Minority Status

[skinsdoctor1990]

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Hi all,

I am half african-american (my dad was born in kenya and both of his parents are kenyan) and my mom is white. However, I look completely white even though i am half black. Do i classify as an "urm" and will interviewers look down on me for classifying my ethnicity as african american even though my skin color does not suggest this?

thanks a lot.

 

[Dr Ackula]

Hi all,

I am half african-american (my dad was born in kenya and both of his parents are kenyan) and my mom is white. However, I look completely white even though i am half black. Do i classify as an "urm" and will interviewers look down on me for classifying my ethnicity as african american even though my skin color does not suggest this?

thanks a lot.

Either A) TROLL

or B) Prepare to get a merciless beating at the hands of many caucasians who (perhaps rightly) hate the whole concept of URMs and will see you blatently pandering to try and become classified as one instead of just letting the chips fall where they lie. Also some asians might hate on you to

 

[whoknows2012]

Either A) TROLL

or B) Prepare to get a merciless beating at the hands of many caucasians who (perhaps rightly) hate the whole concept of URMs and will see you blatently pandering to try and become classified as one instead of just letting the chips fall where they lie. Also some asians might hate on you to

Um...you might want to re-calibrate your troll-ometer. I think this is a fair question, although I do agree that if you look white it is probably best to put your ethnicity as white to avoid any possible issues when you come into interview. Blatantly pandering? Am I missing something? You are the one who sounds like you may have some negative feelings to the whole URM matter.

 

[WeAreNotRobots]

The following questions may help us answer your question.

1. Are you a good dancer?
2. Can you sing?
3. Do you have more than one african american friend?
4. Can you get away with saying that word that white people cannot?

 

[RadioCure]

Look into the reasons why schools give preference to URMs. Do you think that those factors apply to you? If so, mark yourself URM. If not, don't.

 

[BrainBuff]

 

[Amahl]

The following questions may help us answer your question.

1. Are you a good dancer?
2. Can you sing?
3. Do you have more than one african american friend?
4. Can you get away with saying that word that white people cannot?

LOL... # 4 is can make or break you, my ninja.

 

[yankeesmed]

B) Prepare to get a merciless beating at the hands of many caucasians who (perhaps rightly) hate the whole concept of URMs and will see you blatently pandering to try and become classified as one instead of just letting the chips fall where they lie. Also some asians might hate on you to

His chips fell and gave hime african heritage. I hope nobody beats him mercilessly for that! URMs get accepted at a lower percentage than non. I'm not digging up the link, as I am on phone but it is an easy chart to find provided by AMCAS or AAMC, whatever the difference is between those.

The chart is one of those that gives percentage accepted by gpa and mcat and cross-referencing the two. There is one specifically for URM and their overall acceptance rate is lower than everyone else.

What are you getting angry about?

 

[HealthHare]

Hi all,

I am half african-american (my dad was born in kenya and both of his parents are kenyan) and my mom is white. However, I look completely white even though i am half black. Do i classify as an "urm" and will interviewers look down on me for classifying my ethnicity as african american even though my skin color does not suggest this?

thanks a lot.

This sounds a lot like Obama's background.
If you don't become a doctor there's always politics

 

[NYCGuy86]

Hi all,

I am half african-american (my dad was born in kenya and both of his parents are kenyan) and my mom is white. However, I look completely white even though i am half black. Do i classify as an "urm" and will interviewers look down on me for classifying my ethnicity as african american even though my skin color does not suggest this?

thanks a lot.

I don't know if AMCAS allows you to check off more than one ethnicity, but if it does, then you can do that. Being classified as "African American" has nothing to do with skin color, since of course there are people of South Asian ancestry that may have a darker skin tone than some people of African ancestry, for example. Since you're biracial, I believe that you would classify as an underrepresented minority.

 

[yankeesmed]

Do you really use the term "caucasian" in everyday speech? Wow.

I think it is good to make an effort to attract blacks and hispanics to medicine. Many people are more comfortable with a doc who is sensitive to their needs and being of the same heritage facilitates that.

 

[yankeesmed]

Being classified as "African American" has nothing to do with skin color,

Actually, being classified as African American has everything to do with skin color. Read the fine print. African American by med school standards is any "black" person from Africa. Native South Africans who are white do not classify. Neither do people from morrocco, algeria, or egypt. They are considered "white".

 

[here2learn]

The opinion of most experts - and lay people - is that if you look White, you are treated as such. It would therefore be to your strategic disadvantage to claim minority status as it is almost certain to backfire.

 

[orion333]

I think you should put whatever you want -- White, Black, BOTH White and Black, or "other." I am also mixed and put both. (Yes, AMCAS lets you check both, although not all individual schools do.) What some people fail to understand is that mixed race people often do not have a "fixed" racial identity like those who are predominantly one race or another.

 

[Overmjnd]

if u post a pic then we can tell u what comes to mind.

also, a lot of it isn't what you look like, but what culture you identify with if you happen to be mixed (as myself).

 

[jvesco22]

OP you're full of siht. If you said South Africa, maybe, but Kenya? You are mixing white with purple (I'm black, so don't trip), so you will definitely not look white unless you're an albino.

Come at bro.

 

[Shaolin]

Heh, I'm half-white and half-asian.

Yep, I think I'm screwed. 🙁

 

[slowbutsteady]

The opinion of most experts - and lay people - is that if you look White, you are treated as such. It would therefore be to your strategic disadvantage to claim minority status as it is almost certain to backfire.

that is about as totally crap as anything i have read on this forum.

Check the box, man, and proudly.

 

[IvyHopeful20]

I'd like to see your birth certificate. Also, were you educated in an Indonesian madrassa?

 

[Narmerguy]

Troll...

 

[NickNaylor]

Are you Barack Obama?

 

[Ursa]

OP you're full of siht. If you said South Africa, maybe, but Kenya? You are mixing white with purple (I'm black, so don't trip), so you will definitely not look white unless you're an albino.

Come at bro.