POLL: Underrepresented Students: What's keeping you out of medical School?

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What part of the med school application is greatest barrier to admission for URM

  • MCAT

    Votes: 50 58.8%
  • G.P.A. Requirements

    Votes: 21 24.7%
  • Research Experience

    Votes: 4 4.7%
  • Clinical Experience

    Votes: 5 5.9%
  • Volunteer Experience

    Votes: 5 5.9%

  • Total voters
    85

Dr. Roket

aka Dr. Henry Killinger
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This poll is for those groups that are members of groups designated as underrepresented by the AAMC. ie. native american, african american, hispanic non white, economically disadvantaged, etc. What part of the medical school application poses the greatest barrier to medical school admission? MCAT, G.P.A., Research Experience, Clinical Experience, Volunteer Experience.

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popcorn or junior mints?
 
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None of the above Dr. Rocket, it's what leads up to college that's keeping URMs out of medical school. Those URMs that get into college and believe that they have the ability to enter the medical field, although few in number, should be on an equal plane in GPA, MCAT, etc...

Medical school work hard to attract URMs because there are so few of them in the applicant pool.

But I'm just one person going to a mostly white college, so my view could be skewed.
 
I agree with you entirely, Westphal. But the reason I post this is because I'm part of a student organization that's looking to increase the chances of those URM's that are applying to medical school and just can't seem to get over the hump. We want to design a program that will have the greatest impact, some of us want an mcat prep program, others want a clinical experience program, I was just looking for input on what SDN URM's would like. Please only serious posts in here.
 
Well, I'm not an URM, but am from an economically disadvantaged background. My biggest barrier was clinical experience/volunteer experience. Without connections and the financial ability to volunteer or get a cheaply paid job in the medical field, (CNA, etc), I ended up with little clinical experience or volunteering. It didn't "keep me out" of medical school though.
I imagine if I hadn't performed well in high school/been highly motivated, I wouldn't have ended up in college for financial reasons. (I had a pretty good financial package for undergrad due to performance and need). That certainly would've hurt my chances for med school.
 
Thanks lilnoelle, that's helpful. For me it was undergrad g.p.a. because I never planned on going to grad school so I didn't really put much effort into my g.p.a. I did alright, but not entirely medical school caliber. I'm hearing from alot of folks who had a similar situation as you, and I think a program that would make those kind of oppurtunities easily available might have a big impact.
 
I'm with you, I would say clinical experience is the most important factor for URMs and economically disadvantaged students.

Following that, I think MCAT prep is the best way to boost every applicant's chances of acceptance.

It's hard to read context on these posts and the poll almost looks like you're asking what URMs are deficient in, which is insulting.

Good luck with your organization.
 
Tired, I understand your point but let's save the discussions of the validity of peoples claims for another forum to avoid trolling. This thread is merely to help us identify common barriers to admission.:)
 
I think that it needs to be tailored to the individual's particular needs.

I once interviewed a URM applicant who had terrible MCAT scores. The applicant had done poorly on the April MCAT. The appliant did a summer pre-med program that focused mostly on clinical shadowing and work opportunities with no MCAT prep. When the applicant retook the MCAT in August after 2 weeks of studying (after the summer program ended) the results were just as bad. Clearly, the program was not a benefit to the applicant but might have been if there had been an MCAT prep component.
 
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MCAT prep is expensive, so this is probably an area where disadvantaged students can use a lot of help (maybe a communal stock of review books or a free or discount prep course).

Most colleges/universities have peer tutoring or other resources for GPA requirements. But you could set up your own peer tutoring network.

Research experience - basically you just need to approach a potential mentor

Clinical/volunteer experience - again, in and/or around colleges/univ. there are lots of opportunities for clinical work. Maybe you could seek out and compiling a list of URM mentors in the area


It seems like the resources are there. Maybe the best way to help is to just help disadvantaged students find what is already there.
 
I think that it needs to be tailored to the individual's particular needs.

I once interviewed a URM applicant who had terrible MCAT scores. The applicant had done poorly on the April MCAT. The appliant did a summer pre-med program that focused mostly on clinical shadowing and work opportunities with no MCAT prep. When the applicant retook the MCAT in August after 2 weeks of studying (after the summer program ended) the results were just as bad. Clearly, the program was not a benefit to the applicant but might have been if there had been an MCAT prep component.

LizzyM, are you saying that the opportunities made available at that camp were not helpful to their application, or are you saying that the person's MCAT scores were so low that, although the camp could have been useful for someone else, this person needed a better MCAT instead of more shadowing/work experience?
 
Nothing

I worked and saved up to take Kaplan (in hind sight, I should have taken Princeton). Every has a way to take the course or study through other means. MCAT can never be used as a reason for not getting in.

There are lots of chances out there to volunteer, so I don't see how that can hold you back either. If there is isn't enough time in college, then make additional time. I took two years between my undergrad and the time I plan to matriculate at medical school to catch up on the things I couldn't do while I worked through UG. (volunteering at a hospital and shadowing doctors)

I would say GPA and MCAT should not really hold you back. I know that with all other external factors held constant (econ major, can you tell?), everyone should have equal chance to shine in these areas, but life is not equal...but there are many ways to fix any problem before applying.
To tell me your low GPA is keeping you from medical school is to tell me that you haven't done all you can to get into medical school. There are alternate plans, and a low GPA and/or MCAT simply means you need to consider those other plans.

I would hope in this day and age, PIs don't discriminate to have students do the basic grunt work so they can publish papers. Even if there are a few, I do not believe they are that much of a majority to hinder a URM from finding a research position (also, I'm not buying the "but I need to work / need time to other things" excuse here either)

I don't see how ECs can possibly be an hinderance, so I'm not even going to justify it with additional comment past this period.

Of course, if your question is really ---> What do you think is holding you (each individual who happens to be a URM) back, then I guess this does not really apply. Overall though, although the road might be hard being a URM or disadvantage, it should never be used as a excuse to justify not gaining acceptance into medical school.
 
But the reason I post this is because I'm part of a student organization that's looking to increase the chances of those URM's that are applying to medical school and just can't seem to get over the hump. We want to design a program that will have the greatest impact, some of us want an mcat prep program, others want a clinical experience program, I was just looking for input on what SDN URM's would like. Please only serious posts in here.

For what it's worth, I think this is a great idea. It does seem ideal to address problems on the "before application" end (attempting to level the opportunities) than on the "after application" end (attempting to level the results).

If you're serious about it, I would consult with admissions offices. I would target two kinds in particular:
1) Those with numerical ranking systems (so many points for MCAT score, so many for GPA, etc). If they will release the data (without names, of course, but even so I don't know whether they will) this could give you a large, already-prepared set of data to analyze.
2) Those that are particularly race-conscious. Duke comes to mind, and one assumes Howard would be as well. These adcomms, in trying to increase minority enrollment, have probably already done analyses on factors that prevent minority enrollment, and would probably be happy to share their conclusions with you.

Just my 2 cents.
 
LizzyM, are you saying that the opportunities made available at that camp were not helpful to their application, or are you saying that the person's MCAT scores were so low that, although the camp could have been useful for someone else, this person needed a better MCAT instead of more shadowing/work experience?

As I recall, the applicant had plenty of previous experiences similar to those offered by the camp whereas what was really needed in that particular case was MCAT prep.
 
Three 6:01pm post. There must be something in the air.
 
It's obvious that the OP is complaining why the majority and asian are dominating the healthfield. Why put words "underrepresentated" or "economically disadvantage?" He can make a poll without those words.
Including those words, the thread has negative connotation.
 
Whiteboy here.

I think that the first barrier to a medical career may be the lack of interest in medicine or social circumstances that influence ambition. MCAT is hard to point out as a reason because one publication I read (a Kaplan book on getting into med school) specifically noted that adcoms go lower on MCAT to bring in URM's for purposes of diversity and because patients are more likely to go to someone with a common trait (be it religion, race, sex, etc.).

This poll is only going to be seen by people who are already interested in medicine and/or believe that they have a shot at getting in someplace. The underlying factors that "keep URM's out of medical school" are likely societal and reach beyond those that post on SDN.
 
It's obvious that the OP is complaining why the majority and asian are dominating the healthfield. Why put words "underrepresentated" or "economically disadvantage?" He can make a poll without those words.
Including those words, the thread has negative connotation.

Not to hijack this thread and start a flame war with you, but are you suggesting that words like "underrepresented" and "economically disadvantaged" have negative connotations?
Please explain further as to how you came to this conclusion.
 
I agree with Critical Mass that the most important factors are social, and that they must be addressed long before the time of med school application. That's why I suggested clinical experiences in my earlier post.

What I didn't say was that those clinical experiences should be aimed at students early in undergrad or even high school. This way, more URMs would be encouraged to enter the medical profession early on.
 
Not to hijack this thread and start a flame war with you, but are you suggesting that words like "underrepresented" and "economically disadvantaged" have negative connotations?
Please explain further as to how you came to this conclusion.

Words "underrepresented" and "economically disadvantage" themselves do not have negative connotation. But to this particular type of thread, the words do because those words are unnecessary (Look at the original post and discriminate the words yourself and see if it makes sense or not. I'm sure it will).
 
I am sure the OP learnt lack of unity and coherence makes writing worse in English composition classes. Choices listed on the "what keeps you out of medical school" have nothing to do with "underrepresented" and "economically disadvantage."
 
Words "underrepresented" and "economically disadvantage" themselves do not have negative connotation. But to this particular type of thread, the words do because those words are unnecessary (Look at the original post and discriminate the words yourself and see if it makes sense or not. I'm sure it will).

I don't know if I necessarily agree with your premise, but I do see your point. Well noted.
 
I agree with you entirely, Westphal. But the reason I post this is because I'm part of a student organization that's looking to increase the chances of those URM's that are applying to medical school and just can't seem to get over the hump. We want to design a program that will have the greatest impact, some of us want an mcat prep program, others want a clinical experience program, I was just looking for input on what SDN URM's would like. Please only serious posts in here.

TO the OP.
I personally do not believe that there is one single barrier that hold URM or anyone back from medical school. If you are interested in creating a program like the one stated above, then you will need to create one that attacks all those areas and not one specific niche. Nothing about this medical school process is predictable and attacking just one niche is just a recipe for failure. If you are interested in increasing URM chances, then I would make them aware of requirements that make one a strong applicant, and help them get there.
Everyone has their own obstacles.
I'm really going to take a shot in the dark here, and say: One area that I believe that URM might need assistance is in access to information. Information is not dissimated equally across all social/economical/racial divisions. Information over anything else, might just be the key.
 
Interesting. I supported myself and a girlfriend on a CNA salary for two years. Union work, $15+ an hour, benefits, even still got a small pension floating around somewhere . . . hard to beat for a six-week training course.

I wondered if someone would comment about that. At the time I was considering trying the CNA route, I was assured I wouldn't get more than $10 an hour anywhere in the city I live in. I wasn't certain about medicine, I was pregnant, and had a decent salaried job as a fast food manager (with health insurance). So I didn't do it. Two years later when I decided to apply, I had two kids and an even better paying job (modest for some standards, but it was better than I'd ever had). At that point, I felt like the best I could do was some shadowing. I didn't have a lot of time for extra volunteering, and didn't think it wise to quit my job until I was in med school.

I also felt that there was some societal reasons that kept me from pursuing medicine early. Initially, a professional career wasn't something that even seemed possible to me. And then, once I got married and had kids, I felt like I shouldn't go into such a labor intensive field (for my family).
 
It's a combination of factors, many of which are encountered BEFORE going to college, and that have an effect on college performance. They might include:

Low economic resources (a problem for anyone, not just URM's)
Cultural/Social expectations
Lack of connections
Poor educational background (sure, you had a 4.0 in high-school, but everyone knows that a 4.0 from PS 128 might not be the same as the 4.0 from a better school district).

For example, I found it difficult to get clinical experience/volunteering, not only because I had to work to get my food/bills/insurance money (I'd be lucky if there was any left for saving up fo MCAT prep courses). Having to work and keep up with a full-time load left really little or no time for extra activities.

To make matters worse, I didn't have a car (I still don't) and it's hard to get a job off-campus, let alone a volunteering position for which I'm not going to get paid. Who's going to drive me there if public transportation is bad in this place (it is)? Other people have their own business to attend to.

I had to wait until the summer to get a clinical position, which I was very lucky to find, and which thankfully was a very good experience. However, while I had 110hrs of clinical experience over the summer, other people were able to accumulate 500 hrs over three years with their year-round positions in a cardiologist's office.

Contacts. Who you know matters, because it can give you a leg up when it comes to shadowing. Now, not knowing anyone isn't going to stop you from getting a position at a doctor's office, but it's going to make it harder and might even prevent you from it if you live in a small place where clinics and doctor's offices are not exactly in abundance.
 
Sure, we want to keep working further down the pipeline to prepare people for college, for high school, etc. Fact remains: URM students have lower gpa and MCAT scores and are at higher risk of academic problems in medical school that wind-up delaying graduation.

Tekian and Hruska at University of Illinois Chicago looked at participation in what they called "enrichment programs" to help prepare "at risk" college students for medical school (at risk being MCAT scores <7 or gpa <3.0). Research-focused enrichment decreased the probability that the student would experience a "delaying event". Teaching and Learning in Medicine 2004;vol. 16: pp. 28-33.

Not every URM and economically disadvantaged student has the $$$ for prep classes and many do not have the connections and resourcefulness for finding research mentors and the like. Keep in mind that in some instances, these students are not only the first in the family to attend college but I know of a few who are the first in the family to finish high school. Some students feel that they are "out of their league" from a socio-economic standpoint (this is certainly not the case for all URM) and coaching and prep programs can help them overcome these hurdles.
 
OP, good job. URMs need to come represent their fair share in medicine so we can get those healthcare numbers up to par.
 
I wondered if someone would comment about that. At the time I was considering trying the CNA route, I was assured I wouldn't get more than $10 an hour anywhere in the city I live in. I wasn't certain about medicine, I was pregnant, and had a decent salaried job as a fast food manager (with health insurance). So I didn't do it. Two years later when I decided to apply, I had two kids and an even better paying job (modest for some standards, but it was better than I'd ever had). At that point, I felt like the best I could do was some shadowing. I didn't have a lot of time for extra volunteering, and didn't think it wise to quit my job until I was in med school.

I also felt that there was some societal reasons that kept me from pursuing medicine early. Initially, a professional career wasn't something that even seemed possible to me. And then, once I got married and had kids, I felt like I shouldn't go into such a labor intensive field (for my family).
I'm sure it really depends on where you live. The CNAs where I live get paid very well ($15/hr, which, like Tired said, is pretty good for a 6 wk course) but the area is extremely medically underserved which may play a huge part in that.
 
This poll is for those groups that are members of groups designated as underrepresented by the AAMC. ie. native american, african american, hispanic non white, economically disadvantaged, etc. What part of the medical school application poses the greatest barrier to medical school admission? MCAT, G.P.A., Research Experience, Clinical Experience, Volunteer Experience.




But the reason I post this is because I'm part of a student organization that's looking to increase the chances of those URM's that are applying to medical school and just can't seem to get over the hump. We want to design a program that will have the greatest impact, some of us want an mcat prep program, others want a clinical experience program, I was just looking for input on what SDN URM's would like. Please only serious posts in here.

What student organization is this, specifically? :confused:






I think that it needs to be tailored to the individual's particular needs.

In regards to summer programs, there are programs available that have a MCAT preparation arm to them. These are listed in the AAMC publication Minority Student Opportunities. Now it could very well be that the student did not make use of this resource and that is unfortunate. The information is out there and is readily available. Interested students need to either purchase their own copy or check their Health Professions Advisory Office (or whatever is similar at their home institution or other college/university in the area that has a preprofessional office) or head to the library.

In the case of that student sounds like s/he received some bad advisement and did not get what s/he needed or was terribly obstinate and went for the shortcut or name recognition to get to the goal instead of making the time sacrifice necessary to achieve the intended aspirations.

I have personally stated on this messageboard for folx to get the Minority Student Opportunities book. It is a PLATINUM laden resource for students as they go through the admissions process from HS through medical school.



MCAT prep is expensive, so this is probably an area where disadvantaged students can use a lot of help (maybe a communal stock of review books or a free or discount prep course).

Most colleges/universities have peer tutoring or other resources for GPA requirements. But you could set up your own peer tutoring network.

Research experience - basically you just need to approach a potential mentor

Clinical/volunteer experience - again, in and/or around colleges/univ. there are lots of opportunities for clinical work. Maybe you could seek out and compiling a list of URM mentors in the area


It seems like the resources are there. Maybe the best way to help is to just help disadvantaged students find what is already there.

Again, the Minority Student Opportunities book helps with this and using it in collaboration with the MSAR is quite beneficial for minority applicants.

In terms of shadowing and volunteer experiences, head down to the local hospital and go to the volunteer office. Conversely or in adjoinder to this, talk to the Minority/Multicultural/Diversity Affairs office at your local medical school about shadowing opportunities with physicians at that institution. Stop by the local health clinic or center and tell folx about YOU and what you want to do with yourself.



Sure, we want to keep working further down the pipeline to prepare people for college, for high school, etc. Fact remains: URM students have lower gpa and MCAT scores and are at higher risk of academic problems in medical school that wind-up delaying graduation.

Tekian and Hruska at University of Illinois Chicago looked at participation in what they called "enrichment programs" to help prepare "at risk" college students for medical school (at risk being MCAT scores <7 or gpa <3.0). Research-focused enrichment decreased the probability that the student would experience a "delaying event". Teaching and Learning in Medicine 2004;vol. 16: pp. 28-33.

Not every URM and economically disadvantaged student has the $$$ for prep classes and many do not have the connections and resourcefulness for finding research mentors and the like. Keep in mind that in some instances, these students are not only the first in the family to attend college but I know of a few who are the first in the family to finish high school. Some students feel that they are "out of their league" from a socio-economic standpoint (this is certainly not the case for all URM) and coaching and prep programs can help them overcome these hurdles.

Again some medical schools have MCAT review programs over the summer for minority students. The prep companies offer scholarship for the MCAT review courses. Check with them and find out what is available.

Again the Minority Student Opportunities book is a GREAT resource.

I believe that some students do not make use of the resources that are available to them b/c they are not advertised and in most cases students do not ask the RIGHT questions about the process.


https://services.aamc.org/Publicati...ion=Product.displayForm&prd_id=138&prv_id=162

https://services.aamc.org/Publicati...1&cftoken=4536DD77-0DCC-4339-9FE46019823EA41B

Good luck, but again let's not recreate the wheel here. Use what is readily available to you and go from there.:luck:
 
So I hear what everybody is saying and I don't want to argue. The reason the thread title and poll title don't really match my OP, it's just a consequence of the space limitations of thread titles. I am an URM myself and I have never heard of underrepresented minority or economically disadvantaged referred to as negative language. Don't read too much into the thread. I understand that everyone is different, and I like the suggestion of consulting with admissions committees for this information, perhaps this is the wrong place for this type of discourse. The thing is, where I go to school there are a limited number of URM's and so it's hard to see what type of program would have the greatest impact as I don't know many URM's who would be willing to freely offer up their primary shortcomings. I would just like to know if we could help URM's with a program that targets one specific point, what would have the greatest IMPACT. I understand this won't help all URM's but we're not trying to. We just want to facillitate avenues that will allow URM's to be more competitive. That's all.:)
 
So I hear what everybody is saying and I don't want to argue. The reason the thread title and poll title don't really match my OP, it's just a consequence of the space limitations of thread titles. I am an URM myself and I have never heard of underrepresented minority or economically disadvantaged referred to as negative language. Don't read too much into the thread. I understand that everyone is different, and I like the suggestion of consulting with admissions committees for this information, perhaps this is the wrong place for this type of discourse. The thing is, where I go to school there are a limited number of URM's and so it's hard to see what type of program would have the greatest impact as I don't know many URM's who would be willing to freely offer up their primary shortcomings. I would just like to know if we could help URM's with a program that targets one specific point, what would have the greatest IMPACT. I understand this won't help all URM's but we're not trying to. We just want to facillitate avenues that will allow URM's to be more competitive. That's all.:)

We are telling you that targeting one specific point will not have any significant impact. Everyone's situation is different enough that you will alienate too many of your colleagues if you attempt it. If you must specialize in one specific niche, specialize in just delivering accurate information about how to overcome each obstacle. Knowledge is the greatest tool. Many great advice has been given above and I won't bother repeating the same points over again.
 
the same factors that keep anybody out
 
Tired, I understand your point but let's save the discussions of the validity of peoples claims for another forum to avoid trolling. This thread is merely to help us identify common barriers to admission.:)

How naive can you be!(?)

These Junior Mints are good by the way! :p
 
I agree with you entirely, Westphal. But the reason I post this is because I'm part of a student organization that's looking to increase the chances of those URM's that are applying to medical school and just can't seem to get over the hump. We want to design a program that will have the greatest impact, some of us want an mcat prep program, others want a clinical experience program, I was just looking for input on what SDN URM's would like. Please only serious posts in here.

In all seriousness, those URMs that I knew who had problems had the biggest problems and struggle with the MCAT.

The MCAT is one single barrier that seems to get a lot of people at my university regardless of status as minority or majority but the minorities especially those who came from a foreign country (i.e. Haiti, Dominican Republic, etc.) and those who came from disadvantaged areas like parts of northern and central Florida where educational resources were not as easily available. In turn, I found that a lot of these URMS struggled most with the Verbal but to an extent also in the science sections of the MCAT.

Volunteering, research, clinical experience, etc. are easy to obtain. Grades, again are not that hard to keep up if you have good study habit. The MCAT, however, is in a class of its own and if you are not someone who at some point in their life was an avid reader or not someone who's just a naturally good test taker, the MCAT is a major obstacle to overcome. Most minority students that I was friends with and that also struggled were people who struggled with the MCAT most above all else.
 
Whiteboy here.

I think that the first barrier to a medical career may be the lack of interest in medicine or social circumstances that influence ambition. MCAT is hard to point out as a reason because one publication I read (a Kaplan book on getting into med school) specifically noted that adcoms go lower on MCAT to bring in URM's for purposes of diversity and because patients are more likely to go to someone with a common trait (be it religion, race, sex, etc.).

You didnt need to buy the Kaplan book to learn that as the AMCAS already publishes those statistics. As a minority, but not an URM, and someone who has gone to a crappy, minority school in the past I think that the biggest hurdle, as was stated above, is not to be found in the UG years but rather in the lower ( as in middle and high school ) years where the trends are set. Any student who gets into college and has some brains and discipline can get the stats to get into medical school somewhere if they are motivated enough. What I would like to see is not stats of how many URM get into schools and with what grades/MCATs but rather what percentage of URM's APPLY and DONT get into medical school and those student's stats. I think that will help you gain some more perspective into what can be done, if anything needs to be done.
 
In all seriousness, those URMs that I knew who had problems had the biggest problems and struggle with the MCAT.

The MCAT is one single barrier that seems to get a lot of people at my university regardless of status as minority or majority but the minorities especially those who came from a foreign country (i.e. Haiti, Dominican Republic, etc.) and those who came from disadvantaged areas like parts of northern and central Florida where educational resources were not as easily available. In turn, I found that a lot of these URMS struggled most with the Verbal but to an extent also in the science sections of the MCAT.

Volunteering, research, clinical experience, etc. are easy to obtain. Grades, again are not that hard to keep up if you have good study habit. The MCAT, however, is in a class of its own and if you are not someone who at some point in their life was an avid reader or not someone who's just a naturally good test taker, the MCAT is a major obstacle to overcome. Most minority students that I was friends with and that also struggled were people who struggled with the MCAT most above all else.

I disagree, research experience is not easy to get for everyone. First you have to find a professor that is willing to spend their time, or their techs time, to train you, as well as develop a project that is suitable for you to do, then answer your questions, advise you, proofread your technical submissions, etc. I know alot of professors that are unwilling to do this because of the pressures to publish and obtain funding, especially for young professors who are trying to establish themself.

Clinical experience may not be difficult to get, but substantive experience is rare. I volunteered at a hospital for 4 months before I realized that what I was doing was not helping me at all, I rarely saw doctors, had limited contact with patients, and mostly just followed around the nurses and emt's. Now that was my fault for wasting my own time, but now that I have that experience I can recommend better options to those I advise. Even if you have an emt or CNA license, where I live there are so many of them, mostly hs grads who want to do that for a living and not just as short term experience, that working in a hospital is out of the question unless you know someone.

As for grades, you said it, "if you have good study habits" which many people don't. Should they be denied access to medical school due to bad study habits? Then that could be a focus of the program, establishing stronger study habits among premed URM's.

I do, however, agree with many of your points concerning the MCAT, and by looking at the poll, that is so far the most commonly experienced roadblock. I especially agree with the comment that the MCAT is a large barrier to URM's and non-URM's alike, it makes me think I should post another poll that asks non-URM's what their biggest roadblock is. It would be interesting to compare, and see if the needs are the same or different. I appreciate your commentary, and that of others on this forum who attempt to keep the discussion on the topic at hand, common roadblocks for URM's. Let's keep it positive.:thumbup:
 
Money! application process is so expensive.
 
It is important to realize that underrepresented and economically-disadvantaged are separate, and while some (many) may be both, it is improper to use qualifiers and results of one when relating to the other. If the OP was more interested the effects of limited funds/economic hardship, which incidentally many of the replies center around, then phrasing the poll as such would have been helpful as well as more apt. As is, today by in large the only factor keeping an otherwise equal background underrepresented candidate from matriculating is personal will/culture. If it is determined that indeed being economically disadvantaged is the primary road block for URM, then that question should be asked directly. The ability to widen your available 'n' for opinions is just the start of the advantages of going down that route.
 
none of these are really barriers. you just need half a brain and you will get in.
 
Okay, who revived this piece of crap thread?
 
Okay, who revived this piece of crap thread?

I've always wondered why these old threads pull a lazarus.
Who is really out there going through threads hidden dead in the SDN dungeons just so they can comment on something. Aren't the new threads interesting enough or are people out there more masochistic than I (because even I have my limits) that they will sit through hours and hours of flipping through old threads just so they might have something to say?
 
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