Growing Up in Underserved Area?

[turnitblue&blue92]

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According to the pdf of my application, I grew up in a medically undeserved county even though I did not realize it at the time nor felt the effects. Should I list under the self-declared section of my application that the area I grew up in is medically undeserved ? This designation makes sense after shadowing in local primary care clinics. I'm hoping to submit tomorrow. Thanks for any help

 

[JingleChips]

My opinion is that you should only check that box if you genuinely feel that you were underserved. If you check off that box, you will most likely be asked about it. I wouldn't do this just to get "points" on your application. My area was considered underserved by AMCAS, but I didn't feel underserved. Many counties are classified as "underserved" but in reality its only one really bad area that brings the overall average "stats" down enough for it to be considered underserved. If you feel like you live in one of those areas e.g north philadelphia, I'd check the box.

 

[shiftingmirage]

I agree with Jingle. Generally when people think of underserved, they think a rural location, but places like NYC and Chicago are medically underserved because there is so much demand, and a limited supply. If it prevented you from getting medical care, then you have something to talk about.

There is nothing wrong with checking the box since it is true. IMO, it would be better if they would ask if you or your family were underserved vs your community.

 

[Lamel]

Did you FEEL disadvantaged? Just be honest.

The application says that for my residence as well but I didn't select it.

 

[turnitblue&blue92]

I selected "No" because I personally did not feel disadvantaged. But, I can see, after shadowing in primary care clinics, why the area is designated as such. Would this be something appropriate to discuss in secondaries?

 

[chillaxbro]

I don't like SDN's go to response "only put disadvantaged if you feel disadvantaged" or "if you have to ask then you're not disadvantaged".

A lot of people, disadvantaged or privileged, don't realize it or "feel" it because that's all they've known growing up.

If you meet the criteria that they set for disadvantage status, then why not go for it?

 

[persumas]

I was the same, I honestly didn't know my area was underserved until I moved away..

Even though I was very sheltered to the "underserved" nature of my area and never considered myself underserved.. I looked at the question objectively and put "yes". Just because that is the fact regardless of how I felt. If the application question asked if my family, or I was medically underserved I would have put "no". But growing up in an underserved ≠ disadvantaged.

I think it is totally reasonable to talk about shadowing in an undeserved area/learning what underserved really means. Especially if that is one of your motivations for pursuing medicine 🙂

 

[Mr Roboto]

I checked the box because there weren't options for medical care nearby. We drove 40 minutes to go to the doctor. It wasn't an unpopulated area, just few options nearby.

Last year I didn't check it, but AMCAS listed it as underserved.

Really doubt it matters either way.

 

[Keladry]

I think AMCAS's designation can be a little strange. They classified my area as medically underserved, because it contains some of the poorest cities/areas in my state, but it also contains some of the richest, so while some people here definitely do not have sufficient access to medical care, others probably have too much. 😛 I was fortunate enough growing up to have access to medical care, so I felt checking the box would be disingenuous. Just because AMCAS says it doesn't make it true (although of course it's possible that it is!).

 

[LizzyM]

I would be very careful about checking the box if you grew up with resources. I have seen adcom members take revenge on applicants who they felt were looking for a pity party or a way of gaining an advantage when in fact they grew up in a solidly middle class situation.

Manhattan is "underserved" but there isn't anyone growing up at 85th and 5th who should claim disadvantage.

 

[aspirantmed]

I don't like SDN's go to response "only put disadvantaged if you feel disadvantaged" or "if you have to ask then you're not disadvantaged".

A lot of people, disadvantaged or privileged, don't realize it or "feel" it because that's all they've known growing up.

If you meet the criteria that they set for disadvantage status, then why not go for it?

This seems to defeat the purpose of what schools are asking for when they ask applicants to identify adversity or resource deprivation ..

 

[Voevoda]

I would be very careful about checking the box if you grew up with resources. I have seen adcom members take revenge on applicants who they felt were looking for a pity party or a way of gaining an advantage when in fact they grew up in a solidly middle class situation.

Manhattan is "underserved" but there isn't anyone growing up at 85th and 5th who should claim disadvantage.

LizzyM, I have a question regarding this point and its relation to my own situation. What do you consider growing up with resources?

I grew up in a small rural town in Russia. My family had an apartment and a garden. Both parents were present. We were struggling, but most people were at the time in that place. We immigrated to the United States at 13. We were on assistance for a while until my parents were able to get on their feet. I worked since thirteen and while I was not specifically asked to help support the household I ended up giving all money to the family pot a time of need anyway. We were middle class by the time I was graduating high school.

Is that considered growing up "solidly middle class"? We were poor in Russia, but not destitute.

 

[LizzyM]

You must have had some resources if you were able to get from there to here.... most adcom members I've worked with don't consider international students to be disadvantaged. An exception might be those who are adopted & moved to the US at an older age (>4) and I can't recall ever seeing such an applicant. Other adcoms might be more liberal in their interpretation of "disadvantaged".

By resources I mean parents with employment, particularly if they own a business no matter how small, or if they have some income producing property.

The US is pretty strict about legal immigrants and their financial independence except for a few months of transitional funding. If you want to go out on a limb and say that you were disadvantaged because you were an immigrant at age 13 and were on public assistance and worked while you were in HS, go ahead. Come back and tell us how things turn out for you so others can learn from your experience.

 

[PreciousHamburgers]

I felt disadvantaged, and I still did not self-identify as such on my application because of advice like LizzyM's.

 

[deleted407021]

I live in an under served county, and I never felt the effects. However, I never needed specialist treatment. Most in my area who did, or do, needed to go elsewhere. I can see the effect through my clinical exposure, so I can certainly discuss it, though not from personal experience.

 

[LMBLBM]

You must have had some resources if you were able to get from there to here.... most adcom members I've worked with don't consider international students to be disadvantaged. An exception might be those who are adopted & moved to the US at an older age (>4) and I can't recall ever seeing such an applicant. Other adcoms might be more liberal in their interpretation of "disadvantaged".

By resources I mean parents with employment, particularly if they own a business no matter how small, or if they have some income producing property.

The US is pretty strict about legal immigrants and their financial independence except for a few months of transitional funding. If you want to go out on a limb and say that you were disadvantaged because you were an immigrant at age 13 and were on public assistance and worked while you were in HS, go ahead. Come back and tell us how things turn out for you so others can learn from your experience.

This is what I thought too, and I had to claim myself that I wasn't disadvantaged. There many types of immigration visa but major ones are investment visa and unskilled labored visa. For the investment visa, you are simply 'buying' green cards. For unskilled labored visa, you have to work in a chicken processing company as an unskilled worker with minimal pay for a year. My father was bankrupted and we came with unskilled labor visa. We had to live in church for a year because our family started with absolutely nothing. I was warned by several people regarding this situation, and I am glad that I followed their advice.

 

[Voevoda]

You must have had some resources if you were able to get from there to here.... most adcom members I've worked with don't consider international students to be disadvantaged. An exception might be those who are adopted & moved to the US at an older age (>4) and I can't recall ever seeing such an applicant. Other adcoms might be more liberal in their interpretation of "disadvantaged".

By resources I mean parents with employment, particularly if they own a business no matter how small, or if they have some income producing property.

The US is pretty strict about legal immigrants and their financial independence except for a few months of transitional funding. If you want to go out on a limb and say that you were disadvantaged because you were an immigrant at age 13 and were on public assistance and worked while you were in HS, go ahead. Come back and tell us how things turn out for you so others can learn from your experience.

We had a few thousand dollars when we arrived and help from family already in the States. I don't consider myself disadvantaged; just wanted to know if I fit the description in your opinion. So, in your opinion, identifying as disadvantaged in my situation will hurt, not help, my application? Listing yourself as disadvantaged is an extra 1325 characters to describe yourself. Thanks for the advice.

 

[SPionic]

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[SPionic]

Also, has this thread moved on from being about the 'medically underserved' box?

 

[shiftingmirage]

My own family was affected by a lack of juvenile psychiatric care for my brother, leading to some pretty heartbreaking situations that I am still deciding whether/how to address in secondaries. However, we were lucky to have good basic medical care. For me, it is not about gaining an edge in admissions, so much as giving a picture of where I come from and why I am interested in medicine. But maybe I am approaching this the wrong way?

Your family was impacted by the limited access to care. OP says in his/her post that "I did not realize it at the time nor felt the effects." There is a difference between living in an underserved area, and being underserved yourself. With your brother's situation, I think it is appropriate for you to check the box.

 

[LizzyM]

I checked the 'medically underserved' box (but not the disadvantaged one) largely because I allude in my personal statement to the fact that many people in our area did not have access to necessary medical care, which affected how I view the role of physicians in society. My own family was affected by a lack of juvenile psychiatric care for my brother, leading to some pretty heartbreaking situations that I am still deciding whether/how to address in secondaries. However, we were lucky to have good basic medical care. For me, it is not about gaining an edge in admissions, so much as giving a picture of where I come from and why I am interested in medicine. But maybe I am approaching this the wrong way?

I think it is legit to check the box in your circumstances but be prepared to be asked about the type of setting in which you'd like to practice. Do you plan to "go back" to your area or to a similarly situated area after residency?

 

[SPionic]

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[noleknight16]

I believe I checked the box for underserved under the childhood section since the question says: "Do you believe that this area was medically under-served?". I then selected no for disadvantaged because I wasn't affected by it at all. You should probably do the same it sounds like.