First-generation college students

[veritas16]

I have searched previous threads on this topic, but many includes scenarios where a first-generation college student is also a URM or have parents who are immigrants. I am white but grew up very low-income in a city. However, being first-generation has defined me in college and all of my work relates to that. How is this perceived in admissions? I know there is no black and white answer to this but I just don't understand the differences between being "disadvantaged" or URM? I mean I know the obvious differences. When I apply to certain things there are clear instructions as to what this is -as in your family is on some sort of government assistance to survive is considered disadvantaged, but in medical school admissions this appears to be a bit hazy.

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[Aerus]

I have searched previous threads on this topic, but many includes scenarios where a first-generation college student is also a URM or have parents who are immigrants. I am white but grew up very low-income in a city. However, being first-generation has defined me in college and all of my work relates to that. How is this perceived in admissions? I know there is no black and white answer to this but I just don't understand the differences between being "disadvantaged" or URM? I mean I know the obvious differences. When I apply to certain things there are clear instructions as to what this is -as in your family is on some sort of government assistance to survive is considered disadvantaged, but in medical school admissions this appears to be a bit hazy.

There is actually a lot of discussion on this and you could probably find it if you searched a little bit more.

URM - you are a part of a racial group that is traditionally underrepresented in medicine. Look up school policies, as each school might have their own definitions of what does count as URM. Because diversity in medicine is incredibly important, schools try their best to recruit more members from these groups.

First generation college student - your generation (you and your brothers/sisters) are the first in your family to go to college. This means neither of your parents nor anyone before them went to college. This is generally seen as a plus in admissions.

Disadvantaged status - a box you can check on your med school applications if you feel that your upbringing/background has put you in a disadvantage relative to the applicant pool. This can range from being physically/mentally disabled to growing up below the poverty line. There are a lot of examples of this. It's really up to your own definition. Did you feel disadvantaged growing up?

 

[drcrispmd]

I have searched previous threads on this topic, but many includes scenarios where a first-generation college student is also a URM or have parents who are immigrants. I am white but grew up very low-income in a city. However, being first-generation has defined me in college and all of my work relates to that. How is this perceived in admissions? I know there is no black and white answer to this but I just don't understand the differences between being "disadvantaged" or URM? I mean I know the obvious differences. When I apply to certain things there are clear instructions as to what this is -as in your family is on some sort of government assistance to survive is considered disadvantaged, but in medical school admissions this appears to be a bit hazy.

I do not believe first generation college student puts you at a disadvantage. Also growing up I a low income city alone does not make you disadvantaged unless your family was low income and it was a struggle to grow up and attend college because of this. Such as you had to work to help save for college or work and pay your way through college. If your family was fairly well off and just lived in a low income city, then no.

 

[ridethecliche]

I do not believe first generation college student puts you at a disadvantage. Also growing up I a low income city alone does not make you disadvantaged unless your family was low income and it was a struggle to grow up and attend college because of this. Such as you had to work to help save for college or work and pay your way through college. If your family was fairly well off and just lived in a low income city, then no.

I'm glad you have your beliefs, now if only research backed them up instead of backing up the exact opposite of what you've said.

 

[Aerus]

I do not believe first generation college student puts you at a disadvantage. Also growing up I a low income city alone does not make you disadvantaged unless your family was low income and it was a struggle to grow up and attend college because of this. Such as you had to work to help save for college or work and pay your way through college. If your family was fairly well off and just lived in a low income city, then no.

Whether being a first generation college student itself merits checking the disadvantaged box or not is debatable.

However, if you are implying that people without parents who went to college have it just as good or bad as people with parents who went to college, then I'm going to disagree with you. Until you've grown up without educational role models and see how self-sufficient you must be, I don't think you understand how difficult it is.

Also, growing up in a low income neighborhood DEFINITELY makes it more difficult to do well in school than a person from a rich neighborhood. I'm not going to even stress all the socioeconomic factors that would influence your educational opportunities in such a place, but safety, peers, and quality of living are huge aspects to consider when living in a low income neighborhood.

 

[drcrispmd]

Whether being a first generation college student itself merits checking the disadvantaged box or not is debatable.

However, if you are implying that people without parents who went to college have it just as good or bad as people with parents who went to college, then I'm going to disagree with you. Until you've grown up without educational role models and see how self-sufficient you must be, I don't think you understand how difficult it is.

Also, growing up in a low income neighborhood DEFINITELY makes it more difficult to do well in school than a person from a rich neighborhood. I'm not going to even stress all the socioeconomic factors that would influence your educational opportunities in such a place, but safety, peers, and quality of living are huge aspects to consider when living in a low income neighborhood.

I am a first generation college student. My sister and I are the only ones from our family to attend higher education. My parents worked their butts off to have a better life and did not ever have the opportunity to go to college. They wanted to make sure we were able to attend

Sorry I miss read the OP. I thought it said grew up in a low income city not family was low income. Which I was making the point that low income city in itself did not make disadvantage. Most of the families in my tiny town of 600 were below the poverty line, so you could say low income city. My family was pretty well off. Our public school was also very good.

I know of some kids who were poverty growing up and had full need based scholarships to pay for everything for college. Should they claim disadvantaged for med school over the one who was not poverty but had to work and pay for living expenses, books and supplies? Just a thought.

 

[drcrispmd]

I'm glad you have your beliefs, now if only research backed them up instead of backing up the exact opposite of what you've said.

The most of the people I know who went to college when I did were disadvantaged.

 

[EMDO2018]

Being first generation is hard, growing up poor is hard, having to attend crappy schools as a kid because of where you live is hard. What kind of school did you go to op? Was it a good one? Did you get a good education? I'm a urm and I think poor, first generation students should be given consideration in the admissions process no matter what color they are.

 

[Flashfan]

There is a reason that they recently began tracking and identifying candidates based on parent's education levels and type of job. AAMC realized that this information might be useful to adcoms. How adcoms feel about it and use it will vary. It is not as important in the process as URM but it now can be considered.

 

[veritas16]

There is actually a lot of discussion on this and you could probably find it if you searched a little bit more.

URM - you are a part of a racial group that is traditionally underrepresented in medicine. Look up school policies, as each school might have their own definitions of what does count as URM. Because diversity in medicine is incredibly important, schools try their best to recruit more members from these groups.

First generation college student - your generation (you and your brothers/sisters) are the first in your family to go to college. This means neither of your parents nor anyone before them went to college. This is generally seen as a plus in admissions.

Disadvantaged status - a box you can check on your med school applications if you feel that your upbringing/background has put you in a disadvantage relative to the applicant pool. This can range from being physically/mentally disabled to growing up below the poverty line. There are a lot of examples of this. It's really up to your own definition. Did you feel disadvantaged growing up?

Yes I grew up in poverty

 

[veritas16]

There is a reason that they recently began tracking and identifying candidates based on parent's education levels and type of job. AAMC realized that this information might be useful to adcoms. How adcoms feel about it and use it will vary. It is not as important in the process as URM but it now can be considered.

I went to an okay high school, at one point in time it was not accredited but it was in a suburban area.

This is not directed at all towards your post, but to the forum in general. I started a new one because I often feel there is a lot of discrediting of the "disadvantage" of a first generation college student. First if you are first-gen and middle class it is not the same at all and thus no disadvantage. But when you are in poverty that is a whole different story. In fact the word "poverty" has a stigma attached to it that extends beyond the realms of low-income parameters. These stigmas would be difficult to understand unless you actually experienced it. Anyways I won't go into that now.

What I can say is that when I went to college I felt more comfortable being around other disadvantaged students/URMs because there was a lot of commonality amongst us. In addition I acknowledge my privilege in the sense that I am white and people won't make assumptions about me just by looking at me. There is a whole body of literature around this topic.

I bet if you quantified how many current doctors are first gen it would be an extremely low number. I will leave it in the hands of each school, but I just think it is ridiculous for people to discredit first-gens who are low-income.

 

[drcrispmd]

I went to an okay high school, at one point in time it was not accredited but it was in a suburban area.

This is not directed at all towards your post, but to the forum in general. I started a new one because I often feel there is a lot of discrediting of the "disadvantage" of a first generation college student. First if you are first-gen and middle class it is not the same at all and thus no disadvantage. But when you are in poverty that is a whole different story. In fact the word "poverty" has a stigma attached to it that extends beyond the realms of low-income parameters. These stigmas would be difficult to understand unless you actually experienced it. Anyways I won't go into that now.

What I can say is that when I went to college I felt more comfortable being around other disadvantaged students/URMs because there was a lot of commonality amongst us. In addition I acknowledge my privilege in the sense that I am white and people won't make assumptions about me just by looking at me. There is a whole body of literature around this topic.

I bet if you quantified how many current doctors are first gen it would be an extremely low number. I will leave it in the hands of each school, but I just think it is ridiculous for people to discredit first-gens who
are low-income.

I agree. I had miss read your original post and thought it said your grew up in a low income city, not from a low income family. I think the disadvantaged term gets miss used a lot. like I said, I am a first generation college student (and therefore physician) and I do not see it making me disadvantaged because my family was fairly well off (at least for where we lived). They were able to give me opportunities that low income families would not. Combining that with poverty and an immigrant family, yes that makes it disadvantage.

My question mentioned earlier about a low income student who had full need based need covering everything and even a partial academic scholarship (so actually got money back every year) considered disadvantaged. The reason I mention this was this student grew up single parent and on welfare. Never had to worry about money or work at all in college. Also never had to work during high school, was involved with everything and even had a car if their own. Another student, same major who had to pay her own way. Mom college educated (elem teacher) and dad works at a plant. They made too much for her to qualify for financial aid but were not helping her pay for anything. Got a very small academic scholarship. Worked full time to pay her way. Both are biology majors. Same GPA. Both from same hometown. Student 1 applies disadvantaged because she was on welfare growing up. Student 2 cannot technically claim this. Should the first student get special consideration? Neither ended up applying to med school but this also comes to mind with the disadvantaged issue.

I was surprised by my fellow medical students how many were first gen college and medical students.