Ethnicity Question

[deleted972488]

But, even high SES White people have to write something. So, again, whether you call it a diversity essay or not, you do have to somehow convey how you are going to make a unique contribution to the class, don't you?

That was my point!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[deleted804295]

Our valiant Knight, with hand on pen
Who’s never been a URM
But certainly seems passionate
When lecturing others on it

Beneath the guise of sound advice
Tells potato to roll the dice
Without marking that small check-box
That of being hispanic talks

But lo! Look up! Let’s see who nears—
A rouge Hispanic now appears!
I cannot let this thread go forth
Without my thoughts, for what they’re worth

As stated elsewhere in this thread
Which I suspect you haven’t read
Both heritage, and family
Can define an ethnicity

OP has clearly both the root
And service work, and language, shoot!
So what I REALLY want to know
Is why, despite this, you say NO?

O wise old Knight, I do not buy
Your claim that it will seem a lie
For, in their essays’ explanations
They’ll have full truthful indications

Rather, this knight resents, forlorn
An advantage he deems inborn
For then HE cannot have it! Fie!
“It’s just not fair!” is his loud cry

Well, friend, I’ll heed your whining tongue
When YOU learn Spanish, help the young,
And still don’t get in anyplace
Then, maybe, I’d have facts to face

Jealous, art thou, O little knight?
Or scared of the upcoming fight?
Afraid URMs will compete
And steal your rightful med school seat?
On that, you need not be dejected
THAT won’t be why you get rejected

Wow. You've inspired me to work on poetry.

 

[deleted804295]

Then, with all due respect, why start the thread? You know your story, you know what boxes you're checking, and you know how good your experiences are going to look AND that you are not going to receive a preference regardless of what box you check. Exactly what advice were you looking for? Whether or not it's okay to tell your story?

You answered you own original question -- it would be disingenuous to talk about your recently discovered biological father in a diversity essay, which, whether you do it or not, will not give your app a "boost" due to everything else you just revealed. Moreover, you can certainly share you story if you think it enhances your application without framing it as a diversity essay, and you know this!!!

And, by the way, I was trying to prevent you from biting yourself in the butt -- you are the one who posted. I'll trust the adcoms to do what they think is right for the low SES URMs!!!

You know it's quite racist to continue using the phrase low SES URM. URM status has nothing to do with SES.

 

[KnightDoc]

You know it's quite racist to continue using the phrase low SES URM. URM status has nothing to do with SES.

I don't understand why the phrase is racist, but thanks for digging to find something to pick on me about.

The context here was that OP was asking about ethnicity with respect to claiming URM status, which, accordingly to my understanding, confers an advantage when coupled with low SES status (as presumably it does for all ethnicities). Of course URM status has nothing to do with SES status, but I think (although I guess I could be wrong) it has everything to do with admissions preferences only when coupled with low SES status.

After all, why would a high SES URM receive any admissions advantage just because of URM status if their opportunities are the same as everyone else's, but their application scores nevertheless fall short? I understand boosts to compensate for unequal resources and opportunities. Do schools really just give them to hit quotas?

 

[deleted804295]

I don't understand why the phrase is racist, but thanks for digging to find something to pick on me about.

The context here was that OP was asking about ethnicity with respect to claiming URM status, which, accordingly to my understanding, confers an advantage when coupled with low SES status (as presumably it does for all ethnicities). Of course URM status has nothing to do with SES status, but I think (although I guess I could be wrong) it has everything to do with admissions preferences only when coupled with low SES status.

After all, why would a high SES URM receive any admissions advantage just because of URM status if their opportunities are the same as everyone else's, but their application scores nevertheless fall short? I understand boosts to compensate for unequal resources and opportunities. Do schools really just give them to hit quotas?

You should educate yourself on the topic of URM and why it exists.

I won't do the work for you since you're smart enough to give advice on school specific forums when you haven't applied to medical school.

 

[KnightDoc]

You should educate yourself on the topic of URM and why it exists.

I won't do the work for you since you're smart enough to give advice on school specific forums when you haven't applied to medical school.

@Goro -- could you please educate me? Do high SES URMs really receive admissions preferences in order hit quotas, because for some reason their applications don't score as highly as those of other high SES candidates who have access to similar resources?

If so, while that doesn't seem fair, I guess it is what it is if there is a push to try to match the demographics of the medical community to that of the population at large! I just thought affirmative action was a thing of the past, and the push now was to address unequal opportunity rather than hit ethnic and racial quotas.

 

[deleted972488]

@Goro -- could you please educate me? Do high SES URMs really receive admissions preferences in order hit quotas, because for some reason their applications don't score as highly as those of other high SES candidates who have access to similar resources?

If so, while that doesn't seem fair, I guess it is what it is if there is a push to try to match the demographics of the medical community to that of the population at large!

Representation matters.

 

[TelemarketingEnigma]

There are barriers other than money, and there are benefits to a diverse workforce beyond "filling quotas". and with that, i think it is time for me to bow out of this thread, because this conversation never ends well on SDN.

 

[KnightDoc]

There are barriers other than money, and there are benefits to a diverse workforce beyond "filling quotas". and with that, i think it is time for me to bow out of this thread, because this conversation never ends well on SDN.

I TOTALLY agree!!! I just thought the benefits of preferences were directed to those who didn't have money, or good schools, or good resources, rather than underperforming URMs of privilege.

 

[Goro]

@Goro -- could you please educate me? Do high SES URMs really receive admissions preferences in order hit quotas, because for some reason their applications don't score as highly as those of other high SES candidates who have access to similar resources?

If so, while that doesn't seem fair, I guess it is what it is if there is a push to try to match the demographics of the medical community to that of the population at large! I just thought affirmative action was a thing of the past, and the push now was to address unequal opportunity rather than hit ethnic and racial quotas.

URM are URM. Low SES is low SES. Combined, it's a two-fer.

Affirmative action policies are not the same thing as URM admissions policies.

In medical school admissions, we are not trying to make up for the sins of the past. We are trying to address needs in medicine today. Patient outcomes today riding on this.

 

[deleted972488]

URMs of privilege

This is an oxymoron.

 

[KnightDoc]

This is an oxymoron.

WHAT????????? I know a TON of URMs from highly educated, very well to do families, who have access to all kinds of resources my family doesn't have.

And, just to put an exclamation point on this, and (hopefully) end it, my grandparents on both sides of my family were immigrants subjected to all of the indignities and discrimination faced by URMs (or their families) today. I grew up hearing the stories and am keenly aware of how good I have it, so I am at least a little sensitized to some of the issues, although I do not have first hand experience.

Then, as now, resources do make a difference, and saying someone is privileged because they have resources is not meant to minimize in any way other struggles faced by URMs in daily life which, at the end of the day, might make for an interesting and compelling story, but really wouldn't explain an application whose metrics are not as strong as those of another, similarly situated applicant (although, admittedly, if the story is sufficiently compelling it certainly could at least partially mitigate lower metrics).

 

[potatopotaaaato]

Unless you have significant service to Hispanic communities, I suggest that you do not check the Hispanic box, lest you appear to be yet another unethical pre-med trying to game the system.

I'm not trying to sound facetious here, but how many hours do you consider necessary to make me hispanic enough? I have approx. 2000 volunteer hours working with Latinx youth along with other consistent volunteer work that is not directly with a hispanic population. I can discuss the work that I did very thoroughly and it had a big impact on my understanding of my own cultural background.

 

[deleted972488]

WHAT????????? I know a TON of URMs from highly educated, very well to do families, who have access to all kinds of resources my family doesn't have.

Economic hardship is not the only type of hardship.

 

[Goro]

I'm not trying to sound facetious here, but how many hours do you consider necessary to make me hispanic enough? I have approx. 2000 volunteer hours working with Latinx youth along with other consistent volunteer work that is not directly with a hispanic population. I can discuss the work that I did very thoroughly and it had a big impact on my understanding of my own cultural background.

It would have been helpful if you had mentioned this in your OP.

Go ahead and check the box, you're good.

 

[KnightDoc]

Economic hardship is not the only type of hardship.

Please see my edited post above. I was typing while you were posting.

 

[potatopotaaaato]

It would have been helpful if you had mentioned this in your OP.

Go ahead and check the box, you're good.

I believe I did but I can see how it got lost in the shuffle of the thread. Thanks for your input!

 

[potatopotaaaato]

Of course he should talk about his background, journey and experience. He's fine, as long as it doesn't look like he's trying to game anything. I think, based on what he said about his background, box checking and census reporting that he has absolutely nothing to worry about. In fact, it seems so obvious now that he has posted the additional detail that I am wondering why he felt the need to start the thread in the first place. We all got wound up for nothing. OP is fine!!!

But, even high SES White people have to write something. So, again, whether you call it a diversity essay or not, you do have to somehow convey how you are going to make a unique contribution to the class, don't you?

I'm confused as to what you mean by additional detail. But overall the main point of my OP was to get some feedback on the way to discuss my biological fathers culture on my application without making it seem like I was trying to represent myself in a disingenuous way. I've gotten some really good ideas about framing my diversity essay around meeting my birthmother and learning about my bio families history rather than discussing just learning about my Mexican culture. I think that this is also something that will come up in interviews and I can discuss further.

 

[gyngyn]

This is going the usual way of such threads.
This seems like a good time to peace out.