Noun

An acronym used in academic medicine meaning underrepresented racial and ethnic groups; specifically refers to Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, Native American or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander.

Please note: URG is not a permanent or fixed identity because it is based on demographics and representation.

The need for URG identification results from systems of oppression, particularly racism, which historically excluded people who are Black and/or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, Native American or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander from careers and within the field of academic medicine.

Although there is some overlap, URG is not interchangeable with the term people of color, which includes those of broader Asian descent.

Academic medicine made an intentional shift from using the term underrepresented minorities, as “minority” connotes “less than”.

Source

Adapted from the NIH and informed by the National Science Foundation.