Am I a URM? I'm confuzzled.

[FLPrincessDoc]

Hello fellow SDNers! I am half Peruvian half Puerto Rican, so the question is as follows: Would I be considered URM? I am fluent in Spanish and Italian as well (not sure if it's relevant so I will just put that on the table). Thanks to any SDNer who offers valuable insight

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[WedgeDawg]

Moving to pre DO

 

[FLPrincessDoc]

Thank you so much!

 

[psychMDhopefully]

If you have think about whether you are URM, you're not really URM. People who are truly URM and experience hardship and disadvantage know it.

 

[keepItReal17]

Yes. URM = Underrepresented in medicine. As a latino, you are automatically considered a URM. You are a minority of the population that is practicing medicine.

 

[FLPrincessDoc]

If you have think about whether you are URM, you're not really URM. People who are truly URM and experience hardship and disadvantage know it.

First of all, thank you for your input I find that this enlightening and I agree with your rationale. However I know a few "URMs" that should not be considered URMs if we base it upon your rationale.

 

[BorntobeDO?]

This is different than hardship. URM is not the same as a 'minority of people in medicine.' Its ethnicity (basically black and Native American at this point) who have a larger representation in the population than in medicine. Underrepresented in Medicine Definition - Initiatives - AAMC

"Before June 26, 2003, the AAMC used the term "underrepresented minority (URM)," which consisted of Blacks, Mexican-Americans, Native Americans (that is, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians), and mainland Puerto Ricans. The AAMC remains committed to ensuring access to medical education and medicine-related careers for individuals from these four historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups."

 

[Goro]

Yes. URM = Underrepresented in medicine. As a latino, you are automatically considered a URM. You are a minority of the population that is practicing medicine.

Not all Latinos are URN. Spanish skills ate always useful.

I'd say no to the OPs Q

 

[BorntobeDO?]

First of all, thank you for your input I find that this enlightening and I agree with your rationale. However I know a few "URMs" that should not be considered URMs if we base it upon your rationale.

Hes completely wrong. Thats a totally different thing. Its called disadvantaged, and if you pick it, you better be able to justify it. Its a double edged sword, it makes you sound like your making excuses before you start.

 

[Dr. Meliodas]

Hello fellow SDNers! I am half Peruvian half Puerto Rican, so the question is as follows: Would I be considered URM? I am fluent in Spanish and Italian as well (not sure if it's relevant so I will just put that on the table). Thanks to any SDNer who offers valuable insight

Some schools define the term "URM" slightly different. For the most part a person who is either African America, Puerto Rican, Mexican-American, Native American are considered URM. Recently, those who identify as LGBTQ may also qualify as URM at certain schools.

Hes completely wrong. Thats a totally different thing. Its called disadvantaged, and if you pick it, you better be able to justify it. Its a double edged sword, it makes you sound like your making excuses before you start.

Being classified as disadvantaged is not a double edge sword and the most recent information from AAMC shows that admissions committee view it as a possitive - likely because these students bring a much different and needed perspective to the medical field. Saying that "it makes you sound like your making excuses before you start" is a very narrow minded way of thinking of things.

 

[Osminog]

URMs are members of ethnic groups that are underrepresented in medicine. You are half-mainland Puerto Rican. Mainland Puerto Ricans constitute an ethnic group that is underrepresented in medicine. Therefore, you are a URM.

If you have think about whether you are URM, you're not really URM. People who are truly URM and experience hardship and disadvantage know it.

This "advice" has literally no relation to AAMC's official position or standards. Living an easy or hard life has no bearing on whether or not someone is a member of an underrepresented ethnic group.

 

[psychMDhopefully]

This "advice" has literally no relation to AAMC's official position or standards. Living an easy or hard life has no bearing on whether or not someone is a member of an underrepresented ethnic group.

I know

 

[naway]

I'm baffled by the number of people saying no? Mainland Puerto Ricans are classified as URM by AAMC standards. Someone's personal feelings on whether that should be the case are irrelevant in determining whether you qualify. In any case, it's been a while since I filled out my applications, so perhaps I'm misremembering, but I don't think there's a section where you indicate whether you believe yourself to be underrepresented in medicine. You just indicate your race(s)/ethnicity(ies) and then it's up to the schools to determine how much diversity you might provide to their incoming class.

 

[OchemOficionado]

Yes. URM = Underrepresented in medicine. As a latino, you are automatically considered a URM. You are a minority of the population that is practicing medicine.

Wrong. Not all Latinos are URM.

 

[GoCubsGo20]

URMs are members of ethnic groups that are underrepresented in medicine. You are half-mainland Puerto Rican. Mainland Puerto Ricans constitute an ethnic group that is underrepresented in medicine. Therefore, you are a URM.



This "advice" has literally no relation to AAMC's official position or standards. Living an easy or hard life has no bearing on whether or not someone is a member of an underrepresented ethnic group.

I think what psych meant was that OP better be able to talk about how living as a minority has affected her path to medical school. And replying with, "it hasn't really affected me," is a bad answer that could raise some eyebrows both in the applications and interviews.

Obviously we have no know way of knowing the answer to that question, and I would never speculate.

 

[Osminog]

I think what psych meant was that OP better be able to talk about how living as a minority has affected her path to medical school. And replying with, "it hasn't really affected me," is a bad answer that could raise some eyebrows both in the applications and interviews.

Obviously we have no know way of knowing the answer to that question, and I would never speculate.

Are we reading the same thread? There's no way that that's what his post meant. OP never suggested that being mainland Puerto Rican had no effect on her path to medical school; that's a subject that you're bringing up out of the blue.

He was clearly saying that OP isn't "truly URM" because she was asking whether her ethnic background qualified her for URM status -- and, quite frankly, that's total BS.

 

[GoCubsGo20]

Are we reading the same thread? There's no way that that's what his post meant. OP never suggested that being mainland Puerto Rican had no effect on her path to medical school; that's a subject that you're bringing up out of the blue.

He was clearly saying that OP isn't "truly URM" because she was asking whether her ethnic background qualified her for URM status -- and, quite frankly, that's total BS.

I think you're misunderstanding me, friend. No need to get so butt hurt.

Obviously OP never suggested her URM status affected her path to medical school. BUT, if OP lists URM on the applications, interviewers will throw tons of questions her way that she must be prepared to answer.

While what he said came off as rude and made him look like an ass, I don't think his intentions were as malicious as you seem to think.

 

[naway]

I'm Puerto Rican and attended 7 interview days (13 individual interviews accounting for the schools that do multiple interviews). I was never asked a single interview question relating to my ethnicity. I wonder how unusual this is. I had prepared pretty extensively to talk about topics related to Hispanics and racial minorities in medicine, but no one wanted to hear my thoughts on the matter lol.

 

[arc5005]

Hes completely wrong. Thats a totally different thing. Its called disadvantaged, and if you pick it, you better be able to justify it. Its a double edged sword, it makes you sound like your making excuses before you start.

The AMCAS provides an additional essay for those from SES disadvantaged backgrounds.