Does being Egyptian Classify you as URM?

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Mcat Score: 33 (Verbal reasoning was very very very low) 14 BS, 12 PS, 7 VR
GPA: 3.4

^where will that get me? Not very far. Verbal reasoning was low because English is not my first language and reading an entire passage rushed with questions to answer quickly and understand the non-science concept is difficult. How do I explain this to them without URM? I consider myself intelligent in science only-especially memorization capacity.

That's a good score for an ESL student. The verbal curve is very steep, so subtle things that only native speakers notice can have a serious impact.

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So here is the thing. Like everyone told you, if you list African American on your AMCAS and you're not black. You will look very foolish to the Admission Committee.

You did mention that you're family was very poor. If that is the case, you can tick the Socioeconomically disadvantaged background box on the AMCAS application. During our Adcom meetings, this did give students a boost on their application status as their achievements were seen in a different light.

So good luck with the app and don't do anything silly like ticking the African American box, just put other.
 
Well, as far as we currently know, we also only make use of about 2% of our genome and around 10% has been shown to come from viruses.

So we're all related to viruses as well. :) Doesn't mean we descended from them (although that IS up for debate- did viruses arise from early cellular organisms or did early cellular organisms arise from viruses? Right now, most scientists refuse to include viruses on the ToL so it is what it is)

Interesting. And completely unrelated to the thread. Oops. OP, just call the school and ask them. If you want to check URM because you think it'll excuse poor grades/MCAT score/other red flags, I seriously doubt it will work, particularly if you aren't a priority URM (black, Mexican-hispanic, etc). Instead, maybe hold off applying for a year to improve your stats if necessary. Or consider DO, if you haven't already.

Also, if you feel your financial situation/ethnicity is a significant part of who you are/why you want to pursue medicine/etc, you could always talk about it in the personal statement.

Yes, many viruses especially retroviruses entered the cell and lost their virulence capacities and became alu elements/retrotransposons.
 
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I decided that it is unethical (especially) for a future doctor to cheat the system and use semi-true URM status to help get into medical school. I do not deserve to be a doctor and I would not be able to live with myself if I did that. A doctor should be an ethical person. I thank everyone for their response, but I do feel that some answers in this thread were as a result of jealousy rather than truth. In reality, I can get away with such an act-because if I don't I think a couple lawsuits are at hand. People here are very sensitive to discrimination and I definitely could get away with it-but I refuse to become a doctor or even call myself worthy of a medical profession If I did such an act. An morally bankrupt physician is no good person.

I thank everyone and I ask that you answer questions without arrogance, jealousy or troll accusations. I am beyond tired of this troll status that people in SDN give people. STOP IT. You are the troll for saying this!
 
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That's a good score for an ESL student. The verbal curve is very steep, so subtle things that only native speakers notice can have a serious impact.

OP is not an ESL student. He was born in the States so I'm assuming he received his education in English.
 
lesson learned today:

Don't do unethical things to get a job that requires ethics...
 
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OP is not an ESL student. He was born in the States so I'm assuming he received his education in English.

I spoke Arabic for 8 years before I learned English. I was born here and moved back to Egypt then came back at second grade.
 
I decided that it is unethical (especially) for a future doctor to cheat the system and use semi-true URM status to help get into medical school. I do not deserve to be a doctor and I would not be able to live with myself if I did that. A doctor should be an ethical person. I thank everyone for their response, but I do feel that some answers in this thread were as a result of jealousy rather than truth. In reality, I can get away with such an act-because if I don't I think a couple lawsuits are at hand. People here are very sensitive to discrimination and I definitely could get away with it-but I refuse to become a doctor or even call myself worthy of a medical profession If I did such an act. An morally bankrupt physician is no good person.

I thank everyone and I ask that you answer questions without arrogance, jealousy or troll accusations. I am beyond tired of this troll status that people in SDN give people. STOP IT. You are the troll for saying this!

Seppuku is the answer to all your earthly problems.
 
Seppuku is the answer to all your earthly problems.

whoa :eek:

I know that sounded bad, but I slept on the idea and I realized how unethical it is. Does anyone think it is ethical?
 
whoa :eek:

I know that sounded bad, but I slept on the idea and I realized how unethical it is. Does anyone think it is ethical?

To suggest someone self-disembowel?

No, I think the general consensus is that would be unethical.
 
Mcat Score: 33 (Verbal reasoning was very very very low) 14 BS, 12 PS, 7 VR
GPA: 3.4

^where will that get me? Not very far. Verbal reasoning was low because English is not my first language and reading an entire passage rushed with questions to answer quickly and understand the non-science concept is difficult. How do I explain this to them without URM? I consider myself intelligent in science only-especially memorization capacity.

Being a URM has nothing to do with ESL, so don't worry at all. Most URMs are American-born and grew up speaking English as their first language. Conversely, a lot of non-URMs grew up speaking another language (Arabic, Korean, Russian, etc.) and had to learn English in school. You don't need a URM status to explain your low verbal score. All you need to explain is that English was not your first language. In fact, it seems like you could definitely incorporate your struggles learning English in your personal statement if it had a big impact on your life.
 
URM classification is not about race. A Tuvaluan may be under-represented and a minority, but is not a URM. The idea's not to get the largest mix of ethnicities; it's to bring doctors into the medical system who are more likely to work with African American, Hispanic, Latino, and Native American populations.
 
Mcat Score: 33 (Verbal reasoning was very very very low) 14 BS, 12 PS, 7 VR
GPA: 3.4

^where will that get me? Not very far. Verbal reasoning was low because English is not my first language and reading an entire passage rushed with questions to answer quickly and understand the non-science concept is difficult. How do I explain this to them without URM? I consider myself intelligent in science only-especially memorization capacity.

That's not unworkable by any means. It'd be great if you could incorporate how English was not your first language into your personal statement. As others have said, just checking URM does not mean that Adcoms will automatically assume English wasn't your first language. You need to let them know.

Also, although your scores are a bit below average for MD, they aren't so bad for DO. Have you considered applying to a few DOs? It can't hurt. If you're accepted at the MD school you wanted, great, if you're only accepted at a DO school, then you have a decision to make (rather than not having any options). Of course, DO schools generally want people genuinely interested in the osteopathic school of medicine thought, and I have no idea where you stand on that.

And a lot also depends on your state of residence/activities/awards/etc... oh, admissions.
 
Let me add that we often have some clues that someone is a non-native speaker of English including: place of birth, parents' names and alma maters (highest degree attained), applicant's high school alma mater, and the languages spoken section of the AMCAS. It can sometimes be inferred from the AMCAS essay, a secondary essay, or be mentioned in an LOR.

Some URM are non-native speakers of English (most often raised in Spanish-speaking homes) but not all non-native speakers of English are URM.

A Verbal score of <10 and Biological and Physical science scores >10 are quite typical of applicants who learned English as a second (third or fourth) langauge. Fortunately, for that crowd, the combine MCAT score is the best predictor of sucess in medical school as compared to any subscore. Therefore, you may not be penalized for a low verbal, particularly if you are not a native speaker. On the other hand, an inability to speak well in English as demonstrated at interview can be a roadblcok to admission.
 
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