I think I made a mistake on registration for MCAT

[CanAmPremed]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hello,

I think I may have made a mistake in regards to the registration for the MCAT. I put down for the Med-MAR question...Yes. Because according to the AAMC "Underrepresented in medicine' means those racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the medical profession relative to their numbers in the general population." And I also put down for race asian (since there was no other category I though I fit under since most ppl mistake me as either mexican or indian - my skin is brown)

Well I am of Iraqi origin and I know for a fact that most iraqis in the U.S. are refugees who escaped Iraq in the late80s/early 90s, and honestly I know we are underrepresented because there is maybe only one or maybe a couple of doctors, that I can think of in my community. Most people in my community either work as clerks in gas stations, convenience stores or own small businesses (like a shop).

I also assumed that saying yes or no is a judgement call thing since the definition is quite fluid. I am SOO worried. ..what if they're like...wait a minute...you put down Yes for Med-Mar but put down asian for race...I'm afraid they're going to accuse me of falsifying my mcat registration and then I become screwed when I want to apply for med schools this august. I emailed them this morning and they said...

(My Name),
You answered the question correctly, do not worry. You will be contacted
later so they can get more detailed information.
Thank you,
MCAT Program Office
PO Box 4056
Iowa City IA 52243-4056
319-337-1357
8:30 to 5:00 CST

But honestly I don't trust them, because whenever I called that office, I seemed to know more than the reps did and they always seemed lethargic when answering my questions.

 

[Gimlet]

Hello,

I think I may have made a mistake in regards to the registration for the MCAT. I put down for the Med-MAR question...Yes. Because according to the AAMC "Underrepresented in medicine' means those racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the medical profession relative to their numbers in the general population." And I also put down for race asian (since there was no other category I though I fit under since most ppl mistake me as either mexican or indian - my skin is brown)

Well I am of Iraqi origin and I know for a fact that most iraqis in the U.S. are refugees who escaped Iraq in the late80s/early 90s, and honestly I know we are underrepresented because there is maybe only one or maybe a couple of doctors, that I can think of in my community. Most people in my community either work as clerks in gas stations, convenience stores or own small businesses (like a shop).

I also assumed that saying yes or no is a judgement call thing since the definition is quite fluid. I am SOO worried. ..what if they're like...wait a minute...you put down Yes for Med-Mar but put down asian for race...I'm afraid they're going to accuse me of falsifying my mcat registration and then I become screwed when I want to apply for med schools this august. I emailed them this morning and they said...



But honestly I don't trust them, because whenever I called that office, I seemed to know more than the reps did and they always seemed lethargic when answering my questions.

I don't think you really have anything to worry about. Don't they collect the race information just for their own statistics? If you had made this mistake on, say, the AMCAS application where it might factor into how your application is viewed, then you might have something to worry about. Having a mismatch between your race and "underrepresented minority" status isn't going to affect your MCAT...it just might screw up their stats on how each race performs on the test a little.

 

[CanAmPremed]

I don't think you really have anything to worry about. Don't they collect the race information just for their own statistics? If you had made this mistake on, say, the AMCAS application where it might factor into how your application is viewed, then you might have something to worry about. Having a mismatch between your race and "underrepresented minority" status isn't going to affect your MCAT...it just might screw up their stats on how each race performs on the test a little.

Thanks for the reply. Anyone else have an opinion

 

[katiekate]

That question is a self-designation and is not just for statistical purposes. I believe that it is also for scholarships and for schools that specifically recruit minorities in medicine. Wasn't there a Middle Eastern catergory? One of my best friends and co-worker is Iraqi/Spanish and she said she usually marks Hispanic. So I asked her what if you were only Iraqi and she said it'd be middle eastern.

You will most likely have other questions such as those on your secondary applications asking if you consider yourself educationally/economically disadvantaged. If you feel that you are a minority in medicine, check any box you most associate with and make sure you have a legitimate explanation that you honestly believe.

Don't freak out about it though. I'd only freak out if you're trying to lie because that box may give you a second look by adcoms.

 

[Law2Doc]

, and honestly I know we are underrepresented because there is maybe only one or maybe a couple of doctors, that I can think of in my community.

I don't think this is what was meant on the form by underrepresented. It is not a subjective personal perception thing it is a matter of census.

 

[crazy_cavalier]

But honestly I don't trust them, because whenever I called that office, I seemed to know more than the reps did and they always seemed lethargic when answering my questions.

They weren't lethargic. They were apathetic - because they honestly don't care, and neither should you.

Stop worrying about it. If you're this paranoid at this point in the game, you're going to have some killer ulcers a few months down the road. If, for some godless reason you really DO get some heat about this harmless mistake, you can always save the email you sent (along with the reply) as evidence supporting your character. And you also have the Crazy Cavalier stamp of approval for "inane minor detail that can be overlooked" - just point to this thread on SDN and you'll be fine.

 

[Sanctuary]

Hello,

I think I may have made a mistake in regards to the registration for the MCAT. I put down for the Med-MAR question...Yes. Because according to the AAMC "Underrepresented in medicine' means those racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the medical profession relative to their numbers in the general population." And I also put down for race asian (since there was no other category I though I fit under since most ppl mistake me as either mexican or indian - my skin is brown)

Well I am of Iraqi origin and I know for a fact that most iraqis in the U.S. are refugees who escaped Iraq in the late80s/early 90s, and honestly I know we are underrepresented because there is maybe only one or maybe a couple of doctors, that I can think of in my community. Most people in my community either work as clerks in gas stations, convenience stores or own small businesses (like a shop).

I think it's important for you to realize the meaning behind the question. What they are NOT meaning is "is your race/ethnicity underrepresented in your town/street/local hangout/etc. They mean in the United States. Of course, an asian person could say, "Well, I live in Beatrice, Nebraska and no asian folk are doctors here so I'm gonna say I'm underrepresented." Do you see the problem with this? Hopefully you do. 🙂

Further -- Middle Eastern / Asian folk are not underrepresented in medicine in the US. In addition, the color of one's skin is not what they are referring to. Seeing as there are "blacks" with skin as light as Norwegians, and Chinese with skin as dark as Nigerians. The point is that is is more culturally based and not so simple as skin color.

In any event, it is often good to ask yourself if you currently, and have always, identified with a race/ethnicity. Whichever one that is, select it on your application. Truly -- I have never seen more people spend so much time on a question like this than I have here on SDN. Questions like "NAME", "RACE", "MARITAL STATUS", etc., are suppose to be the easy questions on an application, by the way. 🙂

Cheers!