Minorities in Med School

[dlacroix]

Hello All!
I'm interested in the stories of minorities in med school right now.

The different experiences, negative and positive, surrounding your being a minority in medical school. As well as the reasons many of you chose to attend med school.

And those of you that are not minorities, please feel free to share your experiences and/or observations of minorities that are attending med school with you.

Anything and everything would be helpful.
THANX MUCH.

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[Sunlyght]

good question...I'm curious about this too. Try posting it in Everyone.

Sunlyght

 

[adismo]

The establishment of higher education, by virtue of its high cost and limited access, has brought fourth more than one type of minority.

What "minority" were you referring to?

 

[Sunlyght]

I'm curious about women, african-american, asian, hispanic. Tell me what you know
thanks

 

[Djanaba]

In my school, women are no longer in the minority (we're the majority). But gay and lesbian students are the minority, and they are not treated well.

 

[gower]

Djanaba, gays and lesbians are a minority of medical students, but not, as you know, an "official" minority for admission purposes. [Neither are Asians; Hispanics other than Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans are also not "minority"; you also know that but many others are unaware of the AAMC definition].

Maybe I should not be, but I am surprised to hear that gays and lesbians are not treated well, at least in your medical school. By fellow students? By faculty? By both? By patients? What do you specifically mean by "not treated well." In what way? I like to believe that most highly educated people have shed some of their prejudices; "like to believe," is the operative phrase, although I know that is wishful thinking.

Before this sets off ad hominum attacks, for the record: I am straight as straight can be!

 

[MSafur]

I'm asian (Indian to be exact) and I'm considered a minority by UMDNJ! I just don't get all this, but I could care less whether I'm considered a minority or not. My grades show whether I'm cut out for med school, not my ethnicity/background.

 

[Pilot]

Originally posted by MSafur:
My grades show whether I'm cut out for med school, not my ethnicity/background.

I agree, but the federal government gives each medical school additional money for each "under-represented minority" in attendance. It may not be an issue for you, but it certainly is for your school. Be sure to mark the appropriate column on your application to increase your chances of acceptance, or if you really want to compete on your grades/MCAT alone, leave the column blank.