I figured as much. Oh well, I guess I will have to work harder.
ppfizenm: I can definitely say at this point in my life, a lot of my white colleagues that do NOT understand how I grew up and the disadvantages I faced growing up in a home with immigrant parents and grandparents. There was abuse and my parents idea of "sheltering" my life from the real world. I didn't learn a lot of things until I moved out at 18 to start university and the only reason I got to move out was because I put up a HUGE fight to finally get some freedom.
I'm not asking them to go "soft" on me because of the decisions and set backs my parents and I experience due to our ethnicity and traditions. It would be nice if they considered it.
I hear from fellow pre-meds all the opportunities they are given because their parents helped them out financially or found opportunities for them (like research internships for example) and it definitely makes me feel like I will never make it to medical school because I didn't have those opportunities.
Anyways sorry if it sounds like I'm complaining. I know the only way for me to make it is to suck it up and work as hard as I can. I just have had a lot on my mind and needed a place to get this out because no one around me seems to understand how I am feeling.
Not severe enough. From what I have gathered from your post, it sounds like you are trying to find excuses so you can have slightly better chances.
My parents don't speak English. My dad works as a technician, and my mom is a baby-sitter. We moved to the United States couple years ago. I lived in a 700 square foot apartment sharing a room with my sibling throughout my life. I didn't learn English until I was 16. I work to pay my bills/rent in college, and I am
not applying as disadvantaged.
Being disadvantaged means you had severe circumstances that limited your education. For example, being homeless, foster care (sometimes), physical/emotional/sexual abuse, etc. If you have a roof over your head, food on your plate, and you don't have to worry about how to feed yourself tomorrow, then you are not disadvantaged. I am not disadvantaged because my research job pays for my bills and I have parents that will help me out if I can't feed myself.
You made a point about research positions - yes, there are ppl that have research positions handed to them because of their parents. However, many of us didn't have that privilege. A lot of us had to work our tails off to find a position. I started doing research as a freshman in high school. I didn't speak much English back then, but it didn't stop me from finding a research position (I had to email 50 ppl - but got it). You need to have a go-getter attitude and not whine about your disadvantaged past. If you see a problem, fix it.
As an Indian, I faced the "culture issues" as well, but they have never stopped for reaching for the stars and aiming high. To be honest, I didn't ever hang out with my friends until I was a senior in high school. Yep, didn't really have friends in high school because my parents shielded from "American culture" (which is utter bull**** btw).
Anyway, it's all dependent on your motivation and your passion for medicine. If you want to do it, you will do it. It's not that hard. You just need to be motivated.
What do you mean by abuse? Sexual abuse? Emotional abuse? Physical abuse? What have you done to overcome the situation?
