Black premeds/doctors around?

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AlphaBeta<3

AlphaBeta<3

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Hey,

So, I'm a jamaican American female premed. My school literally has no other black person in my year who is premed, and I'd like to communicate with some others.
How is everything going with your guys' process?
 
AlphaBeta<3 said:
Hey,

So, I'm a jamaican American female premed. My school literally has no other black person in my year who is premed, and I'd like to communicate with some others.
How is everything going with your guys' process?
Click to expand...

Check out the "underrepresented in medicine" subforum. I believe there is a longtime-going black premed thread going on there.
 
Jamaican American female pre-med checking in, too :laugh:
Also a long time lurker...

Lucca said:
Check out the "underrepresented in medicine" subforum. I believe there is a longtime-going black premed thread going on there.
Click to expand...

Thank you! I never knew this existed.
 
Omg there are so many of us here! Hi guys 😀
 
AlphaBeta<3 said:
Hey,

So, I'm a jamaican American female premed. My school literally has no other black person in my year who is premed, and I'd like to communicate with some others.
How is everything going with your guys' process?
Click to expand...
Good, thanks
 
dreamadream said:
I think this thread should stay in regular pre-allo, because to be honest not a lot of minorities go into the underrepresented sub forum until application season.
Click to expand...

Welcome back!
 
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I honestly kinda like it here, too. As long as a mod doesn't ban me or kick me out or anything :x
 
AlphaBeta<3 said:
But how are you guys doing?
Any problems you face?
I always find it annoying when I always get asked if I'm trying to be a nurse. Even after I say I'm premed lol
Click to expand...
I'm not facing any problems yet. I feel like they are coming soon-once I really get into my experiences with research, clinicals, etc.
 
dreamadream said:
Is anyone just African American lol? Everyone is Caribbean or straight from the mother land.
Click to expand...

I am a first gen American so that's why I refer to myself as Jamaican American. Buuut, I second AlphaBeta, "Lol dw, in America we are all seen as AA anyway."

AlphaBeta<3 said:
But how are you guys doing?
Any problems you face?
I always find it annoying when I always get asked if I'm trying to be a nurse. Even after I say I'm premed lol
Click to expand...

I'm tired, but not tired enough for sleep.
I've only met one other pre-med in my year. Not a URM and it was a guy.

I get the nurse thing as well. I don't even bother explaining it anymore.
 
AlphaBeta<3 said:
But how are you guys doing?
Any problems you face?
I always find it annoying when I always get asked if I'm trying to be a nurse. Even after I say I'm premed lol
Click to expand...

Lol, I get the opposite. My father tells everyone that I'm going to become a neurosurgeon like Ben Carson, and he did this long before I was even interested in medicine. :hungover:
He says he didn't come to America, work so hard to raise me, and pay tuition for me to end up as anything less. No pressure, though. :grumpy:
 
DrDre2017 said:
Lol, I get the opposite. My father tells everyone that I'm going to become a neurosurgeon like Ben Carson, and he did this long before I was even interested in medicine. :hungover:
He says he didn't come to America, work so hard to raise me, and pay tuition for me to end up as anything less. No pressure, though. :grumpy:
Click to expand...
Lmao are you Nigerian? Or from another African country? That sounds very typical if that's the case xD. It's ok, us first generations always have to shoulder the burden of our parents' dreams
 
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f4reignbeauty said:
Not premed, BUT I am an African-American medical student! And yes, when I was accepted into medical school, plenty of folks congratulated me on getting into nursing school. I tried to correct them, but gave up soon afterwards lol! 🙂
Click to expand...
Omg I would've never been able to get over that. After all those years devoted, volunteer hours, research, mcat, and gpa I would have made sure they knew medical school and not nursing. I wonder why they always think nursing, like it's so strange for us to want to become doctors
Btw, do you have any advice for us premeds?
 
AlphaBeta<3 said:
Omg I would've never been able to get over that. After all those years devoted, volunteer hours, research, mcat, and gpa I would have made sure they knew medical school and not nursing. I wonder why they always think nursing, like it's so strange for us to want to become doctors
Btw, do you have any advice for us premeds?
Click to expand...

Honestly, I didn't think it was worth the stress lol! I have a lot of advice, but questions may help steer the conversation in the right direction. 🙂
 
AA female here too 🙂

AlphaBeta<3 said:
But how are you guys doing?
Any problems you face?
I always find it annoying when I always get asked if I'm trying to be a nurse. Even after I say I'm premed lol
Click to expand...

Doing well, just recently got into Med school so I'm just trying to relax with what's left of a really slow relaxing life haha

Funny current problem: class started a few days ago and once again I look around and I'm the only AA around. Doesn't really bother me anymore, I just get a good chuckle out of it lol.
 
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dreamadream said:
Is anyone just African American lol? Everyone is Caribbean or straight from the mother land.
Click to expand...
I am an African American female too! So nice to meet y'all!!

I've never had the nursing problem but I do work as a scribe and most of the providers and nurses just assumed that I wanted to be a scribe for the rest of my life. And then when I told them I'm starting med school in a few months I got a total shift in attitude from all of them.
 
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DrDre2017 said:
Lol, I get the opposite. My father tells everyone that I'm going to become a neurosurgeon like Ben Carson, and he did this long before I was even interested in medicine. :hungover:
He says he didn't come to America, work so hard to raise me, and pay tuition for me to end up as anything less. No pressure, though. :grumpy:
Click to expand...

AlphaBeta<3 said:
Lmao are you Nigerian? Or from another African country? That sounds very typical if that's the case xD. It's ok, us first generations always have to shoulder the burden of our parents' dreams
Click to expand...

I have a lot of Nigerian friends and I thought this immediately lol.
 
f4reignbeauty said:
Not premed, BUT I am an African-American medical student! And yes, when I was accepted into medical school, plenty of folks congratulated me on getting into nursing school. I tried to correct them, but gave up soon afterwards lol! 🙂
Click to expand...

I'm 4 months away from being a doctor and I get called a nurse on the regular. Perils of being a young female with a pink stethoscope and a short coat. 😉 I've even seen it happen to female attendings.
 
Ismet said:
I'm 4 months away from being a doctor and I get called a nurse on the regular. Perils of being a young female with a pink stethoscope and a short coat. 😉 I've even seen it happen to female attendings.
Click to expand...

I was shadowing at an academic place as a freshman and the ENT resident I was with was 28 years old but shorter than me and obviously young enough to not have any obvious signs of aging. When she didnt wear her coat patients thought she was the nurse and when she did wear her MD coat she was swallowed in it and it looked kind of ridiculous. 😛 can't win.
 
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Ismet said:
I'm 4 months away from being a doctor and I get called a nurse on the regular. Perils of being a young female with a pink stethoscope and a short coat. 😉 I've even seen it happen to female attendings.
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear that, and congrats on making it that far! I've always wondered if it was a woman thing [emoji19].
 
I also love how Americans keep hold of their heritage. People who were Born and raised in Jamaica wouldn't consider you Jamaicans, just kids raised by Jamaicans . But it really doesn't matter wishing you all best of luck !! Bless up!
 
AlphaBeta<3 said:
Lmao are you Nigerian? Or from another African country? That sounds very typical if that's the case xD.
Click to expand...
Lol, no, my dad's Jamaican and the majority of people in his social circle are from the Caribbean as well. Nigerians do make up a large proportion of the Black student body at my school, though.
AlphaBeta<3 said:
It's ok, us first generations always have to shoulder the burden of our parents' dreams
Click to expand...
^This for sure, lol,
 
Ismet said:
I'm 4 months away from being a doctor and I get called a nurse on the regular. Perils of being a young female with a pink stethoscope and a short coat. 😉 I've even seen it happen to female attendings.
Click to expand...
How can anyone mistake you for a Nurse,, you are actually THE Doctor (the best one in my opinion as well)
 
Chelsea FC said:
I also love how Americans keep hold of their heritage. People who were Born and raised in Jamaica wouldn't consider you Jamaicans, just kids raised by Jamaicans . But it really doesn't matter wishing you all best of luck !! Bless up!
Click to expand...

That's important to keep hold of your heritage. I think it's cool to be able to know exactly where you came from. Everyone doesn't have that luxury =/
 
Hey guys! I'm AA. Just got accepted to medical school this cycle, however I am very nervous to start. During the interview cycle, I was always the only black person at the interviews. Also I only saw about 3 black students (not sure if they were medical students) throughout the tour at all of the schools that I interviewed. Although it should not matter, but it was discouraging.
 
NothingWasTheSame said:
Hey guys! I'm AA. Just got accepted to medical school this cycle, however I am very nervous to start. During the interview cycle, I was always the only black person at the interviews. Also I only saw about 3 black students (not sure if they were medical students) throughout the tour at all of the schools that I interviewed. Although it should not matter, but it was discouraging.
Click to expand...

I'm always told that it doesn't matter, but I still get that same discouraged feeling when I'm the only black person in a room like that.
It also doesn't help that I go to a PWI, but I have met some people that don't make me feel out of place. Hopefully you'll find that at your school 🙂

BTW, Congrats on getting accepted!
 
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teeayejay said:
That's important to keep hold of your heritage. I think it's cool to be able to know exactly where you came from. Everyone doesn't have that luxury =/
Click to expand...
I totally agree.. It just annoys me at times when I see kids going around saying they're Jamaican and know nothing about Jamaica other than the Sunday dinner they get cooked. Its stupid I know because someone can identify how they want. But I take great pride in my culture and I make sure I represent Jamaica proudly wherever I go, as I see myself as an ambassador whenever I am outside of JAM ROCK (Jamaica) . Not going to get all PC and make a **** storm out of it though lol it just annoys me a tad.
 
NothingWasTheSame said:
Hey guys! I'm AA. Just got accepted to medical school this cycle, however I am very nervous to start. During the interview cycle, I was always the only black person at the interviews. Also I only saw about 3 black students (not sure if they were medical students) throughout the tour at all of the schools that I interviewed. Although it should not matter, but it was discouraging.
Click to expand...

I feel the same way but I try to look at it from the bright side. You don't need tons of people to create a space where you feel supported and loved. As long as the group that's there is solid and looks after each other I know things will turn out alright, even better than expected.
 
Does wishing I was black count? 🙁 I'm just a brother from another.
 
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