Under represented minority?

[blozmodk]

Yo what it do.

I'm an american citizen, born in New york, but my parents are both 100% Egyptian and for the good part of 8 years from the middle of elementary school through the end of high school I lived in a underrepresented community in the bay area. Would I be able to apply as a minority? My whole life I've been marking other and specifying Egyptian in that ethnic background box. Although Egypt is a part of Africa. What do you guys think?

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[Jolie South]

If I'm not mistaken, I don't think that will help you. I remember reading about a Persian applicant who said he had to check white. I think that since Egypt is the same general region that would apply for you as well.

Yes, it's Africa, but it's really not.

 

[shevie]

Unfortunately for you, i dont think this applies to you. your situation really epitomizes everything that is wrong with all this URM BS. I mean for gods sake. you come from AFRICA, thats not a lie. your parents are both immigrants, probly spoke no english at home for a while after living here so you were at a disadvantage in school coming from a non english speaking home....BUT if you check it off you run the risk of pissing off people and potentially screwing urself over pretty bad.
My friends husband is from Johannesburg, and he checked off African American, and depsite his high 30's mcat, almost perfect gpa, great extracurrics and rsrch, is in med school in Israel. Why you might ask? he showed up for an interview at a (USNEWS top three) school, and the interviewer was like "youre not black" how r u an underrepresented minority?? and that is how he got hmself blacklisted at every medical school in america. No joke. Unfair? yes. True? also yes, unfortuantely.
All this urm crap really drives me up the wall, but seriously, its not worth the risk to check it off. it might pay off...but on the offchance that it backfires, i dont think u want to end up at Ross University or in Guadelehara (however u spell that.)

 

[KeyzerSoze]

Unfortunately for you, i dont think this applies to you. your situation really epitomizes everything that is wrong with all this URM BS. I mean for gods sake. you come from AFRICA, thats not a lie. your parents are both immigrants, probly spoke no english at home for a while after living here so you were at a disadvantage in school coming from a non english speaking home....BUT if you check it off you run the risk of pissing off people and potentially screwing urself over pretty bad.
My friends husband is from Johannesburg, and he checked off African American, and depsite his high 30's mcat, almost perfect gpa, great extracurrics and rsrch, is in med school in Israel. Why you might ask? he showed up for an interview at a (USNEWS top three) school, and the interviewer was like "youre not black" how r u an underrepresented minority?? and that is how he got hmself blacklisted at every medical school in america. No joke. Unfair? yes. True? also yes, unfortuantely.
All this urm crap really drives me up the wall, but seriously, its not worth the risk to check it off. it might pay off...but on the offchance that it backfires, i dont think u want to end up at Ross University or in Guadelehara (however u spell that.)

That was pretty dumb of your friend's husband. Seriously, didn't he know that was going to happen?

 

[LovelyMD]

That was pretty dumb of your friend's husband. Seriously, didn't he know that was going to happen?

Agreed, that was pretty stupid on his part. I'm assuming the guy was White. Even in South Africa he'd be considered White, not Black African.

 

[Jolie South]

Agreed, that was pretty stupid on his part. I'm assuming the guy was White. Even in South Africa he'd be considered White, not Black African.

but, if he was born in Africa, he'd still be African whether he's white or not.

 

[mordounhas]

I had a friend who was Egyptian who applied to college as an African-American and did his undergrad at Georgetown (he was qualified as well, of course.) I would ask your school's med school advisor, but I don't think there's anything wrong with it.

 

[freelove]

That whole story sounds fishy. Don't most schools make you send a picture with your secondary? So wasn't he like OBVIOUSLY not black? I refuse to believe that that small detail was only first realized at the interview.

AND, just be honest. He could have specified that somewhere in his application that he was just one of the very few white african-americans walking around.

I knew someone whose mother was from Morocco, with a white father so she looked white and excuse me for saying this, but acted white too. She also checked the African-American box and got into Harvard for undergrad. It didn't really faze me at all. She was a stellar student, no denying that, and the whole situation doesn't really affect me personally.

 

[alwaysaangel]

Agreed, that was pretty stupid on his part. I'm assuming the guy was White. Even in South Africa he'd be considered White, not Black African.

Yeah but he didn't claim he was black - he said African American which he was. If the story is true then it was the interviewers own ignorance to assume he was black.

I have a friend who is egyptian who marks African-American on everythign and he's never had any problem. Its the truth.

 

[shevie]

That was pretty dumb of your friend's husband. Seriously, didn't he know that was going to happen?

Obviously not. And his premed advisor wasnt sure either way, he said this was the first time he had an applicant from s. africa, so he wanst sure, and he said "it cant hurt," so he went along w/ it....

That whole story sounds fishy. Don't most schools make you send a picture with your secondary? So wasn't he like OBVIOUSLY not black? I refuse to believe that that small detail was only first realized at the interview.

Its a true story. I can give u his number if u want, and he can tell u what he got on hs mcat...MOST med schools make you send a picture, for some its optional, and some dont require a pic until the interview. Im telling you its a top three school, go check out their secondaries, not all schools require pics.

And why was it dumb of him? He answered the quesiton in its literal form. Why should he be any different than any other "african american?" He came here w/o his parents (they still live in s. africa), had to work all thru college to pay for his own education, in a foregin country...I dont see why he shouldve been penalized for this, he didnt break any law, and followed the directions honestly and literally.
But seriously, its 100% true. maybe 1 in a million chance of getting an interviewer who is this staunch liberal type whos all for more URMs in medicine and is pissed that u exploited the system, but thats what happened to him, and all i was sayin is its not worth the chance.

 

[Jolie South]

Yeah but he didn't claim he was black - he said African American which he was. If the story is true then it was the interviewers own ignorance to assume he was black.

I have a friend who is egyptian who marks African-American on everythign and he's never had any problem. Its the truth.

African does not automatically mean black even though the majority of Africans are.

 

[shevie]

Yeah but he didn't claim he was black - he said African American which he was. If the story is true then it was the interviewers own ignorance to assume he was black.
quote]
It was his own ignorance...but what is he to do. He pissed off the interviewer b/c he was a liberal jack@$$ type who is all for minorities and stuff like that...and was mad that he was "cheating the system," and his request for another interview was denied.

 

[shevie]

AND, just be honest. He could have specified that somewhere in his application that he was just one of the very few white african-americans walking around.

I think he talked about other more significant things in his app, didnt see it necessary to mention, and BTW dear all liberal pro affirmative action types, I AM WHITE.

 

[LovelyMD]

That whole story sounds fishy. Don't most schools make you send a picture with your secondary? So wasn't he like OBVIOUSLY not black? I refuse to believe that that small detail was only first realized at the interview.

AND, just be honest. He could have specified that somewhere in his application that he was just one of the very few white african-americans walking around.

I knew someone whose mother was from Morocco, with a white father so she looked white and excuse me for saying this, but acted white too. She also checked the African-American box and got into Harvard for undergrad. It didn't really faze me at all. She was a stellar student, no denying that, and the whole situation doesn't really affect me personally.

No not really... only 6 of the 16 secondaries I'm filling out asked for a picture. Of the top 3 schools, assuming that shevie was referring to the US News rankings, 2 do not ask for a picture. So it really is possible that they didn't know.

Personally, if I was that guy and I wanted to show that I was not only White, but South African, I would've checked "Other" and written in "White South African," especially knowing what comes to people's minds when they think of the category "Black or African American," which is what he checked off. But that's just me...

I also don't know what "acting white" means...

 

[Meatwad]

Egypt may very well be in Africa, as is South Africa, but they care about your race and just *****-foot around saying "Black." Sure you could argue the semantics about how as a white American of South-African descent you are an African American, but we all know you are waisting your breath.

Plus, some of the most disadvantaged people could come from countriesl ike Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, etc.; the poverty levels in these countries are quite high, yet if one says they're from Europe, it'd be assumed that they are wealthy and have the world at their feet. For this reason, it doesn't matter if Egypt is in Africa; it doesn't make you black and being in Africa doesn't mean you are poor and disadvantaged necessarily.

 

[Jolie South]

if they want to know if you're black or not, they should put that on AMCAS.

the term african refers to cultural origins more so than race. ask a white zimbabwean or white south african if they consider themselves any less african because they are white. their families have been there for several generations and that's the culture they know. whether or not genetically they are descendants of europeans is irrelevant.

 

[alwaysaangel]

African does not automatically mean black even though the majority of Africans are.

Thats what I said...

 

[Jolie South]

Thats what I said...

exactly. i was reiterating.

 

[alwaysaangel]

exactly. i was reiterating.

Ah ok.

The whole term African-American should be done away with. Its a stupid term that most of the black people I know hate. Most have been in America for generations and don't consider themselves African anymore than I consider myself Welsh.

Plus, you get idiots who call black people in other countries African-American....ah DOY....

 

[LovelyMD]

if they want to know if you're black or not, they should put that on AMCAS.

the term african refers to cultural origins more so than race. ask a white zimbabwean or white south african if they consider themselves any less african because they are white. their families have been there for several generations and that's the culture they know. whether or not genetically they are descendants of europeans is irrelevant.

The AMCAS category is "Black or African American." Harvard and Penn use the AMCAS category, and Hopkins has the "Black or African American" category on its secondary.

Perhaps they should just change it to just "Black" since that's what they're looking for. However, some people considered Black in America abhor that term and prefer using the term African American, so eliminating it brings in a whole other set of racial politics...

oh boy, how did I get sucked into this...lol... the end.

Edit: I actually AM Black.

Edit2: WOW@ the 2nd post below mine... i think this post got overlooked...

 

[Jolie South]

Ah ok.

The whole term African-American should be done away with. Its a stupid term that most of the black people I know hate. Most have been in America for centuries and don't consider themselves African anymore than I consider myself Welsh.

Plus, you get idiots who call black people in other countries African-American....ah DOY....

i couldn't agree more. i'm the child of immigrants, neither of whom were born in the US or spoke English as their first language, but I still consider myself 100% American. I don't identify at all with their culture and don't speak their language because I grew up here.

 

[alwaysaangel]

i couldn't agree more. i'm the child of immigrants neither of whom were born in the US or spoke English as their first language, but I still consider myself 100% American. I don't identify at all with their culture and don't speak their language.

Exactly! To be honest, I haven't heard the term African-American used in anything other than official forms in years. And even then a lot of reverting to black. Black has finally become the PC term again (thank goodness). So hopefully very soon we will lose the African American term all together. As far as I know we're the only country ridiculous enough to need such a term anyway - every other country just calls them Black. And its not an issue.

Get rid of the term, and the ambiguity goes out the window with it - problem solved!

 

[dancinRN1022]

Exactly! To be honest, I haven't heard the term African-American used in anything other than official forms in years. And even then a lot of reverting to black. Black has finally become the PC term again (thank goodness). So hopefully very soon we will lose the African American term all together. As far as I know we're the only country ridiculous enough to need such a term anyway - every other country just calls them Black. And its not an issue.

Get rid of the term, and the ambiguity goes out the window with it - problem solved![/quote]


oooh lovely I wasn't going to join either...
ummmmm I think we should decide if we want to get rid of the term or not!!!
I am African American by the way!
This is going to happen sometimes... should the white african guy have been penalized... I dunno... I think if he explained himself he should have been okay... but he should have expected it! If you are smart enough to apply to medical school and smart enough to get those MCATs then you should have enough common sense to know that that term means in this country...is it totally fair... probably not..but its just the way it works...
I have a friend who was born in ireland and she isn't white! she checks other and puts black irish... because she isn't african american either!

I had no idea there would be so much racial politics on SDN!!! I thought I was just joining a group of neurotic pre-meds (similiar to myself).

I wish everyone would just stop getting soo upset over URM... open your MSAR there are still only 0-23 blacks/african americans enrolled in each school... and the 15 or higher numbers are def not the norm...

 

[Brigade4Radiant]

Well calling a black person AA is really just making a broad generalization.

 

[alwaysaangel]

oooh lovely I wasn't going to join either...
ummmmm I think we should decide if we want to get rid of the term or not!!!
I am African American by the way!
This is going to happen sometimes... should the white african guy have been penalized... I dunno... I think if he explained himself he should have been okay... but he should have expected it! If you are smart enough to apply to medical school and smart enough to get those MCATs then you should have enough common sense to know that that term means in this country...is it totally fair... probably not..but its just the way it works...
I have a friend who was born in ireland and she isn't white! she checks other and puts black irish... because she isn't african american either!

I had no idea there would be so much racial politics on SDN!!! I thought I was just joining a group of neurotic pre-meds (similiar to myself).

I wish everyone would just stop getting soo upset over URM... open your MSAR there are still only 0-23 blacks/african americans enrolled in each school... and the 15 or higher numbers are def not the norm...

Not trying to offend. Sorry if you have a problem with it. I don't have a problem with URM admissions - I think its perfectly ok. I just think the term African American is dumb.

And before you come to the conclusion that I'm some racist: I've had the black vs. African American discussed in multiple classes and in my private life (several classes with a good percentage of black classmates) and frankly, I've never met a black person who liked the term African American. Now I know one...through the internet at least.

 

[Jolie South]

No flames please, just wanted to share an anecdote.

i'm married to a black african and he thinks it's interesting how african americans refer to themselves as that. he always likes to ask if they would like to live in Africa. most say "yes." then he explains the culture and they're all like "maybe not."

for example,
could you live with your parents at 30?
could you obey them for the rest of your life?
could you share all your income with your extended family?
could you eat with your hands off of one communal plate with your 5 closest friends?
could you work in the fields at peak hours of the day with no tools other than a hoe for 5 days a week? did i mention for no pay?

 

[shevie]

No not really... only 6 of the 16 secondaries I'm filling out asked for a picture. Of the top 3 schools, assuming that shevie was referring to the US News rankings, 2 do not ask for a picture. So it really is possible that they didn't know.

I was referring to these rankings....thats what I said earlier in the thread. I guess ppl who thought the story was bs arent applying to [] [] or []. I dont want to be the one officially mentioning the name of this school b/c i dont want to get MY ass kicked for telling this story somehow...dont want it to come back and bite me while applying lol...

 

[shevie]

Egypt may very well be in Africa, as is South Africa, but they care about your race and just *****-foot around saying "Black." Sure you could argue the semantics about how as a white American of South-African descent you are an African American, but we all know you are waisting your breath.

If thats really what they want, then let them have a box to check off "ARE YOU BLACK." if you are african american and find the term offensive, heres an idea: DONT CHECK OFF THE BOX!!

Plus, some of the most disadvantaged people could come from countriesl ike Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, etc.; the poverty levels in these countries are quite high, yet if one says they're from Europe, it'd be assumed that they are wealthy and have the world at their feet. For this reason, it doesn't matter if Egypt is in Africa; it doesn't make you black and being in Africa doesn't mean you are poor and disadvantaged necessarily.[/quote]
but being the child of immigrant from egypt, (in africa), --> "african american" versus being the child of 5th or 6th generation americans, who just happen to be called "african" american because their great grandparents came here from africa on a boat in the 1700's??
and why shoudnt someone from moldova be considered disadvantaged just as someone from mexico is?
the whole URM system is so messed up. affirmative action is just racism in disguise.

 

[dancinRN1022]

If thats really what they want, then let them have a box to check off "ARE YOU BLACK." if you are african american and find the term offensive, heres an idea: DONT CHECK OFF THE BOX!!

Plus, some of the most disadvantaged people could come from countriesl ike Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, etc.; the poverty levels in these countries are quite high, yet if one says they're from Europe, it'd be assumed that they are wealthy and have the world at their feet. For this reason, it doesn't matter if Egypt is in Africa; it doesn't make you black and being in Africa doesn't mean you are poor and disadvantaged necessarily.

but being the child of immigrant from egypt, (in africa), --> "african american" versus being the child of 5th or 6th generation americans, who just happen to be called "african" american because their great grandparents came here from africa on a boat in the 1700's??
and why shoudnt someone from moldova be considered disadvantaged just as someone from mexico is?
the whole URM system is so messed up. affirmative action is just racism in disguise.[/quote]


hahaha and there goes the flames!!!! I can't believe this is seriously an argument like once a week!!!

hey alwaysangel
sorry if my post sounded like I was offended, I am not, I just think we should label ourselves that is all... I don't in any way think you are a racist or have a right to label you a racist... I don't know you

 

[Meatwad]

the whole URM system is so messed up. affirmative action is just racism in disguise.

Unforunately, this is a topic that will open up a huge can of worms and will get this thread closed down pretty quickly.

My friend is black, and his dad's from Trinidad. I don't see why a box wouldn't just say "black," considering he doesn't think the term African-American applies to him. Obviously his father's ancestors hundreds of years ago were African, but who cares; does African history or culture have any relevance to his life or special place in his heart? No; hell, he doesn't even care about his much less distant Caribbean heritage. I think it'd be downright shortsighted for a Caribbean-American to consider themselves African-Americans, since Caribbean culture is so rich and distinct in and of itself. It obviously has retained some facets of African culture, but religion, food, norms, etc. have all greatly changed.

If you want to term yourself an African-American because your ancestors were African, then I'm an African-American too. And I'm white. We've all (human beings) come from around the same area originally anyway, and as far as I know, Africa is thought to be that starting ground.

 

[ohiostatedoc]

I have friends who are egyptian, and usually they apply as urms. Don't get advice from pplz who don't know egypt. Egypt is very diverse and even though they have been arabized in culture they are still egyptian with brown skin. You are underrepresented in medicine and most of you guyz do come from a nubian background so just do it man, and yes my friend did get excepted to a med school.

 

[Meatwad]

hey alwaysangel
sorry if my post sounded like I was offended, I am not, I just think we should label ourselves that is all... I don't in any way think you are a racist or have a right to label you a racist... I don't know you

I come from a town which is > 50% minorities, so I realize the hardships a lot of minorities go through. I don't disagree with trying to get URM's into medicine at all, I think it's a great thing. There are far too few doctor's in my area, and even fewer of them are minorities! It's a vicious cycle.

I just don't see why a section on an application dealing with race can't be honest about what it's asking for: color. Obviously the South-African white guy's situation illustrates the bungles that the current term African-American creates. Last time I checked, African-American is not a race; if it were, than black people living in Czechoslovakia would be considered African-Americans (if their race = African-Americans, which it doesn't; their race is black). It's the same way that I'm white, not Austrian-Irish-German-Scottish-English-Italian-American.

Then we can get into the whole complicated endeavor of trying to classify many Brazilians. Brazil has a very multiracial society. Are they Latin-Americans? Are they African-Americans? Should all Brazilians be considered Latinos? What about the Brazilians who are 100% Japanese (believe it or not, a surprisingly large amount of Japanese people have lived in Brazil for generations now)?

 

[Meatwad]

I have friends who are egyptian, and usually they apply as urms. Don't get advice from pplz who don't know egypt. Egypt is very diverse and even though they have been arabized in culture they are still egyptian with brown skin. You are underrepresented in medicine and most of you guyz do come from a nubian background so just do it man, and yes my friend did get excepted to a med school.

Here's another reason why it should be black and not African-American: if the OP is a black Egyptian, they should be apply to apply as a black URM. If they are an Arabic Egyptian, they should not be able to apply as a URM, even if they are an "African-American," (although not a black one, which is the point of the URM status!!!).

 

[just thoughts]

No flames please, just wanted to share an anecdote.

i'm married to a black african and he thinks it's interesting how african americans refer to themselves as that. he always likes to ask if they would like to live in Africa. most say "yes." then he explains the culture and they're all like "maybe not."

for example,
could you live with your parents at 30?
could you obey them for the rest of your life?
could you share all your income with your extended family?
could you eat with your hands off of one communal plate with your 5 closest friends?
could you work in the fields at peak hours of the day with no tools other than a hoe for 5 days a week? did i mention for no pay?

i just want to start by saying that i'm definitely not flaming you, just making a point. there is no singular "African culture," and i think that gets people into a bit of trouble. some people seem to think of Africa as if it is a country, instead of a continent. Egypt and The Gambia are very different places, but both reside in Africa. Cairo and Aswan are very different places, but both reside in Egypt.

while i get the point that your husband is trying to make, i would also urge that he's careful with how he portrays "Africa," particularly to people that may have never visited any of the countries in Africa. that type of anecdotal response is precisely what reinforces the somewhat singular ideas that many people have about "Africa" being limited to what you have written above.

just thoughts...

 

[KeyzerSoze]

And why was it dumb of him? He answered the quesiton in its literal form. Why should he be any different than any other "african american?" He came here w/o his parents (they still live in s. africa), had to work all thru college to pay for his own education, in a foregin country...I dont see why he shouldve been penalized for this, he didnt break any law, and followed the directions honestly and literally.

Because African American is a euphemism/PC term for black, as pretty much everyone knows. Of course, if he only came over recently from South Africa, he may not have known that, but his advisor certainly should have.

 

[cadingcading]

I hope this website helps:
(Look at the very bottom)
http://www.aamc.org/meded/urm/start.htm


This is a very touchy subject for everyone. One needs to look at the U.S. population in relation to that in higher education. For instance, we have a very high Hispanic population in the US, a small population of which makes up higher education. That is why we have these types of programs.

 

[Jolie South]

i just want to start by saying that i'm definitely not flaming you, just making a point. there is no singular "African culture," and i think that gets people into a bit of trouble. some people seem to think of Africa as if it is a country, instead of a continent. Egypt and The Gambia are very different places, but both reside in Africa. Cairo and Aswan are very different places, but both reside in Egypt.

while i get the point that your husband is trying to make, i would also urge that he's careful with how he portrays "Africa," particularly to people that may have never visited any of the countries in Africa. that type of anecdotal response is precisely what reinforces the somewhat singular ideas that many people have about "Africa" being limited to what you have written above.

just thoughts...

I agree. Though for the most part, sub-Saharan Africans do share many common cultural characteristics (communal nature, importance of family). My husband's country has 200 different tribes with that many different languages so yes I do realize you can't completely generalize. Each tribe is different, but you'd be surprised about how much they do have in common. But, I do think that my husband is a little more experienced having been born there and having formally studied African literature/ culture for his degrees (bachelor's and Master's).

North Africa has it's own culture that I know nothing about and I will gladly admit that.

It's like saying a Southerner isn't the same as a New Yorker. There are subtle differences but we are still American and have some common values (individuality, American dream, celebrate diversity).

 

[just thoughts]

I agree. Though for the most part, sub-Saharan Africans do share many common cultural characteristics (communal nature, importance of family). My husband's country has 200 different tribes with that many different languages so yes I do realize you can't completely generalize. Each tribe is different, but you'd be surprised about how much they do have in common. But, I do think that my husband is a little more experienced having been born there and having formally studied African literature/ culture for his degrees (bachelor's and Master's).

North Africa has it's own culture that I know nothing about and I will gladly admit that.

It's like saying a Southerner isn't the same as a New Yorker. There are subtle differences but we are still American and have some common values (individuality, American dream, celebrate diversity).

do you mean comparing northern and southern African countries or comparing the tribes within a particular country?

if it's the former, i would actually stretch your analogy a bit further and say that it's more like comparing Mexican people to people from the US. We're ALL American, and there are some commonalities, but there are some important distinctions, as well. we share a continent, and that is large part of what makes us American, but our countries operate independently, for the most part (with regard to government, economic systems, and so on).

most people that i know that are not from the US tend to laugh (in nicer moments) whenever someone from the US refers to themselves singularly as American because more often than not, US Americans forget that Canadian and Mexican people are also American.

 

[Jolie South]

do you mean comparing northern and southern African countries or comparing the tribes within a particular country?

if it's the former, i would actually stretch your analogy a bit further and say that it's more like comparing Mexican people to people from the US. We're ALL American, and there are some commonalities, but there are some important distinctions, as well. we share a continent, and that is large part of what makes us American, but our countries operate independently, for the most part (with regard to government, economic systems, and so on).

most people that i know that are not from the US tend to laugh (in nicer moments) whenever someone from the US refers to themselves singularly as American because more often than not, US Americans forget that Canadian and Mexican people are also American.

I was comparing the differences in sub-Saharan Africans to the differences in Americans within the United States.

Yes, I get your point about Americans, but if you're not saying Americans for people in the US what do you say?

 

[pakbabydoll]

I was wondering would Pakistani Asians count as minority? I mean I moved here in 8th grade. I did not know any English at all, but I worked on it and in 11th, and 12th grade I ended up taking AP English. So it has not been easy for me. I did not even know what GPA was much less what my GPA was till 10th grade.
Back to the subject are Pakistani Asians seen as minorities? Are they underrepresented in medical schools?

 

[Meatwad]

I was wondering would Pakistani Asians count as minority? I mean I moved here in 8th grade. I did not know any English at all, but I worked on it and in 11th, and 12th grade I ended up taking AP English. So it has not been easy for me. I did not even know what GPA was much less what my GPA was till 10th grade.
Back to the subject do Pakistani Asians are seen as minorities? Are they underepresented in medical schools?

No, they are not URM.

 

[wood41]

No flames please, just wanted to share an anecdote.

i'm married to a black african and he thinks it's interesting how african americans refer to themselves as that. he always likes to ask if they would like to live in Africa. most say "yes." then he explains the culture and they're all like "maybe not."

for example,
could you live with your parents at 30?
could you obey them for the rest of your life?
could you share all your income with your extended family?
could you eat with your hands off of one communal plate with your 5 closest friends?
could you work in the fields at peak hours of the day with no tools other than a hoe for 5 days a week? did i mention for no pay?

you do know not all of africa is like that.

 

[postbacker]

I was wondering would Pakistani Asians count as minority? I mean I moved here in 8th grade. I did not know any English at all, but I worked on it and in 11th, and 12th grade I ended up taking AP English. So it has not been easy for me. I did not even know what GPA was much less what my GPA was till 10th grade.
Back to the subject are Pakistani Asians seen as minorities? Are they underrepresented in medical schools?

No dice...

 

[alwaysaangel]

I was wondering would Pakistani Asians count as minority? I mean I moved here in 8th grade. I did not know any English at all, but I worked on it and in 11th, and 12th grade I ended up taking AP English. So it has not been easy for me. I did not even know what GPA was much less what my GPA was till 10th grade.
Back to the subject are Pakistani Asians seen as minorities? Are they underrepresented in medical schools?

Check AMCAS - they have an all inclusive list somewhere - though I'm not positive where it is anymore. But I'm pretty sure Pakistani is not minority - actually I think Pakistanis and Indians are over represented in medicine in the US (compared to percentage of residents).

You're probably better off going the 'disadvantaged' route if you feel that it was a significant disadvantage to your ability to get into and succeed in college.

 

[pakbabydoll]

No, they are not URM.

ehe worth a shot. I can still go for sympathy.

 

[just thoughts]

I was comparing the differences in sub-Saharan Africans to the differences in Americans within the United States.

Yes, I get your point about Americans, but if you're not saying Americans for people in the US what do you say?

i had a feeling that you meant sub-Saharan countries, but i wasn't sure.

as for identifying as American, it's pretty interesting. when it comes to white people, saying that you're from the US or are a US American seems to be enough (i find that this depends on where in the world you are). for people of color, it could end there, or depending on where you are and what you look like, there might be more questions. the next question might be something along the lines of "where is your family from?" and that usually means that the asker is looking for some other country of origin.

 

[cadingcading]

Check AMCAS - they have an all inclusive list somewhere - though I'm not positive where it is anymore. But I'm pretty sure Pakistani is not minority - actually I think Pakistanis and Indians are over represented in medicine in the US (compared to percentage of residents).

You're probably better off going the 'disadvantaged' route if you feel that it was a significant disadvantage to your ability to get into and succeed in college.

http://www.aamc.org/meded/urm/start.htm

 

[LovelyMD]

i had a feeling that you meant sub-Saharan countries, but i wasn't sure.

as for identifying as American, it's pretty interesting. when it comes to white people, saying that you're from the US or are a US American seems to be enough (i find that this depends on where in the world you are). for people of color, it could end there, or depending on where you are and what you look like, there might be more questions. the next question might be something along the lines of "where is your family from?" and that usually means that the asker is looking for some other country of origin.

Agreed! I get asked this all the time (I can pass for quite a few ethnicities, so people do get confused), and they're usually looking for some kind of country of origin.

It'll go something like this:
Person: "So where are you from?"
Me: "Oh, I'm from here. I'm American."
Person: "But uh... where are you really from?"

We're not simply American - we're hyphenated Americans.

 

[Phoenix.]

Agreed! I get asked this all the time (I can pass for quite a few ethnicities, so people do get confused), and they're usually looking for some kind of country of origin.

It'll go something like this:
Person: "So where are you from?"
Me: "Oh, I'm from here. I'm American."
Person: "But uh... where are you really from?"

We're not simply American - we're hyphenated Americans.

Hmm. Is it better to ask, "What's your ancestry?" I remember asking that of an Asian friend of mine (when it was relevant to the conversation - can't remember the topic though!). I've never asked someone "where are you from," unless, of course, they have an incredibly heavy foreign accent, and then I figure it's fair game!

 

[riceman04]

but, if he was born in Africa, he'd still be African whether he's white or not.

Yeah...but he had to know he was testing the boundaries of that classification.