Minorities

[gator2005]

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does anyone know if an applicant is from a latin backround but non mexican and non puertorican, but spanish, would the applicant be considered a minority for purposes of Med-MAR registry?

 

[tulane06]

If you are European Spanish you probably wouldn't be considered an URM. If you are a Latino you probably would be.

 

[MrBurns10]

Well, I classified myself non-URM since I'm neither Mexican nor Puerto Rican, however I think there has still been some recruiting from med schools due to class diversity purposes. At a few schools (not all) I did have an extra meeting set up with someone from Diversity Affairs or something to that effect. I don't know if it helped admissions-wise, though; it may have or it may not have. I think how much recruitment, if any, goes on depends on what schools you're applying to and where they're located.

 

[Elastase]

According to the US Gov., Hispanic includes Latinos and Spaniards.

However, for URM (under-represented minorities) consideration by AAMC, it usually only includes almost all Latinos, and not Spaniards...

 

[gator2005]

thanks for the info. also, did you apply to any florida schools?

 

[isobel]

well, i'm chilean and i don't think i'm considered URM since there aren't all that many chileans that need to be represented in the first place. but i am considered latina enough that schools send me minority info.

 

[MrBurns10]

thanks for the info. also, did you apply to any florida schools?

Yeah I'm from Florida and applied to three of the four schools. Somehow I have a feeling I wasn't considered a minority at Miami...

 

[Napoleon4000]

If you are from Central and South America, then you are a minority. You are not from Spain, so you are not over-represented. I think that Brazil isn't considered a Latin country....but it really is. And you are a woman. So by definition you are a minority in medicine.

 

[Elastase]

well, i'm chilean and i don't think i'm considered URM since there aren't all that many chileans that need to be represented in the first place. but i am considered latina enough that schools send me minority info.

Yeah, it should be based on the specific country, but they really just see if your Latino/a. So you probably are URM.

 

[isobel]

Yeah, it should be based on the specific country, but they really just see if your Latino/a. So you probably are URM.

from a footnote on an AMCAS website
"URM (Under Represented Minority) includes U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents who indicate Black, Am Ind/AK Native, Nat Hawaiian race or Mex Am, PR Mnlnd ethnicity in combination or alone."
http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/archive/famg42002a.htm

as a latina, i am aware that mexicans and puerto ricans are very often cosidered in a different category as the rest of us because i fill out forms all the time with the options "hispanic-mexican, hispanic-puerto rico, hispanic-other".

 

[Elastase]

There is a new definition by the AAMC (you can find that on the AAMC websit) which is broader and less definitive (as in not just Mexican and Puerto Ricans, but other Latinos can be classified as URM). It depends on each school what they decide the new URM definition means.

 

[isobel]

There is a new definition by the AAMC (you can find that on the AAMC websit) which is broader and less definitive (as in not just Mexican and Puerto Ricans, but other Latinos can be classified as URM). It depends on each school what they decide the new URM definition means.

ah. ok.

 

[thegenius]

I am Hispanic (descendent from Spain) and answered all of the questions on the AMCAS truthfully. I, like another poster, have received special interviews with diversity offices. I don't know if it has helped or not, and I don't know if I'm a URM. The more I read about it, I do not think I am a URM as defined by the AAMC.

But it doesn't matter...all I did was answer the questions on the AMCAS primary app. In fact, I can't even remember...does it ask you if you should be considered a URM? Or does it ask you to specify your ethniticy and then infer based on your selection?

 

[Rafael Cavalcan]

Brazil is considered a Latin country, we are just not hispanic!

 

[CaipirinhaQuinho]

Brazil is considered a Latin country, we are just not hispanic!

Agreed. and why is it that Brazilians are so proud to be non-hispanic. I think we should embrace our fellow latinos.

I'm also brazilian who applied non-URM.

 

[Will Ferrell]

Brazil is considered a Latin country, we are just not hispanic!

so brazilians say "yes" or "no" to the "are you hispanic" question on amcas? i never knew they were a latin country... i thought it was portugese or something.

 

[Elastase]

Hispanic: an umbrella term that includes people from Spain and Latin America.

Brazilian: from Brazil, still considered Latin because they are from South America (Latin America, which also includes Central America) although conquered by Portugal, and so NOT Spain.

Technically, Brazilians would not choose the "other hispanic", but I would imagine that more than half do because according to the government hispanic=Latino, and so Brazilians consider themselves Latino (at least I think, someone that is Brazilian confirm this).

Something else to note is that like most Latin American country and mostly west-indies countries, there is also some african decent. In all, we are all a bunch of muts (Latinos), making it harder to categorize....

 

[abcehmu]

I applied as latino (ecuador), white, and non-disadvantaged and received e-mails from diversity and minority affairs offices at the majority of the schools I applied to. I was a little surprised this happened, since I went into this process unaware of the new and more inclusive AAMC guidelines and thinking I did not meet the "minority" criteria, which was fine with me.

I do think that I would add to a class in terms of diversity as I speak fluent Spanish and Portuguese and spent a considerable part of my life growing up in Latin America, so with regard to diversity, I think this additional recruitment is proper.

However, I don't think I deserve any benefits that U.S. minorities are sometimes given (and justly so, in my opinion) so I'm a little uneasy with it at the same time.

The thing that bothers me is that in this process I've begun to feel that the schools don't care who it is that is making up their "% minority students" as long as they fit the (now somewhat broad) criteria, they are happy to tally up another and boost their minority numbers.

With the detail of information they receive in these applications, the schools have enough info to determine who really deserves a boost and who doesn't, and I really hope schools are treating each applicant as a unique person with their own unique set of circumstances and not just scanning to see which boxes are checked.

I am proud of my background and think it is something that should have a positive impact on the evaluation of my application, but the thought of my being grouped in with all minorities (including disadvantaged) and possibly getting something I feel I don't deserve really bothers me.

Anybody else having these mixed feelings?

 

[QuantumMechanic]

I believe that med schools are looking for diversity in terms of representing different parts of the community, thats why, when you look in the MSAR, it lists only major race/ethnicities present in the US population. That's why it lists ethnicities like Cuban and Vietnamese but not Ecuadorian and Brazillian. There is a large community in America of the former but not so much with the latter.

I think the whole minority issue is blown out of proportion. Unless you're an URM, you probably aren't given any advantage against WASPs.

 

[mkoszt1]

I hate affirmative action.

 

[riceman04]

I hate affirmative action.

Um ok!?!

 

[Elastase]

I applied as latino (ecuador), white, and non-disadvantaged and received e-mails from diversity and minority affairs offices at the majority of the schools I applied to. I was a little surprised this happened, since I went into this process unaware of the new and more inclusive AAMC guidelines and thinking I did not meet the "minority" criteria, which was fine with me.

I do think that I would add to a class in terms of diversity as I speak fluent Spanish and Portuguese and spent a considerable part of my life growing up in Latin America, so with regard to diversity, I think this additional recruitment is proper.

However, I don't think I deserve any benefits that U.S. minorities are sometimes given (and justly so, in my opinion) so I'm a little uneasy with it at the same time.

The thing that bothers me is that in this process I've begun to feel that the schools don't care who it is that is making up their "% minority students" as long as they fit the (now somewhat broad) criteria, they are happy to tally up another and boost their minority numbers.

With the detail of information they receive in these applications, the schools have enough info to determine who really deserves a boost and who doesn't, and I really hope schools are treating each applicant as a unique person with their own unique set of circumstances and not just scanning to see which boxes are checked.

I am proud of my background and think it is something that should have a positive impact on the evaluation of my application, but the thought of my being grouped in with all minorities (including disadvantaged) and possibly getting something I feel I don't deserve really bothers me.

Anybody else having these mixed feelings?

I believe that they do look at you as a whole and do not just base their decision based on your ethnic background. However, a part of the whole can sometimes be that diversity that you bring (which can be based on your ethnic background, instead of what others might bring to table as far as diversity such as location, experiences, etc).

I do have mixed feelings about it, but just like you, I am proud of my background and really feel that it is something that I can bring to the table and be able to better help/communicate with patients from a broad range of backgrounds (at least for me that includes ethnic and socioeconomic).

 

[isobel]

I applied as latino (ecuador), white, and non-disadvantaged and received e-mails from diversity and minority affairs offices at the majority of the schools I applied to. I was a little surprised this happened, since I went into this process unaware of the new and more inclusive AAMC guidelines and thinking I did not meet the "minority" criteria, which was fine with me.

I do think that I would add to a class in terms of diversity as I speak fluent Spanish and Portuguese and spent a considerable part of my life growing up in Latin America, so with regard to diversity, I think this additional recruitment is proper.

However, I don't think I deserve any benefits that U.S. minorities are sometimes given (and justly so, in my opinion) so I'm a little uneasy with it at the same time.

The thing that bothers me is that in this process I've begun to feel that the schools don't care who it is that is making up their "% minority students" as long as they fit the (now somewhat broad) criteria, they are happy to tally up another and boost their minority numbers.

With the detail of information they receive in these applications, the schools have enough info to determine who really deserves a boost and who doesn't, and I really hope schools are treating each applicant as a unique person with their own unique set of circumstances and not just scanning to see which boxes are checked.

I am proud of my background and think it is something that should have a positive impact on the evaluation of my application, but the thought of my being grouped in with all minorities (including disadvantaged) and possibly getting something I feel I don't deserve really bothers me.

Anybody else having these mixed feelings?

i've always felt weird even calling myself as latina because in this country, the term implies that the person has faced hardship and discrimination so i feel like a fake. i moved here when i was 5, speak better english than most native born americans (and spanish too of course), am well off, and most people are shocked to learn that i am not a regular native born caucasian.

i certainly don't feel i deserve special treatment since i'm probably in a better position than most applicants and i feel like a total fraud when i have to go to minority meetings with admissions staff since i grew up in an affluent, caucasian town and have never interacted with the latino community.

 

[MrBurns10]

My problem is that I'm really pale. I've felt like a complete fool whenever I've had a meeting with a diversity program person or with a group of minority students at interviews, and I can practically hear them thinking "how in the world would this girl add to class diversity? She's pastier than 90% of our students!" It's kind of embarassing sometimes, but what can you do.

 

[Will Ferrell]

My problem is that I'm really pale. I've felt like a complete fool whenever I've had a meeting with a diversity program person or with a group of minority students at interviews, and I can practically hear them thinking "how in the world would this girl add to class diversity? She's pastier than 90% of our students!" It's kind of embarassing sometimes, but what can you do.

that's exactly why I want to skip that "are you hispanic" on the amcas. I really don't want to make interviewers think negatively about me. It could lead to an antagonistic interview.