How much of an effect does being URM do for an application?

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Show me that data. Here in Chicagoland, Asian Indians and other Asians have far and away the highest household incomes (somewhere in the 70k per year). We don't have that many Nigerians overall in the area, so I've never seen any numbers about them.

This chart of income by ethnicity in the Chicagoland area might be of interest to you:

http://robparal.blogspot.com/#!/2012/05/who-are-wealthiest-chicagoans.html

Africans, sub-Sarah Africans, and other combinations of African-Americans are stacked at the bottom of the list. Asian Indians and other Asians are toward to top but not at the pinacle.
 
Damn right. I agree. It's sad that his policies are the best we can in this country.

But do you know what things looked like for black America under conservative Ronald Reagan? That man and his silly drug war have contributed to the death and incarceration of more black people than anyone before or since.

No. Progressive policies have destroyed black communities. One example is the minimum wage law.

Thomas Sowell on the issue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZDcMjz2hVk

And again: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/04/26/race_and_economics_109659.html

There's no need to be an apologist for Obama. He could easily have spent the stimulus money on useful projects, but he instead chose to please his real friends.

BTW, blaming Reagan for more blacks being incarcerated for drug dealing/abuse is asinine, and you probably now see that.
 
Please go read more of this thread. I'm not going to repeat myself as to why the situation is different.

Benefit everyone? LOL. Ron Paul (though an honorable and consistent man) has policies that would f- me as student who relies on govt loans for my education.

Lol I meant his stance with drug laws that incarcerated so many African-Americans.
But again, is it not racist to vote for someone simply because of the color of his skin?

This chart of income by ethnicity in the Chicagoland area might be of interest to you:

http://robparal.blogspot.com/#!/2012/05/who-are-wealthiest-chicagoans.html

Africans, sub-Sarah Africans, and other combinations of African-Americans are stacked at the bottom of the list. Asian Indians and other Asians are toward to top but not at the pinacle.

Oh wow, this is very well organized. 👍
 
This chart of income by ethnicity in the Chicagoland area might be of interest to you:

http://robparal.blogspot.com/#!/2012/05/who-are-wealthiest-chicagoans.html

Africans, sub-Sarah Africans, and other combinations of African-Americans are stacked at the bottom of the list. Asian Indians and other Asians are toward to top but not at the pinacle.

This is a really really good site. I can tell I could sit and read it for hours.
Also, if you're interested in where I got my number about immigrant income, I could PM you a pdf chapter I have. It's from a book about Chicago immigration. Let me know.

No. Progressive policies have destroyed black communities. One example is the minimum wage law.

Thomas Sowell on the issue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZDcMjz2hVk

And again: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/04/26/race_and_economics_109659.html

There's no need to be an apologist for Obama. He could easily have spent the stimulus money on useful projects, but he instead chose to please his real friends.

BTW, blaming Reagan for more blacks being incarcerated for drug dealing/abuse is asinine, and you probably now see that.

My basic position is "his policies suck but he's by far the lesser of two evils." How is that being an "apologist???"

Also, Reagan IS responsible for the breakdown of the black inner city. His war on drugs and his ignoring of the crack epidemic combined to lead to a lot of deaths and incarcerations. Further, it was under his push to privatize everything that for-profit prisons started out. Those institutions are truly evil and have lobbied for policies that have continued to devastate the minority inner city and the rural poor white communities.


Lol I meant his stance with drug laws that incarcerated so many African-Americans.
But again, is it not racist to vote for someone simply because of the color of his skin?

Like I said, please go read more of this thread for an answer to that question.
 
Damn right. I agree. It's sad that his policies are the best we can in this country.

But do you know what things looked like for black America under conservative Ronald Reagan? That man and his silly drug war have contributed to the death and incarceration of more black people than anyone before or since.

There's no point in arguing with a bigot.
 
I apologize if this has already been addressed, but to the people who think URM are getting an unfair advantage to getting into medical school, what if a Latino or African American who has a good GPA (3.6+), a good MCAT score (32+), and is competent in social standards gets into med school? Do you find that it is unfair then that they are as good as their Caucasian counterparts? If you don't want a URM doctor, ask for a Caucasian one. If you don't like what med schools here do, apply for a med school in a different country. This "problem" is just going to increase because URM's populations are increasing. If you find this as corruption, wrong, or w/e, all I have to say is welcome to America were politicians essentially run this country by spending taxpayer money on $8 to $12 muffins, go on vacations, and pay for parties. Fix that problem before you actually try to fix something that is benefical in most of America. Also, Im African American.
 
Also, Reagan IS responsible for the breakdown of the black inner city. His war on drugs and his ignoring of the crack epidemic combined to lead to a lot of deaths and incarcerations. Further, it was under his push to privatize everything that for-profit prisons started out. Those institutions are truly evil and have lobbied for policies that have continued to devastate the minority inner city and the rural poor white communities.

Reagan (foolishly) tried to combat drug abuse. He didn't just enforce this policy in the inner city.

By the way, bear in mind that the numbers you see about people sitting in jail for drug-related charges do not take into account the fact that many times the actual charges were plead down to that.
 
There's no point in arguing with a bigot.


Idk if these people are bigots and I doubt I'll change anyone's mind but I feel the need to voice my opinions on a site that rarely has many people thoughtfully defending URM (that's how this started) but seems to have no shortage of bashers.
 
I apologize if this has already been addressed, but to the people who think URM are getting an unfair advantage to getting into medical school, what if a Latino or African American who has a good GPA (3.6+), a good MCAT score (32+), and is competent in social standards gets into med school? Do you find that it is unfair then that they are as good as their Caucasian counterparts? If you don't want a URM doctor, ask for a Caucasian one. If you don't like what med schools here do, apply for a med school in a different country. This "problem" is just going to increase because URM's populations are increasing. If you find this as corruption, wrong, or w/e, all I have to say is welcome to America were politicians essentially run this country by spending taxpayer money on $8 to $12 muffins, go on vacations, and pay for parties. Fix that problem before you actually try to fix something that is benefical in most of America. Also, Im African American.

I agree with your post. I'm anti-Affirmative Action, but pro-URM admissions approaches. There is a very real purpose in recruiting more URMs to the medical field.
 
I'm glad to hear that and I sincerely wish you the best. I would also not just write off the idea of applying as economically disadvantaged bc you didn't get FAP. I got FAP (just barely) and my parents make about 70k a year. I plan on applying disadvantaged because of the situation I lived in and schools I went to until I was about 13.

Better double dip on that affirmative action. You would never make it to medical school with all of the discrimination you have to go through and the fact that you grew up in a family with income in the top 30% of American households.
 
Reagan (foolishly) tried to combat drug abuse. He didn't just enforce this policy in the inner city.

By the way, bear in mind that the numbers you see about people sitting in jail for drug-related charges do not take into account the fact that many times the actual charges were plead down to that.


Then why did he start that policy of punishing crack cocaine use tens of times more severely than powder cocaine, even though they are the same chemical?

In case you don't know, crack cocaine is more popular among blacks and powder more popular among whites.
 
Idk if these people are bigots and I doubt I'll change anyone's mind but I feel the need to voice my opinions on a site that rarely has many people thoughtfully defending URM (that's how this started) but seems to have no shortage of bashers.

See my above post. I am not a bigot - MuAgonist is a troll who frequently joins forces with HoltMD, a penis-obsessed weirdo.
 
Better double dip on that affirmative action. You would never make it to medical school with all of the discrimination you have to go through and the fact that you grew up in a family with income in the top 30% of American households.


My family is part of the 30% mudaf**kkas! Daaaaaamn. All 6 of us truly rolled in the dough.

But I can't help but want to join in the oppression of whitey by cashin' in on this URM deal.

*sarcasm*
 
Who among you would like to wake up tomorrow and discover that overnight your skin had turned black, your hair had turned kinky and your nose was twice its previous width? A check of your bank balance would find that nothing has changed there, you still had the same level of education and the same wealth you had the night before but now you presented yourself to the world as a black person. How would this change in outward appearance change the way the world would treat you? What effect might you have on police officers who see you driving down a suburban street? What happens when you walk into a high end clothing store or an electronics store or, dare I say, a casual restaurant known for round-the-clock breakfasts?

Do you ever wish you could be black for one day so that you could enjoy all the wonderful perks of being a black person in America?

I would personally be pissed at the people who do stupid things that create the stereotypes I suffer through instead of blaming an entire race/ethnicity of people. I would be pissed at the idiots committing said crimes which cause me to be generalized more, but I still would be also be pissed at those who generalize me.
 
Then why did he start that policy of punishing crack cocaine use tens of times more severely than powder cocaine, even though they are the same chemical?

In case you don't know, crack cocaine is more popular among blacks and powder more popular among whites.

Crack cocaine was presumed to be more addictive than powder cocaine.

Funnily enough, guess who was responsible for the punishment ratio for crack vs powder? Good ol' Uncle Joe Biden! He proposed a 100-1 ratio, while the Reagan administration proposed a 20-1 ratio.

I would personally be pissed at the people who do stupid things that create the stereotypes I suffer through instead of blaming an entire race/ethnicity of people. I would be pissed at the idiots committing said crimes which cause me to be generalized more, but I still would be also be pissed at those who generalize me.

I don't think LizzyM realized how racist her first sentence there sounded.
 
My family is part of the 30% mudaf**kkas! Daaaaaamn. All 6 of us truly rolled in the dough.

But I can't help but want to join in the oppression of whitey by cashin' in on this URM deal.

*sarcasm*

I'm being serious though. Do you not think you would get in if you didn't check the disadvantaged box?
 
Crack cocaine was presumed to be more addictive than powder cocaine.

Funnily enough, guess who was responsible for the punishment ratio for crack vs powder? Good ol' Uncle Joe Biden! He proposed a 100-1 ratio, while the Reagan administration proposed a 20-1 ratio.

That's effed up about Joe Biden. What a prick.


As for it being presumed to be more addictive.....come on man. Maybe I would buy that if this was the first time in American history that minorities were the target of drug policy. But marijuana became a threat only after the "hot-blooded Latins" started smoking it and "committing crimes" in the southwest. And cocaine was only made illegal because of the "sex-crazed negroes" in the south would, under its effects, ravage the white female populace.
 
I'm being serious though. Do you not think you would get in if you didn't check the disadvantaged box?

With the cut-throat competition in med school admissions, none of us can be sure. However, I think I have a very good chance.. My numbers are good for any demographic and I'm proud of my ECs. On top of that, I'm damn likable in person.
 
Crack cocaine was presumed to be more addictive than powder cocaine.

Funnily enough, guess who was responsible for the punishment ratio for crack vs powder? Good ol' Uncle Joe Biden! He proposed a 100-1 ratio, while the Reagan administration proposed a 20-1 ratio.



I don't think LizzyM realized how racist her first sentence there sounded.

LOL. I just re-read it. Haha man thats something...

I apologize if this has already been addressed, but to the people who think URM are getting an unfair advantage to getting into medical school, what if a Latino or African American who has a good GPA (3.6+), a good MCAT score (32+), and is competent in social standards gets into med school? Do you find that it is unfair then that they are as good as their Caucasian counterparts? If you don't want a URM doctor, ask for a Caucasian one. If you don't like what med schools here do, apply for a med school in a different country. This "problem" is just going to increase because URM's populations are increasing. If you find this as corruption, wrong, or w/e, all I have to say is welcome to America were politicians essentially run this country by spending taxpayer money on $8 to $12 muffins, go on vacations, and pay for parties. Fix that problem before you actually try to fix something that is benefical in most of America. Also, Im African American.

Oh I understand why the URM is there. I'm quite frankly fine with it, it serves a purpose. My thing is mostly with AA, the race aspect of helping the economically disadvantaged, and the whole generalization that accompanies the URM status.. Its okay to say its here and does some good, but to say its fair, just, or logical is absolutely absurd. :laugh:
 
People on this thread constantly insisted as if I live in a rich neighborhood and never had a conversation with a person of minority in my life. In fact, I live in a low income area and went to schools where more than half the students would be considered URM if they pursuit medicine. Again, whether or not you believe that or not is up to you as this is a anonymous forum. Lizzy and wolfie, you claimed discriminations to be a reason to back up our current URM policy. What others deemed as "racism" might be different from my point of view. Some on this thread had brought up personal experiences that concur with what I could called "discriminations." Ask yourself this: would any of these events hinder a URM applicants progress to advance in your career? How does being stopped by the police more often than others affect your academic performance? How does being looked at discriminatingly from a very minority of the population affect your career?

The fact is that, without this affirmative actions and URM policies, I do not see any limitations to a person's success that solely originated from the color of his or her skin, which is the reason why I brought up the Obama argument. You can nitpick his victory all you want. At the end of the day, people went to the election booth, and vote on a black male candidate over a white male candidate.

FattySlug, you brought up my next point. It amazed me that some people believed that only AA are affected by what many of you called "racism." You are Asian, Yes? You claimed to be a victim of racism. Yet, your academic achievements are being clipped at every academic levels, from high school to college, from college to graduate schools. Not only do you received no reparation from what you deemed racism, you are getting the short end of the stick.

It is apparent that there are two extreme viewpoints on the any discussions regarding URM. Therefore, my further participation in this thread is redundant since I am receiving few constructive feedbacks from my posts. I guess I am not going to change anyone's viewpoints on the subject.
 
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But only to other minorities, right? Your racist teachers have made it hard to excel academically, no?


What in the world are you talking about? Is this some kind of caricature that you have against students of color? That we blame all our problems on other racism and other people? To me it sounds like you are the one blaming (scapegoating) your insecurity in med school admissions on URMs.

What's you problem, man? I answered your dumb question honestly (wrongly thinking that there was some point to it) and you pull this dumb crap outta your butt?

I have great relationships with a quite a few of my professors.
 
That's effed up about Joe Biden. What a prick.


As for it being presumed to be more addictive.....come on man. Maybe I would buy that if this was the first time in American history that minorities were the target of drug policy. But marijuana became a threat only after the "hot-blooded Latins" started smoking it and "committing crimes" in the southwest. And cocaine was only made illegal because of the "sex-crazed negroes" in the south would, under its effects, ravage the white female populace.

This sounds like a DailyKos myth to me. Certainly not supported by Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_history_of_cannabis_in_the_United_States
 
What in the world are you talking about? Is this some kind of caricature that you have against students of color? That we blame all our problems on other racism and other people? To me it sounds like you are the one blaming (scapegoating) your insecurity in med school admissions on URMs.

What's you problem, man? I answered your dumb question honestly (wrongly thinking that there was some point to it) and you pull this dumb crap outta your butt?

I have great relationships with a quite a few of my professors.

I'm just trying to get at where the rubber hits the road here. If you've had such a normal upbringing, I don't get what you think entitles you to double affirmative action.
 
I'm just trying to get at where the rubber hits the road here. If you've had such a normal upbringing, I don't get what you think entitles you to double affirmative action.

I (unlike others who believe they are entitled to those seats given to URMs) don't think I'm entitled to jack-s*it.

What I do believe, is that there is a dire need for more physicians who speak my language, understand my culture, have grown up in my community, have a diverse (i.e. minority) point of view on the world, and look like me.
 
.
 
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I think redheads should be considered URM >.>. Our kind endures a unique struggle that only other redheads can empathize.


I'm sorry for the way the sun has subjugated your people over the ages. Stay strong, my freckled friend.
 
Good ol' "I'll insult you or call you big because I bring up a controversial topic and I have don't really have an argument" trick eh?

What? I'm having trouble understanding all the grammatical errors in your statement, but I wasn't referring to you.
 
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What? I'm having trouble understanding all the grammatical errors in your statement but, but I wasn't referring to you.

Woah what horrible spelling and grammatical errors there were indeed. Can't believe I didn't pick em up. Oh? Sorry then haha.

I think redheads should be considered URM >.>. Our kind endures a unique struggle that only other redheads can empathize.

I second this but only if they look like this!
2j1k95d.jpg

Haha
 
Woah what horrible spelling and grammatical errors there were indeed. Can't believe I didn't pick em up. Oh? Sorry then haha.

Don't be sorry, he did exactly what you referred to - had nothing to contribute to the conversation, so he called me a bigot. Reminder, MuAgonist is a TROLL.
 
Good ol' "I'll insult you or call you big because I bring up a controversial topic and I have don't really have an argument" trick eh?

Woah what horrible spelling and grammatical errors there were indeed. Can't believe I didn't pick em up. Oh? Sorry then haha.

The bolded sentence is extremely confusing. First you use "I" to refer to yourself and myself in the same sentence and the "I have don't really have" part is confusing as well, but I think you thought I was referring to you. Like I said, it's hard to understand what you mean in that sentence.
 
Don't be sorry, he did exactly what you referred to - had nothing to contribute to the conversation, so he called me a bigot. Reminder, MuAgonist is a TROLL.

How am I a troll?

Edit: You are the one who derails every URM thread into an anti-affirmative action thread. If you support URM recruitment then go start an anti-affirmative action thread for your rants.
 
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When precisely did I say that?

Are you suggesting that a horrendous incident of burning of that child in Kansas City is indicative and symptomatic of a history of black-on-white oppression and violence in this country?

Because if you are, that's laughable.

Also, I know about the success of Nigerians. I know a lot of them. Guess what....the reason they and Indians and many other Asians do so well here, is because the ones that come here legally are already the the richest in their own country. Every society has an upper crust and we happen to attract it. In the 60s through 90s, it didn't take a poor Mexican a lot of money to take a bus up to the border and cross it. On the other hand, it takes a lot of upfront investment to buy legal resident Visa and a Lagos-Los Angeles plane ticket.

Incorrect. Most Nigerians that come here are ones who are tired of what is going on around them and want a better future for their children. The super rich ones just come and visit. Sure, it takes a lot of money. But, it's not super-expensive enough that only rich people can afford it.
 
Incorrect. Most Nigerians that come here are ones who are tired of what is going on around them and want a better future for their children. The super rich ones just come and visit. Sure, it takes a lot of money. But, it's not super-expensive enough that only rich people can afford it.


Do they or don't they have enough money for a trans-Atlantic flight and enough money in the bank for a Visa?

In case you don't know, you have to have A LOT of money in the bank to get permission from US immigration to come here legally.

edit: I"m not saying they're billionaires, but they are quite well off (especially relative to the rest of Nigeria)
 
Oh I understand why the URM is there. I'm quite frankly fine with it, it serves a purpose. My thing is mostly with AA, the race aspect of helping the economically disadvantaged, and the whole generalization that accompanies the URM status.. Its okay to say its here and does some good, but to say its fair, just, or logical is absolutely absurd. :laugh:

Amen.
 
Do they or don't they have enough money for a trans-Atlantic flight and enough money in the bank for a Visa?

In case you don't know, you have to have A LOT of money in the bank to get permission from US immigration to come here legally.

edit: I"m not saying they're billionaires, but they are quite well off (especially relative to the rest of Nigeria)

Actually there are these cool things called loterry. (Not similar to ours where you win money). You can actually win a 10 year permanent residence placement in the U.S. at a lower charge. Its how my friend (whose Nigerian) came to the U.S.
Incorrect. Most Nigerians that come here are ones who are tired of what is going on around them and want a better future for their children. The super rich ones just come and visit. Sure, it takes a lot of money. But, it's not super-expensive enough that only rich people can afford it.

And we already settled that they are not indeed super rich, seeing as their household income in Chicago is still one of the lowest and the source I provided shows us that in 2000 the household income was about 45k which is quite higher than the African-Americans but is puny compared to the Asians, Indians, although still relatively close to the Hispanic household income.

The super rich ones are usually "royalty" in some way. Those tend to send their kids to Europe (UK, France) more than they do to the U.S.
 
Actually there are these cool things called loterry. (Not similar to ours where you win money). You can actually win a 10 year permanent residence placement in the U.S. at a lower charge. Its how my friend (whose Nigerian) came to the U.S.

And we already settled that they are not indeed super rich, seeing as their household income in Chicago is still one of the lowest and the source I provided shows us that in 2000 the household income was about 45k which is quite higher than the African-Americans but is puny compared to the Asians, Indians, although still relatively close to the Hispanic household income.


To enter the visa lottery, you need a certain amount of money in the bank to prove you won't be a "burden" on the American taxpayer. I accept that they have lower incomes than Indians. This might have to do with the wealth disparity between India and Nigeria, although I don't know that for sure.
 
OOO Gawwwd.....Why don't you two swap email addresses or phone numbers and fight that way?

I will agree to settle this dispute over a friendly game of chess. I'll even give him a head start an let him play as White while I'll play catch-up and play as Black.
 
I will agree to settle this dispute over a friendly game of chess. I'll even give him a head start an let him play as White while I'll play catch-up and play as Black.

dont forget to give yourself a couple of knights and bishops to "even the playing field", heck throw in another queen while you are at it
 
dont forget to give yourself a couple of knights and bishops to "even the playing field", heck throw in another queen while you are at it

Scapegoaters gonna scapegoat.
 
Hm, are you implying that they are paid less? You're saying that these people, most educated in the country, are knowingly letting themselves get paid less and allowing clear discrimination? Haha thats pretty funny. But now that I do think about it, I wonder why not. Maybe its the fields they go into.

Do you know that with the exception of people working in government, that salaries are generally confidential and not shared among employees. It is quite possible for different people doing the same job to be paid different amounts. It is quite possible that a Nigerian-American would happily accept a salary that is lower than that offered to his British-American coworker. It is compounded with each cost of living raise.... The Nigerian never catches up. Is it racist on the part of th employer or an economic decision made with limited information on the part of the new hire. Hard to tell.

tn4596 wrote:
Ask yourself this: would any of these events hinder a URM applicants progress to advance in your career? How does being stopped by the police more often than others affect your academic performance? How does being looked at discriminatingly from a very minority of the population affect your career?

Yeah, you are driving to the MCAT exam, or to the hospital where you are the chief of surgery, when you get pulled over by the cops who are suspicious of someone of your color driving a nice car in that neighborhood. I know, you've already told me that the cops only pull people over when the driver is doing something wrong.... Fact is, they just might suspect that the Mercedes you are driving is stolen... How does that effect your blood pressure, your timing in getting to where you need to be, your peace of mind. And if you try to go the humble route and drive an old beater, you are going to be profiled because nice people in that neighborhood don't drive those cars.

I have heard of black professional women walking through hotels in certain cities being stopped by hotel detectives who suspected that a black woman in a high class hotel must be a hooker. How does that make you feel if as you are checking into a hotel for an interview the next day or to present your research at an annual meeting?

There well may be a reason why hypertension and the health consequences of it are more prevalent in the African-American community than in whites and it is not related to genetics (not seen in genetically similar populations elsewhere in the world) and controling for weight, smoking, and sodium intake.
 
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