Under represented minorities

[KnightsFan101]

Hi everyone,
When you apply to PT school does being minority carry any sort of weight?
I know when you're trying to get into an undergrad school of your choice there's definitely some influence. Any opinions are appreciated.

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[Myosin]

It carries weight with all undergraduate and graduate programs. Some to a large degree and some very little. It really depends on the demographics of the state you're living in. There's going to be an obvious variance between states like Montana and Mississippi

Schools are required to meet a minimum quota of urms. Some, not all, actually go through and meet their quota before the actual admission process begins.

 

[CherokeeWahine]

I am the only African American in my entire DPT program (among all 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year students).

So either there weren't any other African American applicants to my program, or they don't have a quota system to fill.

I can't honestly say whether being a person of color carries any weight, but I would say not to rely on it to get into PT school. It really comes down to the strength of your application (prerequisite grades, GRE, GPA, essay, extracurriculars, observation hours, etc.)

 

[rammerjammer]

This is a great question because I always have difficulty deciding what to put for my ethnicity. I am 50% hispanic and 50% white and I identify as white. Most forms only have the options of "hispanic" or "white (non-hispanic)". I always choose the white option but I find those little parentheses to be frustrating since it feels like I'm denying my heritage.

I noticed that PTCAS asks "Do you consider yourself to be of Hispanic origin?" And then in a separate question they ask you to describe your race. Should I check Yes to the hispanic origin question? I know this is a weird question to ask strangers lol... I just don't want to deny my heritage but I also don't want to be dishonest since I am only half and I don't know if that really counts.

 

[hope4baylor]

This is a great question because I always have difficulty deciding what to put for my ethnicity. I am 50% hispanic and 50% white and I identify as white. Most forms only have the options of "hispanic" or "white (non-hispanic)". I always choose the white option but I find those little parentheses to be frustrating since it feels like I'm denying my heritage.

I noticed that PTCAS asks "Do you consider yourself to be of Hispanic origin?" And then in a separate question they ask you to describe your race. Should I check Yes to the hispanic origin question? I know this is a weird question to ask strangers lol... I just don't want to deny my heritage but I also don't want to be dishonest since I am only half and I don't know if that really counts.

I'm Hispanic (Cuban) and white. Hispanic is a broad term covering ethnicity more so than race, so I say yes to Hispanic then check white. I grew up in a very Latin family though, so I do identify with it.

 

[Myosin]

This is a great question because I always have difficulty deciding what to put for my ethnicity. I am 50% hispanic and 50% white and I identify as white. Most forms only have the options of "hispanic" or "white (non-hispanic)". I always choose the white option but I find those little parentheses to be frustrating since it feels like I'm denying my heritage.

I noticed that PTCAS asks "Do you consider yourself to be of Hispanic origin?" And then in a separate question they ask you to describe your race. Should I check Yes to the hispanic origin question? I know this is a weird question to ask strangers lol... I just don't want to deny my heritage but I also don't want to be dishonest since I am only half and I don't know if that really counts.

Put Hispanic down. It can only help you.

You're not denying your heritage of anything. This is the school's fault and it shouldn't even be like this. Schools shouldn't even be asking these kinds of questions. The very fact that this is even considered takes away from the idea that only the best applicants should be accepted.

It also hurts the people who get into the programs. Do some googling and look at the current bias against black doctors, even from other minorities, that exists solely because of the affirmative action programs.

 

[KnightsFan101]

This is a great question because I always have difficulty deciding what to put for my ethnicity. I am 50% hispanic and 50% white and I identify as white. Most forms only have the options of "hispanic" or "white (non-hispanic)". I always choose the white option but I find those little parentheses to be frustrating since it feels like I'm denying my heritage.

I noticed that PTCAS asks "Do you consider yourself to be of Hispanic origin?" And then in a separate question they ask you to describe your race. Should I check Yes to the hispanic origin question? I know this is a weird question to ask strangers lol... I just don't want to deny my heritage but I also don't want to be dishonest since I am only half and I don't know if that really counts.

In your case, I would definitely select "Yes" to the Hispanic origin question.
If I were 50/50 like you, I would try to express both sides as much as possible

 

[DesertPT]

I wonder if PT schools do the thing of admitting a less-qualified minority student over a more qualified white student. We all know that undergrad admissions at selective schools do this, and if it is going on in PT school that makes me sick. Who cares what race you are? What people who think it matters are really saying is that the level to which your melanocytes are pigmented should be a relevant concern when deciding whether or not you should be admitted to a graduate health education program. Anyone who actually believes that is a fool.

 

[DesertPT]

It also hurts the people who get into the programs. Do some googling and look at the current bias against black doctors, even from other minorities, that exists solely because of the affirmative action programs.

Exactly. Schools attempts to help minorities out by admitting them at higher rates have only led to their being stereotyped by other professionals. As pathetic as it is, when people see a black med student, there's a good chance they'll think "you only got in because you're black".