Does atheism count as URM?

[Atlas Shrugged]

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The sticky in URM pulled from AAMC seems a bit vague: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=445413


I thought it was an interesting question.

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

Oh, I didn't know Atheism was an ethnicity? Thank you for informing me.

 

[gettheleadout]

Not for the purposes you're probably hoping for, but if you wanted to use it in a secondary essay about diversity you might be able to make an argument, especially if it's for a school where there is a heavily religious local population. That said, I wouldn't take that angle for a place like Loma Linda.

 

[Atlas Shrugged]

Oh, I didn't know Atheism was an ethnicity? Thank you for informing me.

"a shift in focus from a fixed aggregation of four racial and ethnic groups to a continually evolving underlying reality. The definition accommodates including and removing underrepresented groups on the basis of changing demographics of society and the profession,"


Seems like it could be argued they aren't only looking at an applicant's ethnicity. Also, atheism is not capitalized.

 

[Mithril]

"a shift in focus from a fixed aggregation of four racial and ethnic groups to a continually evolving underlying reality. The definition accommodates including and removing underrepresented groups on the basis of changing demographics of society and the profession,"


Seems like it could be argued they aren't only looking at an applicant's ethnicity. Also, atheism is not capitalized.

The definition of an underrepresented minority remains the same, ie. a racial group or ethnicity that is proportionately underrepresented in medicine in comparison to the general population. The reality that demographics have been shifting has only been recently realised.

Atheism is still neither an ethnicity nor a racial group. I would also care to wager that there's a good deal of atheists in med school.

 

[Atlas Shrugged]

The definition of an underrepresented minority remains the same, ie. a racial group or ethnicity that is proportionately underrepresented in medicine in comparison to the general population. The reality that demographics have been shifting has only been recently realised.

Atheism is still neither an ethnicity nor a racial group.

Thank you for your clarification.

 

[eptp]

"a shift in focus from a fixed aggregation of four racial and ethnic groups to a continually evolving underlying reality. The definition accommodates including and removing underrepresented groups on the basis of changing demographics of society and the profession,"


Seems like it could be argued they aren't only looking at an applicant's ethnicity. Also, atheism is not capitalized.

👍

OP, sorry your first response was completely sarcastic and pointless.

That being said, I'm not sure it would be entirely appropriate to classify atheism as URM. Just my opinion - maybe others on here will be more helpful.

 

[TriagePreMed]

On a serious note, doesn't medicine have one of the highest proportion of atheists in all scientific fields? Probably beaten only by biology.

 

[Atlas Shrugged]

On a serious note, doesn't medicine have one of the highest proportion of atheists in all scientific fields? Probably beaten only by biology.

I don't think so. I don't know how reliable this is, but: http://chronicle.uchicago.edu/050714/doctorsfaith.shtml

I had thought physicists were the most likely to be atheists.

 

[kautionwirez]

I would think (dedicated/heavily involved) religion affiliated applicants would be the minority...

So I would say no.

 

[Narmerguy]

i don't think so. I don't know how reliable this is, but: http://chronicle.uchicago.edu/050714/doctorsfaith.shtml

i had thought physicists were the most likely to be atheists.

+1

i would think (dedicated/heavily involved) religion affiliated applicants would be the minority...

So i would say no.

+1

 

[MeowMeowCAT]

The definition of an underrepresented minority remains the same, ie. a racial group or ethnicity that is proportionately underrepresented in medicine in comparison to the general population. The reality that demographics have been shifting has only been recently realised.

Atheism is still neither an ethnicity nor a racial group. I would also care to wager that there's a good deal of atheists in med school.

Judaism is neither an ethnicity nor a racial group, yet people are allowed to identify as that being a disadvantage of some sort in a lot of contexts.

Regardless, the problem with atheism is that it falls under the same category as being white. There is not enough of ancestral history to support any sort of urm. Little history of slavery, discrimination, etc. Our grandparents have had "too much of a good life" according to medical school for us to complain. Same with atheism. Yes there were times where not believing in god would have got your killed, but that was never on a large enough scale. Basically, not enough people have died in the name of atheism, for it to be considered an urm.

 

[paul411]

Highly unlikely. Besides, I don't think most godless heathen nihilists wouldn't want this anyways 🙄

 

[CopaceticOne]

No.

 

[Narmerguy]

Judaism is neither an ethnicity nor a racial group, yet people are allowed to identify as that being a disadvantage of some sort in a lot of contexts.

Regardless, the problem with atheism is that it falls under the same category as being white. There is not enough of ancestral history to support any sort of urm. Little history of slavery, discrimination, etc. Our grandparents have had "too much of a good life" according to medical school for us to complain. Same with atheism. Yes there were times where not believing in god would have got your killed, but that was never on a large enough scale. Basically, not enough people have died in the name of atheism, for it to be considered an urm.

Jews are an ethnoreiligious group: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnoreligious_group.

Secondly, pretty sure white's lack of discrimination is not the direct reason for not being considered URM but rather a historical explanation for why they have had no trouble filling the ranks of this profession, and thus why they have no representation issues.

 

[bucks2010]

Hey I drive a Chevy, am I URM?

 

[gettheleadout]

Hey I drive a Chevy, am I URM?

Only if it's a Volt.

 

[skiing]

I don't think so. I don't know how reliable this is, but: http://chronicle.uchicago.edu/050714/doctorsfaith.shtml

I had thought physicists were the most likely to be atheists.

I think this perception is easy to have because most people keep quiet about religion in professional settings especially secular ones like medicine. but as a board member for a group that was primarily composed of premeds, i was surprised how many of our 80+ applicants put down church activities on their application (CV - small group leader, choir, overseas mission, played in the church band, etc). based on applications alone, our science journal board at the end of the day was probably 60% religious, 40% not, but nobody would have ever thought it. and thats just counting those who listed religious activities on their application... and counting only our age group, which tends to be the least religious of all generations (so, not including older doctors).

funnily enough, nobody ever once mentioned religion when meeting with each other, despite many secretly shared commonalities. probably these people didnt even know they shared religion with the others because only i (and one other guy) saw the applications... kind of ironic i guess. You don't notice the religion unless you look for it, and most keep quiet.

once i started looking for it, i saw plenty of signs of religion around the hospital. the nurse who would leave books about the bible on the front desk along with her people and us weekly magazines (nonreligious ppl wouldn't have recognized the book or the author), patients praying in their rooms, texts casually left at the bedside... when i did open my mouth casually about religion 'oh, where'd you get that book?' 'oh, i just love this author,' [another nurse starts chiming in...] then i started finding out that the majority of the nurses on the floor were secretly religious as well, in some form or another. and that is exactly what the statistics reflect.

you just have to look for it.

 

[KLycos]

I have never made a stupid URM post in the hope that I get an edge while applying to med schools, does that make me URM?

 

[pkwraith]

If we follow this line of reasoning, we can dice anyone's demographics, history, and personal preferences into an URM, assuming existing census data.

 

[Flamen04]

I was born with a 18 in d, does that make me a URM??? 😀

 

[deleted393595]

I have never made a stupid URM post in the hope that I get an edge while applying to med schools, does that make me URM?

👍

 

[blizzah]

i have a sub 3 GPA, does that make me URM