Hispanic Ethnicity but non-URM on AMCAS...thoughts/HELP?

[emptysea]

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Ok so in the midst of the extreme paranoia that inevitably accompanies the app process, can anyone give me some advice about identifying myself as Hispanic/Puerto Rican and White but claiming non-URM status?

I am 25% Puerto Rican, the rest white (and I look white)and I speak decent conversational Spanish. I was pretty strongly influenced by my Puerto Rican roots as a kid but I don't want to seem "dishonest" in the app process. I am definitely NOT disadvantaged, but I feel uncomfortable not representing my Puerto Rican heritage.

I don't want "special consideration" for claiming Puerto Rican on the AMCAS and I hope that saying "non-URM" clarifies this. It bugs me how you have to be Hispanic or NOT-Hispanic with no inbetween. Please share your thoughts!!!!

 

[Beta Cell]

Ok so in the midst of the extreme paranoia that inevitably accompanies the app process, can anyone give me some advice about identifying myself as Hispanic/Puerto Rican and White but claiming non-URM status?

I am 25% Puerto Rican, the rest white (and I look white)and I speak decent conversational Spanish. I was pretty strongly influenced by my Puerto Rican roots as a kid but I don't want to seem "dishonest" in the app process. I am definitely NOT disadvantaged, but I feel uncomfortable not representing my Puerto Rican heritage.

I don't want "special consideration" for claiming Puerto Rican on the AMCAS and I hope that saying "non-URM" clarifies this. It bugs me how you have to be Hispanic or NOT-Hispanic with no inbetween. Please share your thoughts!!!!

You clearly want to be considered as being Puerto Rican. If you didn't, you'd check "do not wish to disclose." It's a pretty clear-cut case there.

 

[nick_carraway]

This is an issue on most standardized race forms. Check the box that you always check (sounds to me like Latino). FWIW, there is no URM box.

If it helps, it helps. You are applying, after all, to get into med school.

 

[Mattabet]

I hear what you're saying, OP, but I'd check the box. It's not like you decided the rules of this crazy game, and you should take any advantage (or potential advantage) that you can get. You speak Spanish and can presumably find Puerto Rico on a map - that's better than the majority of 75% white people 🙂

 

[RySerr21]

Ok so in the midst of the extreme paranoia that inevitably accompanies the app process, can anyone give me some advice about identifying myself as Hispanic/Puerto Rican and White but claiming non-URM status?

I am 25% Puerto Rican, the rest white (and I look white)and I speak decent conversational Spanish. I was pretty strongly influenced by my Puerto Rican roots as a kid but I don't want to seem "dishonest" in the app process. I am definitely NOT disadvantaged, but I feel uncomfortable not representing my Puerto Rican heritage.

I don't want "special consideration" for claiming Puerto Rican on the AMCAS and I hope that saying "non-URM" clarifies this. It bugs me how you have to be Hispanic or NOT-Hispanic with no inbetween. Please share your thoughts!!!!

URM has nothing to do with being disadvantaged. You dont decide whether you are URM or not. You check your ethnicity and then the schools will label you. If you check that you are puerto rican, you will be considered URM. If you dont check it, then you wont. It doesnt really make sense NOT to check puerto rican if you ARE puerto rican. What about that is dishonest? Nothing. Try not to be so paranoid and try not to be so uptight. I know you think you are doing the "right" thing by not wanting 'special consideration' but it really doesnt make sense to deny what is beinf offered to you. Its kinda like when USC played UCLA this year. USC was penalized a timeout for wearing their home uniforms, but to make the game "fair" the UCLA coach burned a time out in the beginning of the game for no reason. He was clearly trying to make the game "even" but really it was just a stupid stunt. Take what you are given.

 

[CeeLos]

Ok so in the midst of the extreme paranoia that inevitably accompanies the app process, can anyone give me some advice about identifying myself as Hispanic/Puerto Rican and White but claiming non-URM status?

I am 25% Puerto Rican, the rest white (and I look white)and I speak decent conversational Spanish. I was pretty strongly influenced by my Puerto Rican roots as a kid but I don't want to seem "dishonest" in the app process. I am definitely NOT disadvantaged, but I feel uncomfortable not representing my Puerto Rican heritage.

I don't want "special consideration" for claiming Puerto Rican on the AMCAS and I hope that saying "non-URM" clarifies this. It bugs me how you have to be Hispanic or NOT-Hispanic with no inbetween. Please share your thoughts!!!!

I dont see what the big issue is here. You are Puerto Rican, so check the box, it can only help you. Being disadvantaged is totally different section, so just dont click on that. Otherwise, you are a URM, which does help... TRUST ME!!

 

[LizzyM]

If you want to do the equivalent of burn a time out, don't list Spanish as one of your languages. That has a tendency to negate any advantage that listing your ethnicity as Hispanic might give you.

 

[MDSurf]

Ok so in the midst of the extreme paranoia that inevitably accompanies the app process, can anyone give me some advice about identifying myself as Hispanic/Puerto Rican and White but claiming non-URM status?

I am 25% Puerto Rican, the rest white (and I look white)and I speak decent conversational Spanish. I was pretty strongly influenced by my Puerto Rican roots as a kid but I don't want to seem "dishonest" in the app process. I am definitely NOT disadvantaged, but I feel uncomfortable not representing my Puerto Rican heritage.

I don't want "special consideration" for claiming Puerto Rican on the AMCAS and I hope that saying "non-URM" clarifies this. It bugs me how you have to be Hispanic or NOT-Hispanic with no inbetween. Please share your thoughts!!!!

I have a similar question. My mother was an exchange student in Mexico when she was 18 and became extremely close with her family in Mexico. I was raised speaking Spanish and all my life, I have visited our extended family in Mexico as well as them coming here to visit us. Since I was born, I have always called everyone tio, tia, abuelita, abuelo, etc. and I didn't even realize that we weren't really blood relatives until I was about 10 years old.

So, my question is that I have always considered myself as Mexican (and even my Mexican friends often joke that I'm more Mexican than they are). However, as emptysea stated, I feel like it's being "dishonest" to list myself as Mexican. Even though race and ethnicity refer to the culture that one identifies to most closely, and I feel most connected to my latin roots, for some reason I feel that it's being dishonest because I know it will give me an advantage due to the diversity I will bring to a school. All thoughts are greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

D

 

[sewcurious]

This is Medical School you already have the odds stacked against you, you should use EVERY POSSIBLE advantage you can. If you get rejected from somewhere are you going to feel good about it because at least you didn't check the race box???

Good luck!

 

[LizzyM]

I have a similar question. My mother was an exchange student in Mexico when she was 18 and became extremely close with her family in Mexico. I was raised speaking Spanish and all my life, I have visited our extended family in Mexico as well as them coming here to visit us. Since I was born, I have always called everyone tio, tia, abuelita, abuelo, etc. and I didn't even realize that we weren't really blood relatives until I was about 10 years old.

So, my question is that I have always considered myself as Mexican (and even my Mexican friends often joke that I'm more Mexican than they are). However, as emptysea stated, I feel like it's being "dishonest" to list myself as Mexican. Even though race and ethnicity refer to the culture that one identifies to most closely, and I feel most connected to my latin roots, for some reason I feel that it's being dishonest because I know it will give me an advantage due to the diversity I will bring to a school. All thoughts are greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

D

That may be a clue that you would be very uncomfortable trying to explain that portion of your application if you were asked about it during an interview.