Do Pharmacology and Psychology classes count as "Science GPA"?

[pithy84]

I have seen the PDF from the AAMC with "Biology-Chemistry-Physics-Math" classes (BCPM) circled in a box. Psychology and Pharmacology are both not in the box, which might suggest they are not part of the science GPA.

Do Psychology and Pharmacology count toward science GPA? I hope so, because I got A's in both. I'm not sure whether it would actually change my sGPA, which is probably 3.9 either way. If you include another digit, then it definitely matters.

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[Doug Underhill]

You would think pharmacology would count as biology.

https://www.aamc.org/students/download/181694/data/amcas_course_classification_guide.pdf

Looks like it doesn't, though

 

[LizzyM]

Psychology is a social science according to AMCAS. Pharmacology is categorized as health (HEAL) which is not part of BCPM (biology, chemistry, physics, math).

 

[deleted407021]

I've heard of a few instances where people were able to get something like physiological psych on BCPM as you can appeal how these courses are categorized. Now, I'm not sure how this works.

 

[TexasSurgeon]

I have seen the PDF from the AAMC with "Biology-Chemistry-Physics-Math" classes (BCPM) circled in a box. Psychology and Pharmacology are both not in the box, which might suggest they are not part of the science GPA.

Do Psychology and Pharmacology count toward science GPA? I hope so, because I got A's in both. I'm not sure whether it would actually change my sGPA, which is probably 3.9 either way. If you include another digit, then it definitely matters.

Pharmacology probably does. If you want to dispute AMCAS, I believe you must send in a transcript to them.

 

[efle]

Now I wonder what to do with a course coded under BIOL based on a textbook called "Psychopharmacology". Bio? Psych? Pharm?

 

[llamasarefuzzy]

My physiological psychology class and associated lab were in the psych department but counted for bcpm

 

[efle]

That makes sense, physiology counts as BCPM

 

[Doctor Strange]

I was a pharmacology & toxicology major in undergrad. None of my pharm courses counted towards my science GPA.

 

[efle]

I was a pharmacology & toxicology major in undergrad. None of my pharm courses counted towards my science GPA.

Which seems weird because pharma is basically a blend of Ochem, anatomy/phys and biochem in my experience. I guess maybe because courses which are really abnormal psych sometimes get called pharm if they include some talk about treatments?

 

[LizzyM]

Now I wonder what to do with a course coded under BIOL based on a textbook called "Psychopharmacology". Bio? Psych? Pharm?

If you did better in this course than your overall sGPA, try to classify it as BIO. If it will pull down your sGPA, try to get it classified as HEAL.

 

[efle]

If you did better in this course than your overall sGPA, try to classify it as BIO. If it will pull down your sGPA, try to get it classified as HEAL.

My GPA is the same no matter which classes get classified where, but good advice for anybody else in this dilemma

 

[Doctor Strange]

Which seems weird because pharma is basically a blend of Ochem, anatomy/phys and biochem in my experience. I guess maybe because courses which are really abnormal psych sometimes get called pharm if they include some talk about treatments?

Wait, I lied... All my pharm courses were classified as biology, though this might have changed since the time I applied (summer 2013).

 

[efle]

Wait, I lied... All my pharm courses were classified as biology, though this might have changed since the time I applied (summer 2013).

How do they decide where to classify, is it just based on the department it is offered through? Like I know there are some neuroscience classes here cross listed under Bio and Psych would people be able/unable to include these just based on which code they clicked when registering?

 

[Doctor Strange]

How do they decide where to classify, is it just based on the department it is offered through? Like I know there are some neuroscience classes here cross listed under Bio and Psych would people be able/unable to include these just based on which code they clicked when registering?

No idea.

 

[Noctámbulo]

Psychology is a social science according to AMCAS. Pharmacology is categorized as health (HEAL) which is not part of BCPM (biology, chemistry, physics, math).

LizzyM, have you seen people petition psych courses (such as physiological psychology and biological basis of behavior) to count towards their BCMP GPA? My school does not have a neuroscience major, but is working on it, so although these courses are neuroscience-oriented, they cannot formally be categorized as such.

 

[LizzyM]

LizzyM, have you seen people petition psych courses (such as physiological psychology and biological basis of behavior) to count towards their BCMP GPA? My school does not have a neuroscience major, but is working on it, so although these courses are neuroscience-oriented, they cannot formally be categorized as such.

I don't see things until they are all done so I don't know how people listed things and what AAMC did with it. Neuroscience would likely be BCPM as it is biology, no?

 

[Noctámbulo]

I don't see things until they are all done so I don't know how people listed things and what AAMC did with it. Neuroscience would likely be BCPM as it is biology, no?

I figured. Thought I'd ask, just in case. Yes, Neuroscience does count towards BCPM, but my concern is that, since my university does not have a Neuroscience department and these courses are filed under Psychology, it will not count.

 

[WedgeDawg]

I figured. Thought I'd ask, just in case. Yes, Neuroscience does count towards BCPM, but my concern is that, since my university does not have a Neuroscience department and these courses are filed under Psychology, it will not count.

The way we do it at my school is that if it has "neuroscience" in the title, we put it as Bio, even if it's in the psych department. I would assume that this would work for all schools. Of course, if you did poorly in this course, I would try and not list it as BCPM and just throw it under psych.

 

[Noctámbulo]

The way we do it at my school is that if it has "neuroscience" in the title, we put it as Bio, even if it's in the psych department. I would assume that this would work for all schools. Of course, if you did poorly in this course, I would try and not list it as BCPM and just throw it under psych.

Oh, I see. So we don't necessarily have to go by the departmental abbreviation that's conjugated to the course number? I was under the impression that everything had to be copied down word-for-word from our transcript. Is this considered to be the petition process they speak of?

 

[WedgeDawg]

Oh, I see. So we don't necessarily have to go by the departmental abbreviation that's conjugated to the course number? I was under the impression that everything had to be copied down word-for-word from our transcript. Is this considered to be the petition process they speak of?

Everything has to be copied word for word from the transcript *except* what you designate the class as. So if you took PSYC115 "neuroscience of behavior" for example, you would have to list that department and number where asked, but then there is a drop-down menu later on that asks you to classify it using AMCAS'so methodology. Neuroscience clearly falls under biology in their system so you would choose that from the drop down menu.

The appeals process comes later, after you've been verified. If AMCAS chooses to change a designation, you can email them and try and make your case as to why it should be what you want it to be.

 

[Noctámbulo]

Everything has to be copied word for word from the transcript *except* what you designate the class as. So if you took PSYC115 "neuroscience of behavior" for example, you would have to list that department and number where asked, but then there is a drop-down menu later on that asks you to classify it using AMCAS'so methodology. Neuroscience clearly falls under biology in their system so you would choose that from the drop down menu.

The appeals process comes later, after you've been verified. If AMCAS chooses to change a designation, you can email them and try and make your case as to why it should be what you want it to be.

Very helpful. Thank you so much.

 

[WillburCobb]

Oh, I see. So we don't necessarily have to go by the departmental abbreviation that's conjugated to the course number? I was under the impression that everything had to be copied down word-for-word from our transcript. Is this considered to be the petition process they speak of?

I listed the following Psych courses (they all had a PSYC prefix on my transcript) as BCPM and AMCAS didn't change them: Research Methods I, Research Methods II, Attention and Thinking, Experimental Design, Memory and Knowledge, Visual Perception, Biopsych, Intro to Neuro, and Cognitive Neuropsych. They did change Music History II to History but left Music History I as Fine Arts for whatever reason.

Regarding petitioning, if AMCAS changed a class from one category to another and you strongly feel that they are wrong, you can appeal the change and provide evidence (e.g., syllabus, letter from the course instructor, etc.) as to why you feel it should be categorized differently. If they agree the course gets changed to what was initially put, if not then it stays as AMCAS categorized it.

 

[llamasarefuzzy]

I listed the following Psych courses (they all had a PSYC prefix on my transcript) as BCPM and AMCAS didn't change them: Research Methods I, Research Methods II, Attention and Thinking, Experimental Design, Memory and Knowledge, Visual Perception, Biopsych, Intro to Neuro, and Cognitive Neuropsych. They did change Music History II to History but left Music History I as Fine Arts for whatever reason.

Regarding petitioning, if AMCAS changed a class from one category to another and you strongly feel that they are wrong, you can appeal the change and provide evidence (e.g., syllabus, letter from the course instructor, etc.) as to why you feel it should be categorized differently. If they agree the course gets changed to what was initially put, if not then it stays as AMCAS categorized it.

Shoot, you got research methods counted as bcpm? I didn't even think to try that
Pharmacology did count as bcpm for me as it was offered by my physiology department

 

[WillburCobb]

Shoot, you got research methods counted as bcpm? I didn't even think to try that
Pharmacology did count as bcpm for me as it was offered by my physiology department

RM I and II, and Experimental Design were super math heavy at my school. More math and the theory behind it was covered in RM I than in the 2 semesters of Stats that I took.