Am I URM for this one school?

[Jaigantic]

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Medical College of Wisconsin has a section of their secondary that asks if the applicant is URM and gives a series of checkboxes. While I am not traditionally URM, i.e. latino/black/native american, etc., one of the checkboxes says "I have overcome a significant hardship" and I believe this does fit for me. I had to deal with my brother's drug addiction, how it tore our family apart, and exposed us to severe danger among other things and this was easily one of the hardest experiences of my life. I'm just wondering how subjective this checkbox is. I've never considered myself a URM but I do consider myself to have overcome a significant hardship. Do you guys think my situation qualifies as URM-worthy in this case?

Thanks in advance

 

[LnSin]

No


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[GotIronKnee]

URM stands for underrepresented minority and applies only to ethnicity/race. What you have experienced is considered a hardship, and you can write about it in your essays.

Edit: after reading the prompt, I take this back. Sorry; it's just for so many instances, what I said is true.

 

[Jaigantic]

URM stands for underrepresented minority and applies only to ethnicity/race. What you have experienced is considered a hardship, and you can write about it in your essays.

But that's quite wrong in this case as MCW literally gives you multiple standards for what is considered URM, including ethnicity/race, LGBT status, living in a rural area, being first generation in college, etc. One of those standards is also "overcoming a significant hardship". I'm not asking for the definition of URM

 

[CloverBale]

Do you mind taking a screenshot of the prompt?

 

[Jaigantic]

Do you mind taking a screenshot of the prompt?

 

[CloverBale]

I'd say go ahead and click it, I'm sure it'll be up to their discretion if you are URM. I mean, I'm white, but I can click off 6/8 of these.

 

[Goro]

Medical College of Wisconsin has a section of their secondary that asks if the applicant is URM and gives a series of checkboxes. While I am not traditionally URM, i.e. latino/black/native american, etc., one of the checkboxes says "I have overcome a significant hardship" and I believe this does fit for me. I had to deal with my brother's drug addiction, how it tore our family apart, and exposed us to severe danger among other things and this was easily one of the hardest experiences of my life. I'm just wondering how subjective this checkbox is. I've never considered myself a URM but I do consider myself to have overcome a significant hardship. Do you guys think my situation qualifies as URM-worthy in this case?

Thanks in advance

IF you were the drug addict, then you could check the box. So, no.

 

[Jaigantic]

IF you were the drug addict, then you could check the box. So, no.

Why is that? Dealing with him for almost a year and trying to find a solution to this devastating problem was probably one of the hardest situations I've ever experienced. I'd almost argue that my family suffered more than him since at first he was happy with his lifestyle but we were living hell on earth throughout.

 

[Goro]

Why is that? Dealing with him for almost a year and trying to find a solution to this devastating problem was probably one of the hardest situations I've ever experienced. I'd almost argue that my family suffered more than him since at first he was happy with his lifestyle but we were living hell on earth throughout.

I chatted about this with Mrs Dr Goro, and the more I think about it, the more I believe that you are definitely OK with checking that box!

 

[Jaigantic]

I chatted about this with Mrs Dr Goro, and the more I think about it, the more I believe that you are definitely OK with checking that box!

Hahaha thank you and please pass along my thanks to Mrs Dr Goro, as well!

 

[Gilakend]

Does rural mean something other than what I think it does? I always thought it meant growing up in small towns. I don't see how that could be considered URM at all.

I've lived my whole life (excluding undergrad) in rural areas by my definition and am not sure how that is URM for this school.

 

[Jaigantic]

Does rural mean something other than what I think it does? I always thought it meant growing up in small towns. I don't see how that could be considered URM at all.

I've lived my whole life (excluding undergrad) in rural areas by my definition and am not sure how that is URM for this school.

I think it means more like farms and countrysides, rather than in a populated or semi-populated town. These people certainly are a minority and have significantly different life experiences than someone who lived in a city or even a quiet suburb. I can understand why an adcomm would consider that to be URM or conducive to diverse.

 

[Gilakend]

I think it means more like farms and countrysides, rather than in a populated or semi-populated town. These people certainly are a minority and have significantly different life experiences than someone who lived in a city or even a quiet suburb. I can understand why an adcomm would consider that to be URM or conducive to diverse.

My hometown is less than 1 square mile. I guess I fit right in there. 🤣

 

[Jaigantic]

My hometown is less than 1 square mile. I guess I fit right in there. 🤣

Haha then I would check that box (if you're applying here). I'm sure you have some unique experiences to talk about!

 

[cactusman]

Does rural mean something other than what I think it does? I always thought it meant growing up in small towns. I don't see how that could be considered URM at all.

I've lived my whole life (excluding undergrad) in rural areas by my definition and am not sure how that is URM for this school.

I grew up in a town with about 1500 people (and 30 square miles) and my high school district is classified as "fringe rural." I will probably check rural in AMCAS, but I don't think I would check it here (in part because I'm not interested in rural medicine). You know when you drive through parts of the Midwest and South (and probably mountain West) and see numerous farmhouses falling apart (and with long stretches of trees and/or fields between them). A lot of western/central NY is like this if you've been in the Northeast but gone across it.

THAT is the real underserved kind of rural, and there's a huge pipeline issue of poorly funded education and other lack of resources which definitely means students from rural backgrounds are underrepresented.

 

[Gilakend]

I grew up in a town with about 1500 people (and 30 square miles) and my high school district is classified as "fringe rural." I will probably check rural in AMCAS, but I don't thick I would check it here (in part because I'm not interested in rural medicine). You know when you drive through parts of the Midwest and South (and probably mountain West) and see numerous farmhouses falling apart (and with long stretches of trees and/or fields between them). A lot of Western NY.

THAT is the real underserved kind of rural, and there's a huge pipeline issue of poorly funded education and other lack of resources which definitely means students from rural backgrounds are underrepresented.

Now this I agree with. I didn't agree with it when I was using my definition. I've volunteered in some of the mountainous areas of Virginia and I could definitely see how someone form there would be URM.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[CloverBale]

I don't think it's "check one of these boxes and you're automatically considered URM", they probably go through your application more thoroughly to see if you are considered someone who is underrepresented in medicine, and it probably helps if you checked in more than one box, especially if your'e not traditionally what they consider URM in terms of ethnicity. But hey--just check it and go. There's no harm in it.

 

[LizzyM]

AAMC lets schools define URM any way they want.

I could see where issues related to the health status and possible (or likely) criminal activity of a family member who is addicted to drugs could be a significant hardship.

Other experiences that I could imagine fitting the category for someone who might not check any other boxes would be being orphaned, having a parent incarcerated (which can happen in families that are not poor), or experiencing an accident or illness that results in a disability (such as being an amputee).

 

[hellowalnut]

Sorry to hijack your post OP but "underperforming grade schools?" I went to low-income public schools my whole life but I never thought medical schools considered that a disadvantage, is this something I should bring up in secondaries?

I haven't felt as if I had been that disadvantaged but that also may be because I never grew up knowing about alternatives. I don't want to come off as insincere/naive but I do feel like I was not as prepared as my undergraduate colleagues who went to well-off/private schools coming to college. Is this too trivial of a topic to discuss?

 

[Jaigantic]

Sorry to hijack your post OP but "underperforming grade schools?" I went to low-income public schools my whole life but I never thought medical schools considered that a disadvantage, is this something I should bring up in secondaries?

I haven't felt as if I had been that disadvantaged but that also may be because I never grew up knowing about alternatives. I don't want to come off as insincere/naive but I do feel like I was not as prepared as my undergraduate colleagues who went to well-off/private schools coming to college. Is this too trivial of a topic to discuss?

I think the bolded is part of the reason some schools want to know educational backgroud. I would not call that trivial.

 

[Dr. Stalker]

I grew up in a town with about 1500 people (and 30 square miles) and my high school district is classified as "fringe rural." I will probably check rural in AMCAS, but I don't think I would check it here (in part because I'm not interested in rural medicine). You know when you drive through parts of the Midwest and South (and probably mountain West) and see numerous farmhouses falling apart (and with long stretches of trees and/or fields between them). A lot of western/central NY is like this if you've been in the Northeast but gone across it.

THAT is the real underserved kind of rural, and there's a huge pipeline issue of poorly funded education and other lack of resources which definitely means students from rural backgrounds are underrepresented.

When you say 1500 people, do you mean 1500 humans or does that number include cactuspeople as well @cactusman ?

 

[cactusman]

When you say 1500 people, do you mean 1500 humans or does that number include cactuspeople as well @cactusman ?

I am the only cactusperson here because we definitely did NOT overthrow the human-led municipal government and ban the use of prickly pear cacti as a food crop that's ridiculous like something out of a science fiction how would that even happen go back to your human work and don't mind this silly small town.

 

[Dr. Stalker]

I am the only cactusperson here because we definitely did NOT overthrow the human-led municipal government and ban the use of prickly pear cacti as a food crop that's ridiculous like something out of a science fiction how would that even happen go back to your human work and don't mind this silly small town.

Hmm. If you are the only cactusperson there, you might qualify as a URM applicant mate. During my interviews during my first unsuccessful cycle, I saw some weird things; dude with a lime green shirt and neon pink tie in a suit/tuxedo hybrid. Never seen a cactusperson in a suit though!