Specific URM question

[Rafael Cavalcan]

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I'm from South America, but I'm not hispanic, I'm 100% latino and a green card holder. Am I an URM?

 

[MadameLULU]

I'm from South America, but I'm not hispanic, I'm 100% latino and a green card holder. Am I an URM?

I think so. You identified yourself as 100% latino. However, you aren't a US citizen, so that will put you at a huge disadvantage.

 

[jules0328]

I'm from South America, but I'm not hispanic, I'm 100% latino and a green card holder. Am I an URM?

Hi,

No you are not considered a URM. As a matter of fact, anyone from South American is no longer considered a URM. However, I feel there are loopholes in this statement. According to the aamc, a URM is of Native American, African American, Mexican< Puerto Rican descent, I may be missing another minority group in there. The URM status has recently been changed and solely identifies URM's as represented within the medical community. In other words, although latinos are considered minorities in the US, they are not considered in medicine. I guess there are plenty of Latinos/Hispanics in medicine, that is what the true URM definition states.

Check out the aamc website for their exact definition.

You may want to try to get permanent residency if you can. Your visa holders status will put you at a disadvantage like the above poster had mentioned. This is due to the adcom's considering you a foreign student, in which case, your financial aid qualification for certain schools will be extremely difficult to get.

You may want to ask the allopathic forum this question about your visa status and how it will affect your app. process. Hope I helped.

 

[Croatalus_atrox]

No you are not considered a URM. As a matter of fact, anyone from South American is no longer considered a URM.

Probably true.

However, I feel there are loopholes in this statement. According to the aamc, a URM is of Native American, African American, Mexican< Puerto Rican descent, I may be missing another minority group in there. The URM status has recently been changed and solely identifies URM's as represented within the medical community. In other words, although latinos are considered minorities in the US, they are not considered in medicine. I guess there are plenty of Latinos/Hispanics in medicine, that is what the true URM definition states.

No. The reason why non-Mexican-American or non-Puerto Rican Latinos aren't generally considered URM is because Mexican-Americans and Puerto Ricans make up the vast majority of the Latino population in the US. The amount of hispanic physicians in the US is far below what their representation in the US population indicates there should be. It doesn't take many non-MA/non-PR Latino physicians to adequately represent their respective ethnic proportions in the US population, though.

You may want to try to get permanent residency if you can. Your visa holders status will put you at a disadvantage like the above poster had mentioned. This is due to the adcom's considering you a foreign student, in which case, your financial aid qualification for certain schools will be extremely difficult to get.

The original poster is a resident alien (permanent resident); that's what having a green card means. I also believe that resident aliens receive the same considerations regarding admissions and financial aid that US citizens do, but don't hold me to that. It probably depends on the school, like so much else about this process.

 

[Mr hawkings]

Probably true.

No. The reason why non-Mexican-American or non-Puerto Rican Latinos aren't generally considered URM is because Mexican-Americans and Puerto Ricans make up the vast majority of the Latino population in the US. The amount of hispanic physicians in the US is far below what their representation in the US population indicates there should be. It doesn't take many non-MA/non-PR Latino physicians to adequately represent their respective ethnic proportions in the US population, though.

The original poster is a resident alien (permanent resident); that's what having a green card means. I also believe that resident aliens receive the same considerations regarding admissions and financial aid that US citizens do, but don't hold me to that. It probably depends on the school, like so much else about this process.

As a green card holder, you will be entitled to be considered as URM as long as you fulfil the other requirements. In other words, its not your lack of citizenship that would bar you. Hence, a black person from the carribean that holds a green card would be a URM. Hope this helps. PM me if you need specific info.

 

[Rafael Cavalcan]

I know that havin a green car = being a permanent resident, and even now in undergrad I fully qualify for financial aid. As far as I know, being a permanent residant I have the same chances as being a citizen. Please correct me if I'm wrong. It's just that I can't tell If I can be qualified as a URM or not. 🙁 This whole URM thing is confusing me. 🙁

 

[KatieOConnor]

So what exactly does "Hispanic" mean? I thought that Latino and Hispanic were essentially interchangeable terms. And I thought anyone with dark skin from South America WAS Hispanic.

I don't mean to sound racist and I don't want to offend anyone, I'm just a little bit ignorant on these matters.

 

[X.O.]

Permanent resident - Yes
URM status - NO

 

[MadameLULU]

So what exactly does "Hispanic" mean? I thought that Latino and Hispanic were essentially interchangeable terms. And I thought anyone with dark skin from South America WAS Hispanic.

I don't mean to sound racist and I don't want to offend anyone, I'm just a little bit ignorant on these matters.

Some ppl prefer Latino to Hispanic b/c the word Hispanic has negative connotations. It reminds them of the oppresion by the Spanish.

 

[Croatalus_atrox]

So what exactly does "Hispanic" mean? I thought that Latino and Hispanic were essentially interchangeable terms. And I thought anyone with dark skin from South America WAS Hispanic.

I don't mean to sound racist and I don't want to offend anyone, I'm just a little bit ignorant on these matters.

You're correct. The terms are pretty much interchangeable. But not everyone from South America is considered hispanic/latino. Brazilians of Portugese descent and South American Indians aren't generally considered to be hispanic. And skin color isn't necessarily the best indicator, either. There are significant numbers of fair-skinned hispanics out there who don't look stereotypically "Latino". It's a conundrum to be sure.

 

[Tristy]

Please don't hate us for asking. In southamerica (at least in Venezuela & Argentina) we don't have these minorities' problems (well, we might but in a different way than here) and so schools don't pay attention or consideration to your race/ethnic origin for admissions' matters. So when we come to the U.S. and see this URM thing, we are kind of confused and lost about it. That's it. 😳

 

[Rafael Cavalcan]

Brazilians are not hispanics, that's why I'm latino but not hispanic. We were colonized by Portugal, so we are pretty much the only country in south america that doesn't speak spanish, but Portuguese.

 

[Elastase]

Hispanic: US government label, and umbrella for all latin american, AND spanish ppl (but not brazil).

Latino: A label that has been placed by latin americans, that does not include the Spanish....Latino just seems more specific than "Hispanic" or of Spanish descent...Latino seems to more side with the indian side...

 

[cowgirl]

A far as the greencard thing, definitely put that out of your head. You WILL ABSOLUTELY get the same consideration as a US citizen. I have a greencard and have had no problems applying to my 11 schools. As far as the URM status stuff, I think there needs to be one thread for questions like this. I'm seeing a gazillion "am I considered a URM" threads spread around this site.

 

[sylvamoon]

Brazilians are not hispanics, that's why I'm latino but not hispanic. We were colonized by Portugal, so we are pretty much the only country in south america that doesn't speak spanish, but Portuguese.

guyana is in south america. they speak english, and they are not latino

 

[jules0328]

Man, you guys are a tough crowd. I guess I didnt read carefully that the first poster had a permanent visa. Yes, financial aid is the same for you. Sorry to have confused the whole thread. I, too, only having permanent resident status here in the US.

As far as the whole URM thing, I am just as confused about it today as I was yesterday. It will probably change in the next few years anyway.

 

[jules0328]

As a green card holder, you will be entitled to be considered as URM as long as you fulfil the other requirements. In other words, its not your lack of citizenship that would bar you. Hence, a black person from the carribean that holds a green card would be a URM. Hope this helps. PM me if you need specific info.

Whoa! Wait..so you are considered a URM as a green card holder. Is that what you are saying? What other requirements?

 

[Gr42]

First, to all of you that think Latino and Hispanic are interchangeable terms you are mistaken. Both may apply to one individual but is not always the case, one person can be a Latino but not neccesarily hispanic. Second, to answer Rafael's question. Unfortunately, you are not considered an URM. However, you are a permanent resident and you are consider equal to U.S citizen as far as medical school application process is concern. In fact, you are eligible for all federal student loans and most scholarships. You will be just fine!!!
As a side not, when I applied to med school last year and was filling the AMCAS application I noticed something interesting. In the section where you have to put your race there is no option for hispanic or latino. You are forced to put that you are white and that took me to another screen where I picked my ethnicity and that's where I specified my background. I was a little surpised when I saw that. Is it the same this year???????