does anyone else wish race/gender were not deciding factors in getting accepted?

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I know this looks controversial and the white males out there will agree w/ me. but i am the LEAST racist person with several close minority friends... but I just feel a little upset w/ the whole "reverse-discrimitation" thing. Don't get me wrong- if a woman has better stats than me, then she DESERVES to get in over me. And hey, before anyone calls me a nazi, I AM 25 % INDIAN. so I will get the minority box checked. I just can't say that I would be happy to beat out a caucasian male who has a better app.😳
 
It kinda sucks that, since I'm a white male, I'm responsible for everything terrible that's ever happened in the world, I owe people something, and other people should be allowed to do things instead of me since I am who I am.

But I don't lose any sleep over it. The world rarely makes sense.
 
I could be wrong, but I believe they used minority things if they have two people and they basically are identical, rather than choosing a minority over a majority who is more qualified.
 
Med schools have quotas to fill. If they didn't, the best-qualified pre-meds might actually GET IN. But this way you can get credit for something you had no part in (your race)

If I were a minority, I would not like it either- it is saying you aren't capable of what others are, so you need help. Right?
 
Yes, this brings up a question I've been wondering. DOES being a minority/"underrepresented in medicine" up your chances of getting in? I've always thought it just makes schools more likely to send you encouraging letters to apply, but it DOESN'T mean that you'll be accepted over a more qualified person.

I'm applying as underrepresented (I'm full Puerto Rican) and over the summer I got a LOT of letters from random schools telling me that they have an encouraging, diverse atmosphere and that I should consider applying there. BUT I have NOT found that the process itself has been easier for me than it is for others... at least, from what I see. lol.

And not to step on anyone's toes, but I also thought that Asian (including Indian) didn't count as underrepresented...
 
I don't think the policy is because white people have done something wrong and they deserve to be punished etc etc.

Under represented minorities often come from backgrounds which create a disadvantage for getting into medical schools. This can be due to financial circumstances, but is not limited to being poor...many families just don't have an educated person as a role model (and this makes a HUGE difference as shown by a million studies), or the family lives in an area in which the school system is not as good and so kids grew up disallusioned about their future potential.

When I think of myself (and probably when many of you think of yourselves), it becomes obvious how many priviledges I have....I have parents who told me that school was important; my family and teacher encouraged and knowledgably supported me in my decision to be a doctor; I had enough financial security to participate in research programs instead of getting a job...and the list goes on.

So the color of your skin doesn't mean you're disadvantaged, but many of the implications of your race do. And, even if you're in the majority but you feel "disadvantaged," most schools give you the opportunity to explain why. If you're a minority but feel relatively privileged, hopefully you don't fill out that box with bull****, because a person that unethical would make a horrible doctor.

Finally, people who come from a certain community are more likely to go back and work in that community, which not only serves the people but provides a positive role model.


Med schools have quotas to fill. If they didn't, the best-qualified pre-meds might actually GET IN. But this way you can get credit for something you had no part in (your race)

If I were a minority, I would not like it either- it is saying you aren't capable of what others are, so you need help. Right?


The "best-qualified pre-meds" may be people who have gone through a lot and still gotten relatievely comparable grades rather than someone who has been prepped all the way from pre-school until kaplan mcat classes. Or, we might consider "best qualified" as someone who can relate to and will serve the populations in the US who are currently most in need of health care (aka minority communities).
 
I know this looks controversial and the white males out there will agree w/ me. but i am the LEAST racist person with several close minority friends... but I just feel a little upset w/ the whole "reverse-discrimitation" thing. Don't get me wrong- if a woman has better stats than me, then she DESERVES to get in over me. And hey, before anyone calls me a nazi, I AM 25 % INDIAN. so I will get the minority box checked. I just can't say that I would be happy to beat out a caucasian male who has a better app.😳

CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964

TITLE VI
SEC. 601. No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.
 
haha and sorry this is so long...and redundant from other threads
 
While I can see yomama's point as it would pertain to getting into undergraduate school, everyone's on the same level playing field when we get into college. We took the same (or similar) courses in college. We took the same MCAT.

Your race/educational experience/income should be of little/no concern after you get into college, I think.

Of course this is coming from a person who had to hold jobs and take out loans because my family couldn't afford to help me out in college. My parents never told me to go to college, it was my choice. Actually my mom didn't want me to go to the university, she wanted me to go to a community college and get an associates.
 
i love when these idiotic treads come up.... what is so difficult to comprehend....I assume all you guys took the MCAT or studing for it, so making sense out of this simple idea shouldnt be that difficult...

first: out of~ 17000 admitted only 475 got in with that urm status and may have benefitted from it....
that a small price to pay when for decades minorities were not allowed admission regardless of stats....
 
Look at what happened in Michigan.

--Proponents of Proposal 2 were outspent by a 2 to 1 margin.
--NEITHER the GOP nor the Democratic party supported Prop 2
--GM, Ford, Chrysler and every large business in MI lined up against Prop 2
--UAW and every other labor union lined up against Prop 2.


Yet, Prop 2 passed by a 16 point spread. And Michigan isn't exactly a red state.

The era of divvying up by race will soon be over.
 
While I can see yomama's point as it would pertain to getting into undergraduate school, everyone's on the same level playing field when we get into college. We took the same (or similar) courses in college. We took the same MCAT.

Your race/educational experience/income should be of little/no concern after you get into college, I think.

Of course this is coming from a person who had to hold jobs and take out loans because my family couldn't afford to help me out in college. My parents never told me to go to college, it was my choice. Actually my mom didn't want me to go to the university, she wanted me to go to a community college and get an associates.


I wish it were a level playing field, but its not. Minority students often feel unsupported/unprepared for college and it shows- the number of minority students who drop out is substantially higher. Once you get into college from, say, an innercity school, its hard to compete from the private school kid down the hall who has the hi-tech gear and expectant parents.

If you did so- kudos to that! There are always those top 1% of kids who can manage to still get into med school. But why should it be only the top 1% when in the rest of the population, the top 10% are let into med school?
 
Holy mother of God, here we go again!
 
No se donde se ha metido Rafa, asi que aqui voy yo....

(Yeah, I do know that I just wrote that in Spanish, it just sounded better.)

Dead%20Horse.jpg
 
And hey, before anyone calls me a nazi, I AM 25 % INDIAN. so I will get the minority box checked. I just can't say that I would be happy to beat out a caucasian male who has a better app.😳

Actually if you mean India Indian you do not get any advantage because Indians are not underrepresented in medicine. If you mean Native American then yes you will get an advantage.

With that aside, think about racial advantage in medical applications this way: ITS NOT ABOUT YOU (in fact, this is a pretty good way to look at everything in life). Its not about the medical applicant. Its about the patients. Maybe a female patient wants a female OB/GYN - so fine let more women into medicine so that can happen. Maybe a black patient would like a black doctor they can better relate to (rich or poor I'm not talking about economic situations here) - fine let there be at least as many black medical school students as there are blacks in the population. Same with everything else.

Its not that if there is 5% native american population then we should make sure they have every opportunity and we should have 5% native american doctors. Its we should have 5% native american doctors so that 5% native american population can have doctors they relate to.

Affirmative Action Flame War Over.
 
you can say i'm kicking a dead horse.... but I'm not into med school yet, so it's not dead. IF YOU ARE GONNA SAY STOP TALKING ABOUT IT THEN I'D GUESS YOU ARE A MINORITY WHO IS HOPING TO GET A FREE RIDE OFF YOUR SKIN COLOR.

and to the IDIOT who said "isn't it a small price to pay for when minorities couldn't' get in at all:"

I say an emphatic "NO"

I had nothing to do with your grandparents being kept out of med school.

My girlfriend is black and she agrees with me that she gets unfair advantages
 
yes i most definitely wish they would get rid of this race/gender quota thing.

being an asian female.... sigh.......
anyways... on to the next question.
 
holy cow guys. i'm sorry i started this thread. i don't want people getting mad at each other. i was just saying that the best pre-meds should make the best docs.. didn't think the quotas were fair.

I am a NATIVE AMERICAN (well 25% of me is)

so I'm not siding with anybody. how about everybody stopping this thread b/c people are getting mad and it's not the purpose I had in mind🙁
 
Actually if you mean India Indian you do not get any advantage because Indians are not underrepresented in medicine. If you mean Native American then yes you will get an advantage.

With that aside, think about racial advantage in medical applications this way: ITS NOT ABOUT YOU (in fact, this is a pretty good way to look at everything in life). Its not about the medical applicant. Its about the patients. Maybe a female patient wants a female OB/GYN - so fine let more women into medicine so that can happen. Maybe a black patient would like a black doctor they can better relate to (rich or poor I'm not talking about economic situations here) - fine let there be at least as many black medical school students as there are blacks in the population. Same with everything else.

Its not that if there is 5% native american population then we should make sure they have every opportunity and we should have 5% native american doctors. Its we should have 5% native american doctors so that 5% native american population can have doctors they relate to.

Affirmative Action Flame War Over.

haha amazing.

but I agree....beating a DEAD HORSE.
 
you can say i'm kicking a dead horse.... but I'm not into med school yet, so it's not dead. IF YOU ARE GONNA SAY STOP TALKING ABOUT IT THEN I'D GUESS YOU ARE A MINORITY WHO IS HOPING TO GET A FREE RIDE OFF YOUR SKIN COLOR.

and to the IDIOT who said "isn't it a small price to pay for when minorities couldn't' get in at all:"

I say an emphatic "NO"

I had nothing to do with your grandparents being kept out of med school.

My girlfriend is black and she agrees with me that she gets unfair advantages

What minorities hope to get a free ride off their skin color? I know I am beating a dead horse, but these threads against URMs are getting ridiculous. Why do you hate minorities so much? What have we done to you to make you so bitter against us?
There are so few URM applications, I don't understand how they are hurting your chances to get in to medical school. I just came from an interview a couple of weeks ago and out of 12 prospective students, I was the only URM there. The rest of the applicants were white and evenly split between male and female.

Please stop beating a dead horse!!!!
 
I don't hate minorities: MY GIRLFRIEND IS BLACK!!!

I'm just saying I agree with her when she says it is embarassing that affirmative action slants the playing field like she can't do it on her own.. like she needs a step up
 
please stop guys, i don't want to be known as the native american who started an anti-urm thread 🙄
 
I usually never reply to these threads because generally the ppl who post are some of the most close-minded "smart" ppl I've ever seen.

But what I wanted to say was how many of you have thought about what the avg medical school would be without affirmative action? Considering how little URMs are represented in the avg. medical school class now, when "URMS stealing spots" is such a HUGE problem 🙄 , let's think about what would happen all you self-righteous pre-meds out there who are sooooo concerned about justice for the hard-working Asians and whites... actually got what you wanted and URM status stopped being a factor.

There prolly would be quite few less URMs in med school, and later on, quite a few more underserved communities without a doctor. But let's forget about that... you gained about 3 more Asians, and 2 more white males in your class... youre still at the top of the socioeconomic food chain, friends

And prolly made competing for AOA and residencies that much harder.

You guys make me sick.

:barf:
 
Yes, this brings up a question I've been wondering. DOES being a minority/"underrepresented in medicine" up your chances of getting in? I've always thought it just makes schools more likely to send you encouraging letters to apply, but it DOESN'T mean that you'll be accepted over a more qualified person.

I'm applying as underrepresented (I'm full Puerto Rican) and over the summer I got a LOT of letters from random schools telling me that they have an encouraging, diverse atmosphere and that I should consider applying there. BUT I have NOT found that the process itself has been easier for me than it is for others... at least, from what I see. lol.

And not to step on anyone's toes, but I also thought that Asian (including Indian) didn't count as underrepresented...

It certainly does help especially in higher tier schools. I'm full Puertorrican also and I know i probably wouldn't have received an interview from WashU if i wasn't.
 
The "best-qualified pre-meds" may be people who have gone through a lot and still gotten relatievely comparable grades rather than someone who has been prepped all the way from pre-school until kaplan mcat classes. Or, we might consider "best qualified" as someone who can relate to and will serve the populations in the US who are currently most in need of health care (aka minority communities).

Hmm yes, people who got to go to exclusive prep schools and had all the advantages, Paris Hilton has really turned out great hasn't she?
 
I don't hate minorities: MY GIRLFRIEND IS BLACK!!!

Hate is just a small thin layer away from love.

It also fascinates me that you stated your girlfriend's color as well. If things were "equal" you would have just stated "my girlfriend". That's the thing, a majority of the time people subconsciously initiate and integrate race when it comes to character content. Sometimes this can go sour when someone on the admission committee views an applicant of color and subconsciously finds some way to reject the applicant.

A majority of the people against URM status have not witnessed true life in the true ghettos and go by what MTV shows them. African American and Hispanic Americans only make up about 5-8% of the doctor population in the U.S. yet every time people badmouth URM status and claim it as unfair. If you review the statistics and really view the other factual 98% of minorities that are not shown on MTV everyday or have Adams for a last name, then your mouth will truly experience the rotten taste of unfairness.
 
Being female gives you advantage in the med school admissions game? Really? B/c last time I checked, females compose half of the applicants and half of the matriculants. Can someone point out the stats that show women are given preference over men? I'm honestly curious since this is news to me.
 
Usually I don't reply to these threads either, but the thing is this is really starting to irk me. Seriously, they're not getting rid of affirmative action or URM status, either accept it and move on or just ***** about it and believe that some URM stole your spot. That's it. But all of this doesn't matter anyway, with the population crisis in India we will all be brown soon.
 
IF YOU ARE GONNA SAY STOP TALKING ABOUT IT THEN I'D GUESS YOU ARE A MINORITY WHO IS HOPING TO GET A FREE RIDE OFF YOUR SKIN COLOR.
I hope you're not putting any money down on this.
I had nothing to do with your grandparents being kept out of med school.

So? You have to look at this from a public policy standpoint, not a "wah wah wah the world revolves around me!!!" standpoint. There are lots of people who have very hard lives in America. Many non-URM immigrants have stories and adversities so tragic that we would all wet our pants with sympathy. Yet most of them won't benefit specifically from this supposed affirmative action for URMs. However, just like a 2 month charity trip to Africa, URM status represents another plus for any qualified applicant. The other key is "underrepresented". What's wrong with a school admitting certain qualified students so that "underrepresented" becomes "fairly represented? Do you think a 33 MCAT outweighs a 30 MCAT enough to trump the addition of diversity to a campus, the amelioration of institutional racism and the education of a doctor who is far more likely to devote their lives to underprivileged populations? Many of these URMs getting in weren't poor or otherwise disadvantaged and that would probably enrage many people, but the point is that those were the few who had the resources to get this far. As long as they're qualified, what do you have against making America a better place? If you want to get in to med school, worry about how you can show that you're qualified and a unique candidate.

My girlfriend is black and she agrees with me that she gets unfair advantages
Whaaaaaahhhhh!???? There exists a black person who agrees with you?? and she's your girlfriend!!? I can't breathe under the weight of all this evidence.
 
Being female gives you advantage in the med school admissions game? Really? B/c last time I checked, females compose half of the applicants and half of the matriculants. Can someone point out the stats that show women are given preference over men? I'm honestly curious since this is news to me.

They don't anymore. People who claim they do don't know what they're talking about.
 
hey how about the ppl that have to check white like me... but arent really white... for example i am persian and middle eastern ppl are supposed to check white... so ya... sux big time for us cuz i know i didnt do **** to enslave anyone in america cuz my family wasn't here yet...

o ya... and another thing... any type of discrimination is lame... whether it is regular or reverse or sideways or whatever... the only way it will stop is until ppl can do things based on their own merit and not on something that is uncontrollable to the individual
 
IF YOU ARE GONNA SAY STOP TALKING ABOUT IT THEN I'D GUESS YOU ARE A MINORITY WHO IS HOPING TO GET A FREE RIDE OFF YOUR SKIN COLOR.

Why all the hostility? It is apparent that you have some deep seated issues with minorities.

I had nothing to do with your grandparents being kept out of med school.

No ,but from your attitude , if you lived a couple of hundred years ago I'm sure we could all guess what color coat you would be wearing

My girlfriend is black and she agrees with me that she gets unfair advantages

Why do you feel the need to hide behind your girlfriend's race to defend your stance? If you believe that minorities are receiving "unfair advantages" then so be it. Just because your girlfriend is a minority and happens to agree with you doesn't make your position on the matter the absolute truth. Your girlfriend is not the spokesperson for minorites and since she is dating you she probably isn't much of anything...that's just my opinion🙂

I know the white males out there will agree w/ me.

Why do you feel the need to seek the approval of white males?...sounds like someone needs therapy

i am the LEAST racist person with several close minority friends...

Thou dost protest too much....Why is it that when people have a minority friend or two they feel it gives them a get out of jail free card when it comes to racism?....that's just ignorant. Just because you have a minority friend does not mean you aren't racist it just means you happen to like that particular person regardless of their race.

"reverse-discrimitation" thing.
I hate when people use this term (especially when its spelled properly unlike the OP's spelling) its just stupid....if you reverse discrimination it means you won't be discriminating

I AM 25 % INDIAN. so I will get the minority box checked

I doubt that very seriously, if you were truly Native American you wouldn't refer to yourself as Indian as it is an unproper description for your race and better yet you would refer to yourself as First Nations People which is now being heralded as the proper term for Native Americans

I just can't say that I would be happy to beat out a caucasian male who has a better app.😳

Don't worry about it ,because it won't happen🙂

Good Luck to all those applying who has better $h*T to focus on than if a URM "stole your spot":luck: :laugh: :luck:
 
As long as there is unfairness in the world, there will be people who complain about it. Affirmative action is being fair to under-served communities by being unfair to applicants. Some people think it is very justified, others think it is very unjustified. The problem is that affirmative action is institutionalized "unfairness" - people can point to a source of the problem, specifically, school policies. If you say being a certain race has certain disadvantages, the root causes are wish-washy at best - inherent bias, historical reasons, etc.

Anyways, I'm still waiting for George Bush to kill all the black people, as predicted by Kanye West. You'll all act horrified, but at least half of you would be "oh hell yes please" inside. It's human nature, folks, and human nature is never pretty. 😉
 
Good job, mshollywood

Why all the hostility? It is apparent that you have some deep seated issues with minorities.



No ,but from your attitude , if you lived a couple of hundred years ago I'm sure we could all guess what color coat you would be wearing



Why do you feel the need to hide behind your girlfriend's race to defend your stance? If you believe that minorities are receiving "unfair advantages" then so be it. Just because your girlfriend is a minority and happens to agree with you doesn't make your position on the matter the absolute truth. Your girlfriend is not the spokesperson for minorites and since she is dating you she probably isn't much of anything...that's just my opinion🙂



Why do you feel the need to seek the approval of white males?...sounds like someone needs therapy



Thou dost protest too much....Why is it that when people have a minority friend or two they feel it gives them a get out of jail free card when it comes to racism?....that's just ignorant. Just because you have a minority friend does not mean you aren't racist it just means you happen to like that particular person regardless of their race.


I hate when people use this term (especially when its spelled properly unlike the OP's spelling) its just stupid....if you reverse discrimination it means you won't be discriminating



I doubt that very seriously, if you were truly Native American you wouldn't refer to yourself as Indian as it is an unproper description for your race and better yet you would refer to yourself as First Nations People which is now being heralded as the proper term for Native Americans



Don't worry about it ,because it won't happen🙂

Good Luck to all those applying who has better $h*T to focus on than if a URM "stole your spot":luck: :laugh: :luck:
 
I swear, by sunrise one of the mods will lock this good-for-nothing, hate-filled thread. 😀
 
As long as there is unfairness in the world, there will be people who complain about it. Affirmative action is being fair to under-served communities by being unfair to applicants. Some people think it is very justified, others think it is very unjustified. The problem is that affirmative action is institutionalized "unfairness" - people can point to a source of the problem, specifically, school policies. If you say being a certain race has certain disadvantages, the root causes are wish-washy at best - inherent bias, historical reasons, etc.

Anyways, I'm still waiting for George Bush to kill all the black people, as predicted by Kanye West. You'll all act horrified, but at least half of you would be "oh hell yes please" inside. It's human nature, folks, and human nature is never pretty. 😉

👎
 
CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964

TITLE VI
SEC. 601. No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

yeah I was waiting for you to jump on this piece of crap thread.
 
It kinda sucks that, since I'm a white male, I'm responsible for everything terrible that's ever happened in the world, I owe people something, and other people should be allowed to do things instead of me since I am who I am.

But I don't lose any sleep over it. The world rarely makes sense.

Yea, I agree with you, how as a white male we are responsible for everything terrible that happened in the world, including the persecution of Jews during the Holocaust; but wait why don't those persecuted people get a bone thrown at them during this process. I guess no matter whether your race was persecuted or not, if you're white you get nothing.
 
Why all the hostility? It is apparent that you have some deep seated issues with minorities.



No ,but from your attitude , if you lived a couple of hundred years ago I'm sure we could all guess what color coat you would be wearing



Why do you feel the need to hide behind your girlfriend's race to defend your stance? If you believe that minorities are receiving "unfair advantages" then so be it. Just because your girlfriend is a minority and happens to agree with you doesn't make your position on the matter the absolute truth. Your girlfriend is not the spokesperson for minorites and since she is dating you she probably isn't much of anything...that's just my opinion🙂



Why do you feel the need to seek the approval of white males?...sounds like someone needs therapy



Thou dost protest too much....Why is it that when people have a minority friend or two they feel it gives them a get out of jail free card when it comes to racism?....that's just ignorant. Just because you have a minority friend does not mean you aren't racist it just means you happen to like that particular person regardless of their race.


I hate when people use this term (especially when its spelled properly unlike the OP's spelling) its just stupid....if you reverse discrimination it means you won't be discriminating



I doubt that very seriously, if you were truly Native American you wouldn't refer to yourself as Indian as it is an unproper description for your race and better yet you would refer to yourself as First Nations People which is now being heralded as the proper term for Native Americans



Don't worry about it ,because it won't happen🙂

Good Luck to all those applying who has better $h*T to focus on than if a URM "stole your spot":luck: :laugh: :luck:

wow, it sounds like you're desperate with all your unfounded attacks and accusations. It almost seems like you're trying to compensate for your own insecurities. Good luck to you; I hope you work in an underserved area because it seems like you'll drive the majority of the population away with your attacks and feelings of entitlement. And you're accusing others of being hostile?? You seem to be the most hostile one on this thread. Peace
 
i'm sorry i started this thread. people on both sides are getting crazy and i hope someone shuts it down b/c i tried and can't delete it.

MSHOLLYWOODMD: you are a very angry person and i could care less if you believe me about anything. you are a human being and i value you but as far as your attitude goes, i'd say you are the one w/ some deep-rooted hatred.
i can see that you are a very angry person and i hope that your life gets better so that you can lighten up and be happy
 
also MSHOLLYWOODMD:

I checked your posts from other forums and I my suspicions were confirmed:
she always puts other people down... every single comment she made in other forums was making fun of people or talking about how "ugly people should stop acting like they aren't ugly" etc.

you, my friend, have problems and should consider therapy
 
Damn all minorities. If it wasn't for them I might have a shot at getting accepted to medical school.

That is all.
 
i wrote an e-mail to an admin to shut this thing off and hopefully nobody will even see this post.
 
also MSHOLLYWOODMD:

I checked your posts from other forums and I my suspicions were confirmed:
she always puts other people down... every single comment she made in other forums was making fun of people or talking about how "ugly people should stop acting like they aren't ugly" etc.

you, my friend, have problems and should consider therapy
i believe that's what they call trolling if i'm not mistaken
 
what is trolling? it is not legit to look up other's posts?
 
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