'Disadvantaged' status's purpose?

[evansville08]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I've been through the AMCAS's incredibly vague definition of disadvantaged and through other people's posts who are struggling with whether or not to define themselves as 'disadvantaged.'

I'm still a little unclear on how putting 'disadvantaged' on my application will affect it over all. Many people said that it never came up in their interviews and there isn't any data (to my knowledge, please correct if wrong) of medical schools allowing in less/more disadvantaged students.

So why does AMCAS have it on the application at all? Is it just an opportunity for disadvantaged students to explain their situation? Why not just leave that for the overcoming obstacles bit?

I find it all very confusing. Also, I most certainly qualify for being disadvantaged 0-18 and 18+, but I wouldn't be sure how much to include about being disadvantaged. I started working when I was 14, was working 30+ hours by the time I was 15, and had two jobs by the time I was 16. But I've just remembered that that was actually illegal- in my state, there were child labor laws about how many hours underage workers could work. I just ducked out of filling out one of my employer's work permits and they weren't particularly vigilant about that sort of thing, so they never noticed. I don't want to be dishonest, but I wonder if admissions will wonder how exactly I pulled off working 2 jobs at the age of 16 if I put that down? It wasn't as if I was a juvenile delinquent, my family was just poor and we needed more money. I believe I didn't even break any laws- my employer did- but I contributed to them breaking a law, I suppose. The only other option would have been to work at some shady place that didn't ask for work permits- also illegal- or to starve or go in foster care (the equivalent of starving, really).

Anyone with experience with medical school admissions have any comments/insights?

 

[Noah Capurso]

The definition is vague but the general definition of being disadvantaged is if you had fewer educational opportunities than your peers. And that is for any reason. With all the work you had to do, I say you would most certainly qualify as being disadvantaged.

There are many purposes the question is asked, and different schools will do different things with the information. One is to give extra consideration to disadvantaged students if their grades are a bit lower. An AdComm's expectations regarding extracurricular activities will also be changed by the disadvantaged status; a full time student working two extra jobs may not have the time for volunteering or being on a sports team or playing the violin. Schools also want to build diverse classes and the disadvantaged status may be considered there as well. It also serves as simply a way of getting to know applicants and their backgrounds. Generally, being from a disadvantaged background will have a great impact on the shaping of an applicant's personality.

As to how much info to include, I would put it just how you wrote it above. Explain that your family needed extra financial support and you had to work to help out. Then outline the number of hrs you worked. No med school would ever turn you/your family/your employer into the authorities. Be prepared to talk about it in the interview though and be able to explain exactly how working impacted the educational opportunities you had. Everything on the application is fair game for the interview. Personally, as an interviewer myself, I definitely would ask about specifics of an applicant's disadvantaged status if it wasn't clear on the application.

Hope this helped and good luck.

 

[LizzyM]

Some adcom members (and, I suppose, some adcoms) don't pay it much mind. Some schools (Drew?) have a particular interest in training students who had disadvantaged childhoods.

Knowing about an applicant's childhood can explain poor starts in college (came to college less well prepared for college level owrk or had financial stresses other students don't face).

Not every school asks a supplemental question about overcoming difficulties; the AMCAS is universal and so it gets covered for every school.

 

[Nymphicus]

I noticed at some schools I am asked during interviews, and some don't. In my experience, if asked, both interviewers will ask it, rather than just one.

Take that for what you will.