*-*-*The Official AMCAS Questions Thread 2011*-*-*

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It's that time of the year again. 😱

This is a place for all things AMCAS so we don't flood the main page. New threads started with questions about AMCAS will be merged here.

REMINDER: Each thread has a search function. USE IT.

Good luck all.
 
Hey, guys, I just have a quick question about the transcript. I've noticed that AACOMAS has a new requirement this year. They are not going to verify the transcripts until we send all our spring term grades up to junior year (at least). Do you guys happen to know if AMCAS requires this too? My stats are not that great so I'm planning to apply as early as possible. My school is quarter system and I won't get my spring grades until June 24th. I've read the instruction book for AMCAS and I haven't seen any request like that. But I still want to make sure. Does anybody know? Thanks!
 
if you go to the same institution for different purposes at different times do you list them separately, and do you send two transcripts even if one transcript covers both these times (e.g. ugrad, then grad in same uni)
 
bleargh said:
if you go to the same institution for different purposes at different times do you list them separately, and do you send two transcripts even if one transcript covers both these times (e.g. ugrad, then grad in same uni)
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Stupid internet ate my response.

I have a similar situation. I graduated from my alma mater, started my prereqs at another college, then returned to my alma mater to finish them. I listed them separately, as I got a degree the first time and not the second, and I attended another school between the two times I was enrolled there.

I'm probably only going to send one transcript, though. All of my courses, from both times I attended, should be on it (they're all on my unofficial transcript).
 
Geekchick921 said:
Stupid internet ate my response.

I have a similar situation. I graduated from my alma mater, started my prereqs at another college, then returned to my alma mater to finish them. I listed them separately, as I got a degree the first time and not the second, and I attended another school between the two times I was enrolled there.

I'm probably only going to send one transcript, though. All of my courses, from both times I attended, should be on it (they're all on my unofficial transcript).
Click to expand...

Just make sure to check out a copy of your official transcript before you send it. If they are all undergrad classes, they're probably on one transcript. If some are graduate courses, you might need to request a separate transcript.
 
They're all undergrad courses, at least for me.
 
i just called AMCAS about that - i took summer classes at a diff institution two summers in a row. they told me to list the entire period that i was in that school even if there were gaps (june 05-july 07) and in my course entry i would say the specific dates i was enrolled in those courses.

now my question:

- does AMCAS calculate your science GPA for you once your type everything in?
 
ball1313 said:
i just called AMCAS about that - i took summer classes at a diff institution two summers in a row. they told me to list the entire period that i was in that school even if there were gaps (june 05-july 07) and in my course entry i would say the specific dates i was enrolled in those courses.

now my question:

- does AMCAS calculate your science GPA for you once your type everything in?
Click to expand...

No they do not, your cGPA, aoGPA, and sciGPA aren't calculated until you're verified. You can do the calculation using the AMCAS grade conversion guide:

http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/2010conversionguide.pdf
 
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At my university, we choose to major in Biology then choose a concentration (biochemistry, botany, ecology, microbiology). I chose BCMB- Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology. What should I list as my major? Biology, BCMB (under other not abbreviated), or Biochemistry?
 
ball1313 said:
- does AMCAS calculate your science GPA for you once your type everything in?
Click to expand...

It won't be once you type everything in... it'll be after verification, but yes, AMCAS automatically breaks down your GPA into cumulative, AO, and science; also by year and undergrad vs. postbac vs. grad.
 
I took a Generaly Chemistry I at one school, and Inorganic Chemistry I at another school. Would that be considered a retake? I would think they're equivalent courses.
 
I have a question about entering my job in amcas. A lot of my clinical experience comes through my job (I teach at a medical prep school). For instance, we have a hospital across the street from our school, and we are taking the students tomorrow to do cadaver dissections and learn to use surgical tools with the help of Medtronic. Also, twice a month we go over with the students to do rounds with doctors in different areas of the hospital.

I also do medical volunteer work with my job, such as next saturday we are spending the day at mayo.

My worry is if I don't list this under clinical, my clinical hours will seem to be lacking. I have been working full time and going to school full time for awhile, and other than some volunteer work public speaking and assisting a lady with CP outside of a hospital setting, my volunteer/shadowing of late is all with my job. I am beginning to volunteer in an ER next week, but I'm worried I'll look like a slacker waiting until the last minute. Any thoughts of how to enter this?
 
If you dropped a class, do you have to list it? Im pretty sure you do, but just making sure.
 
So I did a quick search about courses that count towards BCPM gpa and read the 2011 amcas instructions but i still had some questions about four courses that I took.

Physiological psychology
Behavioral Pharmacology
Plant Science
Endocrinology Animal Physiology


1) Both physiological psychology and behavioral pharmacology were all science based but they were psychology courses.

2) Am I correct to assume that plant science is a NPSC (naturla/physical science)

3) Both endocrinology and animal physiology fell under animal sciences at my university. Do both these courses then count as animal sciences and not part of BCPM?

Wasn't sure if there was an appropriate thread for this. I'll probably post in DO also?
 
addo said:
If you dropped a class, do you have to list it? Im pretty sure you do, but just making sure.
Click to expand...

If you dropped it after normal drop/add period (usually the first week) then yes, you need to list it. It will likely show up as a W on your transcript anyway.
 
nevermind
 
Last edited:
rmj254 said:
I took a Generaly Chemistry I at one school, and Inorganic Chemistry I at another school. Would that be considered a retake? I would think they're equivalent courses.
Click to expand...

I think they would be separate.
 
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One more question, about PS this time. I would like to submit my amcas asap so they can start verifying transcripts when they receive them. However I am not quite happy with y PS. Can I submit so the processing can begin and then go back before June 1st and put my final PS in? Or do I have to put my PS in before submitting/paying the main fee?
 
eablackwell said:
One more question, about PS this time. I would like to submit my amcas asap so they can start verifying transcripts when they receive them. However I am not quite happy with y PS. Can I submit so the processing can begin and then go back before June 1st and put my final PS in? Or do I have to put my PS in before submitting/paying the main fee?
Click to expand...

Unless the procedure has changed significantly from previous years, you cannot submit the application until early June. But yes, your PS must be finalized before submitting/paying.
 
BlueElmo said:
I think they would be separate.
Click to expand...

It depends on course level. Many people (and sometimes schools, although rarely in my experience) refer to gen chem as inorganic, when it's not really, it's just basics. Inorganic Chemistry is usually an upper division course that would not be offered at some place like a CC. If both your courses are lower division, then it's likely a repeat, if your inorganic 1 is a 3000/4000 or 300/400 level course, it's different from gen chem.
 
TooMuchResearch said:
Unless the procedure has changed significantly from previous years, you cannot submit the application until early June. But yes, your PS must be finalized before submitting/paying.
Click to expand...

Ah, ok. So just opening the amcas w/ my ID and putting in my info is enough for them to start verifying transcripts once they start rolling in? Thanks.
 
eablackwell said:
It depends on course level. Many people (and sometimes schools, although rarely in my experience) refer to gen chem as inorganic, when it's not really, it's just basics. Inorganic Chemistry is usually an upper division course that would not be offered at some place like a CC. If both your courses are lower division, then it's likely a repeat, if your inorganic 1 is a 3000/4000 or 300/400 level course, it's different from gen chem.
Click to expand...

Oh right. I mean even if he lists them as separate and it's wrong, the AMCAS will correct it for him.
 
hey guys...on the list of medical schools on AMCAS, they also list schools that belong to TMDSAS (A&M, UT, etc..)...so can you just apply to these schools on AMCAS or do you have to make another account for TMDSAS?
 
frescoengano said:
hey guys...on the list of medical schools on AMCAS, they also list schools that belong to TMDSAS (A&M, UT, etc..)...so can you just apply to these schools on AMCAS or do you have to make another account for TMDSAS?
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For the UT, and A&M schools you apply through AMCAS is you are applying for MD/PhD, or a dual program. If you are applying for MD you should only apply through TMDSAS.
 
frescoengano said:
hey guys...on the list of medical schools on AMCAS, they also list schools that belong to TMDSAS (A&M, UT, etc..)...so can you just apply to these schools on AMCAS or do you have to make another account for TMDSAS?
Click to expand...

I'm sure you have to open TMDSAS account for those schools if you're MD only.
 
For a paid research position, should I classify that as Research/Lab or Paid employment?
 
in general, psych classes don't count as bcpm. the AMCAS verifiers will correct the designations if you didn't list them correctly, so I wouldn't stress over it.
 
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dingyibvs said:
in general, psych classes don't count as bcpm. the AMCAS verifiers will correct the designations if you didn't list them correctly, so I wouldn't stress over it.
Click to expand...

Actually, this is not entirely true.

The psych courses the OP mentioned are bio-based. They will count as BCPM. The classification is done by content, not department. Additionally, while the verifiers will correct things, it has been noted on SDN that they seem to give the applicant the benefit of the doubt in most cases (i.e., they're not going to change it unless you obviously classified the course wrong).
 
eablackwell said:
My worry is if I don't list this under clinical, my clinical hours will seem to be lacking. I have been working full time and going to school full time for awhile, and other than some volunteer work public speaking and assisting a lady with CP outside of a hospital setting, my volunteer/shadowing of late is all with my job. I am beginning to volunteer in an ER next week, but I'm worried I'll look like a slacker waiting until the last minute. Any thoughts of how to enter this?
Click to expand...

I got a job in a hospital after I graduated, full time. I listed it under employment, even though it was the bulk of my clinical hours. You emphasize in your statement what you got out of the experience. Adcoms will read through the statement if they need an explanation of what it is, and they won't totally disregard it.

eablackwell said:
One more question, about PS this time. I would like to submit my amcas asap so they can start verifying transcripts when they receive them. However I am not quite happy with y PS. Can I submit so the processing can begin and then go back before June 1st and put my final PS in? Or do I have to put my PS in before submitting/paying the main fee?
Click to expand...

eablackwell said:
Ah, ok. So just opening the amcas w/ my ID and putting in my info is enough for them to start verifying transcripts once they start rolling in? Thanks.
Click to expand...

They do not start verifying until you submit. You cannot submit until the start of June. However, they will mark your transcripts as received regardless of when you submit. You will not be able to change anything on your application (save contact information and schools) once you submit.
 
mvenus929 said:
They do not start verifying until you submit. You cannot submit until the start of June. However, they will mark your transcripts as received regardless of when you submit. You will not be able to change anything on your application (save contact information and schools) once you submit.
Click to expand...

thanks for the info. I was under the assumption that people were actually submitting to colleges June 1st, but I imagine that's not possible if June 1st is the earliest amcas starts verifying transcripts. I guess it likely doesn't make it to med schools for a couple weeks after that.

Thanks again.
 
I took a second semester of ochem at a university after I already graduated (from a different school) in 2008. Should I put "undergraduate" or "post-bac undergraduate" for the program type for this course? It's not part of a post-bac program but since I took it after I got a undergrad degree I'm confused...
 
first off, i wanna apologize for posting this same topic on two threads. someone let me know i shouldnt do that. im glad that its giving me a lot of opinions though since more people see it but i def wont double post in the future.

man, im not sure what i should do now. i guess ill try and include it as a BCPM but im worried that it could delay my application if they consider it as a gpa miscalculation. I also wonder if seeing the names "psychology" and "behavioral" in the course titles will make the verifiers immediately disregard it as a BCPM.

but i guess everyone can agree that Plant science is a natural science and does not get included in BCPM right?
 
BlameItOnTheOH said:
I took a second semester of ochem at a university after I already graduated (from a different school) in 2008. Should I put "undergraduate" or "post-bac undergraduate" for the program type for this course? It's not part of a post-bac program but since I took it after I got a undergrad degree I'm confused...
Click to expand...

postbacc, it's doesn't have to be a program to be listed as it. All my prereqs were done postbacc, as I'm a non-trad, and so I listed them as such.
 
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Geekchick921 said:
Stupid internet ate my response.

I have a similar situation. I graduated from my alma mater, started my prereqs at another college, then returned to my alma mater to finish them. I listed them separately, as I got a degree the first time and not the second, and I attended another school between the two times I was enrolled there.

I'm probably only going to send one transcript, though. All of my courses, from both times I attended, should be on it (they're all on my unofficial transcript).
Click to expand...

I believe that would be 2 transcripts total: 1 from your degree-granting institution, 1 from the other school.

LetsGo352 said:
For a paid research position, should I classify that as Research/Lab or Paid employment?
Click to expand...

IMO: research/lab.
 
My university's career center will assemble a letter packet of all my letter-writers to send to AMCAS. Who should I list as "primary author" on the app? Is this somebody at the career center that I will have to find out or is it one of my letter writers? (We don't have a pre-med committee).

Thanks!
 
dansut324 said:
My university's career center will assemble a letter packet of all my letter-writers to send to AMCAS. Who should I list as "primary author" on the app? Is this somebody at the career center that I will have to find out or is it one of my letter writers? (We don't have a pre-med committee).

Thanks!
Click to expand...

You would put the name of the person in charge of assembling those packages, usually a pre-med advisor or someone in charge of the pre-med office. You could always email your school's pre-med office and ask whose name to put. This was the exact same way my school did it last year.
 
Has anyone had any trouble logging into AMCAS? I still can't login. It eventually times out after endlessly refreshing itself. I checked, and I'm using firefox 3.6 and its one of the supported browsers. I was instructed to use a firefox plugin that makes it appear to be internet explorer, but that didn't work either.

Cookies are enabled, as is javascript so no idea what the problem is. Do you think the server is just overcrowded or is something else going on? AAMC didn't really give me any answers when I called them.
 
How do I list letters coming from Interfolio? Each is individually written, but I think Interfolio sends them in a packet. The choices on the pertinent AMCAS entry page are:

  • letter packet OR
  • individual letter
I tried doing "letter packet" but AMCAS treats the packet as coming from my school. Does anyone have an idea about this?
 
i'm on the quarter system and my school ends mid-june....should i wait until grades come out to send transcripts...or should i just do it as soon as possible??
 
Hi everyone-

What category would you list shadowing under?

Thank you!
 
LaZigeuner said:
How do I list letters coming from Interfolio? Each is individually written, but I think Interfolio sends them in a packet. The choices on the pertinent AMCAS entry page are:

  • letter packet OR
  • individual letter
I tried doing "letter packet" but AMCAS treats the packet as coming from my school. Does anyone have an idea about this?
Click to expand...

Individual letters. When you send them via interfolio, you'll list the document IDs they give you, which will be associated with each individual letter.
 
is summer quarter 2006 part of the 05-06 or 06-07 academic year?

If a course I took included a lab but I registered for the lab separately and got graded separately for the lab do I add them as two courses one being Lecture only and one being Lab only?
 
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