URM Status Question

[Medgoal2020]

Hi,
I will apply for the AAMC 2018 cycle and wondering should I check myself as URM based on the information below:
Race: Vietnamese (in Lincoln, Nebraska); not born in US (came to US at 9 years old)
Parent: Single mom (with 3 other members including myself); parent did not go to college
Financial situation growing up: Housing assistances, low income (to current) , food stamp, medicaid (stop at 18 year old), FAFSA (full) and scholarships to college

Thanks all ^^

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[ChymeofPassion]

Vietnamese are overrepresented in medicine. However, you can check SES disadvantaged to give context to your application.

 

[de Ribas]

Vietnamese are overrepresented

How are they overrepresented?

 

[throw_away5122]

Vietnamese URM? Maybe 20 yrs ago. Nowadays, as long as you are Asian, no shot

 

[ChymeofPassion]

How are they overrepresented?

According to the most recent US census, Vietnamese account for .5 percent of the US population. According to a study done by the AAMC on physician diversity, vietnamese physicians account for 4.6 percent of all physicians. Therefore, they are overrepresented.

Source 1: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...cC6AQFghbMAs&usg=AOvVaw1GOTa_8R0VZ03jFrm7B_Ca


Source 2:https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...DC-cQFgg8MAI&usg=AOvVaw3d6TkFTPBNBovTVpjQRDre

 

[Porkloins]

According to the most recent US census, Vietnamese account for .5 percent of the US population. According to a study done by the AAMC on physician diversity, vietnamese physicians account for 4.6 percent of all physicians. Therefore, they are overrepresented.

Source 1: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.vasummit2011.org/docs/research/The%20Vietnamese%20Population%202010_July%202.2011.pdf&ved=0ahUKEwiTiLXb8arXAhXGxYMKHePcC6AQFghbMAs&usg=AOvVaw1GOTa_8R0VZ03jFrm7B_Ca


Source 2:https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://members.aamc.org/eweb/upload/Diversity%20in%20the%20Physician%20Workforce%20Facts%20and%20Figures%202010.pdf&ved=0ahUKEwjQ6fb_86rXAhVNzGMKHTZDC-cQFgg8MAI&usg=AOvVaw3d6TkFTPBNBovTVpjQRDre

Your interpretation of this data is incorrect. Vietnamese account for 4.6 of Asian physicians, not all physicians. The paltry number of Vietnamese physicians (less than 3000 nationwide) in the figure you cite could've clued you in on this.

Vietnamese do seem to be underrepresented in medicine based on some google searching I just did. For one, this article makes this statement in its abstract: "Among the underrepresented minorities are African and Hispanic Americans; Native Americans, Alaskans, and Pacific Islanders (including Hawaiians); and certain Asians (including Hmong, Vietnamese, and Cambodians)." Combining the diversity report you've linked along with the estimated population of Vietnamese in America from wikipedia puts the physician density of Vietnamese doctors at about 1.36 doctors per 1000 people, compared to 2.55 doctors/1000 people for the overall USA. Even if we use the census data from 2010 that you linked, ratio of Vietnamese doctors/1000 people would be around 2 -- still lower than the national average.

OP -- unfortunately, being underrepresented in medicine and being considered underrepresented in medicine by admissions committees are two entirely different things. I don't believe there is a section on the AMCAS to designate URM, per se. Rather, you fill in your demographic info (Asian -> Vietnamese) and then the schools you're applying to use that to decide whether they want to treat you as URM, ORM etc. I'm sure there are some schools that might treat Vietnamese affirmatively in admissions, but there are probably many others that will simply lump a Vietnamese applicant into the rest of the pool of Asian applicants.

 

[de Ribas]

Your interpretation of this data is incorrect. Vietnamese account for 4.6 of Asian physicians, not all physicians. The paltry number of Vietnamese physicians (less than 3000 nationwide) in the figure you cite could've clued you in on this.

Vietnamese do seem to be underrepresented in medicine based on some google searching I just did. For one, this article makes this statement in its abstract: "Among the underrepresented minorities are African and Hispanic Americans; Native Americans, Alaskans, and Pacific Islanders (including Hawaiians); and certain Asians (including Hmong, Vietnamese, and Cambodians)." Combining the diversity report you've linked along with the estimated population of Vietnamese in America from wikipedia puts the physician density of Vietnamese doctors at about 1.36 doctors per 1000 people, compared to 2.55 doctors/1000 people for the overall USA. Even if we use the census data from 2010 that you linked, ratio of Vietnamese doctors/1000 people would be around 2 -- still lower than the national average.

OP -- unfortunately, being underrepresented in medicine and being considered underrepresented in medicine by admissions committees are two entirely different things. I don't believe there is a section on the AMCAS to designate URM, per se. Rather, you fill in your demographic info (Asian -> Vietnamese) and then the schools you're applying to use that to decide whether they want to treat you as URM, ORM etc. I'm sure there are some schools that might treat Vietnamese affirmatively in admissions, but there are probably many others that will simply lump a Vietnamese applicant into the rest of the pool of Asian applicants.

I think so too, being actual URM and being URM for admissions purposes is slightly different things.

 

[imxpandanese]

UCSF considers Vietnamese URM. URM Definition | diversity.ucsf.edu

I don't think it makes much of a difference in admissions selection though because I've seen a killer LizzyM 80+ Viet applicant with multi pubs get rejected from UCSF but accepted to John Hopkins, Penn, etc.

 

[mellie0]

I don't believe there is a section on the AMCAS to designate URM, per se.

This. You don't check off "URM" -- they're the ones who decide how to interpret your racial/ethnic group. You just put whatever you are/identify as and the rest is up to them.

 

[ChymeofPassion]

Your interpretation of this data is incorrect. Vietnamese account for 4.6 of Asian physicians, not all physicians. The paltry number of Vietnamese physicians (less than 3000 nationwide) in the figure you cite could've clued you in on this.

Vietnamese do seem to be underrepresented in medicine based on some google searching I just did. For one, this article makes this statement in its abstract: "Among the underrepresented minorities are African and Hispanic Americans; Native Americans, Alaskans, and Pacific Islanders (including Hawaiians); and certain Asians (including Hmong, Vietnamese, and Cambodians)." Combining the diversity report you've linked along with the estimated population of Vietnamese in America from wikipedia puts the physician density of Vietnamese doctors at about 1.36 doctors per 1000 people, compared to 2.55 doctors/1000 people for the overall USA. Even if we use the census data from 2010 that you linked, ratio of Vietnamese doctors/1000 people would be around 2 -- still lower than the national average.

OP -- unfortunately, being underrepresented in medicine and being considered underrepresented in medicine by admissions committees are two entirely different things. I don't believe there is a section on the AMCAS to designate URM, per se. Rather, you fill in your demographic info (Asian -> Vietnamese) and then the schools you're applying to use that to decide whether they want to treat you as URM, ORM etc. I'm sure there are some schools that might treat Vietnamese affirmatively in admissions, but there are probably many others that will simply lump a Vietnamese applicant into the rest of the pool of Asian applicants.

Sorry, did rushed searching on the T on my phone. Nevertheless, you will not receive a bump comparable to AA/Lx as a Vietnamese person.

 

[throw_away5122]

Hi,
I will apply for the AAMC 2018 cycle and wondering should I check myself as URM based on the information below:
Race: Vietnamese (in Lincoln, Nebraska); not born in US (came to US at 9 years old)
Parent: Single mom (with 3 other members including myself); parent did not go to college
Financial situation growing up: Housing assistances, low income (to current) , food stamp, medicaid (stop at 18 year old), FAFSA (full) and scholarships to college

Thanks all ^^

If you came to America at 9 yrs old, that is not disadvantaged. I came when I was 16, and I don't even consider myself disadvantaged

 

[cherrytaffyz]

If you came to America at 9 yrs old, that is not disadvantaged. I came when I was 16, and I don't even consider myself disadvantaged

....? Your comment doesn't make sense. Disadvantaged refers to whether the applicant has faced significant hardships in their lifetime and not the age they moved here. In this case, OP is from a low-income household and has had housing assistance/ food stamps. OP definitely qualifies for SES disadvantaged.

 

[mellie0]

Coming to the US doesn’t magically solve all your problems.