2008-2009 AMCAS Questions Thread

[DrZaius]

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I'd imagine when Interfolio sends the letter to AMCAS it has your AMCAS ID on the cover sheet, or they stamp it somewhere on the letter or something.

 

[umean2tellme]

So if we can use interfolio to send letters to amcas, do we have to make a request form for each individual letter or do we make one that is for all the letters together as if they're a composite?

 

[ChubbyChaser]

No one knows...call them tommorow and see what they say.

 

[COdoubleMO2theN]

Wow submitting the LORs through AMCAS is going to be such a pain. I'll have to track down each individual author and ask for their information (email, phone, address..etc).

My other problem is that 2-3 of the writers won't be finished with my LORs until mid to late June. I read the help section on the AMCAS on LOR and it said that I'll need to designate the writers to the schools prior to submission. So technically, I can still send off my primary in early June without my LORs being received by the AMCAS like you said. However, will not having my LORs in by mid June delay my primary verification or is the verification process independent of the LORs?

verification is indeed independent of the LOR situation

 

[bozz]

Would it be inappropriate to list the amount of $$$ from any scholarships?

It sounds kinda silly to describe them .... X Scholarship: awarded as a freshman for ____ , ___ , _____. It's almost as if I'm copying the description right off the University website

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Would it be inappropriate to list the amount of $$$ from any scholarships?

not in the least

 

[neuroanatomy]

.

 

[RoadRunner17]

No one knows...call them tommorow and see what they say.

Arrrrrrrrrghhh... someone let us know what the deal is with Interfolio and AMCAS... is there no way we can add any "additional" notes, which happen to include AAMC ID and other identifying information, when we submit a letter through Interfolio?

Or, will we be able to "attach" an additional "cover" document, aka the AMCAS LOR request, to the letter?

FRAKCDAS;LDKFANS;LFKAJWIO

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Arrrrrrrrrghhh... someone let us know what the deal is with Interfolio and AMCAS... is there no way we can add any "additional" notes, which happen to include AAMC ID and other identifying information, when we submit a letter through Interfolio?

Or, will we be able to "attach" an additional "cover" document, aka the AMCAS LOR request, to the letter?

FRAKCDAS;LDKFANS;LFKAJWIO

o you can include AMCAS ID...just go to edit profile and enter ID...but its the letter code that you cant do yourself

 

[bozz]

hi all,
i posted this earlier but i think it got deleted. quick q's

1. does neuro research credit count as bio for bcpm gpa?
2. the following 3 classes are classified under psych, but subject matter is highly bio focused:
does psychobio of stress and disease count as bio?
human neuropsychology?
mapping molecules in the mind? (class focus on neurotransmitters/modulators, molecular pathways...etc)

thnx!

#1 probably doesn't .. AMCAS will change anything if necessary. If you got an A though, it doesn't hurt to list it as Bio (provided there isn't an option saying research elective). Basically, you can put it under and category and make the job easier on AMCAS... but they will change things as necessary.

 

[RoadRunner17]

o you can include AMCAS ID...just go to edit profile and enter ID...but its the letter code that you cant do yourself

Ah I just made a post in the c/o 2013 thread before I saw this.

Hrmm... there's no other place to put in the letter code? I'm looking at the request form and it vaguely says something about how AAMC can receive letters through Interfolio if the student requesting the letter is an Interfolio user...

Seems like it's suggesting if you use Interfolio, the request form is unnecessary.

If anything, I would hope that it would work out because I have only one committee letter that I would want to send out to AMCAS.. there isn't anything else for them to get mixed up w/ given that they would have my AAMC ID #.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Ah I just made a post in the c/o 2013 thread before I saw this.

Hrmm... there's no other place to put in the letter code? I'm looking at the request form and it vaguely says something about how AAMC can receive letters through Interfolio if the student requesting the letter is an Interfolio user...

Seems like it's suggesting if you use Interfolio, the request form is unnecessary.

If anything, I would hope that it would work out because I have only one committee letter that I would want to send out to AMCAS.. there isn't anything else for them to get mixed up w/ given that they would have my AAMC ID #.

yeah...thats what I was thinking too....If you find out tommorow shoot me a pm...and ill do the same for you!!

 

[dancermd07]

Regarding this new ridiculous LOE system on AMCAS:

1) My school's career center sends LORs directly to schools. I don't think they use Interfolio. Does this mean I have to ask my letter authors to submit letters via snail mail?
2) Where is the AMCAS LOE Request form with our AMCAS ID? Sorry if I'm missing this, but I'm a bit frustrated with this whole pilot service.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Regarding this new ridiculous LOE system on AMCAS:

1) My school's career center sends LORs directly to schools. I don't think they use Interfolio. Does this mean I have to ask my letter authors to submit letters via snail mail?
2) Where is the AMCAS LOE Request form with our AMCAS ID? Sorry if I'm missing this, but I'm a bit frustrated with this whole pilot service.

1) yes have them snail mail
2) go to your amcas application, I think section 6 and just fill it out...you will come across the form eventually.

 

[bozz]

I don't get why people are planning to use the AMCAS system... I'd think it'd be easier to have them be sent to each school individually (probably what I'm doing)

 

[ChubbyChaser]

I don't get why people are planning to use the AMCAS system... I'd think it'd be easier to have them be sent to each school individually (probably what I'm doing)

ummm...some schools require you too...better check that out first lol

 

[bozz]

ummm...some schools require you too...better check that out first lol

oh ****... I thought it was optional LOL

damn, you're on top of things here even though you haven't applied. haha.. I bet you're done and are just itching to hit the submit button

 

[ChubbyChaser]

oh ****... I thought it was optional LOL

damn, you're on top of things here even though you haven't applied. haha.. I bet you're done and are just itching to hit the submit button

lol...nah i have to straighten out this LOR deal...and I have to put the finishing touches on my PS and a few activities lol

 

[goone2524]

can someone please find out which medical schools will require submitting letters of recommendation through AMCAS. Because i want to know if i will be applying to those schools anyways so all this trouble is not even worth it.

because sending letters to individual schools is much easier.

 

[bozz]

can someone please find out which medical schools will require submitting letters of recommendation through AMCAS. Because i want to know if i will be applying to those schools anyways so all this trouble is not even worth it.

because sending letters to individual schools is much easier.

It's on the AMCAS..

Baylor College of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
University of Virginia School of Medicine
Meharry Medical College
Boston University School of Medicine
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Creighton University School of Medicine
Georgetown University School of Medicine
University of Illinois at Chicago-College of Medic
University of Michigan Medical School
University of Mississippi School of Medicine
Temple University School of Medicine
University of Washington School of Medicine
The University of Arizona College of Medicine
Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
University of South Florida College of Medicine
Texas A&M Uni. System HSC Col. of Medicine
East TN State U., James H. Quillen Coll. of Med.
Mercer University School of Medicine
University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine
Florida International University COM

 

[disorder]

I hope all of your schools use Virtual Eval because it seems this is the EASIEST way to get your LOR/E's to AMCAS.

Today, I ranted to everyone I talked to about how tedious and frustrating this whole process is. I had to book it from work to get to my community college and request a transcript because I took ONE class during the summer between my soph/junior year of highschool. The class doesn't even count for graded credit at the college I attended for undergrad.... such a hassle. I was literally screaming in my car with frustration during my 2 hour commute trying to reach the CC before the admissions & records office closed 😡

 

[goone2524]

It's on the AMCAS..

Baylor College of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
University of Virginia School of Medicine
Meharry Medical College
Boston University School of Medicine
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Creighton University School of Medicine
Georgetown University School of Medicine
University of Illinois at Chicago-College of Medic
University of Michigan Medical School
University of Mississippi School of Medicine
Temple University School of Medicine
University of Washington School of Medicine
The University of Arizona College of Medicine
Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
University of South Florida College of Medicine
Texas A&M Uni. System HSC Col. of Medicine
East TN State U., James H. Quillen Coll. of Med.
Mercer University School of Medicine
University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine
Florida International University COM

thank you very much. Do these schools require that letters HAVE to go through AMCAS or are they just giving us a choice to do it if we want? because it seems like they are just trying out this new system but are not too sure about it yet.

 

[RoadRunner17]

AFAIK, Georgetown and Iowa are two schools that I've seen so far that absolutely require your LORs to be sent through AMCAS. I've emailed the schools I'm planning on applying to about this (BU, PSU, Temple, Michigan, and perhaps Cornell). Hopefully I hear back tomorrow.

can someone please find out which medical schools will require submitting letters of recommendation through AMCAS. Because i want to know if i will be applying to those schools anyways so all this trouble is not even worth it.

because sending letters to individual schools is much easier.

 

[shemarty]

Hey, so during the summer after my freshman year, I worked in a lab basically as a lab tech. I consider this more paid employment - non military than research/lab, since it's not like I developed any of my own research projects. However, would it look weird and out of place if I listed this as employment and not research?

Here's my description:

- Prepared media, poured agar plates, and assisted in large-scale screen for zebrafish mutants in yeast.
- Contributed to the care and maintenance of a 1500-tank zebrafish facility.

 

[UVAbme2009]

Here's the answer to your LOR through AMCAS problems.

If you use Interfolio:

1. Get letter from letter writer.
2. Add AMCAS ID to Interfolio account.
3. Add your letter writer's AMCAS ID to your Interfolio account.
4. Go to deliver your letter to AMCAS and select to use your AMCAS ID and your appropriate letter writer ID for each letter you send (step 3 allows for the selection of ID numbers). This will display both IDs on whatever cover Interfolio provides. You DO NOT have to send in the LOR request form. That's just a form for your letter writer if they need it.

If you're not using Interfolio:

Make sure your letter writers have included somewhere on your letter (package) your AMCAS ID and their letter ID.


Now I would imagine that AMCAS can correctly match up the letters based on the title you give them even if you don't have the letter ID, but I wouldn't risk it. This wouldn't be a bad program if all schools participated in it. Although I'm sure Interfolio isn't that happy about it, since you're eliminating the amount of documents that get sent.

Hope that helps.

 

[UVAbme2009]

thank you very much. Do these schools require that letters HAVE to go through AMCAS or are they just giving us a choice to do it if we want? because it seems like they are just trying out this new system but are not too sure about it yet.

They absolutely HAVE to. That's AMCAS's official word. I called up UVA and the admission's director didn't know, and told me to call AMCAS.

 

[seven87]

Hey, so during the summer after my freshman year, I worked in a lab basically as a lab tech. I consider this more paid employment - non military than research/lab, since it's not like I developed any of my own research projects. However, would it look weird and out of place if I listed this as employment and not research?

Here's my description:

- Prepared media, poured agar plates, and assisted in large-scale screen for zebrafish mutants in yeast.
- Contributed to the care and maintenance of a 1500-tank zebrafish facility.

In my opinion, keep it as non-research. It would be a shame to put it as research and then get asked about your zebrafish research. Then you'd have to clarify you didn't really do any and they may think that you were trying to misrepresent information.

 

[DrJD]

Seriously? We HAVE to send our letters to AMCAS?? Seemed to me like it was optional, someone speak to AMCAS about this?

 

[gujuDoc]

Seriously? We HAVE to send our letters to AMCAS?? Seemed to me like it was optional, someone speak to AMCAS about this?

It depends on what school you are applying to. Some schools have opted to take letters with AMCAS rather then with the secondaries.

 

[UVAbme2009]

Seriously? We HAVE to send our letters to AMCAS?? Seemed to me like it was optional, someone speak to AMCAS about this?

If you're applying to a school on the list, you have to send your letters to AMCAS. That's what I was told on the phone yesterday. They won't accept them if you send them directly to the school.

 

[gujuDoc]

AFAIK, Georgetown and Iowa are two schools that I've seen so far that absolutely require your LORs to be sent through AMCAS. I've emailed the schools I'm planning on applying to about this (BU, PSU, Temple, Michigan, and perhaps Cornell). Hopefully I hear back tomorrow.

2 of the Fl. schools use this system too. One of the new one's FIU and also USF.

 

[CoolSpot7Up]

Seriously? We HAVE to send our letters to AMCAS?? Seemed to me like it was optional, someone speak to AMCAS about this?

Nowhere have I read that says you are REQUIRED to use their letter service. If anything, just call up the schools you're applying to and ask. It seems the schools listed are just participating in this new option, but when secondaries come, I don't think a school will care how they get your letters as long as they land in their hands in the end.

 

[UVAbme2009]

Nowhere have I read that says you are REQUIRED to use their letter service. If anything, just call up the schools you're applying to and ask. It seems the schools listed are just participating in this new option, but when secondaries come, I don't think a school will care how they get your letters as long as they land in their hands in the end.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. Cornell says you have to use AMCAS. UVA said to call AMCAS. AMCAS said on the phone that you have to use their service if the school is listed. Even the application says that you must complete the LOR section if a school you are applying to is listed. The guy on the phone sounded pretty knowledgeable, so I have faith in what he said. It's really not that big of a deal anyways. Just add the letter ID # to the correct letter when you are ready to send them in to AMCAS using Interfolio.

 

[seven87]

http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/faq/amcaslettersfaq.htm

Check it out... everything will be OK ... let's take a deep breath...

Some schools explicitly say it's required to send letters through AMCAS, others do not state this but check with AAMC to be sure.

Also, someone was upset that the electronic letter writer application will not be available until late Fall. This is only for the electronic submission of letters by the recommender... this just means you have to use the mail.

If you are using interfolio just have them all mailed together, if you are not have them mailed from the letter writer.

Taken from AAMC:

6. How does my letter writer get his/her letter to AMCAS?
Your letter writer can forward your letter to AMCAS in one of the following ways:

• VirtualEvals (VE): VE is available to members of the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAHP). If your advisor is a VE user, provide your AAMC ID and AMCAS Letter ID to your advisor, as these IDs must accompany your letter in order for your letter to be matched with your application
• AMCAS Letter Writer Application: This application enables letter writers to upload documents securely to AMCAS rather than send letters via the mail (anticipated to be available in late fall)
• Interfolio: AMCAS can receive letters sent to Interfolio if you are an Interfolio user or your institution/organization uses Interfolio to deliver letters of evaluation/recommendation. Make certain to add your AAMC ID and AMCAS Letter ID in your Interfolio account, as these IDs must accompany your letter in order for your letter to be matched with your application.
• Mail: Make sure your letter writer has a copy of the AMCAS Letter Request form, which includes your AAMC ID and AMCAS Letter ID. Your letter writer should include this form when sending your letter in order to guarantee that your letter is correctly matched to your

 

[shemarty]

Can this be put into one activity box? They're with the same adviser and are related, so I don't want to split them if I don't have to.

My question is, does this go under teaching/tutoring or does it go under lab/research?

Also, is it appropriate to write "Expected to continue clinical outcomes and education research with Division of Vascular Surgery during Summer 2008 and 2008-2009 academic year."


The blurb:

Teaching Assistant:

TA for Introduction to Vascular Disease and Treatment, an interactive, hands-on elective which teaches small groups of 1st and 2nd year medical students basic interventional skills using endovascular simulation in multiple vascular beds.
- Facilitated lectures and discussions.
- Assisted students with performing angioplasty and stenting on simulators.
- Handled class scheduling and administrative issues.


Research Assistant:

- Collected and analyzed data on student performance for pedagogical study about surgical simulation and medical education.
- Co-author on abstract to be presented at American College of Surgeon's 2008 conference.

Expected to continue clinical outcomes and education research with Division of Vascular Surgery during Summer 2008 and 2008-2009 academic year.

 

[Revilla]

I wouldn't be so sure about that. Cornell says you have to use AMCAS. UVA said to call AMCAS. AMCAS said on the phone that you have to use their service if the school is listed. Even the application says that you must complete the LOR section if a school you are applying to is listed. The guy on the phone sounded pretty knowledgeable, so I have faith in what he said. It's really not that big of a deal anyways. Just add the letter ID # to the correct letter when you are ready to send them in to AMCAS using Interfolio.

On the AMCAS form, it says they want the address of the author. Do you know if we can put the address of our school?

 

[shemarty]

On the AMCAS form, it says they want the address of the author. Do you know if we can put the address of our school?

I put the address of their office at school.

 

[chad5871]

I sent an email to my premed advisor stating the following:

Dear Pre-Med Advisor,

I have discovered that several schools I am applying to (e.g. UVA, Georgetown, Cornell) are participating in the AMCAS letter filing service this application cycle. On Georgetown’s website they state that letters of recommendation will not be accepted through any other mode of transmission. For these schools will you be automatically forwarding letters to AMCAS or will I need to request them specifically? Also, in the AMCAS section for the letter filing system, you can list letters as a “Committee Letter/Letter Packet” or “Individual Letter.” Would I list the entire packet from the committee or would I have to list all of the letters individually?

Personally I feel this is only making the process more difficult and more confusing for students, and I wish this program had not been implemented with only a select number of schools participating. Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,
chad5871

His response,

chad5871,

There will be an e-mail forthcoming about how to handle this. You should list or check off that you are getting a committee letter. In terms of the transmission, we use a program called virtual evals to upload our letters to the various schools. The program allows us to upload letters to AMCAS and AMCAS will transmit to Georgetown as they want it.At or around July 17th, please e-mail me a list of schools you are applying to, your letter ID number, your AMCAS ID number and written permission to transmit your packet.It is confusing which is why we are using virtual evals.

Pre-Med Advisor

I'm so glad my school's on top of this thing, but it seems like if you are using VirtualEvals or Interfolio or your University's letter service, you can just request the letters to be sent to AMCAS as if it were another school, and you won't have to get the individual letter-writers to submit one.

Hope this helps.

 

[doomknight]

So this means alot of people can't submit until we have ALL our letters for the schools in. SUCKS that harvard is on the list, else I wouldn't care.

Also, anyone know the difference between AAMC ID and AMCAS ID? Are they all the same?

 

[iA-MD2013]

I sent an email to my premed advisor stating the following:

His response,

I'm so glad my school's on top of this thing, but it seems like if you are using VirtualEvals or Interfolio or your University's letter service, you can just request the letters to be sent to AMCAS as if it were another school, and you won't have to get the individual letter-writers to submit one.

Hope this helps.

Yeah, I just called up my school's letter services, and they just said they'll add a form with the letter id for each letter. It doesn't seem as bad as I thought.

 

[shemarty]

For those of us who won't have all of our letters into AMCAS before we want to submit primaries....

Can we submit the primary to 10 schools that aren't using the LOR service. Then, when all the letters are in, we add the few schools that are using the LOR service?

 

[DrJD]

For those of us who won't have all of our letters into AMCAS before we want to submit primaries....

Can we submit the primary to 10 schools that aren't using the LOR service. Then, when all the letters are in, we add the few schools that are using the LOR service?

Submit it to all at first! The schools won't to go looking for the secondaries until July... Just make sure that you have filled out the LOE section, and get that sheet to your recommendation office...

 

[chad5871]

From what I understand you can submit your primaries to all schools (including those that are using AMCAS' letter file system), just as long as you input the information about your letters in the application. Therefore, the schools will all get your primary at the same time, and the letters will be transmitted to the respective schools once they're received.

So basically, you don't have to have all your letters in to AMCAS to be submitted and verified.

 

[RoadRunner17]

Looks like the University of Michigan isn't accepting any paper LORs. So, I will have to deal with this blasted AMCAS letter service no matter what...

I plan to get Interfolio and deal with all of this from there.

 

[shemarty]

Can this be put into one activity box? They're with the same adviser and are related, so I don't want to split them if I don't have to.

My question is, does this go under teaching/tutoring or does it go under lab/research?

Also, is it appropriate to write "Expected to continue clinical outcomes and education research with Division of Vascular Surgery during Summer 2008 and 2008-2009 academic year."


The blurb:

Teaching Assistant:

TA for Introduction to Vascular Disease and Treatment, an interactive, hands-on elective which teaches small groups of 1st and 2nd year medical students basic interventional skills using endovascular simulation in multiple vascular beds.
- Facilitated lectures and discussions.
- Assisted students with performing angioplasty and stenting on simulators.
- Handled class scheduling and administrative issues.


Research Assistant:

- Collected and analyzed data on student performance for pedagogical study about surgical simulation and medical education.
- Co-author on abstract to be presented at American College of Surgeon's 2008 conference.

Expected to continue clinical outcomes and education research with Division of Vascular Surgery during Summer 2008 and 2008-2009 academic year.

Can somebody give me their opinion about this?

 

[seven87]

Can somebody give me their opinion about this?

I'd list it as two but that's just me. Do you have 14 other significant experiences to list?

 

[Bretzel]

I am having some trouble deciding what to classify some of my extracurriculars as.....
I am in a fraternity and hold a leadership position. My position is program chair, which I have used to do a few philanthropy activities....should I list this as general leadership or as community service?

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Here's the answer to your LOR through AMCAS problems.

If you use Interfolio:

1. Get letter from letter writer.
2. Add AMCAS ID to Interfolio account.
3. Add your letter writer's AMCAS ID to your Interfolio account.
4. Go to deliver your letter to AMCAS and select to use your AMCAS ID and your appropriate letter writer ID for each letter you send (step 3 allows for the selection of ID numbers). This will display both IDs on whatever cover Interfolio provides. You DO NOT have to send in the LOR request form. That's just a form for your letter writer if they need it.

If you're not using Interfolio:

Make sure your letter writers have included somewhere on your letter (package) your AMCAS ID and their letter ID.


Now I would imagine that AMCAS can correctly match up the letters based on the title you give them even if you don't have the letter ID, but I wouldn't risk it. This wouldn't be a bad program if all schools participated in it. Although I'm sure Interfolio isn't that happy about it, since you're eliminating the amount of documents that get sent.

Hope that helps.

You do have to send in the LOR request form...I just talked to AMCAS and they said to print out the LOR request form and physically mail it into interfolio.cm

 

[disorder]

My official transcript doesn't list the "real" title for some of my courses. For example, the BIO 1 series contains 1A, 1B, and 1C. On my official transcript, the title for all three courses is simply, "Intro Biology", but in reality 1A = Molecular Biology, 1B = Animal Biology, and 1C = Plant Biology.

Then what? For the "Course Name" field do I simply write what's on my official transcript or do I need to give them more information?

 

[SB100]

Someone please answer this: For schools attended, should I put 2005-2009 if I'll be graduating in 2009? Or should I put 2008 because that's what I've completed so far? I know it's a stupid question but I don't want my application processing to be delayed by it.