minority student trying to make it in the clutch !!

[bomiml]

is there anyone out there who has similiar credentials as i do? i am a african-american male with a 3.2 GPA and 22 MCAT. I have 1.5 years of research experience with over 1000 hours of clinical experience dealing directly with patient care, not to mention a slew of extracurricular and volunteer activities. does anyone know someone who has gotten in with these stats? If so, what did they do to strengthen there application? Any suggestions on where to apply?

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[Tellorn]

I know someone who got into a school with stats like that. A black female who got into a Texas school.

 

[bigdan]

Okay, here's the Cliff Notes version:
- you're stats are low, but others have definitely gotten in with worse, so apply.
- apply to a bunch of schools (25+ perhaps), and make sure to do all the HCBs.
- there is a major push to get blacks into medicine. You'll see endless chit chat about it on these boards; it's a lot like arguing over abortion - everyone hear asserts and reasserts their respective positions and no useful discussion ever exists. Ignore it and keep your head high. I think that out of 16,000 seats for medical students last year, <380 were filled by black males.

Good luck.

dc

 

[Medikit]

Raising your mcat would be a good start.

 

[NubianPrincess]

You got some great advice from BigDan.

 

[Tellorn]

It's fodder because if this was a white male with a 3.2 and 22 MCAT they would have been told no way in hell. They'd have to redo the MCAT and apply to DO schools. The way the question is ask is adding in the factor of being a minority going to change things then yes it will because that's the way things are run at the moment. Is it entirely fair? No. What about the poor white male who was raised by a single mother who could barely afford to feed the family? Do they not get an MCAT/GPA break to the same extent as the black applicant does?

 

[StartingLine3]

I know atleast five mexican-american students, both male and female, who have recieved acceptances with similar numbers in Texas. This was from the last application cycle with the lowest of the five being a 21 and the highest being a 24.

 

[NubianPrincess]

It's fodder because if this was a white male with a 3.2 and 22 MCAT they would have been told no way in hell. They'd have to redo the MCAT and apply to DO schools. The way the question is ask is adding in the factor of being a minority going to change things then yes it will because that's the way things are run at the moment. Is it entirely fair? No. What about the poor white male who was raised by a single mother who could barely afford to feed the family? Do they not get an MCAT/GPA break to the same extent as the black applicant does?

I am sorry for ever bringing it up. Can we please not have this discussion in this thread?

 

[Jason110]

I am sorry for ever bringing it up. Can we please not have this discussion in this thread?

Yeah. I agree. I know I have my own opinions about AA/URMs, but there is no need to disparage the OP.

To the OP: Apply around. You'll be surprised at where you'll get interviews/acceptances.

Jason

 

[masterMood]

one of the things guaranteed under the American constitution is taht everyone should/must have an equal chance/stake in life...

watch this:

lets make a bar graph thingy. If you looked at that, this is how economically successfull black people are compared to white people, and thus really "equal." Conclusion? WE NEED MORE BLACK DOCTORS COME ON YEAHHH!!! And cuz we have so many white doctors you guys should work harder.

Gay eskimos are definitely in though


|
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|------ <----- White people are here
| |
| |
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|----- <-------- Black/Eskimo/Native American/Hispanic people are here
| | |
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1780-2004

 

[pureofheart]

is there anyone out there who has similiar credentials as i do? i am a african-american male with a 3.2 GPA and 22 MCAT. I have 1.5 years of research experience with over 1000 hours of clinical experience dealing directly with patient care, not to mention a slew of extracurricular and volunteer activities. does anyone know someone who has gotten in with these stats? If so, what did they do to strengthen there application? Any suggestions on where to apply?

From you experiences, you sound very dedicated. I feel that if you were to improved the MCAT score and keep doing the research, you would have a good shot at getting into a good/great school. I know re-taking an MCAT is a pain. I myself had to do that. But don't sell yourself short - don't let a test score stand in your way. And please try to ignore the negative comments floating around on this thread.

 

[pureofheart]

What about the poor white male who was raised by a single mother who could barely afford to feed the family? Do they not get an MCAT/GPA break to the same extent as the black applicant does?

If this applicant can accurately describe the challenges he has met in his life, admissions officers would take that into account in evaluating his MCAT/GPA score. That's what the personal statement/essay is designed for. He can apply as an "disadvantaged" student on his primary. Unfortunately, there is no legislation based on socio-economic status, but that does not mean admissions do not consider it.

 

[StartingLine3]

What is the national average MCAT for minority students who gain acceptance into medical school?

 

[dr.z]

is there anyone out there who has similiar credentials as i do? i am a african-american male with a 3.2 GPA and 22 MCAT. I have 1.5 years of research experience with over 1000 hours of clinical experience dealing directly with patient care, not to mention a slew of extracurricular and volunteer activities. does anyone know someone who has gotten in with these stats? If so, what did they do to strengthen there application? Any suggestions on where to apply?

I would also suggest applying to DO schools unless you are only willing to apply to allopathic schools. Averages for DO schools are lower than that of allopathic schools.

 

[safrat]

I like one of the previous posts comments. He state that had it been a white male applying to med school with those states, then a stern no would have been shouted.

I guess it's the same question when one asks, "were white people enslaved by black people?" No! One word, reparations for the horrible injustice that this government has committed in the past. If you ask, "what do I have to do with it?" Nothing. This government does, though. This country owes the people enslaved something, something that can't ever be recompensated. The little that we do for their offspring is never going to account for the terrible ramifications caused by the white--American--man. Maybe that explains why they are poor.

As for the poor receiving a higher preference, there is such a thing; it's called scholarships.

peace brothe'

 

[Blake]

This thread is going to get ugly. Wait, it already did.

 

[NubianPrincess]

Sorry to the original poster - I should have both given you a warning in PM form and made a post - my mistake. Deep down I feel as if this thread would have gone in this direction had I never made my thoughts public, yet I still feel responsible and very guilty. Our academic experiences seem to be a little different, but if you want someone to talk to about the process feel free to PM me You may want to check out the post entitled "any black female premeds out there" in your quest to find other ...well....black female premeds

 

[Jeffy]

This thread is going to get ugly. Wait, it already did.

not only is the content getting ugly, but so is the spelling and grammar. christ.

 

[Gutierrez001]

here is my question, I am not mexican-american students but my parents are from colombia, Do i still apply as a minority student.

 

[NubianPrincess]

not only is the content getting ugly, but so is the spelling and grammar. christ.

Christ is capitalized

 

[Howard Roark]

good luck

 

[sahir j]

Christ is capitalized

got em spot em
+2 points nubian

 

[Cerbernator]

Can't we all just git along?

 

[Howard Roark]

good luck

 

[benelswick]

Man you're either in or close to it with some extra work. If you brought that MCAT up you'd be a sure thing. Keep up the good work you're almost there. Good Luck--Ben.

ps white people with attitudes...the few spots taken by minority students each year does not prevent you from becoming a doctor. Chill.

 

[Cerbernator]

it's sunday night peeps, let us talk not of AA. Let us talk of womens and boobies!!

 

[Jeffy]

Christ is capitalized

So is "not" in that first sentence, but I guess you didn't catch everything!

 

[NubianPrincess]

Damn you

 

[Aucdoctobe]

is there anyone out there who has similiar credentials as i do? i am a african-american male with a 3.2 GPA and 22 MCAT. I have 1.5 years of research experience with over 1000 hours of clinical experience dealing directly with patient care, not to mention a slew of extracurricular and volunteer activities. does anyone know someone who has gotten in with these stats? If so, what did they do to strengthen there application? Any suggestions on where to apply?

Brother,

This is exactly why I created a site like http://www.blackmeds.com. I wanted to have a site of positive encouragement to increase our numbers. As you can see from some of the reactions that you have got on this thread, this may not be the best place for that question. Don't let your head down. Yes, you do have a chance. Keep your head up!

 

[uclabruin2003]

good luck to all the black premeds...we def need more.

 

[pathdr2b]

is there anyone out there who has similiar credentials as i do? i am a african-american male with a 3.2 GPA and 22 MCAT. I have 1.5 years of research experience with over 1000 hours of clinical experience dealing directly with patient care, not to mention a slew of extracurricular and volunteer activities. does anyone know someone who has gotten in with these stats? If so, what did they do to strengthen there application? Any suggestions on where to apply?

There are TWO sites where a question like this will be supported!

http://kimmiedee.proboards23.com/index.cgi and http://www.blackmeds.com

 

[SexyLexie729]

There is a site that computes your gpa, mcat, and state of residency into a formula that tells you how competitive you would be. Look on the aamc website, they break down gpa/mcat by race. That might give you a more accurate representation of where you stand. With your gpa you might want to retake the mcat. Or you could apply to a school in the carribbean as well. You have lots of options. If you don't mind dropping a bunch of money on applications, then apply now. If money is a concern, I would wait until you have stronger stats. My cousin first took the mcat and got a 24 the first time. She decided to take a prep course and she ended up with a 30 and admittence into UCLA with a 3.0 gpa as an URM (4 yrs ago). I would also look at your state school as an option.

 

[PrettyMz4Christ]

bring up your mcat.

where are you from? does your state have a lot of schools?

 

[hnbui]

is there anyone out there who has similiar credentials as i do? i am a african-american male with a 3.2 GPA and 22 MCAT. I have 1.5 years of research experience with over 1000 hours of clinical experience dealing directly with patient care, not to mention a slew of extracurricular and volunteer activities. does anyone know someone who has gotten in with these stats? If so, what did they do to strengthen there application? Any suggestions on where to apply?

i bet you can get into howard.

 

[Dr Dean]

is there anyone out there who has similiar credentials as i do? i am a african-american male with a 3.2 GPA and 22 MCAT. I have 1.5 years of research experience with over 1000 hours of clinical experience dealing directly with patient care, not to mention a slew of extracurricular and volunteer activities. does anyone know someone who has gotten in with these stats? If so, what did they do to strengthen there application? Any suggestions on where to apply?

Good luck there gunner.

 

[ilovesnma]

is there anyone out there who has similiar credentials as i do? i am a african-american male with a 3.2 GPA and 22 MCAT. I have 1.5 years of research experience with over 1000 hours of clinical experience dealing directly with patient care, not to mention a slew of extracurricular and volunteer activities. does anyone know someone who has gotten in with these stats? If so, what did they do to strengthen there application? Any suggestions on where to apply?

You can definitely get in with those stats as a black male, just keep your head up high, ignore the negative comments and be very proactive with your application by contacting the office of minority affairs at the schools you are interested in. Also in your personal statement and seciondary essays explain the adversities you have had to overcome to get this this stage. The adcomms realize that the field is not level. Many URM are coming from very disadvantaged backgrounds and ones numerical score needs to be evaluated in light of that. It also sounds like you have great Extracurricular activity. Just keeo your head up high and believe in your destiny. We need more physicians out there to work in underserved communities.

 

[Rendar5]

here is my question, I am not mexican-american students but my parents are from colombia, Do i still apply as a minority student.

Native American, Black, Mexican-American, born in Puerto Ric are the 4. You're a minroity, but I'm not sure it'll help you get into any schools.

To the OP: I'll give you teh advice I'd give anyone (and with that many hours of experience, it sounds like you're really dedicated and that could help). apply to many schools, and consider applying to osteopathic schools. stress the non-academic work you've done. In order to become a doctor, you have to learn the same things as anyone else in the end, so it doesn't matter if you're an MD, a DO, or are some sort of FMG.

 

[Rendar5]

if you want to strengthen your app, take the MCATs again and get into the high 20s if you can. If you're not sure you can do that, then don't take it. You need to expect a minimum of a 3 point improvement. If you can, try to take some sort of review course like Princeton Review to help improve your score.

average med student MCAT is 28, I think. You can get in with a 22, especially with your dedication (it sounds like it really shows on your EC's and volunteering, as long as those were very meaningful to you), but it will be really hard. It helps that you're black, but you can't count on that to get you in, which is why I recommend working on that MCAT more.

 

[indo]

great thread to bump...blechk

 

[TexHealth]

I'm just wondering....

How come ASIANS are not considered Minorities? The black population is higher than the asian population in the U.S. I believe. It's just that most go to college.

I think affirmative action is just unfair.

A question to the hispanics and blacks......do you feel that you will get in because of your skin color/race or because you got in like everyone else?

How do you feel about that? Compared to another person who has wanted to be a physician their who life, president of so and so org, avg MCAT and GPA but did not get in but you, with a 3.2 (could've studied a bit more), 22 MCAT got in. How do you think you'll do in med school?

This just pisses me off. I'm not trying to be racist or mean. I'm just totally against this.

 

[MWillie]

Here we go again.

 

[Rendar5]

I'm just wondering....

How come ASIANS are not considered Minorities? The black population is higher than the asian population in the U.S. I believe. It's just that most go to college.

Asians aren't considered a minority because they aren't a minority in medicine.

If he gets in over some average premed, than it's going to be because he put in a whole ****load more volunteering and patient care than anyone else. those stats will get him into a carribean school or a DO school anyway, and the only DO's and FMG's I knkow are as good as any other doctor I've known. Simply because they had the dedication to get through medical school. Med school is not intellectually hard. It is hard because of the sheer volume you need to learn. so let's not act like he's some guy with your standard 100 hours of useless volunteering who has a 14 MCAT and a 2.5 GPA depending on AA to get in. He has low stats that can be improved. People with low stats still get into MD programs. It's just harder for them to get in.

Now if he had a 14MCAT and a 2.5 GPA, I'd think that it would be BS for him to get into an allopathic school, especially if it were only for the school to look good..

 

[indo]

...another example of how minorities are keeping the white man down.

 

[shivalrous]

Affirmative action....sucks for some, a blessing for others....as much as I would like to see some uniform policy that doesn't involve race as a factor...don't think it will happen....not in my lifetime, at least....

 

[Rendar5]

haha, yeah, all those damn minorities kept me from going to my school here. Honestly, if anyone got in here with low MCATs and GPA, I honestly don't know. Med school's a lot different from college, everyone's learning the same stuff, and the school helps anyone who struggles. the bare minimum of the class has been failing tests, and the only people I know who've been struggling happen to be white.

Yeah, there are major problems with AA, but I haven't really seen it in medical school, at least so far. people with low stats who get in generally have had amazing life experiences. maybe a few get in who shouldn't, but that's not often the case. and the few people who don't get into allopathic schools but who are really set on becoming doctors can easily go to osteopathic schools or carribean schools (unless their ego can't take it, but I don't think they'd really be set on becoming a doctor if that were the case).

 

[Rendar5]

gah, sorry. I may have just kept this going. Suffice to say, I realize there are a major number of concerns and problems with AA. but it is kept to a minimum in medicine compared with places like college. It just doesn't affect that many non-minority students, especially when there are alternative routes to becoming a great doctor if you didn't quite have the stats to overcome the affect of AA. That's why I put down any concerns about fairness.

 

[indo]

Affirmative action....sucks for some, a blessing for others....as much as I would like to see some uniform policy that doesn't involve race as a factor...don't think it will happen....not in my lifetime, at least....

We need to change AA to be much more selective so as to give AA to people who truly are in a position to require AA to be on an even playing field. Right now people are included and excluded from giant waves of people who are deemed disadvantaged base on their ethnic self-identification. This gives middle class Native American (etc) students, like me, chances to manipulate the system and steal medical school positions from nice, god fearing, pure white kids who probably believe they deserve to be in med school more than me.

 

[Siggy]

I have never heard one good argument to support the discrimination that is known as affirmative action.

Basically, AA is telling people with the correct color that they are too stupid to make it because of their skin pigment and must take a boost to get it. At least I know that if I make it, I make it because I deserved it, not because some ADCOM had to pity me because of my skin color.


Sidenote: I don't blame anyone who gets in on BS like AA. You only get one chance at life, work the system to your advantage if you can! I blame the system not the applicant.

 

[twicetenturns]

Correct me if I am wrong, but the preference given to URM students is not based upon their being disadvantaged. Rather it is because they are from UNDERREPRESENTED major ethnic groups in medicine.

Diversity is a goal unto itself. Being a good doctor isn't all about how many points on the MCAT you can earn. It is also about one's ability to relate to people of various backgrounds and ethnicities, and take that into account in order to better treat the patient. So I don't blame medical schools at all for saving some spots to diversify their class. In fact, I can't see how people out there can think that making sure every one of the 50% of applicants accepted to medical school this year have grades and MCAT scores in the top 50% of the whole pool is the best measuring stick. There will be overlap.

You know how they have interviews to evaluate candidates' personalities; well ethnicity is just like that. It is a quality of a person that is intrinsic to them. (only you can hide a disagreeable personality in an interview) People from underrepresented minorities will be better able to serve populations from a similar background - and there are way more African Americans and Hispanics in this country than Asians and Middle Easterners.

In the end I can see why some of you are frustrated by this, but keep in mind that we need, NEED more underrepresented minorities in medicine, because there needs to be some parity. Stop looking at it as they took the spot you rightfully deserved. It ain't like that. They took the spot because the medical profession needs them more, even if they had a couple points lower on a test. Think of all the other intangible factors that might allow one applicant to be chosen over another with higher marks. There are tons-- being a URM is only different in that it is just something you are born with, not something you did.

It is no less valid.

It isn't unfair either, when an underrepresented minority group ceases to be underrepresented in medicine, the populations they represent will be adequately served, and they won't be given weight anymore. When that day eventually comes the need for this consideration will become clear.

When that day comes... the medical institution within this country will be better off for it.

 

[Siggy]

The question, then, is should we be rewarding a person for pure luck (being the correct skin color for admissions) in the sense that the person did not do anything to earn it?

Should I have gotten into UCI as an undergrad any easier because I'm under represented at UCI (only about 30% of UCI is white, which is clearly not how whites are represented in society [I love using AA/URM favortism polices against them]? Should I get a bonus because I am 3rd generation American [great grandparents on my father's side immigrated here from Poland]?

Conversly, should a person whos parents lived here longer, or isn't the right skin color for the adcom's liking be at a disadvantage [if you put someone at an advantage, then someone else has to be at a disadvantage] because of something that they can neither affect, change, or ask for it?

Is the affirmative action canidate that would not get it if it wasn't for AA [Only people who AA helps are those that couldn't get in otherwise. The ones that deserved it on their merit (GPA, MCAT, expierence, research, etc) would get in without it] wrong for using AA to get in? No.

Is any process that systematically discrimanates against applicants because they are not the right skin color/ethnic background inheritantly wrong and evil? Yes.

Just because its happening to whites and not blacks/browns/tans (I figure if I'm going to use color for one, I should use it for all. Consistency is nice) does not make it right or morally acceptable.




Another thing to ponder, is applicantion rates simular to the national ethnic makeup? Should ADCOMs compromise the integrity of the admissions process just because the lack of one group's applicantion rate necessitates lowering the standards for people of the right skin pigment?

Are groups underrepresented because they are not applying or because of some outside force?

Last question, how much black/tan do I need to have in me to be special and get the advantage? Can I get it from transfusions from other ethnicities? Should I go pure blood or go for a mixture of different ethnicites?

/sarcasm_last_set_of_questions_at_late_at_night