Couple of Questions about being asian and applications

[greatdoctor]

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[linkorn12]

a

 

[Mbeas]

I think you are joking....

 

[jvesco22]

Is being Asian considered diverse? Is it worth it to talk about my travels to my home country and how that has helped me become a more "diverse individual" in secondaries?

Do ADCOMs select students based on their relative ranking within their own race? For example, would I be compared with only Asian students when they review my app.? In that regard, how do Asians usually do on the VR part of the MCAT?

I am asking these questions seriously, they are not meant to be a joke!

 

[Electronegative]

If you are trying to ask whether Asians are URMs, then no Asians are ORM over represented minority, so basically you will be competing equally with everyone else who aren't URM.

EN

 

[NickNaylor]

Are you trying to use your Asian background almost as a URM type of advantage? Because if so, as someone else said that won't fly. Asians actually have the highest MCAT/GPA average for acceptances of any race. The stats are provided on the AAMC website.

And I'm not quite sure why you're asking about VR. I don't think they do any worse as a whole than other races...

 

[HealthHare]

Asians are URM and Bristol Palin would make a great physician😉

 

[QuizzicalApe]

Asians are more ORM than URM. It's not a negative, just not a positive in terms of being accepted for things you haven't actively accomplished.

 

[Nymphicus]

Is it worth it to talk about my travels to my home country and how that has helped me become a more "diverse individual" in secondaries?

I feel like this part is still a valid question and am also interested in what the answer would be.

 

[Ischemic]

I feel like this part is still a valid question and am also interested in what the answer would be.

Short answer is yes, the following is what I had written on the subject in a different thread.

"Well, the game is trying to be unique, memorable and relevant. Don't talk about mission trips, love of science, I want to help people ... it's overdone and honestly too many uninspired premeds write about these things. You want something different, strong, yet personal. Are you an immigrant? Talk about being underrepresented and dealing with healthcare without insurance. Have you/family member/friends had any real traumatic medical issues? Talk about the struggle, your feelings and the experience of medicine in that setting. Have you been impacted by an event (natural disaster, fire, etc) in which health/medicine was a crucial entity that helped you or those around you survive? Just a few examples.

I mean if I ever read any PSs with these as topics, I'd be wow, this person has actually experienced medicine and I'd want to meet him in person. I don't want to read about another premed who went on a medical mission trip to serve the poor in a third world country, hell we got poor people in THIS COUNTRY. It just seems fake and contrived. I want to read about YOUR PERSONAL experiences, the moment of personal clarity in which you go I want to do medicine because this event invariably impacted my life.

Take this for what it's worth, one dude's opinion."

 

[greatdoctor]

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[Avoidthetiger]

I don't know how people are saying that I am asking whether or not Asians are URM. Where did I ask that? They are clearly ORM actually. All I am asking is whether it is "unique" to have travel experiences to your own country if you are considered "foreign". I am in the process of writing secondaries and am wondering if it is worth it to mention these experiences in my essays (thanks to the last poster for explaining this).

OP, if the secondaries ask for additional information -- you can mention that you have been to your home country or traveled alot. Extensive time in another country though might be more impressive than 2-week vacations to a country. I lived overseas for a good chunk of my life so I mention it when ever it is appropriate -- of course, I also mention that I lived in a very diverse part of my city (so I am use to talking to everyone) and currently live in an international co-op. I think demonstrating to schools that you are able to communicate with a diverse amount of people is very important.

 

[Narmerguy]

I don't know how people are saying that I am asking whether or not Asians are URM. Where did I ask that? They are clearly ORM actually. All I am asking is whether it is "unique" to have travel experiences to your own country if you are considered "foreign". I am in the process of writing secondaries and am wondering if it is worth it to mention these experiences in my essays (thanks to the last poster for explaining this).

I also wanted to know how Asians usually do on the VR because I got a relatively low VR score.

You're not being compared against only Asians so it doesn't really matter.

 

[aesculapian]

Is it worth it to talk about my travels to my home country and how that has helped me become a more "diverse individual" in secondaries?

Going off of what Ischemic said, you don't want to risk seeming really cliche. If you can write passionately about your travel experiences and how they specifically helped shape you as a person, go for it. But if you're just going to talk broadly about going abroad and becoming a "diverse individual" in general, that doesn't really say anything about you.

All I am asking is whether it is "unique" to have travel experiences to your own country if you are considered "foreign".

Personally, I don't think it's that unique. I mean, it's your home country-- wouldn't it make sense for you to visit? And when you did, were you just visiting family? Or were you learning something about healthcare and medicine, too?

 

[Espadaleader]

JVESCO22. Best F'ing thing I have ever saw. Wow dude.

 

[Espadaleader]

And you have your AVatar I the Car. You deserve a full ride to Harvard. ASAP.

 

[NotAsking4Much]

Is being Asian considered diverse? Is it worth it to talk about my travels to my home country and how that has helped me become a more "diverse individual" in secondaries?

Do ADCOMs select students based on their relative ranking within their own race? For example, would I be compared with only Asian students when they review my app.? In that regard, how do Asians usually do on the VR part of the MCAT?

I am asking these questions seriously, they are not meant to be a joke!

Being Asian...I'll answer this.

No it's not. Being Asian is not considered diverse and rather the opposite.

Furthermore, you are expected to have a high VR score. I got a 13, and many of my "Asian" friends scored above a 11 as well. It's doable and you're not given any leeway for being Asian. If being "Asian" is the best thing you can write for why you are diverse, I would suggest you think of something else or get involved in more activities.

 

[HealthHare]

HAHA I know this is from Entourage but who are the two in back?