Wanting to practice in Underserved communities?

[texassports]

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Hello Everyone, I was wondering how important it is to show that you want to serve in undeserved communities if you are a URM?

I am a hispanic applicant applying this cycle and I really do want to serve these communities.

I have volunteered in Costa Rica and Nicaragua for 2 weeks on a medical volunteer trip and I have a medical internship in a San Ignacio clinic in Belize this June.

 

[Lollygag]

I think it definitely helps because one of the reasons medical schools recruit URM's is because there is a lack of doctors serving in underserved communities. So you would be a desirable applicant because if you've demonstrated so much work with the underserved communities, then it is likely you will have a desire to serve them once you are a doctor.

Try finding some volunteer working with underserved communities in the U.S. the trips you have done abroad with underserved communities may help you, but if you only have those things alone on your resume then you may give the impression that you are interested in global medicine too which may distract from your prime purpose. You need to make your intentions very clear and just saying you want to serve underserved communities in this country without any experience doing so, will not be taken as seriously.

In addition, those trips are very expensive and many adcom's like LizzyM on SDN have stated that it isn't any more impressive going abroad and volunteering than it is volunteering in this country simply because you don't have any skills that are useful as a pre-med and the money you pay to go on that trip could be put to better use. I'm not saying your experience there is worthless, they may be a valuable part of your application. But if your interests lie in serving underserved populations, look for opportunities in your community. If you're interested in global medicine in underserved communities, then do more of those trips.