Chinese-Peruvian, URM? Help!

[bawbee]

Racially I'm Asian-American, but my mom was born and raised in Peru as a Chinese Peruvian and later immigrated to the States and married my dad who is Chinese American. I look Chinese, but I do have a working understanding of Spanish and some Quechua, and my grandparents still live there and I visit often. I don't want to lie, but I also identify with Peruvian culture (the food is fantastic), so which boxes should I check? And if I did mark Hispanic, would adcoms question it because I look Asian, and how would I explain?

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[LizzyM]

Did your mom complete her education in Peru? Do you identify as Peruvian when you complete the US census?

Hispanics may be of any race.

You can list your language skills on the AMCAS.
You can list your mother's highest education attained and the last school attended.
You can self-identify your race and ethnicity.

The rest is up to each school's adcom to determine if they wish to interview and admit you.

 

[Princeton Medical Student]

URM and ORM blood cancels out to make you a uhh normally represented minority I guess. Im kidding of course.

But, the point of URM is to get more physicians that can understand patient needs from those that are of similar background to them, and given that you identify largely with your Hispanic (I think thats the right term) heritage, and probably understand Peruvian culture I think that would be a solid argument for you being URM

 

[bawbee]

Yes, my mom completed medical school at Universidad Nacional de Trujillo Facultad de Medicina, and came to the US as a ECFMG and did her residency at Stony Brook. I don't know about the census, I'm a junior in college and I don't think I've ever participated.

 

[LizzyM]

Yes, my mom completed medical school at Universidad Nacional de Trujillo Facultad de Medicina, and came to the US as a ECFMG and did her residency at Stony Brook. I don't know about the census, I'm a junior in college and I don't think I've ever participated.

If you were living in the US in 2010, your parents filled it out on your behalf. If you were living in the US in 2000, your parents filled it out on your behalf. It is done every 10 years on April 1.

Some people will list their parents residency or fellowship as highest education completed but in your case, It might be wise to go with Universidad Nacional etc....

 

[bawbee]

Then no, I think my dad would have but me down as Chinese-American.

 

[gyngyn]

South Americans are not generally considered under-represented in medicine.
You may self-identify as you wish.

 

[Goro]

Racially I'm Asian-American, but my mom was born and raised in Peru as a Chinese Peruvian and later immigrated to the States and married my dad who is Chinese American. I look Chinese, but I do have a working understanding of Spanish and some Quechua, and my grandparents still live there and I visit often. I don't want to lie, but I also identify with Peruvian culture (the food is fantastic), so which boxes should I check? And if I did mark Hispanic, would adcoms question it because I look Asian, and how would I explain?

This is fodder for the secondary diversity prompt.

You can really help yourself by engaging in service to people in need in Hispanic communities if you wish to play this card.

IF your Spanish skills are strong, there's always the three PR schools that accept mainlanders.

You're not URM, and most Hispanics aren't either.

 

[Danny L]

Did your mom complete her education in Peru? Do you identify as Peruvian when you complete the US census?

Hispanics may be of any race.

You can list your language skills on the AMCAS.
You can list your mother's highest education attained and the last school attended.
You can self-identify your race and ethnicity.

The rest is up to each school's adcom to determine if they wish to interview and admit you.

South Americans are not generally considered under-represented in medicine.
You may self-identify as you wish.

This is fodder for the secondary diversity prompt.

You can really help yourself by engaging in service to people in need in Hispanic communities if you wish to play this card.

IF your Spanish skills are strong, there's always the three PR schools that accept mainlanders.

You're not URM, and most Hispanics aren't either.

Slightly off topic, but I saw that self-identifying race is not a required question. Well it hurt you if you choose not to identify?

 

[Goro]

Slightly off topic, but I saw that self-identifying race is not a required question. Well it hurt you if you choose not to identify?

Not at all.

 

[jcorpsmanMD]

Your background is very interesting - will definitely give you lots to talk about in secondaries / interviews but you are not URM. Good luck in your studies!

 

[Dr.Kat]

Your background is very interesting - will definitely give you lots to talk about in secondaries / interviews but you are not URM. Good luck in your studies!

I agree, you may not be URM, but your background definitely makes your stand out! I have a diverse background like yours and I think it really helped me out