Ethnicity/Race on MCAT and app

[DarklingThrush]

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Hi everyone... I promise this is not a troll post and this is not meant to start a debate on URMs etc.

I was registering for the MCAT and I saw the race/ethnicity section. I am 25% Colombian. My mother's father emigrated to the US in his 20's. The majority of that side of the family still lives in Colombia. Obviously I don't have my mother's very Colombian maiden name, but I don't know what to put on the MCAT registration section or on my medical school application when I apply. We have ALWAYS put hispanic down for the majority of things, but I do not want to get into trouble. I know there's the option to select multiples, so I was just going to put white and hispanic. Before some people think I'm playing the URM card, Colombians are NOT URM.

I have a few concerns however, especially when it comes to my app and interviews. My last name is not hispanic...like at all. Not even close. Also, I am fair skinned with green eyes, BUT my family in Colombia is as well. Not all hispanics are dark. My Colombian side of the family is insanely light complected... I'm talking blonde hair, fair skin, green eyes. I don't want to be accused of being a liar, but I also don't want to ignore that side of my life. When I talk about my family, I always reference my Grandfather, who is not a native English speaker, who moved here to practice medicine while raising 5 kids.

I know that often times people ask what you have done or what shows that you're connected to the community you identify as. My grandfather did not want his children speaking Spanish in the 60s and 70s in the south, so none of his children are fluent. I currently work as a scribe for a doctor that sees around 75% self pay Spanish speaking patients. I do not consider myself conversationally fluent, but to give you an idea of my proficiencies, I can write an entire HPI including symptoms, duration, type of pain, where, how long when etc and assessment without the help of translation. Essentially I can go in a room and do the entire patient's history and chart without having a problem understanding. I can typically understand the majority of the visit except when my doctor and the patient start random chit chat. I can sometimes get lost there. Since I work in a bilingual clinic, I'm hoping to brush back up on my Spanish after the MCAT and hopefully be conversationally fluent before matriculation. I've taken 8 years of Spanish, but if you don't use it, you lose it.

Anyway, I'm not sure if my EC give me merit or what to put for the ethnicity and I need help. I don't want to get into trouble and I don't want to ignore my one side of the family. Thanks!

 

[stubblesmcgee]

You're hispanic and white. Adcoms know that not all hispanic people are dark. Just answer the language fluency question honestly. No one is going to be going after how you identify. Don't sweat it.

 

[878956]

Not sure but I believe you can put a combination of ethnicities on your AMCAS.

 

[LizzyM]

You can list Hispanic and White and you can list the country of Colombia. You are also given the opportunity to list languages and self-specified fluency for which there are anchors (e.g. what is meant by fair, good, excellent or whatever).

Most of us have been around the block and know Hispanic individuals who are fair skinned and who have Anglo names. My college roommate was very similar to your self-description. You are who you are. Be proud. It might not get you a boost in admissions but it is honest.

 

[Sunday11]

We have very similar stories and I posted about this on another thread 🙂

I’m half Hispanic (on my mother’s side) and half white. I look white and have my dads Caucasian sounding last name. Like you, my moms parents wanted their children to assimilate and so she never grew up speaking Spanish and didn’t teach me. However, I did study Spanish in high school and college and consider myself at least conversationally proficient. None of my ECs were particularly Hispanic community focused.

On the amcas I clicked both the white and Hispanic buttons for ethnicity and the white button for race. There is a space for you to put the exact countries your family is from as well to give more specificity.

There are people both online and in real life who think that people of mixed heritage aren’t “ethnic” enough to claim their heritage on forms like these. You don’t have to prove to anyone how Columbian you are. Don’t feel bad about identifying as Columbian on AMCAS because you are who you are and you should be proud of all sides of your heritage 🙂

 

[gyngyn]

South Americans are not generally considered UiM.
Language skills are appreciated, however.

 

[DarklingThrush]

South Americans are not generally considered UiM.
Language skills are appreciated, however.

Yes, I do know this, which is why I stated that in my original post. I see people accusing others of trying to get a boost into medical school by putting hispanic on their app, when Colombians are not considered URM. I was worried someone on here would accuse me of trying to "game the system" or something. My concern was more about being judged by adcoms for putting hispanic on my app since I do not look like a "typical" hispanic and do not have a hispanic last name.

Hopefully my Spanish will improve to where I am comfortable holding full on conversations with others. Right now a lot of it is about confidence. It's intimidating practicing with native speakers!

 

[gyngyn]

My concern was more about being judged by adcoms for putting hispanic on my app since I do not look like a "typical" hispanic and do not have a hispanic last name.

Nobody will bat an eyelash.