Does anyone know schools that MAY consider Cubans as an URM?

[subdermallight]

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[MedScat]

Cuban is URM, it's technically Hispanic.

 

[Kingsmen2018]

No hbu

 

[gyngyn]

Cuban is URM, it's technically Hispanic.

Hispanic is a general term that includes many groups that are not under-represented in medicine.
One could make the case that Cubans are extremely well represented.
Their immigration pattern was the reverse of most others. The professional class fled Cuba at the time of the revolution.
They do add cultural diversity and hopefully, language skills, though.

 

[MedScat]

Hispanic is a general term that includes many groups that are not under-represented in medicine.
One could make the case that Cubans are extremely well represented.

This is true. I should have said that I feel as though if OP applied as Hispanic it would not be dishonest and it could increase acceptance chances

 

[gyngyn]

This is true but, I should have said that I feel as though if OP applied as Hispanic it would not be dishonest and it could increase acceptance chances

There is nothing wrong with OP applying as what he is (in fact he should!), but as he has noted, most places are aware that Cubans are not UiM.

 

[MedScat]

There is nothing wrong with OP applying as what he is, but as he has noted, most places are aware that Cubans are not UiM.

Ok so OP apply as Hispanic and you will most likely still be given an advantage in the application process. Feel free to mention that you are Cuban if you want but I think once you check that Hispanic box on the application, you are given an advantage. @gyngyn I'm sure you know more about this than I do but I am a weird minority too and wasn't sure and I was definitely still given an advantage.

 

[OchemOficionado]

Are you Black?


I couldn’t think of a better way to phrase this question, sorry.

 

[MedScat]

Are you Black?


I couldn’t think of a better way to phrase this question, sorry.

I dont know if you're asking me lol but I'm not black. I'm from a country located in South America that's not Spanish speaking

 

[sirrawilly]

After reading all the threads on here about URM, I see the prevailing wisdom is to identify as you would on the census and then it is up to the school to decide how to categorize you. I also see Cubans are likely not placed in URM status by most institutions but also that they could be borderline and may be seen as URM by some.

So then, my question is, how can I identify those schools that may be looking for Cuban Hispanics or classify them as URM, if any? I want to make sure I don't miss applying for them as my chances should be increased dramatically if I'm seen as a URM.

I'm thinking allopathic schools, I have a 509 balanced MCAT with 3.85C&s GPA and sufficient ECs, FL resident applying to all allo schools in the state at least.

Hey OP and fellow Cubano! I applied as Hispanic - Cuban this past cycle and although I never really knew what schools thought, there was one school that did send a specific secondary question along the lines of “you have identified as a minority that is underrepresented in medicine, talk about your commitments to this population” so I knew they considered Cubans URM. It also told me they wanted to ensure people were not just checking boxes, but actually had a commitment to serve the Hispanic population (or whatever minority group you come from), which I appreciated. It was University of Cincinnati. As for all the other schools, I will never know if they considered me URM or not.

Best of luck!

 

[gyngyn]

Ok so OP apply as Hispanic and you will most likely still be given an advantage in the application process. Feel free to mention that you are Cuban if you want but I think once you check that Hispanic box on the application, you are given an advantage. @gyngyn I'm sure you know more about this than I do but I am a weird minority too and wasn't sure and I was definitely still given an advantage.

There is always the advantage that cultural diversity brings (even if not UiM)!

 

[subdermallight]

There is always the advantage that cultural diversity brings (even if not UiM)!

.

 

[gyngyn]

Thanks for the input. I do speak Spanish with weak to moderate fluency and did my clinical volunteering as an interpreter, probably should've mentioned that.

So I'm looking at the AAMC data on race/mcat etc, and also the MSAR in terms of which schools I fall above the 10th percentile. Should I apply AS IF I'm white, or should I add a few more reach schools assuming there's a chance I'm treated as an URM?

I probably wouldn't include serving as a medical interpreter with weak to moderate fluency... This is against hospital policy at the places I have worked.
As long as you have applied to all your state schools and a sufficient number of OOS target schools (as you have described), apply anywhere else you like!
Do let us know how it goes, so the next time someone in your situation asks we can relay what you have learned.

 

[OchemOficionado]

I dont know if you're asking me lol but I'm not black. I'm from a country located in South America that's not Spanish speaking

Lol, why would I be asking you this question? Haha.

I’m asking the OP. . . The Cuban student asking if they are URM. If they consider themselves Black the answer would be clearer.

 

[subdermallight]

Lol, why would I be asking you this question? Haha.

I’m asking the OP. . . The Cuban student asking if they are URM. If they consider themselves Black the answer would be clearer.

That's a great point. I'm not black skinned, I'm tan skin. So no Black distinction for me, but yes there are many Black Cubans or part Black. They should definitely put they are Black which would help more than being Hispanic usually

 

[OchemOficionado]

That's a great point. I'm not black skinned, I'm tan skin. So no Black distinction for me, but yes there are many Black Cubans or part Black. They should definitely put they are Black which would help more than being Hispanic usually

WHAT?! Lol, this thread is cracking me up. Black people come in all skin colors so there’s that. But thank you for answering my question. You can be both Black and Hispanic so it wouldn’t so much be one instead of the other.

 

[subdermallight]

WHAT?! Lol, this thread is cracking me up. Black people come in all skin colors so there’s that. But thank you for answering my question. You can be both Black and Hispanic so it wouldn’t so much be one instead of the other.

Haha my bad. Yea I'm not even sure what they are looking for. I have African genes (says 23andme) in me with some physical characteristics that may seem "black" but I identify more as Hispanic due to culture and also not having an abundance of recognizable shared physical characteristics. There are "Afro-Cubans" with more African heritage and physical characteristics but many may not even think to classify themselves "black" in America, while others may. So that makes all this kind of confusing and arbitrary. Anyway, sorry, I thought you had to pick one or the other during the app process.

 

[Goro]

Cuban is URM, it's technically Hispanic.

Cubans are not generally considered URM, and neither are all Hispanics. Showing service to Spanish-speaking communities is always a plus, as are Spanish language skills.

 

[acslater99]

From AAMC website:

“the AAMC used the term "underrepresented minority (URM)," which consisted of Blacks, Mexican-Americans, Native Americans (that is, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians), and mainland Puerto Ricans. The AAMC remains committed to ensuring access to medical education and medicine-related careers for individuals from these four historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups.”

/thread

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

Cuban is URM as far as UM and FIU are concerned.

Maybe not “technically urm”, but I think most Adcoms aren’t stratifying the Hispanic applicants by country of origin

 

[subdermallight]

Cuban is URM as far as UM and FIU are concerned.

Maybe not “technically urm”, but I think most Adcoms aren’t stratifying the Hispanic applicants by country of origin

Wow well that’d be great as I’m FL resident. How do you know this is the case for those schools?

 

[gyngyn]

Cuban is URM as far as UM and FIU are concerned.

Maybe not “technically urm”, but I think most Adcoms aren’t stratifying the Hispanic applicants by country of origin

Each school has the authority to identify under-served communities and by extension, those under-represented in medicine.
So yes, we do identify by specific community...

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

Each school has the authority to identify under-served communities and by extension, those under-represented in medicine.
So yes, we do identify by specific community...

Sorry gyngyn you misunderstood me! I did not mean adcoms don’t stratify urms by community. Obviously they do. Clearly many med schools give added preference to students who come from underserved communities.

I was just suggesting that it would be tedious and sort of silly for a school to take the time to stratify urm applicants by country of origin. For example “students of Mexican and Dominican descent are urm but those of Honduran Guatemalan or Peruvian descent are not.”

 

[gyngyn]

Sorry gyngyn you misunderstood me! I did not mean adcoms don’t stratify urms by community. Obviously they do. Clearly many med schools give added preference to students who come from underserved communities.

I was just suggesting that it would be tedious and sort of silly for a school to take the time to stratify urm applicants by country of origin. For example “students of Mexican and Dominican descent are urm but those of Honduran Guatemalan or Peruvian descent are not.”

Yes, we actually do that (though not necessarily the groups you have described). For example, in CA, Mexican and Central American communities are sorely under-served and their members are badly under-represented in medicine. Those of South American descent are not (though they do bring cultural diversity and badly needed language skills!).

 

[MedScat]

This is actually interesting....I applied as Hispanic but after reading AAMC guidelines and such, I'm definitely not considered URM (which is news to me!). Well, then theres must be some wonderful angel looking down on me for letting me get into a mid tier MD school with a 504 and 8 years to finish undergrad. Or it is as @gyngyn said, it's my addition of cultural diversity that made me stand out. Thanks for educating the ignorant (me lol)

And @OchemOficionado, I thought you were asking me because all the Cubans I know have much lighter skin. Didn't even know black Cubans were a thing (another new thing i've learned!). And since OP said they were Cuban, I didn't think you asking them made sense. Just to clarify.

 

[OchemOficionado]

And @OchemOficionado, I thought you were asking me because all the Cubans I know have much lighter skin. Didn't even know black Cubans were a thing (another new thing i've learned!). And since OP said they were Cuban, I didn't think you asking them made sense. Just to clarify.

This isn’t your post so if I were asking you I would have quoted you. No biggie. I’ll be sure to be more clear in the future.

That’s funny, my experience is the opposite. All of the Cubans I know are black. Some of them have lighter skin as well. It varies. Light skin does not equal not Black. Also, have you watched baseball? Just google Cuban MLB players.

 

[subdermallight]

This is actually interesting....I applied as Hispanic but after reading AAMC guidelines and such, I'm definitely not considered URM (which is news to me!). Well, then theres must be some wonderful angel looking down on me for letting me get into a mid tier MD school with a 504 and 8 years to finish undergrad. Or it is as @gyngyn said, it's my addition of cultural diversity that made me stand out. Thanks for educating the ignorant (me lol)

And @OchemOficionado, I thought you were asking me because all the Cubans I know have much lighter skin. Didn't even know black Cubans were a thing (another new thing i've learned!). And since OP said they were Cuban, I didn't think you asking them made sense. Just to clarify.

8 years in undergrad represent! Me too. I’ve never spoken to anyone else like that. I have had no idea how this will impact me in the eyes of adcom.. Did you find you had to constantly explain yourself and why you took so long, in the interviews? Or was it a non-issue?

 

[MedScat]

8 years in undergrad represent! Me too. I’ve never spoken to anyone else like that. I have had no idea how this will impact me in the eyes of adcom.. Did you find you had to constantly explain yourself and why you took so long, in the interviews? Or was it a non-issue?

I most definitely had to explain the gap in my timeline to the majority of my interviewers. I actually was told by a school that it was actually the gap in my timeline that prevented me from getting even an interview (I had a family member who worked here which is why I was given an explanation). Don't let that discourage you, as long as you were doing other things to better yourself in this time or have a plausible explanation (I had a sick family member), ADCOMS seemed more intrigued rather than skeptical. When you make your school list, there truly are a bunch of schools that are open to reinvention and nontrads so make sure you apply to all of those schools.

 

[LizzyM]

From AAMC website:

“the AAMC used the term "underrepresented minority (URM)," which consisted of Blacks, Mexican-Americans, Native Americans (that is, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians), and mainland Puerto Ricans. The AAMC remains committed to ensuring access to medical education and medicine-related careers for individuals from these four historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups.”

/thread

That's an old policy although you might have found it by Google. The new policy allows each school to determine for itself which groups are URM.

 

[subdermallight]

I most definitely had to explain the gap in my timeline to the majority of my interviewers. I actually was told by a school that it was actually the gap in my timeline that prevented me from getting even an interview (I had a family member who worked here which is why I was given an explanation). Don't let that discourage you, as long as you were doing other things to better yourself in this time or have a plausible explanation (I had a sick family member), ADCOMS seemed more intrigued rather than skeptical. When you make your school list, there truly are a bunch of schools that are open to reinvention and nontrads so make sure you apply to all of those schools.

Would mind sharing some of those schools?

Thanks for help. Did you have large gaps of time in the 8 years? I was doing part time for most of the last 5 years (full time before that), with my longest gap being a consecuative Spring and Summer semester.

 

[MedScat]

I literally had 2009-2010 with NOTHING. Starting in 2011, I started volunteering and shadowing and then i went back to school in 2012 as a part time student while working. I started full time school again in 2014 and graduated 2017. My first semester in college was 2009 though so it counts as 8 years enrolled.

The schools that I was accepted to are Geisinger, Temple, GW, Buffalo (my state school). Waitlisted at SUNY Upstate (state school) and Penn State. Rejected post interview from Quinnipiac. I did receive interviews that I didn't attend from West Virginia University, Drexel, Creighton....can't recall the rest but Temple, GW, Geisinger, and Buffalo emphasized the importance of real life work experience and being accepting to the non traditional. I was accepted at most DO schools so they didn't seem to care as much about the gap...