What's in a name?

I'm working on a research paper for English about the repercussions of having an ethnic or unique name in America. This topic is interesting to me, as I am applying to medical school this summer, and I want to know if my name will be a positive aspect or negative. In one way, it should be positive since my name reflects my ethnic background, and being so the entrance personnel might see that as an opportunity to expand the diversity on campus, for example. But, I'm not only focusing on names affecting scholarships/ entry into schools, but also how it affects people on an every day basis, as well as in the judiciary system, and job opportunities/place of work.

I think it's an interesting topic, especially in America, since there is large spectrum of different kinds of ethnicities and races, reflected in the names. In addition to the diversity in America, Americans also tend to be very creative, and there are many new names that are the parents' creation. These unique names may also present a challenge to those individuals.

I'm finding lots of information, and not surprisingly, most of my sources so far point to discrimination, and even unconscious bias. A statistic I found stated (more or less) that individuals with white-sounding names had 40% more of a chance getting a call back based on their resume than individuals with identical resumes but with African American names.

Some of the articles that I've read suggest just using your first initial on your resume if you have a difficult to pronounce first name. This way, the HR person would have to call the individual, and at that point the individual can introduce him/herself, eliminating potential embarrassment or discomfort on the behalf of the HR person.