Beating the Odds (Disadvantaged Status)

Did anyone else just see on Kron4 (in San Fran Bay Area) a special "Beating the Odds"???? It was a really intense documentary that followed several students from disadvantaged backgrounds and broken homes who made it to college (mostly UC Berkeley). Man, it was so heavy I got all choked up, esp. since it reminded me of my own early days!

After watching it, I really wanted to encourage anyone who has gone through such experiences to definitely apply w/ "disadvantaged status"--there needs to be more of us in med school!!!! Even if you've already submitted the primary, many 2ndaries allow you to elaborate on your background.

My #'s are nothing to brag about, but I think that applying as disadvantaged has really helped to round out my application. My freshman & sophomore grades & mcats are so bad that my premed advisor actually discouraged me from applying--I'm so glad I ignored his pessimism, b/c I've received 2ndaries from 4 UC's so far (even though I took Aug mcat). Of course, since college I have redeemed my grades w/ post-bac and grad work. So don't be discouraged-- those of you w/ similar circumstances or those who are drowning w/ 2ndary fees!!!

 

I missed the first 15 min or so, but let's see . . .
Latina and black students from Oakland ghettos who made it to UC Berkeley & participated in Summerbridge. Both commented on how they didn't have many personal possessions to bring 1st sem. freshman yr and how "class-shocked" they were. The young man said he couldn't afford a blanket & just used Berkeley sheets. Their counselor commented that a lot of kids in Summerbridge can't even afford books, basic clothing (i.e. coat, shoes), a fridge, microwave, etc. . .

A Chinese woman (also UC Berk) whose mom worked in the garment industry for below min. wage had been interviewed a few years ago on TV & some philanthropists saw her & donated $ to a fund which allowed her to attend college. She graduated & is going into journalism.

Another black woman from Oakland ended up going to law school @ U. of SF.

White brother & sister @ SF State who had been through foster care and then lived on their own since h.s., working full-time to pay rent & everything. They considered college their primary home & in between semesters, stayed w/ friends since they have no permanent home. The sister really struck me when she said "College food is delicious!" That really slaps some sense into those of us who have complained @ cafeteria food!

Many stories of entire families living out of cars, not having water, electricity, ect. . .

They didn't interview anyone going to med school--I think it's harder to find students who can beat the odds of med school. I don't remember all of them, but if you're interested, they said you can check out their profiles on the kron4 website.

Anyhow, affirmative action or not, these students esp. deserve to be considered for med school if they're able to tackle the obstacles @ each step and meet the requirements. They may have lower GPA's & mcat, but it should be considered that they also worked full-time through school to support their families (parents & siblings), & usu. have strength & maturity not seen in 21 yr olds. These life skills are essential to surviving med school, passing the boards & becoming a compassionate doctor.

 

Katie,

It's wonderful that you've come out of your experiences intact and w/ a wider perspective. When my brother spent a month in the psych ward after attempting suicide, I also met people with similar exp, which made me feel like "gosh, my brother almost killed himself, but our situation is still not half as bad!!"

I definitely agree w/ you--of course there are limits & competent doctors should be expected to fall w/in the accepted range of #'s (~ 3.2 gpa, 24 mcat). As with any self-respecting person, I wouldn't want to be accepted w/ sub-par #'s & have that be held over me. I was thinking more of cases in which someone rejected w/ perfect #'s might resent that a disadvan. or URM applicant is accepted w/ slightly lower stats. In this situation, life exp. should be considered. As seasoned mcat takers, we know that the difference between a score in the high 20's and that in the low 30's is a matter of answering a few more questions right in each section. I don't think this difference is an accurate determining factor in selecting which applicant will be a more effective doctor, esp. in the area of patient interaction. Even the UC Davis 2ndary states,

"The SOM seeks individuals whose future contributions to a career in med cannot be determined solely by grades and test scores. Your responses will aid in identifying the kinds of exp which reflect qualities needed to contribute to the health care needs of this state & throughout the country."

As a health care provider myself, I went to school w/ people w/ perfect #'s who had poor interviewing and listening skills. At times, their arrogance alienated patients from the inner city. Many of my patients also talk @ having doctors with the same attitudes.

I used to work in a school for at-risk kids w/ many support systems, and each year, only a handful slipped through the cracks to go on to college. I agree that more needs to be done from the grade school level. Also, AAMC and med schools need to do more to financially help students during the application process. Look @ the AAMC fee assistance program--I reported that my income last year was $5,000 (I could only work part-time b/c of prereqs & mcat prep), my single mom (w/ 3 younger kids) earned below $30K, and I was still ineligible!! They expect you to be almost homeless to be eligible for assistance, but if you're homeless, how do h*** do you EVEN consider med school!!!!

I don't mean to offend anyone w/ what i've discussed--we've all worked hard. Just to remind you that if you feel slighted during the process by what you perceive to be unfairness, just do a reality check (as Katie mentioned) and ask yourself if you would prefer to have lived through our experiences.