3.65 Texas Resident with a 29

[Ganza]

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[Ganza]

anyone?

 

[Ganza]

bump!!

 

[DokterMom]

bump!!

South Texas Hispanic and you don't speak Spanish?

There is a real need for bi-lingual MDs and with your Hispanic heritage, decent MCAT, medical background, I'd suspect you could probably be a very strong applicant -- if you spoke fluent Spanish.

But being of Hispanic heritage and not speaking Spanish in that region of Texas suggests a red flag. (Unless your speak Portuguese) I assume that your parents are highly educated since you referred to "my family's medical practice". My initial impression (sorry - brutal honesty here) is of a privileged rich kid who identifies with the upper class, doesn't give a flip about serving the poor and/or under-served, and made the deliberate choice to push away his ethnic heritage. Sorry for the brutality - but that's my initial impression from the limited facts you provided.

What's in your application to show this is not the case?

 

[Ganza]

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[Ganza]

Thanks for the response. Maybe the above post well help acquaint you with my background.


Thank you for your time.

 

[Ganza]

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[Ganza]

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[DokterMom]

My families practice has been serving the south side of san Antonio for close to 50 years( "Como familia" is our motto - Gonzaba.com ) In this, i have put in close to 10-15 hours a week during the school year for 3 years and 20-30 hours a week during the summer for the past 6ish years. I leisurely worked at the clinics between the ages of 8 and 15.

With that said, i was basically raised there. In this, I've worked as a physical therapist intern, a purchasing clerk, medical records clerk, and am now a business management intern. Through the practice, I've shadowed a radiologist, an oncologist, a chiropractor (& physical therapist), PA's, DO's and multiple MD's. I've created organizational charts, implemented a new website, helped establish management protocols and seek to revamp our Urgent care department (keep patients out of the ER). In this, my family employees over 600 people with about 60 providers for a patient population of about 90,000 (mostly hispanic).

Dont get me wrong as i am not trying to take credit for my families accomplishments, but i do put in the time and effort to pay my dues. I did grow up in a affluent area of town but i pay respect to my families origins. I know how to write in spanish and can speak a little but by no means, am i proficient.

My father was born in mexico and my mother was born in Laredo. If this means anything, my mom was a single parent.

A much more sympathetic profile -- Good to hear. And you've got excellent ECs that should really help -- I'm assuming you've featured them prominently in your application and personal statement?

If you're evaluated as a URM, then your MCAT should be fine. GPA is already OK, ECs are excellent --

I would strongly suggest learning more Spanish and 'stretching' what limited Spanish you do know to the full extent you can while still being truthful...


Any interview invites so far?

 

[sghos]

I assume this is for next cycle? I would be interested to know how putting URM and son of physician(s) plays. I am only a prospective applicant, but would the URM boost be as strong? It would be hard to say that OP has been super disadvantaged. Not hatin on you OP but if I was an adcom and saw that you marked URM but also came from a privileged background, I'm not sure the boost would be super strong for you.

 

[Ganza]

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[Ganza]

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[sghos]

Im not the son of a physician. My grandfather and uncles are physicians but not my parents. My mother got her masters in the last 5 years, so here academic success is recent and my dad graduated from high school. My household has received an above middle class income only recently from being below or at middle class.

And to both doktermom and sghos...... being a URM is being underrepresented in the field of medicine? Or something to that extent? I mean, looking at the statistics on AAMC's site, hispanics/African american/ Native americans have among the lowest application count per cycle. Please help me with this definition!! Lets not start a debate though.

Im not playing a sad song for me by anymeans as claiming URM but in doing so, wouldn't it be like claiming a leadership role for the hispanic commuinity?

Sghos, i think you're implying that in order to be a URM, you must be poor or severally at a disadvantage. I mean, i grew up without a father blah blah blah, but i always had a house to stay in. I think claiming URM is claiming leadership for your people and being a model to the community you serve. My intentions are to practice medicine in san Antonio and continue the family business.

Upon further reflection, you are right. I think you can credibly put down URM. I think you should be aware though that many URMs also have strong stories to tell about the numerous obstacles they have overcome (raised by single parent, not enought to eat, working minimum wage jobs through college for lots of hours/wk, coming from a really crappy high school). Yes, I did conflate URM with being poor; it is not the case of course and I am completely wrong in that aspect.

In sum: definitely put down URM. However, be sure to tell the story you are telling here. If you don't emphasize the parts about where your family practices, the work it does, and your involvement in it you run the risk of looking like someone who has been relatively privelaged but is now looking to play the URM card. <-----I am not saying you are, but some adcoms, just like how I did earlier, may think that initially.

All that said I still think it would be a signifcant boost to your application. You are right in that so few URMs apply and schools really want to snap them up.

 

[DokterMom]

Im not the son of a physician. My grandfather and uncles are physicians but not my parents. My mother got her masters in the last 5 years, so here academic success is recent and my dad graduated from high school. My household has received an above middle class income only recently from being below or at middle class.

And to both doktermom and sghos...... being a URM is being underrepresented in the field of medicine? Or something to that extent? I mean, looking at the statistics on AAMC's site, hispanics/African american/ Native americans have among the lowest application count per cycle. Please help me with this definition!! Lets not start a debate though.

Im not playing a sad song for me by anymeans as claiming URM but in doing so, wouldn't it be like claiming a leadership role for the hispanic commuinity?

Sghos, i think you're implying that in order to be a URM, you must be poor or severally at a disadvantage. I mean, i grew up without a father blah blah blah, but i always had a house to stay in. I think claiming URM is claiming leadership for your people and being a model to the community you serve. My intentions are to practice medicine in san Antonio and continue the family business.

I'm curious what words you used in your applications --

Did you say "my family's medical practice" or "my uncles' medical practice"? There's a subtle but important distinction. I assumed, from "my family's" that it was your parents' practice, thereby tainting you with the 'spoiled rich kid' brush. The 'son of a single mother working in my uncles' practice' angle is significantly different.

You're still going to need to explain why you don't speak Spanish. And how explicit were you in defining how much/little Spanish you speak? So you're not bi-lingual. If a Spanish-only patient explained her symptoms in ordinary conversational Spanish, could you understand her? Could you ask her sufficient questions to clarify if her abdominal pains were sharp or dull? Of sudden onset or gradual?

Oh - NOW I get it! You don't speak Spanish because your single parent (Mom) was not Hispanic, so naturally, it was not a primary language spoken in your home. Weakens the URM angle though...

 

[Ganza]

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[chendricks1309]

I think op has a decent shot at Texas schools. I am curious as to what qualifies as URM status though. For instance I'm half African American does that count?

 

[jeffreylei]

I think you stand a good chance as long as you can demonstrate your ability to communicate and why you think you did poorly on that section. Also having a 7 VR myself, I have 4 II (all MD) thus far this cycle. Just remember to apply early to a wide variety of schools. Let me know if you have any questions, Good luck to you!

 

[Ganza]

Thanks jeff for the reply. Ill def be asking you questions


@Chen---Thats a very good question. I've been told different things by different people