already stated Case Closed, period, finale...

Originally Posted by LizzyM

Two things Marge:

One is that the student from a rural area brings a point of view that may not be obvious to those who were born in raised in large cities or densely populated areas. How far does one drive to purchase a quart of milk? see a primary care provider? a dentist? have surgery? see an orthodontist? The responses might surprise some city folk who have no concept of the life style of those who live in remote areas.

The second is that if someone is going to practice medicine in an underserved rural area over the long haul (not just a couple years to pay off loans), it is most likley to be someone who has lived in such an area in the past and is familiar with that way of life and the culture of the place and who has an affection for it. The alternative is often an immigrant/foreign medical graduate who is happy to practice anywhere and who ends up shunted to an area that is deemed undesirable but native born, US medical school graduates who have no ties to Small Hamlet, USA and no desire to live and work in such a cow town.

For the first, I would say that that perspective is only relevant if the student will then go back to practice. I mean, my state's only medical school specifically guarantees slots for people from rural XX (enter state initials). That's a big deal especially for those of us who grew up in small (<25,000) towns in predominantly rural/agricultural counties, so we have some understanding of rural life yet are from a "big" city. Anyway, if they don't end up practicing in rural XX, then their geographic background is only as unique as anyone else's. In other words, there would have to be a program that tries to bring in students from wealthy suburbs, from low-income exurbs, from communities with a population between 25,000 and 50,000, etc.

Your second point is actually what I want to verify. What you say is logical and intutitive, but that doesn't necessarily make it true (it probably is, but I would like to see the data).

Originally Posted by Marge

For the first, I would say that that perspective is only relevant if the student will then go back to practice. I mean, my state's only medical school specifically guarantees slots for people from rural XX (enter state initials). That's a big deal especially for those of us who grew up in small (<25,000) towns in predominantly rural/agricultural counties, so we have some understanding of rural life yet are from a "big" city. Anyway, if they don't end up practicing in rural XX, then their geographic background is only as unique as anyone else's. In other words, there would have to be a program that tries to bring in students from wealthy suburbs, from low-income exurbs, from communities with a population between 25,000 and 50,000, etc.

Your second point is actually what I want to verify. What you say is logical and intutitive, but that doesn't necessarily make it true (it probably is, but I would like to see the data).

My salad analogy holds here: you scoop up some tossed salad and you'll get a little of everything that is in the bowl in any quantity. There is no need for a program than tries to bring x y and z to the table. However, if something is very rare, it makes sense to make an extra effort to pluck some out to add to your plate.

Regardless of whether a person from a rural area goes back to that area, they do offer a viewpoint in the classroom about their area that is educational to all students. I recall having a black woman from a rural area of the Carolinas in my class and her perspective on some attitudes and habits of rural black women (compared with rural black men) informed me and all of the students in the class.

I don't have any data on where rural physicians grew up or what proportion of rural med students end up in rural areas compared with the proportion of city slickers who end up in rural areas and if anyone knows of any data I'd be most grateful.

Originally Posted by serenade

There is extensive data to show that Cro-Magnon and Neanderthals interbreed to the point that a few percent of your genome will be directly Neanderthal, maybe even some humans have mitochondrial DNA from them.

Well, as far as we currently know, we also only make use of about 2% of our genome and around 10% has been shown to come from viruses.

So we're all related to viruses as well. Doesn't mean we descended from them (although that IS up for debate- did viruses arise from early cellular organisms or did early cellular organisms arise from viruses? Right now, most scientists refuse to include viruses on the ToL so it is what it is)

Interesting. And completely unrelated to the thread. Oops. OP, just call the school and ask them. If you want to check URM because you think it'll excuse poor grades/MCAT score/other red flags, I seriously doubt it will work, particularly if you aren't a priority URM (black, Mexican-hispanic, etc). Instead, maybe hold off applying for a year to improve your stats if necessary. Or consider DO, if you haven't already.

Also, if you feel your financial situation/ethnicity is a significant part of who you are/why you want to pursue medicine/etc, you could always talk about it in the personal statement.

You are an idiot

Originally Posted by PancakeSorting

Well, as far as we currently know, we also only make use of about 2% of our genome and around 10% has been shown to come from viruses.

So we're all related to viruses as well. Doesn't mean we descended from them (although that IS up for debate- did viruses arise from early cellular organisms or did early cellular organisms arise from viruses? Right now, most scientists refuse to include viruses on the ToL so it is what it is)

By definition, cellular organisms could not have arisen from viruses. There may have been proto-life forms consisting solely of RNA or other such things that would bear more similarity to viruses than regular organisms now, but without cellular organisms to hijack for reproduction they could not be viruses.

It doesn't take much to create a virus, just a transposon with ambition.