African-American Applicants

[charleb32]

I guess I just wanted to hear some input from ya'll on how the process is going for you. To hear people talk about how they applied to 25 schools, or that they don't have a shot of getting in with a 32 MCAT and 3.1 GPA, doesn't really apply to me. I just feel like noone on this network is really in the same boat as me. My stats are lower than this yet people tell me I have a good chance of getting in, is it because I'm African American?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[ussdfiant]

What kind of stats are we talking about? BTW, I'm curious to see if this turns into the "URM" thread going on over at one of the other boards.

 

[none]

From what I've read and heard at my career services center, URM status is worth about 3 points on your MCAT. So say, if you had a 27 MCAT, you'd be an average competitive applicant. I don't know about the GPA, but URM or not...I think you're still going to need at least a 3.0.

 

[Tone2002]

LOL

My GPA is competitive (over a 3.0) and I come from a competitive school, but my MCAT isn't necessarily anything to sing about.

 

[bentz]

the stats are slightly lowere for URM's because they are trying to increase the number of minority physician in the country. the minimum stats for URM's are as follow: GPA= 3.00; MCAT=24.
These are the average stats for URM's. Then again, I have heard of two girls who got accepted with 19 and 20. But, I believe that their GPA were at least 3.85. they got accepted into allopatic shools

 

[Ceelo]

my bro got accepted to USC with a less than stellar GPA and MCAT (<25). but he's really smart, motivated, and he had a ton of research experience. in my humble opinion, i think he'll make a great doc and i guess USC's adcom felt the same way. this has been said before but let me stress this again, stats are not everything!

 

[simpleton]

I haven't paid much attention on the subject of URM's and their matriculation into med schools but after going to a half dozen interviews guess how many URM's I have seen as fellow interviewees......0, yes the big goose-egg. Mind you thats probably a total of about 120 people between all those interviews. That's a startling statistic. I'm not a URM but now see why there is that classification.

 

[Nikki]

I have had similar experiences as simpleton at all of my interviews except one (where there were about 100 interviewees, probably 10 were black or hispanic . . . including myself). Otherwise, I have been the only URM at all of my other interviews.

 

[USeF]

To be honest, can't say I've met too many other African-Americans at my interviews other than myself. Know a few at my school here, but we're in the minority... unless you're talking about black people, which is a different story.

I'd hate for this to turn into a TPR-like thread, but my one touchy point is the use of the phrase 'African-American'. How long has it been since the average black person has been to Africa or knows at which point in their heritage they had a family member from Africa? Either it should be

-White, Black, Yellow, Brown OR
-European-American, African-American, Japanese-American, Hispanic-American

not a mix of the two. But alas, there is no logic in the most logical of enterprises, government.

PLEASE understand, this is not about the idea of having URM applicants, this is great, and I support it because it has been shown that these physicians are much more compassionate and more willing (albeit not by much) to practice in areas that have predominantly more of these minorities. I am only arguing the technical issue of the designation being called "Insert Contintent"-American

 

[E'01]

USeF the Bull - what about someone like me who is Black, born/raised in London, have Jamaican parents, and is now a naturalized American citizen? Perhaps... Caribo/Euro-Black American
(CEBA).

Seriously, I haven't seen too many URMs on my 6 interviews. I've only seen 2.

 

[leorl]

When I lived in Europe for a year, my American friends and I always caught ourselves starting to say "African-American." But then we realized that most blacks in Europe are actually from Africa, so we couldn't use "african-american" anymore! It was really confusing for us for awhile .

My friend who's from London has a Jamaican father, so she just tells people she's of Jamaican descent, but I don't think she really classifies herself as "black" either. It was fun exchanging cultural stories, though. Like how all her white Irish relatives just completely gawked at her the first time they saw her, not to mention the fact that she was in an Irish dancing troupe.

Come to think of it, at my school...I do not know of any black pre-meds, even. I'm sure there are a couple, but very few...and I know a lot of the premeds in my class. Most of the African-Americans here are management/business majors.

 

[charleb32]

I don't know how we got off onto a tangent about African-Americans, but my mother goes every year as do I, so if you don't mind I will classify myself as an African-American. My mother has also traced our family tree back to Africa.
Anyway, I hope that I have a chance in getting in, my friend is already in and she's completely relaxed while i'm sitting here, about to pass out at the thought of moving back in with my mother. So does the fact that their are not that many minorities at these interviews mean that I have a better chance at getting in if I get an interview?

 

[USeF]

I'd hope that your chances were pretty decent, charleb, if you get an interview. You are from a respectable school at GT and if the rest of your app is decent, you'll be joining the class of 2006.
Of course if it's one of the schools here in the south with 70%+ minority (Meharry, Morehouse?), then it's a different story. Overall though, you have a great chance if you get to the interview stage, and the minority factor would only help, in my opinion.

 

[nochaser]

I think here in US it all boils down first to how you look in terms of what others will classify you as, then secondly how you classify yourself. For example, an ex of mine was from Dominican Republic, but had med. brown complexion and curly hair, full lips. So folks look at him and say "African American". But he was Hispanic! In my case, my mother is mixed with white, black and Native American (Creek and Choctaw), and for the most part looks 'mixed', and my dad is from India. However, most folks look at me and it's African American because I have brown complexion (like Dad) and wavy hair (like Mom). I classify myself as black. I classify my first generation and second generation friends from Africa African Americans.

Anyway, my stats are decent except for the MCAT--I got a 22 and have not stopped kicking myself for not taking the Kaplan Review course. Most blacks I know that are either in med school, residency or are physicians had pretty decent stats, way better than mine, the lowest MCAT score I have heared of is a 27 (my stepmom's neice, now a 4th year) and the highest is 33 (my cousin, who isn't even going to med school--switched to law), so I feel like I should have waited for the MCATs (AUG test) to come back before application process. I'm so embarrased about my score, I have not told anyone except my husband, and well, now you guys. I just say "not good" when asked. Have not heard anything from any of the schools I applied to, except my app's stil under review. I pretty much feel like it ain't gonna happen for me this time. In the meantime, I'm trying to figure out how I can pay for the Kaplan review that starts soon!

 

[ld106588]

NOCHASER...

I'm here to tell you that your MCAT score is not the greatest, but nothing to be embarrassed about. I got a 23, myself and I think I may be able to get accepted (I applied to D.O. schools, also). At our state school (univ. of Arkansas), I know of URMs that have gotten in with a 19 and a 20!!!!!

Hang in there!

 

[none]

19 or 20 is just too low. Retake it, URM or not. Med schools explicitly state how they use URM status. If they are looking at two people with identical stats other than race, they'll pick the URM. They aren't even going to be looking at a person, white or not, with a 20. Like I said, URM status isn't going to help you much beyond 3 points on your MCAT and geting in with a 23 into a private allopathic is an extreme rarity.

 

[Sunlyght]

bump...

I'm slowly working on my stats in hoping that I can convince myself to apply in April...