- Joined
- May 5, 2018
- Messages
- 5
- Reaction score
- 5
If TLDR: refer to bolded for quick skim..
I do not want to come off as entitled. I do believe that income/background disclosures have a place on the primary application so as to benefit URM populations. What I oppose is their disclosure being (arguably) mandatory.
My father is a prominent ER physician. My employment as an ER tech and ER scribe is in the ER in which he works. My mother's father was a GP in a different part of the country and the fact that my mother has retained her (uncommon) maiden name makes this fact all-the-more accessible. In truth, my decision to go into medicine was one that I made, doing so relatively late (at 19) and very abruptly. It was actually not my father, but my mother (not physician), who explicitly encouraged me to take an EMT course than set me on the path, yada yada. But none of what I say in this regard is credible, I don't think - and I'm self-aware enough to know and accept this wholesale.
Profile (not comprehensive)
- White male, CA
- one of better UCs (you can probably narrow down to 2 from this characterization)
• 3.88 sGPA, 3.94 cGPA
• major: political science
- MCAT: TBD (June)
- 9 months as ER tech (EMT-certified)
- plus: research, clinical work in foreign country, healthcare policy internship, among other areas
Current
- ER scribe (6+ months)
- Volunteer for Congressional campaign (House of Reps, Federal)
It isn't that who I am or the background I come from just dawned on me. This post was precipitated by my realizing just how much the primary application expects me to disclose, and how doing so will likely reveal everything noted in the first paragraph, and much more. A quick google search of my/my father's (uncommon) last name would make clear our shared employment history, which is approaching 2 years and has served as my sole income. The same of my mother's name, in relation to her father being a physician as I noted.
Disclose/Not Disclose
As I'm sure you all know, there is a childhood (residence, parental income, etc) and parental (name, educational attainment, occupation, income) detail sections on the primary app. The childhood details have the nondisclosure option, while the parental section allow only for nondisclosure under the circumstance that this information is "unknown" (adopted for example). I could do a "partial disclosure" by noting only my mother and her being "self-employed" while not mentioning my father. Yes, I am aware this very probably a bad idea, but on the other hand I may not be probed on the paternal omission, in which case it would be of great benefit. I would like to find a way to wriggle out of answering either of these questions, but I accept that this is very possibly more harmful than helpful for the questions it might raise.
Implications of Full Disclosure (not good)
- only child raised in a household of 3 in noted affluent city
- father: $500k+ income physician
- mother: "self-employed" with little income (that is to say - homemaker)
- employment history: 100% with my father's hospital
• no work before age 18
• no contributions to "pay the bills" until a year ago
- school tuition: 100% covered by father's income
- academic rigor: low; spread out over 6 years
• I performed well, but do not deny the my advantages, which allowed for me to not "rush" and limited need to work
Questions
- Is there a way for me to limit these disclosures, or do I have absolutely no choice?
- If it is the case that I have no choice (risks of nondisclosure outweigh potential benefit), then...
• should explaining how I'm "not" the negative stereotype that all of these elements suggest be central to my application (personal statement, interview strategy, etc.) - and how to go about this?
• should my relationship with my father be brought to the forefront to reframe my background as a "positive" (from adcom perspective)
• any ideas about qualities that are worth emphasizing and might allow me to maintain control of the narrative would be appreciated
• any ideas about elements of my background that are worth obfuscating, despite the associated risk would be appreciated
Thanks for reading
I do not want to come off as entitled. I do believe that income/background disclosures have a place on the primary application so as to benefit URM populations. What I oppose is their disclosure being (arguably) mandatory.
My father is a prominent ER physician. My employment as an ER tech and ER scribe is in the ER in which he works. My mother's father was a GP in a different part of the country and the fact that my mother has retained her (uncommon) maiden name makes this fact all-the-more accessible. In truth, my decision to go into medicine was one that I made, doing so relatively late (at 19) and very abruptly. It was actually not my father, but my mother (not physician), who explicitly encouraged me to take an EMT course than set me on the path, yada yada. But none of what I say in this regard is credible, I don't think - and I'm self-aware enough to know and accept this wholesale.
Profile (not comprehensive)
- White male, CA
- one of better UCs (you can probably narrow down to 2 from this characterization)
• 3.88 sGPA, 3.94 cGPA
• major: political science
- MCAT: TBD (June)
- 9 months as ER tech (EMT-certified)
- plus: research, clinical work in foreign country, healthcare policy internship, among other areas
Current
- ER scribe (6+ months)
- Volunteer for Congressional campaign (House of Reps, Federal)
It isn't that who I am or the background I come from just dawned on me. This post was precipitated by my realizing just how much the primary application expects me to disclose, and how doing so will likely reveal everything noted in the first paragraph, and much more. A quick google search of my/my father's (uncommon) last name would make clear our shared employment history, which is approaching 2 years and has served as my sole income. The same of my mother's name, in relation to her father being a physician as I noted.
Disclose/Not Disclose
As I'm sure you all know, there is a childhood (residence, parental income, etc) and parental (name, educational attainment, occupation, income) detail sections on the primary app. The childhood details have the nondisclosure option, while the parental section allow only for nondisclosure under the circumstance that this information is "unknown" (adopted for example). I could do a "partial disclosure" by noting only my mother and her being "self-employed" while not mentioning my father. Yes, I am aware this very probably a bad idea, but on the other hand I may not be probed on the paternal omission, in which case it would be of great benefit. I would like to find a way to wriggle out of answering either of these questions, but I accept that this is very possibly more harmful than helpful for the questions it might raise.
Implications of Full Disclosure (not good)
- only child raised in a household of 3 in noted affluent city
- father: $500k+ income physician
- mother: "self-employed" with little income (that is to say - homemaker)
- employment history: 100% with my father's hospital
• no work before age 18
• no contributions to "pay the bills" until a year ago
- school tuition: 100% covered by father's income
- academic rigor: low; spread out over 6 years
• I performed well, but do not deny the my advantages, which allowed for me to not "rush" and limited need to work
Questions
- Is there a way for me to limit these disclosures, or do I have absolutely no choice?
- If it is the case that I have no choice (risks of nondisclosure outweigh potential benefit), then...
• should explaining how I'm "not" the negative stereotype that all of these elements suggest be central to my application (personal statement, interview strategy, etc.) - and how to go about this?
• should my relationship with my father be brought to the forefront to reframe my background as a "positive" (from adcom perspective)
• any ideas about qualities that are worth emphasizing and might allow me to maintain control of the narrative would be appreciated
• any ideas about elements of my background that are worth obfuscating, despite the associated risk would be appreciated
Thanks for reading
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