Applying URM, Whats stopping me?

[Ian1223]

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What are the requirements for applying URM?

AAMC says:

You are eligible for Med-MAR if you meet the following criteria:

1. You are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident visa holder, and;
2. You self identify as a member of a racial or ethnic group currently underrepresented in medicine and/or economically disadvantaged.

aka
http://www.aamc.org/students/minorities/resources/medmar.htm

Can I just say I am hispanic and apply? Are there any other requirements? I know some med school require you write about it in a secondary application essay, is there anything else?

If I apply URM can I later change my mind and say that I am white? I dont really know whether I am white or hispanic. What do I have to prove to be one or the other?

What does "self identify" mean other than identify myself?

I think I need some legal clarification.

 

[fisko82]

 

[Ian1223]

What makes someone a URM?

 

[dd128]

Well I guess the first thing I'd look at is the background of your parents and grandparents where are they from? If you're having trouble deciding if you're a urm, I'm inclined to think you're not IMO.

 

[Ian1223]

Some of my greatgrandparents may have come to the US from South America. Whats IMO?

 

[scowdeva]

You don't get to decide that you are a URM. You just check what box(es) apply to your racial background on AMCAS.

Just a thought: at all of my interviews, I have been asked how my background has changed/influenced my life and my desire to go into medicine. If you don't even know if you are hispanic or white, good luck convincing them it matters to your life. I would be afraid that not correctly self-identifying would be a fast-track to a rejection post-interview...they are pretty in tune to feeling out if you're lying. At some interviews, I was asked about names on a tribal role because they verify you're telling the truth. Don't check a box to try and give yourself a 'leg up', it'll probably just come back to bite you in the end.

 

[scowdeva]

Some of my greatgrandparents may have come to the US from South America. Whats IMO?

Ok, if some of your GREATgrandparents MAY have come from S America, this does not apply to you. Check white and save yourself some grief. P.S., the URM card is not a get into med school free card. I am genuinely and documented as Native, check out my MDApps for how much schools have NOT been beating down my door to accept me with borderline competitive stats. Oh, and I also qualify as disadvantaged. So take the 'advantage' you think you will get applying this way with a grain of salt.

 

[dd128]

Ok, if some of your GREATgrandparents MAY have come from S America, this does not apply to you. Check white and save yourself some grief. P.S., the URM card is not a get into med school free card. I am genuinely and documented as Native, check out my MDApps for how much schools have NOT been beating down my door to accept me with borderline competitive stats. Oh, and I also qualify as disadvantaged. So take the 'advantage' you think you will get applying this way with a grain of salt.

I'd have to agree. I'm a "legtit" mexican american, and do not have schools banging down my door nor have a free pass to every allopathic school in the country. For some reference the hispanic scholarships that I received required one grandparent to be of full hispanic descent. That seems like a good criteria to go by. If you're eligible for hispanic scholarships then I'd say you're hispanic 🙂

 

[Ian1223]

Still, what makes someone a URM in the eyes of the admissions committees and AMCAS?

 

[luckycharms08]

What are the requirements for applying URM?

AAMC says:

You are eligible for Med-MAR if you meet the following criteria:

1. You are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident visa holder, and;
2. You self identify as a member of a racial or ethnic group currently underrepresented in medicine and/or economically disadvantaged.

aka
http://www.aamc.org/students/minorities/resources/medmar.htm

Can I just say I am hispanic and apply? Are there any other requirements? I know some med school require you write about it in a secondary application essay, is there anything else?

If I apply URM can I later change my mind and say that I am white? I dont really know whether I am white or hispanic. What do I have to prove to be one or the other?

What does "self identify" mean other than identify myself?

I think I need some legal clarification.

why are you asking this now if you've already applied for this cycle? assuming it's for next cycle, don't you think it'll be a bit suspicious if you reapply for next cycle and suddenly you've gone from white to hispanic in a year? schools keep your old files and then review everything when you reapply.

you don't even know if they came from south america or not. regardless, the rule i've always heard is you need to be 1/4 to be counted, which means one full blooded grandparent. people taking advantage of the system is why so many people are against URM's getting any preference. instead of people getting help that really need it, it's people like you who just try to find loopholes to serve your own needs.

 

[luckycharms08]

Still, what makes someone a URM in the eyes of the admissions committees and AMCAS?

that's uncalled for.

 

[Ian1223]

why are you asking this now if you've already applied for this cycle? assuming it's for next cycle, don't you think it'll be a bit suspicious if you reapply for next cycle and suddenly you've gone from white to hispanic in a year? schools keep your old files and then review everything when you reapply.

you don't even know if they came from south america or not. regardless, the rule i've always heard is you need to be 1/4 to be counted, which means one full blooded grandparent. people taking advantage of the system is why so many people are against URM's getting any preference. instead of people getting help that really need it, it's people like you who just try to find loopholes to serve your own needs.

Im just trying to figure out what Im entitled to not to upset anyone. I'm sorry if I have offended you.

Where did you here this 1/4 grandparents rule. Do you ask you to verify this? Is it anything that AMCAS has said directly?

 

[dd128]

Im just trying to figure out what Im entitled to not to upset anyone.

Where did you here this 1/4 grandparents rule. Do you ask you to verify this? Is it anything that AMCAS has said directly?

There is no rule. It's "self-identified." If you feel you're a urm, check the box. If you have to call the school and ask them if they think you're hispanic enough to check it, they're probably going to laugh. Do you have any contact or legitimate ties with any hispanic communities?

 

[MsJLewis]

There is no rule. It's "self-identified." If you feel you're a urm, check the box. If you have to call the school and ask them if they think you're hispanic enough to check it, they're probably going to laugh. Do you have any contact or legitimate ties with any hispanic communities?

There is no "URM box". You report your ethnicity/race and each school will decide if you qualify as URM.

 

[dd128]

There is no "URM box". You report your ethnicity/race and each school will decide if you qualify as URM.

you know what I mean. "Check the corresponding box to your race that identifies you as an urm"

 

[luckycharms08]

There is no "URM box". You report your ethnicity/race and each school will decide if you qualify as URM.

but i feel like he's saying he wants to mark down his ethnicity/race as whatever will help him most. he's not even sure if his greatgrandparents came from South America, but wants to mark down Hispanic.

Ian, you're not explaining why this question is relevant if you've already applied. you also haven't answered if you have any ties to Hispanic communities.

 

[Ian1223]

There is no rule. It's "self-identified." If you feel you're a urm, check the box. If you have to call the school and ask them if they think you're hispanic enough to check it, they're probably going to laugh. Do you have any contact or legitimate ties with any hispanic communities?

One second Ive been typing!

I grew up in South Florida. There is a very large hispanic population in my community. I speak a little bit of spanish but that is it. I might have some relatives who are from South America. Ill have to look further into it.

It seems like people who qualify as URM get a leg up in the process. I didnt select hispanic in my first round of applications because I never considered myself to be. This pertains to the next round in case my decision at Drexel comes up negative.

Could I be?

 

[MsJLewis]

you know what I mean. "Check the corresponding box to your race that identifies you as an urm"

Gotcha.

but i feel like he's saying he wants to mark down his ethnicity/race as whatever will help him most. he's not even sure if his greatgrandparents came from South America, but wants to mark down Hispanic.

Not cool if this is true. If you are actually unsure about your heritage, I would do a little family digging to find out before you start saying your hispanic. Are your grandparents/parents from South America?

 

[alwaysaangel]

Im just trying to figure out what Im entitled to not to upset anyone. I'm sorry if I have offended you.

Where did you here this 1/4 grandparents rule. Do you ask you to verify this? Is it anything that AMCAS has said directly?

As others have said - there is no legal definition. That would put AMCAS in some risky positions by telling people what it means to be a certain race.

Just like the disadvantaged box-its how you believe yourself to be. If a person truly feels their education was affected by their social economic status then they check disadvantaged. If you truly believe your entire life has been affected by your perception of yourself as hispanic and the perception of others of you as hispanic then check the race box.

But obviously you DON'T look at yourself as Hispanic. So you're not.

As someone else said, its going to come up in interviews and if you can't explain how being Hispanic is going to affect you in life - its going to kick your *** and it will be an auto-reject. And unfortunately, if you show up and look completely white when they were expected a Hispanic applicant - that may also = auto-rejection.
(I know (without having to look 'further into it') that I have a great grandmother who is 100% cherokee but I didn't go around claiming to be Native American - because it would have been stupid considering I'm as white as the driven snow)

There is a girl in my class who's mother is full (some sort of Hispanic heritage in South America - but I can't remember what), but my classmate looks completely white. She did not apply URM even though she IS fluent in Spanish and does identify as Hispanic - because she doesn't look Hispanic and was afraid it would hurt her.

Thats actually another good way to judge right there. If no one living in your immediate family speaks Spanish - you're probably not Hispanic.

So we've got:
-can you explain in an interview how being hispanic has affected you
-can anyone in your family speak fluent Spanish
-do you look Hispanic
-do you really think you're Hispanic.

If the answer to any of these is no, then you shouldn't use the box. And deep down, I think you know that - but no one here is giving you the answer that you want to hear (that you can because you're somehow entitled to it) so you keep arguing.

[also, I would delete that entitled post ASAP before more people see it - they are going to FUME at you for that one. No one - not even an African-American who's grandparents were slaves - is ENTITLED to anything. You earn what you get or you aren't a doctor. Period. No one owes you anything in life. (and I'm going to stop there before I go off on another rant about the disgusting feeling of entitlement our educational system has given our generation)]

 

[shiftingmirage]

[also, I would delete that entitled post ASAP before more people see it - they are going to FUME at you for that one. No one - not even an African-American who's grandparents were slaves - is ENTITLED to anything. You earn what you get or you aren't a doctor. Period. No one owes you anything in life. (and I'm going to stop there before I go off on another rant about the disgusting feeling of entitlement our educational system has given our generation)]

Agreed.

 

[Ian1223]

So we've got:
-can you explain in an interview how being hispanic has affected you
-can anyone in your family speak fluent Spanish
-do you look Hispanic
-do you really think you're Hispanic.

Ok so,

no
no
maybe?
never considered it before today

So I guess Im not hispanic then, but maybe I am, but I cant prove it either way so it doesnt matter.

Why do ethnic groups get special treatment. I understand why the economically disadvantaged do but why specific ethnic groups?

 

[alwaysaangel]

So I guess Im not hispanic then, but maybe I am, but I cant prove it either way so it doesnt matter.

It does matter. Proving it isn't the point, actually being or not being ethnic is the issue. Also, if you never considered whether you were ethnic or not before today - that says a lot. I can't wake up tomorrow and suddenly decide - I think I'll be black. Just cuz. Doesn't work that way.

Why do ethnic groups get special treatment. I understand why the economically disadvantaged do but why specific ethnic groups?

Certain ethnic groups (black, hispanic, native American) are UNDERREPRESENTED (first word in URM) in medicine. There are x percent of that ethnicity in the country but a much smaller percentage of doctors of that ethnicity. The purpose of giving an advantage to URMs is to increase the percentage of doctors from that ethnicity.

Why do they do this? Some believe affirmative action was originally put in place for the applicant - they "deserve" a chance so they were given a leg up. I've never actually seen any documentation to support this.

Others say its to increase the number of doctors in underserved areas - but everyone knows this doesn't work so thats not really it either.

So here is how I think of it - and affirmative action no longer makes me angry.

Don't look at Affirmative action as for the student - look at is as for the average patient in the general populace. It makes much more sense that way. So for example, lets use African Americans. As an average African American, I probably would want someone I could identify with as a doctor (just like a female might want a female doctor, a male might want a male doctor, you may even shop around til' you find a doctor you have something in common with). As an African American patient, it only seems right I should have the opportunity to have a doctor that I am comfortable with - and if that means having an African American doctor then so be it. But for that to happen there need to be more African American doctors in the country.

The URM student is just the means by which more doctors are made available to that population.

And sure we could all say race doesn't matter but we all know that unfortunately in our country it still does. So don't make a fuss - it is what it is.

 

[shiftingmirage]

Ok so,

So I guess Im not hispanic then, but maybe I am, but I cant prove it either way so it doesnt matter.

Why do ethnic groups get special treatment. I understand why the economically disadvantaged do but why specific ethnic groups?

If it doesn't matter you should not file as URM.

Because studies have shown that diversity in a classroom is beneficial in education
A disproportional number of minorities are economically disadvantaged
Even in today's society, there is still an abundance of hatred for certain races/religions
Talk to someone who has experienced this hatred and families that have been held back because of the hatred. You will realize how lucky you have it.
By not doing so, we are affectively suppressing URMs so that they will not be CEOs, VPs, MDs. It's had to achieve these goals if your parents were prevented from attending college because of racial/religious/financial reasons.
Finally, this is America. We keep harping on everyone being equal, and the freedom to pursue one's dreams. Although more could be done, this is a case where we are actually trying to back this statement.

 

[Ian1223]

It does matter. Proving it isn't the point, actually being or not being ethnic is the issue. Also, if you never considered whether you were ethnic or not before today - that says a lot. I can't wake up tomorrow and suddenly decide - I think I'll be black. Just cuz. Doesn't work that way.



Certain ethnic groups (black, hispanic, native American) are UNDERREPRESENTED (first word in URM) in medicine. There are x percent of that ethnicity in the country but a much smaller percentage of doctors of that ethnicity. The purpose of giving an advantage to URMs is to increase the percentage of doctors from that ethnicity.

Why do they do this? Some believe affirmative action was originally put in place for the applicant - they "deserve" a chance so they were given a leg up. I've never actually seen any documentation to support this.

Others say its to increase the number of doctors in underserved areas - but everyone knows this doesn't work so thats not really it either.

So here is how I think of it - and affirmative action no longer makes me angry.

Don't look at Affirmative action as for the student - look at is as for the average patient in the general populace. It makes much more sense that way. So for example, lets use African Americans. As an average African American, I probably would want someone I could identify with as a doctor (just like a female might want a female doctor, a male might want a male doctor, you may even shop around til' you find a doctor you have something in common with). As an African American patient, it only seems right I should have the opportunity to have a doctor that I am comfortable with - and if that means having an African American doctor then so be it. But for that to happen there need to be more African American doctors in the country.

The URM student is just the means by which more doctors are made available to that population.

And sure we could all say race doesn't matter but we all know that unfortunately in our country it still does. So don't make a fuss - it is what it is.

That is very wise. I guess the purpose of the application process is to ultimately serve the patients just as is the purpose of being a doctor.

 

[DrMattOglesby]

...

you don't even know if they came from south america or not. regardless, the rule i've always heard is you need to be 1/4 to be counted, which means one full blooded grandparent...

well...my grandparents on my dad's side were one "full-blooded" Cherokee Indian and one "full-blooded" Chamorro (aka Guamanian).
but i tried bringing up my status as URM and my thread got closed quickly.

 

[fisko82]

Certain ethnic groups (black, hispanic, native American) are UNDERREPRESENTED (first word in URM) in medicine. There are x percent of that ethnicity in the country but a much smaller percentage of doctors of that ethnicity. The purpose of giving an advantage to URMs is to increase the percentage of doctors from that ethnicity.

I forget which thread I saw it at, but someone posted a link to demographic stats in medicine on here awhile ago. IIRC, something like 60% of physicians in this country are white, while 80% of the population is white. So, by this definition, whites too are underrepresented in medicine. Problem is, they don't fit that last letter in URM, M for minority.

 

[alwaysaangel]

I forget which thread I saw it at, but someone posted a link to demographic stats in medicine on here awhile ago. IIRC, something like 60% of physicians in this country are white, while 80% of the population is white. So, by this definition, whites too are underrepresented in medicine. Problem is, they don't fit that last letter in URM, M for minority.

Well fair enough but even then - 60% and 80% isn't really underrepresented either. A white person can still find a white doctor.

Its only underrepresented when you're talking about 12% of the US population being black, while only 4% of physicians are black. THATS hugely underrepresented. 1/3 of the percent. Native Americans make up .7% of the US, but only .1% of Physicians. (1/7!)

A drop in 20% out of 80% (which is really 15% out of 75% since the 2000 Census claimed 75% Caucasian American), is not as significant as being 1/3 or 1/7 of the population. So sure we might be slightly underrepresented - but certainly not to the degree that other ethnicities are.

 

[riceman04]

What are the requirements for applying URM?

AAMC says:

You are eligible for Med-MAR if you meet the following criteria:

1. You are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident visa holder, and;
2. You self identify as a member of a racial or ethnic group currently underrepresented in medicine and/or economically disadvantaged.

aka
http://www.aamc.org/students/minorities/resources/medmar.htm

Can I just say I am hispanic and apply? Are there any other requirements? I know some med school require you write about it in a secondary application essay, is there anything else?

If I apply URM can I later change my mind and say that I am white? I dont really know whether I am white or hispanic. What do I have to prove to be one or the other?

What does "self identify" mean other than identify myself?

I think I need some legal clarification.

😆😆😆😆😆😆

 

[redlight]

I forget which thread I saw it at, but someone posted a link to demographic stats in medicine on here awhile ago. IIRC, something like 60% of physicians in this country are white, while 80% of the population is white. So, by this definition, whites too are underrepresented in medicine. Problem is, they don't fit that last letter in URM, M for minority.

actually...
on the issue of diversity in the medical field, the American Medical Student Association states: "Racial and ethnic minorities comprise 26% of the total population of the United States, yet only roughly 6% of practicing physicians are Latino, African American and Native American."

 

[midn]

My interviewer at WashU the other day was the diversity director for the school. I had a rather fascinating conversation with him about minorities in medicine and minorities receiving healthcare in general.

If I understood correctly, what he told me was that getting minorities into medicine wasn't for the sole reason of having enough minorities to proportionally match the minorities in our population. The root of the problem they are trying to fix is the general sentiment that the rest of the nation doesn't care about them. He did the best he could to explain the situation, but what I basically understood that it is incredibly complicated. They aren't quite sure why minorities of the same economic status have a much lower life expectancy than whites of the same economic status (even the rich ones). Of course, this problem extends past life expectancy, but that was just a relevant example to health care.

Anyways, from what I gather, admitting URMs is to help raise awareness of this problem. They want the minority doctors to go on to educate their peers about the situation so the minority doctors do not have to completely burden themselves in fixing the situation.

With all that said, if you do not identify with a URM and have never in your entire life, you're really defeating the point of URM selection. Although you will most likely fail to convince the adcoms that you are a URM, if you do succeed, it will be at a great cost to your ethical integrity.

 

[surfstarj]

OP, the "Underrepresented in medicine means those racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the medical profession relative to their numbers in the general population." I believe another component at the heart of URM status is self-identification. Technically being some vague form of Hispanic, as you describe, doesn't fit the bill. You also clearly haven't grown up with the idea that you are, in fact, Hispanic.

Just for a reference, let's have a little talk about South America. My family actually does come from South America. A very large portion of the population (in Brazil and Argentina, especially) is European or of European origin--not indigenous. I speak Spanish fluently and would still not consider myself Hispanic ethnically. Personal decision because I grew up with the traditions of the European country that my family originally came from and not much of the latin culture from where they lived.

Let's just say that if you choose to identify as Hispanic but have nothing to "show" for it come interview time, it may not be looked upon favorably at all. You mentioned you don't speak spanish and you aren't really sure where your relatives came from. I'd probably go with a "no, sorry" on the URM status for you.

 

[halekulani]

I grew up in South Florida. There is a very large hispanic population in my community. I speak a little bit of spanish but that is it. I might have some relatives who are from South America. Ill have to look further into it.

It seems like people who qualify as URM get a leg up in the process. I didnt select hispanic in my first round of applications because I never considered myself to be. This pertains to the next round in case my decision at Drexel comes up negative.

Could I be?

....

you can't possibly be serious.
"i might have some relatives"
you "never considered" yourself to be hispanic, and now you're hispanic because of some blood way back when?

i hope drexel reads this so they can get a better idea of who YOU are.

 

[fisko82]

actually...
on the issue of diversity in the medical field, the American Medical Student Association states: "Racial and ethnic minorities comprise 26% of the total population of the United States, yet only roughly 6% of practicing physicians are Latino, African American and Native American."

This was what I was trying to recall. I was off and thought it was 60% in my original post. (Although, I still think there was someone who posted other statistics that listed whites comprising of 60% of the physician population, I can't seem to find it at the moment though. oh well, whatever.)

 

[MyStiKxFury]

This was what I was trying to recall. I was off and thought it was 60% in my original post. (Although, I still think there was someone who posted other statistics that listed whites comprising of 60% of the physician population, I can't seem to find it at the moment though. oh well, whatever.)

This may sound stupid, but how can there 27.6% of the physician population be unknown. Thats a huge chunk of doctors that we have no statistics for. Is it because their ethnicity just isnt reported or de we really not know what they are? Are they of mixed ethnicities or what?

 

[surfstarj]

This may sound stupid, but how can there 27.6% of the physician population be unknown. Thats a huge chunk of doctors that we have no statistics for. Is it because their ethnicity just isnt reported or de we really not know what they are? Are they of mixed ethnicities or what?

They probably checked the box that says "Decline to respond" that's all. I'm pretty sure all of these stats are self-reported so everyone has the right to opt out in this way by essentially non-identifying.

 

[JaggerPlate]

Im just trying to figure out what Im entitled to not to upset anyone. I'm sorry if I have offended you.

Where did you here this 1/4 grandparents rule. Do you ask you to verify this? Is it anything that AMCAS has said directly?

Sounds like you are entitled to apply to medical school just like everyone else. Being half white/half mexican with great grandparents who might have been from South America and growing up in south Florida where a lot of people spoke Spanish and you spoke a little sounds like you are entitled to apply. Period. I really really really doubt you are a URM. REALLLLY doubt it.

 

[iA-MD2013]

middle easterners arent even on that pie chart! are they urm?

 

[135892]

 

[Chargers]

OK can anyone please clarify this for me. One of my adviser has told me that I could apply as a URM because I came from a third world country about 8 years ago. Is this true? I came from an Southeast Asian country, btw. I grew up in a rural town until I was 17 years old. Does that qualify?

 

[surfstarj]

OK can anyone please clarify this for me. One of my adviser has told me that I could apply as a URM because I came from a third world country about 8 years ago. Is this true? I came from an Southeast Asian country, btw. I grew up in a rural town until I was 17 years old. Does that qualify?

agh. you don't apply "AS" URM. You select your ethnicity and your URM status is determined.

For example, if you were black, you'd select "African American" and you'd be designated URM. You don't actually say "Hi, my name is XX and I'm URM." If you selected "Caucasian" you would then be non-URM.

You'd select "Asian/southeastern Asian" or whichever choice you feel matches the closest and that's it...Please correct me if I'm wrong here...

You could write about your background in your PS or whatever, but there's no "click here for URM" box on the AMCAS!

good luck.

 

[scowdeva]

OK can anyone please clarify this for me. One of my adviser has told me that I could apply as a URM because I came from a third world country about 8 years ago. Is this true? I came from an Southeast Asian country, btw. I grew up in a rural town until I was 17 years old. Does that qualify?

For god's sake, probably not! You don't apply URM, you apply by your race. Southeast Asian is not URM, it is in fact ORM (not that it really matters). You may be able to apply as disadvantaged, but only if you feel that you were severly held back by where you grew up. Were you living in poverty? If you were, and can back this up, you can then check disadvantaged.

Also, they designate where you come from for the adcoms. I'm from Flint, MI, which is considered both an underpriviledged and a poverty area (they actually designate this on your primary because of the county you grew up in, I have an extra "U" on there that I called about because I didn't know what it meant). Being out of the country though, I don't think they would designate where you grew up as they have no real way to know.

 

[Cherrypoopers]

The responses to this thread are ridiculous.

If you are hispanic, you are entitled to say that you are hispanic.
You are what you are.
You don't have to culturally represent hispanic people in order to say
that you are hispanic if you are hispanic.

🙄

You can probably also say that you come from a mixed background, which by the way is no less interesting to me than coming from one particular minority background.

Ian, why do you not know where your great-grandparents come from? That's even more interesting to me than your question. You should probably poke around a bit more into your family history before the older people in your family are gone--hopefully some are still around for you.

Also, I don't think that being a URM is the key to getting into medical school.

 

[smeagol]

Given that the OP has already initiated the application process, it's pretty clear to me that he/she is verbally venting his/her frustration at URMs for his/her own lack of success.

 

[redlight]

Also, they designate where you come from for the adcoms. I'm from Flint, MI, which is considered both an underpriviledged and a poverty area (they actually designate this on your primary because of the county you grew up in, I have an extra "U" on there that I called about because I didn't know what it meant). Being out of the country though, I don't think they would designate where you grew up as they have no real way to know.

im not applying this year to med school(im a freshman) but i applied to a summer program required that i register with the aamc. on my application there was a "U" in superscript next to my county's name. at the bottom of the application page the superscript was explained similarly to how you explained it. i didn't know my entire county was considered under-served, though i know some specific areas in the county are.

 

[JaggerPlate]

I could be wrong but I also believe that it is underrepresented in medicine, not in the context of where you came from. So ... I do not believe asians are underrepresented in med school.

 

[midn]

"U" means underserved. That means your area does not have adequate healthcare facilities. I'm not sure how it's exactly determined.

 

[TheRealMD]

If being X ethnicity hasn't affected you, then they'll probably see through it.

 

[Ian1223]

....

you can't possibly be serious.
"i might have some relatives"
you "never considered" yourself to be hispanic, and now you're hispanic because of some blood way back when?

i hope drexel reads this so they can get a better idea of who YOU are.

Excuse me? Can I help you?

Theres a saying about ASSuming that I cant quite put my finger on...

 

[Ian1223]

The responses to this thread are ridiculous.

If you are hispanic, you are entitled to say that you are hispanic.
You are what you are.
You don't have to culturally represent hispanic people in order to say
that you are hispanic if you are hispanic.

🙄

You can probably also say that you come from a mixed background, which by the way is no less interesting to me than coming from one particular minority background.

Ian, why do you not know where your great-grandparents come from? That's even more interesting to me than your question. You should probably poke around a bit more into your family history before the older people in your family are gone--hopefully some are still around for you.

Also, I don't think that being a URM is the key to getting into medical school.

AMCAS says I just have to say Im hispanic. But what does that actually mean? It seems like a flawed system to me.

 

[Ian1223]

Given that the OP has already initiated the application process, it's pretty clear to me that he/she is verbally venting his/her frustration at URMs for his/her own lack of success.

Sticks and stones
can crush my toes
but youre still really annoying