Too white to study medicine

I know 3 med students, all white males, all at UCT. But that is a small sample ;)

Apparently the universities are struggling to meet their race quotas so the whities get in irrespectively.

I do know that they pay a lot of attention to prior experience, like volunteer work at hospitals and job shadowing.

But I hear that being an engineering is the new doctor and easier to get into...
 
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Its just government's way of appeasing the masses.

See, the ANC's thinking is that, if they go on about improving access to tertiary education for the majority, the majority will think that the ANC is doing good. Tertiary education is like a shining beacon, its like winning a lottery ticket. As far as these poor uneducated souls are concerned, if you get into university, once you graduate they will pay you what whites earn, which is R1 million per month.

But like the lottery ticket, the whole thing is a lie. What is the use of getting into university if you have no chance of passing? Primary and secondary schooling in this country, especially for the underprivileged, is in such a shocking state that they are just about guaranteed to fail. So what the ANC is doing is "investing" into tertiary education (ie pressuring universities into accepting more black candidates) instead of actually improving education, which I think we all agree would actually take resources and effort.
 
I have to cut and paste as my friend cannot post in CA.

This is her story:

I can completely relate to this poor girl. I myself completed high school with an average of above 80%, have a BA at UCT and an LLB at UCT. I have been accepted to do a Master's in Law at UCT next year. I have nowhere to go once I complete it.

I have applied at 39 firms across SA since this January, and have either been sent immediate (i.e. no interview or anything) automated rejection letters, or have been ignored - I am not sure which is worse. This is despite the fact that, putting aside any humility, my CV is darn impressive. I have bursaries, have been in the top section of my class every year (at UCT, this is called making it onto the "Dean's Merit List", a place for the highest achievers to be recognised every year), have had a legal article published and so on. I am no dodo. Yet I must watch people who I know have barely scraped through, or have repeated subjects/years of their LLB getting into one of the Big 5 law firms of the country, whilst I can't even get an interview! I have looked on the websites of some of the very big firms, and they brag that they ensure something between 50% - 70% of their candidate attorney's must be "previously disadvantaged". That leaves a tiny window open for people who are CURRENTLY disadvantaged, and I have a feeling this is reserved for "insiders" (e.g. people with connections, like through family members and so on). I know this is not a matter of my not having what it takes, because I have been asked to please apply to the infamous Bain & Co, Mitt Romney's American-based company. So the American's will have me, but my own people wont?

This is not just my problem either. My friends are in the same boat - first generation (so I don't see how they were previously advantaged either) educated whites with good grades and no connections who have no place to go. One is toying with the idea of teaching English in a 3rd world country - with a law degree under her belt!
 
waynegohl said:
I have to cut and paste as my friend cannot post in CA.

This is her story:

I can completely relate to this poor girl. I myself completed high school with an average of above 80%, have a BA at UCT and an LLB at UCT. I have been accepted to do a Master's in Law at UCT next year. I have nowhere to go once I complete it.

I have applied at 39 firms across SA since this January, and have either been sent immediate (i.e. no interview or anything) automated rejection letters, or have been ignored - I am not sure which is worse. This is despite the fact that, putting aside any humility, my CV is darn impressive. I have bursaries, have been in the top section of my class every year (at UCT, this is called making it onto the "Dean's Merit List", a place for the highest achievers to be recognised every year), have had a legal article published and so on. I am no dodo. Yet I must watch people who I know have barely scraped through, or have repeated subjects/years of their LLB getting into one of the Big 5 law firms of the country, whilst I can't even get an interview! I have looked on the websites of some of the very big firms, and they brag that they ensure something between 50% - 70% of their candidate attorney's must be "previously disadvantaged". That leaves a tiny window open for people who are CURRENTLY disadvantaged, and I have a feeling this is reserved for "insiders" (e.g. people with connections, like through family members and so on). I know this is not a matter of my not having what it takes, because I have been asked to please apply to the infamous Bain & Co, Mitt Romney's American-based company. So the American's will have me, but my own people wont?

This is not just my problem either. My friends are in the same boat - first generation (so I don't see how they were previously advantaged either) educated whites with good grades and no connections who have no place to go. One is toying with the idea of teaching English in a 3rd world country - with a law degree under her belt!
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Your friend is female and thus helps boosting their AA ratings. Odds are her CV just looks meh. I know some fairly mediocre law students that are white and male that managed to get alright jobs at law firms. There has to be another, maybe less obvious issue. Besides that, I'd probably take the Americans up on their offer if I didn't feel the need to stay in SA for whatever reason. Foreign law is quite popular in the US currently, I'm told
 
Messugga said:
Your friend is female and thus helps boosting their AA ratings. Odds are her CV just looks meh. I know some fairly mediocre law students that are white and male that managed to get alright jobs at law firms. There has to be another, maybe less obvious issue. Besides that, I'd probably take the Americans up on their offer if I didn't feel the need to stay in SA for whatever reason. Foreign law is quite popular in the US currently, I'm told
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Whose AA ratings certainly not in this country?
 
You could black up and walk in the front door...just to see what happens
 
waynegohl said:
I have to cut and paste as my friend cannot post in CA.

This is her story:

I can completely relate to this poor girl. I myself completed high school with an average of above 80%, have a BA at UCT and an LLB at UCT. I have been accepted to do a Master's in Law at UCT next year. I have nowhere to go once I complete it.

I have applied at 39 firms across SA since this January, and have either been sent immediate (i.e. no interview or anything) automated rejection letters, or have been ignored - I am not sure which is worse. This is despite the fact that, putting aside any humility, my CV is darn impressive. I have bursaries, have been in the top section of my class every year (at UCT, this is called making it onto the "Dean's Merit List", a place for the highest achievers to be recognised every year), have had a legal article published and so on. I am no dodo. Yet I must watch people who I know have barely scraped through, or have repeated subjects/years of their LLB getting into one of the Big 5 law firms of the country, whilst I can't even get an interview! I have looked on the websites of some of the very big firms, and they brag that they ensure something between 50% - 70% of their candidate attorney's must be "previously disadvantaged". That leaves a tiny window open for people who are CURRENTLY disadvantaged, and I have a feeling this is reserved for "insiders" (e.g. people with connections, like through family members and so on). I know this is not a matter of my not having what it takes, because I have been asked to please apply to the infamous Bain & Co, Mitt Romney's American-based company. So the American's will have me, but my own people wont?

This is not just my problem either. My friends are in the same boat - first generation (so I don't see how they were previously advantaged either) educated whites with good grades and no connections who have no place to go. One is toying with the idea of teaching English in a 3rd world country - with a law degree under her belt!
Click to expand...

I also have a BA and LLB from UCT and am currently in my second year of articles at a South African law firm, as are all my white friends from varsity. In fact, at my firm alone there are another 5 whities serving their articles. So its not like its impossible ;) Maybe things have changed in the last 2 years?

But then again, it is easier to blame an external factor than a CV, cover letter, ability, work experience or enthusiasm... Not that I'm saying this is your friend's case.
 
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She applied at one of the top firms in Cape Town and was told they only employ previously disadvantaged people so it does have to do with skin colour.

It is a pity that she cannot respond herself here instead of me having to cut and paste.

What I cannot understand is that South Africa asks for more women in the work place and more female representation in the criminal justice system BUT she cannot even get a foot in the door because she is not previously disadvantaged.
 
waynegohl said:
She applied at one of the top firms in Cape Town and was told they only employ previously disadvantaged people so it does have to do with skin colour.

It is a pity that she cannot respond herself here instead of me having to cut and paste.

What I cannot understand is that South Africa asks for more women in the work place and more female representation in the criminal justice system BUT she cannot even get a foot in the door because she is not previously disadvantaged.
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That's pretty shocking. My sympathies for her. Again, if I were her, I'd pack my bags for the US. I read a couple of days ago on Reddit that people with foreign law experience is a hot commodity in the US at the moment.
 
Messugga said:
That's pretty shocking. My sympathies for her. Again, if I were her, I'd pack my bags for the US. I read a couple of days ago on Reddit that people with foreign law experience is a hot commodity in the US at the moment.
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I told her that too, and could maybe get her a room in NYC at my cousins place but I know the family are not well off and what they have/had they have been using to give their daughter an education that would lead to a better way of life but was their sacrifice all in vain if she cannot find a job because of government policies?
 
Van der Merwe said Indian candidates, preferably from the Western and Northern Cape and African and coloured candidates from all provinces were selected first.
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Yeah, It's time for ALL whites to leave and let this cesspit of an abortion called a country go to hell like the rest of Black Africa.
 
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waynegohl said:
She applied at one of the top firms in Cape Town and was told they only employ previously disadvantaged people so it does have to do with skin colour.

It is a pity that she cannot respond herself here instead of me having to cut and paste.

What I cannot understand is that South Africa asks for more women in the work place and more female representation in the criminal justice system BUT she cannot even get a foot in the door because she is not previously disadvantaged.
Click to expand...

Not to play down anything that has gone against your friend but I know a couple of white males who recently got through to big sized law firms with really the bare minimum marks to get through their course. If she really did apply to 39 firms and none of them accepted at least an interview with her, well then there is probably something wrong on her side. If all 39 came out and told her its because of her race, well then fine its not her fault but most of the big firms will at least notify a candidate of rejection, regardless of the grounds, if their CVs stood out.

Obviously I could be wrong and naturally getting in to the top firms is competitive regardless of AA rules but I find way too often people immediately assume they were rejected because of the colour of their skin (and that works on which ever race you are).
 
Ok how many white females have joined firms since all I've heard is white males getting jobs?
 
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