White / Native American, am I URM?

[deleted991583]

Hello there,

I am white and native american (majority white, look white) but I am 1/16 Native American. I have a tribal membership card to our reservation and have family ties to the reservation.
I consider it apart of my family history yet I haven't been able to do any community service to tribal organizations. I do however have service to URM communities.

I am planning on selecting white and native american on AMCAS. Do I still qualify as URM? Since I look white I feel like I would come across as misleading to the adcoms if I don't select it. I did NOT select the box that says I am disadvantaged.

I have 509 MCAT, 3.3 cGPA and 3.7 sGPA as a career changer with 4.0 postbacc from 60 credits.

I need to know so I can tailor my school list accordingly.

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[Raryn]

I have a tribal membership card to our reservation and have family ties to the reservation.

Unlike other questions, this one is pretty simple: Yes. You are quite literally a card-carrying URM.

 

[DokterMom]

If you look white, are only 1/16th NA, and have no service to NA communities, then, despite the card, claiming URM status might backfire on you by making it appear you are trying to game the system -- even though you technically qualify.

HOWEVER -- Noting white and NA as your ethnicity and mentioning that you are a 'card-carrying' tribe member WITHOUT checking the URM box edit: claiming URM or disadvantaged status may help you. Your 'official' status as a tribe member would allow the school to classify you in a way that improves their diversity stats.

You'll need to walk a fine line though to let the school know that THEY can claim you as NA while making it clear that YOU are not claiming to be disadvantaged if you really weren't.

 

[LizzyM]

Is there a URM box? I thought URM was defined by each school independently depending on what is URM in their community or catchment area.

Self-identify as accurately as you can. List your tribe. Even if you haven't done any service to date, if you have an opportunity to talk with relatives in the community to get a feel for community health concerns, that might be a good thing to bring up at interviews or in secondaries. If you have any intention to serve in a geogrphic area where members of your tribe live, that would be something to mention too given that the reason for trying to reverse under-representation in medicine is to have physicians with whom patients can identify.

 

[Raryn]

If you look white, are only 1/16th NA, and have no service to NA communities, then, despite the card, claiming URM status might backfire on you by making it appear you are trying to game the system -- even though you technically qualify.

HOWEVER -- Noting white and NA as your ethnicity and mentioning that you are a 'card-carrying' tribe member WITHOUT checking the URM box may help you. Your 'official' status as a tribe member would allow the school to classify you in a way that improves their diversity stats.

You'll need to walk a fine line though to let the school know that THEY can claim you as NA while making it clear that YOU are not claiming to be disadvantaged if you really weren't.

Is there a URM box? I thought URM was defined by each school independently depending on what is URM in their community or catchment area.

Self-identify as accurately as you can. List your tribe. Even if you haven't done any service to date, if you have an opportunity to talk with relatives in the community to get a feel for community health concerns, that might be a good thing to bring up at interviews or in secondaries. If you have any intention to serve in a geogrphic area where members of your tribe live, that would be something to mention too given that the reason for trying to reverse under-representation in medicine is to have physicians with whom patients can identify.

I'm quite literally looking at the AMCAS interface right now and there is definitely not an URM box.

If you reside in the European Union, do not answer this question.

How do you self-identify? You may optionally enter this information on this page. Please check all that apply

Then underneath it has a number of ethnicities

Hispanic (with subcategories Argentiniean, Colombian, Cuban, Dominican, Mexican/Chicano, Peruvian, Puerto Rican, Other)

American Indian or Alaskan Native (with a sub-box asking for tribal affiliation)

Asian (with many subcategories)

Black or African American (African American, African, Afro-Caribbean, or other)

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (Guamanian, Native Hawaiian, Samoan, or Other)

White (with no subcategories at all)

Other

At no point in the application is there a question about whether you consider yourself URM. It just asks your ethnicity. (It does ask if you consider the area where you grew up medically underserved which is the only other mention of anything similar I see anywhere, other than the disadvantaged box - which is asking whether you/your family personally were underserved healthcare wise and/or on welfare. )

I guess the question is whether it would matter if OP checks just native or checks both white and native. The latter would of course be more honest - but I don't think it would matter either way. He'll almost certainly be considered URM everywhere he applies.

 

[Wahkoon]

Is there a URM box? I thought URM was defined by each school independently depending on what is URM in their community or catchment area.

I agree with all of the posts, especially the above.

Don't overcomplicate the checkboxes for race/ethnicity – these are purely self-identification. If you identify as white and Native American, then put that down. The individual schools will determine if your background and experiences constitute URM, which can vary depending on locality (fun fact: USC doesn't consider AIAN or Native Hawaiian as URM). But also, don't expect getting a "benefit" from just checking the AIAN box. Your entire application will be taken into account, and having little interaction with Native communities will be noted. I know plenty of white-looking AIANs (myself included), but what matters is connections to communities and your actions within them.

Your job for primary application is to fill in information to the best of your abilities: if you identify as AIAN, then put that; if you don't identify as disadvantaged, then don't put that. Also, I identified as Native American, but did not check disadvantaged since I did not feel that I was – these are separate.

I guess the question is whether it would matter if OP checks just native or checks both white and native. The latter would of course be more honest - but I don't think it would matter either way. He'll almost certainly be considered URM everywhere he applies.

I don't believe it matters – it almost certainly didn't in my case. You will also be hard-pressed to find AIAN applicants that don't also identify as white, black, or hispanic. White-AIAN is the largest multiracial group in the US, and approximately half of AIAN identify as multi-racial.

 

[deleted991583]

Is there a URM box? I thought URM was defined by each school independently depending on what is URM in their community or catchment area.

Self-identify as accurately as you can. List your tribe. Even if you haven't done any service to date, if you have an opportunity to talk with relatives in the community to get a feel for community health concerns, that might be a good thing to bring up at interviews or in secondaries. If you have any intention to serve in a geogrphic area where members of your tribe live, that would be something to mention too given that the reason for trying to reverse under-representation in medicine is to have physicians with whom patients can identify.

While there is not a box that says URM, there is a box that asks "Are you applying under disadvantaged status" which I didn't check as yes

 

[deleted991583]

I'm quite literally looking at the AMCAS interface right now and there is definitely not an URM box.



At no point in the application is there a question about whether you consider yourself URM. It just asks your ethnicity. (It does ask if you consider the area where you grew up medically underserved which is the only other mention of anything similar I see anywhere, other than the disadvantaged box - which is asking whether you/your family personally were underserved healthcare wise and/or on welfare. )

I guess the question is whether it would matter if OP checks just native or checks both white and native. The latter would of course be more honest - but I don't think it would matter either way. He'll almost certainly be considered URM everywhere he applies.

Thank you for your response, I will certainly be checking both White and Native American boxes but I wasn't sure if they'd grant me URM status if I did both. Again, this comes back to me creating a school list. I don't want to waste my limited funds applying to reaches if I won't be considered URM for checking both boxes.

 

[deleted991583]

I agree with all of the posts, especially the above.

Don't overcomplicate the checkboxes for race/ethnicity – these are purely self-identification. If you identify as white and Native American, then put that down. The individual schools will determine if your background and experiences constitute URM, which can vary depending on locality (fun fact: USC doesn't consider AIAN or Native Hawaiian as URM). But also, don't expect getting a "benefit" from just checking the AIAN box. Your entire application will be taken into account, and having little interaction with Native communities will be noted. I know plenty of white-looking AIANs (myself included), but what matters is connections to communities and your actions within them.

Your job for primary application is to fill in information to the best of your abilities: if you identify as AIAN, then put that; if you don't identify as disadvantaged, then don't put that. Also, I identified as Native American, but did not check disadvantaged since I did not feel that I was – these are separate.


I don't believe it matters – it almost certainly didn't in my case. You will also be hard-pressed to find AIAN applicants that don't also identify as white, black, or hispanic. White-AIAN is the largest multiracial group in the US, and approximately half of AIAN identify as multi-racial.

Do you look white as an AIAN? Did it come up in interviews? My service is to URM communities but not tribal communities.

 

[Peter Pan.]

Always interesting how every year right before the application cycle white people discover their Native American roots and now want to be apart of a tribe.

 

[907914]

Always interesting how every year right before the application cycle white people discover their Native American roots and now want to be apart of a tribe.

I mean, OP has a tribal card so it wasn’t JUST discovered...

To OP, I would apply as though you are white. Check the AIAN box, but apply to targets with maybe an extra reach or two. You are of Native Heritage but you have not really lived the Native life and thus would not ‘connect’ with Native patients (and that is the box that gets checked so far as what they are looking for in URM).

You might a few extra interviews, but they will not flag your app for URM consideration. It won’t be held against you as you are literally a card carrying member, but it won’t benefit you post interview either. On another note, however, it very well could get you an increased interview chance until they see you and hear your stories.

 

[deleted991583]

Always interesting how every year right before the application cycle white people discover their Native American roots and now want to be apart of a tribe.

Yep you're right, I JUST discovered my tribal card in my pocket that I had no idea about. Oh and all of my family born on the reservation, JUST met them too.

 

[ciestar]

While there is not a box that says URM, there is a box that asks "Are you applying under disadvantaged status" which I didn't check as yes

Disadvantaged and URM aren’t the same thing, but definitely can go together

 

[dr_kateb]

Always interesting how every year right before the application cycle white people discover their Native American roots and now want to be apart of a tribe.

It's the schools' fault for making the distinctions in the first place

 

[ciestar]

Always interesting how every year right before the application cycle white people discover their Native American roots and now want to be apart of a tribe.

Yeah, it happens a lot, but OP has stated multiple times that they have a tribal card.

 

[Peter Pan.]

Yep you're right, I JUST discovered my tribal card in my pocket that I had no idea about. Oh and all of my family born on the reservation, JUST met them too.

Lmao no community service with any tribes or activities with them. But you are 1/16th and have some family on a reservation. Yep I can see your passion for “your community.” Oh and that card doesn’t mean jack if you’ve never done anything within the community. All your life I bet when people ask about your race you tell them you’re white. How cool you’ve now identified as Native American.

 

[gyngyn]

This thread no longer serves a positive purpose.