Underserved Communities

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Domino2178

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I think people on this board generally get put off when someone asks how this will "strengthen you as an applicant" or what not. Anyway, it can only help you, and not hurt you. You can incorporate it into your PS and how it shaped who you are. Also, you should volunteer in the underserved community. It would look bad if you say how much it shaped you, yet didn't do much work in it. You already mentioned you served in one, so that's good. Serve more if you can.

I think some people might try to play the underserved card and it's all too obvious that they are full of it. Whether it's genuinely true is something you and only you will ever know. So in terms of strengthening your application, you definitely have what's there to do it. So go and do it.
 
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Oh I apologize for coming across in a way that would put people off. I wasn't trying to ask "Is this something I can take advantage of to get an easy in," I was trying to figure out if adcoms see a difference between "having barriers to access yourself" vs. just "being from a community where others are the ones who are experiencing difficulty". I don't want to seem like I'm trying to mislead them by relating experiences that I observed, but did not directly suffer from. Nonetheless, thank you kindly for the reply

Well, from your post you just lived in an underserved community, but weren't necessarily disadvantaged. I guess you can say that you have perspective as to how some people struggle [insert example]. You can make a better impression if you are committed to work in those communities and have done so through your volunteering.
 
Oh I apologize for coming across in a way that would put people off. I wasn't trying to ask "Is this something I can take advantage of to get an easy in," I was trying to figure out if adcoms see a difference between "having barriers to access yourself" vs. just "being from a community where others are the ones who are experiencing difficulty". I don't want to seem like I'm trying to mislead them by relating experiences that I observed, but did not directly suffer from. Nonetheless, thank you kindly for the reply

Oh no! Don't apologize! I just think it's odd that people on a huge thread devoted to getting into medical school somehow seem to think that it's more important to have a meaningful genuine journey than getting into medical school itself. :confused:

By all means do what you can! Just don't go all out claiming you want to help the underserved when you don't show the commitment. In this case, especially with a very long 4.5 hours of volunteering, you're definitely set. I just think some people are too eager to tell ADCOMs what they want to hear. But when the ADCOM asks to elaborate why, you can't answer: "Because that's what you wanted to hear?"
 
Thank you for the response. That is my situation exactly, I just lived there but I wasn't disadvantaged (meaning I had insurance), though it did affect my motives to go into medicine. And I have been volunteering for 4.5 years in this community, so I'm hoping that it shows how committed I am to practicing places that really need it.

Cool! This shows consistency and commitment. Good luck :)
 
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