Did I do the right thing?

[TRanger]

I am 50% Native American, although appearance wise I look very Caucasian. I am registered with a local Cherokee tribe and have a card so I can prove that I am Native American if an interviewer doesn't believe me and will at least allow me to get it out of my wallet. On the TMDSAS application (I'm only aplying to Texas med schools) I put Other and listed both Caucasian and Native American as my ethnic group which is what my advisor told me to do. Lately though I've been doubting if I should have mentioned my Native American background or not. Even though I have a card and am registered with a tribe, I never have lived on a reservation nor do I really know much about the Cherokee culture. I don't even have a Native American last name even though a bulk of my Native American heritage comes from my dad's side of the family.

Did I do the right thing?

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[ATP Synthase]

You definently did the right thing and no one should question weather you are Native American because you look Caucasian...My great grandfather is 50% Native, African American, and Caucasian, but he looks white so you can't go by that.

I am 50% Native American, although appearance wise I look very Caucasian. I am registered with a local Cherokee tribe and have a card so I can prove that I am Native American if an interviewer doesn't believe me and will at least allow me to get it out of my wallet. On the TMDSAS application (I'm only aplying to Texas med schools) I put Other and listed both Caucasian and Native American as my ethnic group which is what my advisor told me to do. Lately though I've been doubting if I should have mentioned my Native American background or not. Even though I have a card and am registered with a tribe, I never have lived on a reservation nor do I really know much about the Cherokee culture. I don't even have a Native American last name even though a bulk of my Native American heritage comes from my dad's side of the family.

Did I do the right thing?

 

[DoctaJay]

Fill out the application honestly, that is all they care about. If you are 50% white and 50% NA, then you put the right thing.

 

[scowdeva]

Although I'm not a full 50%, somewhere between a quarter and half, I was kinda struggling with this as well. I also look white, so I am kinda worried that I will have issues because of this. However, we seem to be opposites....I am not officially registered as of yet (I'm looking into it but my tribe has some pretty complicated processes to go through, that take some time and a considerable amount of money since I dont already have geneologies and the like) but other members of my family do. However, I have always been aware of my culture, and I consider myself to be relatively involved in it. I decided to register as American Indian, and figure it will be a great interview topic when the time comes.

As to if the adcom didnt believe you about your heritage...would you really want to attend a school that judged you in this way, and basically accused you of being a liar? I have kind of decided that if this happens to me, that will be the clincher that makes me uninterested in attending that particular school.

 

[MnBr63]

I am 50% Native American, although appearance wise I look very Caucasian. I am registered with a local Cherokee tribe and have a card so I can prove that I am Native American if an interviewer doesn't believe me and will at least allow me to get it out of my wallet. On the TMDSAS application (I'm only aplying to Texas med schools) I put Other and listed both Caucasian and Native American as my ethnic group which is what my advisor told me to do. Lately though I've been doubting if I should have mentioned my Native American background or not. Even though I have a card and am registered with a tribe, I never have lived on a reservation nor do I really know much about the Cherokee culture. I don't even have a Native American last name even though a bulk of my Native American heritage comes from my dad's side of the family.

Did I do the right thing?

I also applied as NA, 50% on my mothers side, enrolled in a Cherokee tribe with a card, but look very caucasian with my blonde hair and lighter skin. When I finished my apps to both TMDSAS and AADSAS I scanned my card on both sides, sent a copy of the print out to all of the schools which I applied, and asked that it be attached to my file. During one of my interviews my interviewer brought out the copy of my card. It just so happend that he was a 4th year who had just finished an externship on a reservation and was very familiar with this card. He was required to ask to see the patient's card before treating them.