Applying Disadvantaged?

[RN to MD]

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Hey guys I have a question, should I apply to medical school disadvantage if I don't currently consider myself disadvantaged?

Currently, I hold a BS Exercise Physiology, M.Ed. in Exercise Science and Bachelors in Nursing (I have been an ICU/ER nurse for the past 4 years) so I feel like I've already overcome my childhood obstacles but anything helps, right?

Here are the circumstances in which I grew up:

Black male in Texas (URM status I don't consider this disadvantaged)
-Local churches donated food to us during childhood
-dad was unemployed for a short time while I was young and collected unemployment
-mom performed odd jobs around town (still does) and my dad worked as a prison guard an hour away from home after he established employment again
-I worked since I was 9 years old on a farm making $10/day for 10 hours a day 60 hours/wk during the summer, ~10-15 hours/wk during school year. Before I quit at 16 to work at the local grocery store I was making $15/day. Not a family farm. The farm owners allowed us to put our trailer house on their property free of cost
-Rural area, population of ~850 people
-there were times when we went without electricity and I would help out with the money I earned. Also helped with automobile repairs. My checks did not exclusively go towards helping the family, only occasionally
-there were times when we used baking soda to brush our teeth and regularly ate oatmeal/anything cheap for dinner
-Received free and reduced lunches throughout school
-closest hospital was an hour away, few doctors in a 30 mile area would usually take a while to get in

I'm considering applying disadvanted due to my stats not being the greatest. I have an UG Cum GPA of 3.3 with a very strong upward trend in prerequisite courses (~3.8). My graduate GPA was 3.9 and my BSN GPA was 3.55. I'm taking the MCAT this summer but my practice scores are not where I would like them. Would applying disadvantaged help?

 

[Goro]

You're golden. Only ~400 black males applied to all US MD schools last year. We need more black doctors, period. Just just do well on MCAT!

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

IIRC, there are questions on AMCAS about your family income prior to age 18, whether you worked to support your family, whether your family received government assistance, your parents jobs, etc. There are also questions about your birthplace--I believe whether the place you were born/grew up is considered underserved may also be a factor for some schools.

So yes, depending on how you answer these questions, you may be considered disadvantaged based on SES. Even though you're an adult now, SES during childhood absolutely affects your educational and career prospects later on, which is why some schools take this into account.

 

[thrudheim]

You're golden. Only ~400 black males applied to all US MD schools last year. We need more black doctors, period. Just just do well on MCAT!

I'm incredibly shocked by this number. Wasn't it around 1300 black men who applied in 2014?

Is the MSAR the only place I can find the most recent numbers and statistics on minority enrollment overall? I want to know more, but my subscription to the MSAR has long since expired.

 

[Goro]

Yes, MSAR has info on each schools demographics.

I don't know the year by year numbers of African-American males who've applied, but gyngyn has reported that the number is even lower than a decade ago!

I'm incredibly shocked by this number. Wasn't it around 1300 black men who applied in 2014?

Is the MSAR the only place I can find the most recent numbers and statistics on minority enrollment overall? I want to know more, but my subscription to the MSAR has long since expired.

 

[RN to MD]

Thank you two for the prompt replies.

Another question, is there a LizzyM cutoff/auto screen for individuals applying with a disadvantaged status (DS)? Let's say I hypothetically were to score low on the MCAT ~500, would I be screened out? Or do applicants applying DS always get their application reviewed? Also, could you recommend a few schools outside of Texas in which I should apply who look favorably toward applicants with my background

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

Some schools may have a GPA/MCAT cutoff for all applicants across the board. But I've never heard of a special cutoff for low SES students. Don't expect your disadvantaged status to guarantee you anything but it can certainly help in some situations!

This table might be helpful to you. It gives the acceptance rates for black applicants based on GPA and MCAT. https://www.aamc.org/download/321514/data/factstablea24-2.pdf

 

[RN to MD]

Some schools may have a GPA/MCAT cutoff for all applicants across the board. But I've never heard of a special cutoff for low SES students. Don't expect your disadvantaged status to guarantee you anything but it can certainly help in some situations!

This table might be helpful to you. It gives the acceptance rates for black applicants based on GPA and MCAT. https://www.aamc.org/download/321514/data/factstablea24-2.pdf

Thank you

 

[NicksMD]

Yeah man, go for it! Like Goro said, there aren't many black males applying. Besides the historically black schools, I was the only black male in all of my interviews. Schools care about the whole package which includes your childhood. Just make sure to crush the MCAT. I'm just a PM away if you have more questions.


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[DokterMom]

Thank you two for the prompt replies.

Another question, is there a LizzyM cutoff/auto screen for individuals applying with a disadvantaged status (DS)? Let's say I hypothetically were to score low on the MCAT ~500, would I be screened out? Or do applicants applying DS always get their application reviewed? Also, could you recommend a few schools outside of Texas in which I should apply who look favorably toward applicants with my background

For most TX applicants, applying OOS doesn't really make sense. If your MCAT is not what you'd like it to be, add the historically black schools and some DO schools. Otherwise, you're probably fine with just TX. On the other hand, if your MCAT is stronger than you expect, add schools with rural health missions if that's what you think you'd like to do.

 

[RN to MD]

For most TX applicants, applying OOS doesn't really make sense. If your MCAT is not what you'd like it to be, add the historically black schools and some DO schools. Otherwise, you're probably fine with just TX. On the other hand, if your MCAT is stronger than you expect, add schools with rural health missions if that's what you think you'd like to do.

I will look into them, thank you for the suggestions

 

[gyngyn]

I will look into them, thank you for the suggestions

If your MCAT is 510 or better, apply to any private school (in addition to TX, of course).

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Black male in Texas (URM status I don't consider this disadvantaged)
-Local churches donated food to us during childhood
-dad was unemployed for a short time while I was young and collected unemployment
-mom performed odd jobs around town (still does) and my dad worked as a prison guard an hour away from home after he established employment again
-I worked since I was 9 years old on a farm making $10/day for 10 hours a day 60 hours/wk during the summer, ~10-15 hours/wk during school year. Before I quit at 16 to work at the local grocery store I was making $15/day. Not a family farm. The farm owners allowed us to put our trailer house on their property free of cost
-Rural area, population of ~850 people
-there were times when we went without electricity and I would help out with the money I earned. Also helped with automobile repairs. My checks did not exclusively go towards helping the family, only occasionally
-there were times when we used baking soda to brush our teeth and regularly ate oatmeal/anything cheap for dinner
-Received free and reduced lunches throughout school
-closest hospital was an hour away, few doctors in a 30 mile area would usually take a while to get in

I'm considering applying disadvanted due to my stats not being the greatest. I have an UG Cum GPA of 3.3 with a very strong upward trend in prerequisite courses (~3.8). My graduate GPA was 3.9 and my BSN GPA was 3.55. I'm taking the MCAT this summer but my practice scores are not where I would like them. Would applying disadvantaged help?

See bolded, you might not but schools will factor this more than your SES status. Your SES status as a kid will just be an additional help to the fact that you are African American. Everyone loves the underdog story. Like Goro said, we just flat out need more black doctors. With your life experience go out and kill the MCAT and apply to any private school you want in addition to the TX schools. You will be a sought after commodity, Goodluck!

 

[KDoc2020]

First congrats on your success. We need more brothers in medicine so apply and best of luck. I know my friends and I will be 3 black males in a large class. I would say apply disadvantaged for sure. I am also a black student who will be matriculating into a major state med school in the fall. I had similar circumstances when my family immigrated to the U.S. And we were poor. I used to make $330-400 month from a paper route since I was a kid(11yrs) and tried to save but I would give most of the money to my parents. Got older and worked at a grain inspection place owned by a guy at my church to get by. My family is now doing great and my parents are now 1% earners (praise God) but that wasn't until I was 17 and in undergrad. My mentors all told me to apply disadvantaged even though I didn't see it in myself I just saw it as something I would do to help my family as a part of my culture. I would say if your MCAT isnt the greatest you could retake in the application window and also apply to HBCU programs. My jig brother goes to one and is very successful. Got a 250 on Step and is gone be an Anaesthesiologist. It seems to me like you're a hard working guy with everything it takes to get into medicine and succeed. Also PM me if you need advice.

Hey guys I have a question, should I apply to medical school disadvantage if I don't currently consider myself disadvantaged?

Currently, I hold a BS Exercise Physiology, M.Ed. in Exercise Science and Bachelors in Nursing (I have been an ICU/ER nurse for the past 4 years) so I feel like I've already overcome my childhood obstacles but anything helps, right?

Here are the circumstances in which I grew up:

Black male in Texas (URM status I don't consider this disadvantaged)
-Local churches donated food to us during childhood
-dad was unemployed for a short time while I was young and collected unemployment
-mom performed odd jobs around town (still does) and my dad worked as a prison guard an hour away from home after he established employment again
-I worked since I was 9 years old on a farm making $10/day for 10 hours a day 60 hours/wk during the summer, ~10-15 hours/wk during school year. Before I quit at 16 to work at the local grocery store I was making $15/day. Not a family farm. The farm owners allowed us to put our trailer house on their property free of cost
-Rural area, population of ~850 people
-there were times when we went without electricity and I would help out with the money I earned. Also helped with automobile repairs. My checks did not exclusively go towards helping the family, only occasionally
-there were times when we used baking soda to brush our teeth and regularly ate oatmeal/anything cheap for dinner
-Received free and reduced lunches throughout school
-closest hospital was an hour away, few doctors in a 30 mile area would usually take a while to get in

I'm considering applying disadvanted due to my stats not being the greatest. I have an UG Cum GPA of 3.3 with a very strong upward trend in prerequisite courses (~3.8). My graduate GPA was 3.9 and my BSN GPA was 3.55. I'm taking the MCAT this summer but my practice scores are not where I would like them. Would applying disadvantaged help?

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[RN to MD]

Thank you all for your words of wisdom and encouragement. I'm going to push my MCAT back in order to give myself more prep time and increase my chance to matriculate