My own interpretation of the URM definition...

[flakpilot]

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The AAMC definition of underrepresented in medicine is: "Underrepresented in medicine means those racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the medical profession relative to their numbers in the general population."
Before June 26, 2003, the AAMC used the term "underrepresented minority (URM)," which consisted of Blacks, Mexican-Americans, Native Americans (that is, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians), and mainland Puerto Ricans. The AAMC remains committed to ensuring access to medical education and medicine-related careers for individuals from these four historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I understand from this definition: before 2003 only members of those 4 racial/ethnic groups where consider URM. Now those individuals that form part of racial/ethnic groups (not necessarily from the 4 mentioned) that form a small percentage of people in a medical profession are considered URM. (when compared to their total percentage in the US population).However, more emphasis is made over individuals that form part of the original groups: Blacks, Mexican-Americans, Native Americans and mainland Puerto Ricans.

Now, there is a really good chart on the MSAR 2010-2011 that I couldn't find online. It's on page 33, chart 5-p. It demonstrates the distribution of all the accepted aplicants from 2002 to 2008 according to their ethnicity and race.
In that chart you can see that 1,469 hispanics and 1,196 blacks were accepted on the year 2008. In contrast, 11,273 whites were accepted.

Also, on this link
http://www.aamc.org/newsroom/pressrel/2007/appsenrollcharts.pdf
if you go to page 4, you can see that 1,334 black or african americans were accepted on 2007. As well as 1,334 hispanics and 12,594 whites.

Moreover, if you go to this link:
http://www.kaiseredu.org/tutorials/roosevelt/james.ppt
Open the powerpoint and see page 3, you can see the distribution of the U.S population and physicians by race/ethnicity on 2006 according to a chart from the American Medical Association (A little old I know but I figured it hasn't changed much, although I might be wrong)
According to those charts. Blacks constitute 3.5% of the US population and 12.3% of the physicians population. Hispanics 14.8% and 5% respectively.
Then I would conclude from these charts that Blacks and Hispanics constitute a similar percentage of the total US and Physician populations.

Now...
I was confused about the whole URM thing, some people have told me that hispanics in general are considered URM and others have told me that they are not, only Mexican-Americans and mainland Puerto Ricans. Then I saw the chart on the MSAR and I decided to do a quick research and share it with everyone on SDN.
So..
Based on what I understand from the definition of AMCAS and on what I see on those charts, I believe that hispanics on general would be considered URM. Again I could be wrong and I could've misinterpreted the data.

What do you guys think???

PS: Sorry for the long post. 🙂

 

[Tottil]

I took a look at that power point. I don't think this individuals conclusions are valid at all, and comparing population of 2000 and 2006 doesn't make sense at all (I really hope this wasn't actually someone from the Kaiser Foundation presenting this). But anyway, it sounds like you're concerned about the definition of URM regarding Hispanics. I think, as you pointed out, if you check the box for Hispanic and can prove your heritage, you can be considered an URM. It only makes sense this way since AAMC breaks down their enrollment by "Hispanic".

I'm pretty sure you've got it right.

 

[Bernoull]

The AAMC definition of underrepresented in medicine is: "Underrepresented in medicine means those racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the medical profession relative to their numbers in the general population."
Before June 26, 2003, the AAMC used the term "underrepresented minority (URM)," which consisted of Blacks, Mexican-Americans, Native Americans (that is, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians), and mainland Puerto Ricans. The AAMC remains committed to ensuring access to medical education and medicine-related careers for individuals from these four historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I understand from this definition: before 2003 only members of those 4 racial/ethnic groups where consider URM. Now those individuals that form part of racial/ethnic groups (not necessarily from the 4 mentioned) that form a small percentage of people in a medical profession are considered URM. (when compared to their total percentage in the US population).However, more emphasis is made over individuals that form part of the original groups: Blacks, Mexican-Americans, Native Americans and mainland Puerto Ricans.

Now, there is a really good chart on the MSAR 2010-2011 that I couldn't find online. It's on page 33, chart 5-p. It demonstrates the distribution of all the accepted aplicants from 2002 to 2008 according to their ethnicity and race.
In that chart you can see that 1,469 hispanics and 1,196 blacks were accepted on the year 2008. In contrast, 11,273 whites were accepted.

Also, on this link
http://www.aamc.org/newsroom/pressrel/2007/appsenrollcharts.pdf
if you go to page 4, you can see that 1,334 black or african americans were accepted on 2007. As well as 1,334 hispanics and 12,594 whites.

Moreover, if you go to this link:
http://www.kaiseredu.org/tutorials/roosevelt/james.ppt
Open the powerpoint and see page 3, you can see the distribution of the U.S population and physicians by race/ethnicity on 2006 according to a chart from the American Medical Association (A little old I know but I figured it hasn't changed much, although I might be wrong)

According to those charts. Blacks constitute 3.5% of the US population and 12.3% of the physicians population. Hispanics 5% and 14.8% respectively.

U have ur numbers reversed...

Then I would conclude from these charts that Blacks and Hispanics constitute a similar percentage of the total US and Physician populations.

By "similar" do u mean rates of under-representation?

Now...
I was confused about the whole URM thing, some people have told me that hispanics in general are considered URM and others have told me that they are not, only Mexican-Americans and mainland Puerto Ricans. Then I saw the chart on the MSAR and I decided to do a quick research and share it with everyone on SDN.
So..
Based on what I understand from the definition of AMCAS and on what I see on those charts, I believe that hispanics on general would be considered URM. Again I could be wrong and I could've misinterpreted the data.

What do you guys think???

PS: Sorry for the long post. 🙂

 

[VOP]

pretty sure Blacks are more than 3% of the U.S. population and Hispanics are definitely more than just 5%.

 

[FIREitUP]

numbers fail.

 

[jvesco22]

 

[mybubbles14]

lol your posts and avatar always make me laugh 👍

 

[MaryLennox]

a++

 

[flakpilot]

hahahahahahahahahahahaah lol that's hilarious... no problem but i'm stealing that motion pic lol

 

[flakpilot]

I find it interesting the whole hispanic vs mexican-american thing being URM. I'm a Dual mexican-american citizen that has all of the privileges any mexican citizen has.

However, I don't have indian genetic heritage. I'm half basque, mostly half irish. In Mexico those ethnic groups are minorities and I was of the few employees at my hospital that didn't have brown eyes, but I'd wonder if I'd be able to claim to be an URM in the US because of my skin color.

Basically they invented the URM thing from the start to train more doctors that would be likely to treat communities that current doctors aren't interested in treating (dangerous neighborhood, lower salary etc..). I'd personally cater to a hispanic population because I speak the language fluently and understand their culture, but I would probably lift a few eyebrows from people that still think everyone in Mexico is mestizo.

I got your point. Well I think that if you have your mexican citizenship that would prove that you are mexican. Plus, not every mexican must be mestizo.
In my case for example, I'm white, thin, tall, with dark, curly hair and brown eyes and I would say that most people in my country are mestizo. However, my grandparents were born and lived many years in Spain before moving to Latin america. Therefore, my heritage comes from Spain and I currently hold both Spanish and Venezuelan citizenships.
If they dare say I'm not hispanic cuz of my skin color then I would rub my passports in their faces and tell them they're not as smart as they're supposed to be LOL.

 

[Narmerguy]

Jeesh does it matter what any of us think the definition is?