## 2008-2009 Application Season ## Post AACOMAS questions HERE!!!

[starl3tte]

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Alright, I've arrived to the dreaded Colleges & Coursework section.
I indicated that one of my schools is on the quarter system, but when I go to enter coursework, I still see a "semester hours" column - do I still need to convert to semester hours?
Also, how do I convert between quarter units and quarter hours? Is that just a simple 4 quarter units = 4 quarter hours? And likewise, does 4 semester units = 4 semester hours?

Thanks!!

 

[Revilla]

Hey guys! I called AACOMAS this morning to ask how summer courses should be entered and the guy told me that they changed it this year so that we could enter it as the date we actually took the courses. So what applied last year doesn't apply this year.

They said to go ahead and enter it correctly (example: if you took a course in the summer of 2007, state it as summer of 2007). If the program scrambles the classes out of order, they'll fix it when they get the transcript.

If anyone wants to call to confirm, that might not be a bad idea, but that's what the guy told me. If you do call, please report here and let us all know for sure!

 

[azmo07]

I know the appplication is open but for those who have completed it can you submit yet? Or you have to wait till June 1st?

 

[prionsRbad]

thanks! just to make sure, you did see that the second repeat was less credit hours, not more, right?

Yep, that's what I saw. 🙂

 

[prionsRbad]

Alright, I've arrived to the dreaded Colleges & Coursework section.
I indicated that one of my schools is on the quarter system, but when I go to enter coursework, I still see a "semester hours" column - do I still need to convert to semester hours?
Also, how do I convert between quarter units and quarter hours? Is that just a simple 4 quarter units = 4 quarter hours? And likewise, does 4 semester units = 4 semester hours?

Thanks!!

Read this: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6597647&postcount=168 🙂

 

[lsk87]

For classes I have not completed yet, but plan on taking, can I update my grades later?

 

[prionsRbad]

For classes I have not completed yet, but plan on taking, can I update my grades later?

You sure can. List them in aacomas as "in progress" or "planned" and then send aacomas a transcript with your updated grades. They will forward your updated info to the schools.

 

[Irongirl03]

okay, another question. I have a bit of a problem. I repeated some courses that were taken at different schools. Both schools had slightly different course titles for those courses but they were identical courses. Another problem is that I had to take lab and lecture as seperate entities at my first school. So for example, the lecture portion of gen bio was bio 111, and lab portion was bio 121. But at my second school, both lab and lecture were merged together as a 4 credit hour class. How do I go about putting such classes as repeats? I mean the repeated class will have more credit hours than the first one. And how will I be able to convey that the lab is included, and therefore, repeated as well?

I asked AACOMAS this same question. They said list Bio 111 as "repeat 01" and Bio 121 also as "repeat 01" then the combined course as "last repeat 01"

 

[Doc Henry]

You need to enter it in as quarters. Under "Term Year" click on "Add Term", under "Term Type" select "quarter". You do not have to convert them yourself, juts enter the units in as quarter units.

Are you sure? That is what I did, but then I saw this in the instructions:

Semester Hours: Enter the number of semester hours for each course, including failures. All entries must be made in semester hours. If your institution uses a quarter hour system, refer to the following conversion table:
Quarter Hours Semester Hours 1 0.7 2 1.3 3 2.0 4 2.7 5 3.3 6 4.0 7 4.7 8 5.3 9 6.0 10 6.7

 

[stebby]

For sending in transcripts, can the school just send the transcript by itself directly to AACOMAS, or does the transcript need to be sent in with the AACOMAS form from the website?

Thanks!

 

[prionsRbad]

Are you sure? That is what I did, but then I saw this in the instructions:

Semester Hours: Enter the number of semester hours for each course, including failures. All entries must be made in semester hours. If your institution uses a quarter hour system, refer to the following conversion table:
Quarter Hours Semester Hours 1 0.7 2 1.3 3 2.0 4 2.7 5 3.3 6 4.0 7 4.7 8 5.3 9 6.0 10 6.7

Yeah, I read that in the instructions also, but when I did it that way it messed up the hours (like you were talking about). Maybe they want you to select "quarter" for the term, but still enter the hours in as semester hours. That could be it. Sorry, wish I could help more! 🙂

 

[Doc Henry]

Yeah, I read that in the instructions also, but when I did it that way it messed up the hours (like you were talking about). Maybe they want you to select "quarter" for the term, but still enter the hours in as semester hours. That could be it. Sorry, wish I could help more! 🙂

You are such a big help, don't you dare apologize! I will wait it out for a while and see what people think, then if I need to I will call.

 

[starl3tte]

Are you sure? That is what I did, but then I saw this in the instructions:

Semester Hours: Enter the number of semester hours for each course, including failures. All entries must be made in semester hours. If your institution uses a quarter hour system, refer to the following conversion table:
Quarter Hours Semester Hours 1 0.7 2 1.3 3 2.0 4 2.7 5 3.3 6 4.0 7 4.7 8 5.3 9 6.0 10 6.7

I saw this as well, and I don't think we would have been given that conversion table unless we quarter students would have to put it to good use. So far, I've selected the quarter term, but I've been converting my quarter hours into semester hours. I'll report back on whether or not that messes up my hours like previously mentioned.

 

[prionsRbad]

You are such a big help, don't you dare apologize! I will wait it out for a while and see what people think, then if I need to I will call.

Aw thanks Doc Henry 😍 I hope it gets figured out soon!

 

[LauraDO]

All of my pre-reqs were done on quarter hours so I am well experienced in this area

You enter 'quarter' for term type and then put the # of hours converted as semester hours aka the table, just as prions said

 

[deleted98530]

Hey guys,

-)I'm a re-applicant and the "Instructions for completing Colleges and Coursework" link doesn't seem to work.

-)Last year they said if you took a course Spring sem 2008, you enter it as Spring sem 2007 because it's the 2007-2008 year. Do we do the same thing for this application? Thank you!🙂

 

[starl3tte]

Hey guys,

-)I'm a re-applicant and the "Instructions for completing Colleges and Coursework" link doesn't seem to work.

-)Last year they said if you took a course Spring sem 2008, you enter it as Spring sem 2007 because it's the 2007-2008 year. Do we do the same thing for this application? Thank you!🙂

In regards to your 2nd question, this was posted earlier:

Hey guys! I called AACOMAS this morning to ask how summer courses should be entered and the guy told me that they changed it this year so that we could enter it as the date we actually took the courses. So what applied last year doesn't apply this year.

They said to go ahead and enter it correctly (example: if you took a course in the summer of 2007, state it as summer of 2007). If the program scrambles the classes out of order, they'll fix it when they get the transcript.

If anyone wants to call to confirm, that might not be a bad idea, but that's what the guy told me. If you do call, please report here and let us all know for sure!

 

[Live4Life]

In regards to your 2nd question, this was posted earlier:

If you do it this way, the order is incorrect. The method used last year produces the correct order so I don't know what method to use.

 

[Doc Henry]

All of my pre-reqs were done on quarter hours so I am well experienced in this area

You enter 'quarter' for term type and then put the # of hours converted as semester hours aka the table, just as prions said

Do we not concern ourselves with the fact that some of our classes are "0" and some three and four credit classes all end up as "2"?

Thanks for the advice!

 

[starl3tte]

Alright, I am reporting back after having spent my lovely Friday afternoon filling out the Colleges & Coursework section. One of the schools I attended is on a quarter system, so I indicated quarter term, yet I converted quarter hours to semester hours. (And I assumed that quarter units = quarter hours). The other school I attended is on a semester system, so no conversions were necessary. After doing all that, I can't say that anything looks wonky or out of place. The calculated GPA's look just about right, based on my prior estimation, so it seems like it worked.

However, I accidentally added the same school twice, and now I can't delete it. Looks like it might be a glitch on their behalf.

Also, some of the courses I took (like g-chem and o-chem) are not listed as separate lecture and lab components on my transcript, even though I did take lab. Heck, even the name of the course does not imply that there was a lab component, so how will AACOMAS or the DO schools know that I took the labs? Should I rename the courses as "General Chemistry w/ lab"? Or maybe just add a note about that in my personal statement?

 

[Doc Henry]

Also, some of the courses I took (like g-chem and o-chem) are not listed as separate lecture and lab components on my transcript, even though I did take lab. Heck, even the name of the course does not imply that there was a lab component, so how will AACOMAS or the DO schools know that I took the labs? Should I rename the courses as "General Chemistry w/ lab"?

I have the same question. My g-chem and physics had a combined lab that isn't indicated in the title

 

[Revilla]

If you do it this way, the order is incorrect. The method used last year produces the correct order so I don't know what method to use.

They said there was a bug and that it would be fixed. Someone please call on Monday to find out for sure. Maybe the guy I was talking to was wrong.

 

[aliDO]

I have the same question. My g-chem and physics had a combined lab that isn't indicated in the title

If they are four credit hours then they will just know.

 

[RySerr21]

I have the same question. My g-chem and physics had a combined lab that isn't indicated in the title

my school does a combined lab too...so the class is 4 units and the lab is 0 units...but they still make you register for the lab... so on AACOMAS i have gen chem for 4 units and gen chem lab for 0 units.

 

[BearsDoc]

Hello,
One of my schools is not found on the list, so I went ahead to enter the school name myself, and entered all the classes. But none of these classes counted towards my GPA, 0 unit shown after the school name. what happened? Now I cant delete this school anymore. Help please!

 

[starl3tte]

my school does a combined lab too...so the class is 4 units and the lab is 0 units...but they still make you register for the lab... so on AACOMAS i have gen chem for 4 units and gen chem lab for 0 units.

My situation is a bit different. There is no separate lab that I can register for, so the class is just called General Chemistry, but it's listed as 5 semester units. Since it's a 5-unit class, rather than 4, maybe that will tip them off that lab was included. However, my physiology class, which also includes lab (and again, no separate lab that I can register for), is only 4 semester units, so I'm really tempted to add "with lab" in the course title - otherwise, I don't think AACOMAS or DO schools will know about the lab.

I did a search, and it looks like some prior applicants in a similar situation went ahead and added "with lab" into the course title. I don't know how to link to that thread though.

 

[prionsRbad]

My situation is a bit different. There is no separate lab that I can register for, so the class is just called General Chemistry, but it's listed as 5 semester units. Since it's a 5-unit class, rather than 4, maybe that will tip them off that lab was included. However, my physiology class, which also includes lab (and again, no separate lab that I can register for), is only 4 semester units, so I'm really tempted to add "with lab" in the course title - otherwise, I don't think AACOMAS or DO schools will know about the lab.

I did a search, and it looks like some prior applicants in a similar situation went ahead and added "with lab" into the course title. I don't know how to link to that thread though.

That's what I did last year. 👍 My general chemistry I and II and biology I and II both were 5 unit classes, which included a lab.

 

[starl3tte]

Thanks prions!! I'll sneak in a "w/ lab."

 

[Revilla]

I have a transcript question for those of you who've already been through the process.

If we can't submit until June 1st, is it okay to have transcripts sent over now or will they get lost in the shuffle before June 1st?

 

[primadonna22274]

Along these lines, the AACOMAS link to "how to enter your courses" is down, so: how would you enter PA grades? For instance, PA 550, Gross Human Anatomy, and PA 551, Human Physiology. I'd like to enter them as science (duh) and bump my science GPA a bit but I'm not sure if that's kosher.
Then we get into fuzzier ones like Pharmacology and Clinical Medicine (As in all). It's obvious to me these won't fly for science but since the link is down I'm not sure where to put them in.
I'll continue reading the thread. Thanks.
L.

In AACOMAS, the science GPA (BCP) does not include math, sorry.

You get to designate which classes you think are science when you fill out your application. Go ahead and list the classes in question as science and worst comes to worst, when AACOMAS verifies your application they may change some of your designations if they are not correct. You can try and fight them "to the death", but don't expect to get too far. AACOMAS also provides a list of which classes count as science and non-science, so it's kind of set in stone already.

Good Luck

 

[prionsRbad]

I don't know what everyone is saying the instructions are down. I just logged in a opened up the instructions using safari on a Mac (make sure you are using a compatible browser, as I remember last year not all of them were supported).

OK, for professional courses it says the following:

Course level -- Professional Courses

Professional courses include those taken at a professional school leading toward a certificate or license, or if you have taken course work at an institution which is not regionally accredited. Course work from a regionally accredited institution leading toward an associate, bachelor, master or Ph.D. degree should NOT be listed as professional. If you were enrolled in a professional degree program and were granted an accredited bachelor's degree after part of the program was completed, list courses taken directly toward the bachelor's degree as undergraduate. For example, if you were enrolled in a D.C. program and were granted an accredited bachelor's degree after the second academic year, separate the course work. Courses taken directly toward the bachelor's degree should be listed as undergraduate and will be included in your GPA calculations; the remaining courses taken toward the D.C. degree should be listed as professional and will not be included in your GPA.

Exception: If you earned a doctorate degree in Pharmacy but not a baccalaureate degree, do not list this course work taken toward your Pharmacy degree as professional. If you earned/will earn both a baccalaureate and doctoral degree in Pharmacy, list the baccalaureate courses as undergraduate and list doctoral courses as professional.

Professional school course work listed will be verified against official transcripts, but this course work is not included on the Applicant Profile, and will not be included in your GPA calculations.

Other Science
Agricultural Science
Astronomy
Chiropractic
Electronics
Engineering
Epidemiology
Geology
Kinesiology
Medical Technology
Meteorology
Nutrition
Pharmacy
Physical Anthropology
Physical Geography
Physical Science
***Physician Assistant ***
Radiology

Looks like PA courses count as other science. 👍

Along these lines, the AACOMAS link to "how to enter your courses" is down, so: how would you enter PA grades? For instance, PA 550, Gross Human Anatomy, and PA 551, Human Physiology. I'd like to enter them as science (duh) and bump my science GPA a bit but I'm not sure if that's kosher.
Then we get into fuzzier ones like Pharmacology and Clinical Medicine (As in all). It's obvious to me these won't fly for science but since the link is down I'm not sure where to put them in.
I'll continue reading the thread. Thanks.
L.

 

[primadonna22274]

THANK YOU prions. I couldn't open that link. Tried all night.
Hey, I'm going to go back and change all my "non-science" to "other science" in my PA courses. I think that will help me out a little bit.
(FWIW, didactic year I listed "clinical medicine" and "laboratory/diagnostic medicine" as "other science" but when I got to clinical year rotations e.g. Internal medicine, pediatrics, women's health etc. I listed them all as "non-science". If I can list them as science it will boost me a bit. Of course it won't change BCPM at all and that looks pretty terrible but worth a shot, huh? The worst AACOMAS can do is change it all to non-science.)
You're awesome.
L.

I don't know what everyone is saying the instructions are down. I just logged in a opened up the instructions using safari on a Mac (make sure you are using a compatible browser, as I remember last year not all of them were supported).

OK, for professional courses it says the following:

Course level -- Professional Courses

Professional courses include those taken at a professional school leading toward a certificate or license, or if you have taken course work at an institution which is not regionally accredited. Course work from a regionally accredited institution leading toward an associate, bachelor, master or Ph.D. degree should NOT be listed as professional. If you were enrolled in a professional degree program and were granted an accredited bachelor's degree after part of the program was completed, list courses taken directly toward the bachelor's degree as undergraduate. For example, if you were enrolled in a D.C. program and were granted an accredited bachelor's degree after the second academic year, separate the course work. Courses taken directly toward the bachelor's degree should be listed as undergraduate and will be included in your GPA calculations; the remaining courses taken toward the D.C. degree should be listed as professional and will not be included in your GPA.

Exception: If you earned a doctorate degree in Pharmacy but not a baccalaureate degree, do not list this course work taken toward your Pharmacy degree as professional. If you earned/will earn both a baccalaureate and doctoral degree in Pharmacy, list the baccalaureate courses as undergraduate and list doctoral courses as professional.

Professional school course work listed will be verified against official transcripts, but this course work is not included on the Applicant Profile, and will not be included in your GPA calculations.

Other Science
Agricultural Science
Astronomy
Chiropractic
Electronics
Engineering
Epidemiology
Geology
Kinesiology
Medical Technology
Meteorology
Nutrition
Pharmacy
Physical Anthropology
Physical Geography
Physical Science
***Physician Assistant ***
Radiology

Looks like PA courses count as other science. 👍

 

[primadonna22274]

Prions, I hope you're right, because if you are it just boosted my science GPA by half a point. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Of course the flip side is everyone says graduate GPAs are counted separately but it looks like (thus far) AACOMAS is calculating it all together.
😎

 

[prionsRbad]

Prions, I hope you're right, because if you are it just boosted my science GPA by half a point. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Of course the flip side is everyone says graduate GPAs are counted separately but it looks like (thus far) AACOMAS is calculating it all together.
😎

No problem! Glad I could help. I think you're safe with the PA courses so . . . . sweeeeet! 🙂

Best of luck to you!

 

[RySerr21]

i'm taking a course in the fall called Practicum in Psychology.... i would like the schools to know more about the course b/c it isn't just a typical classroom psychology course...

its an internship at a local hospital working along side doctors and Master's students at the AIDS clinic...i'll be working with the doctors in clinic as well as working with the support groups affiliated with the hospital...

where on the AACOMAS can i explain this experience and its potential/what it means to me?? i feel its goign to be an important part of my college career that i'd like to share with them. if they were to look up the course description...they wouldnt be able to tell any of the above stuff.... any suggestions? i dont see any section that asks to "explain anything else you feel is important" which i was expecting to see.

 

[prionsRbad]

i'm taking a course in the fall called Practicum in Psychology.... i would like the schools to know more about the course b/c it isn't just a typical classroom psychology course...

its an internship at a local hospital working along side doctors and Master's students at the AIDS clinic...i'll be working with the doctors in clinic as well as working with the support groups affiliated with the hospital...

where on the AACOMAS can i explain this experience and its potential/what it means to me?? i feel its goign to be an important part of my college career that i'd like to share with them. if they were to look up the course description...they wouldnt be able to tell any of the above stuff.... any suggestions? i dont see any section that asks to "explain anything else you feel is important" which i was expecting to see.

Sorry I keep answering your posts, but I had a medical ethics course like that too, where I worked in the hospital and got to sit in on ethics hearings. I could not find a proper place for in in AACOMAS, so I mentioned it in my personal statement. That might be tough for you though because you're taking it this Fall.

BTW, you got my PM, right? Just making sure. 🙂

 

[RySerr21]

Sorry I keep answering your posts, but I had a medical ethics course like that too, where I worked in the hospital and got to sit in on ethics hearings. I could not find a proper place for in in AACOMAS, so I mentioned it in my personal statement. That might be tough for you though because you're taking it this Fall.

BTW, you got my PM, right? Just making sure. 🙂

dont be sorry! if anybody else had answered i would have been dissapointed/surprised! haha. ive come to expect it...at least in this thread.

yes i got your PM...thank you very much 🙂. im just gonna take a deep breath and take it in May. i think i will be fine.... thanks for your help.

any ideas what i can do since i cant include it in my PS and theres really no spot to talk about it?? i guess i could slyly try to work it in to my interviews?

 

[prionsRbad]

dont be sorry! if anybody else had answered i would have been dissapointed/surprised! haha. ive come to expect it...at least in this thread.

yes i got your PM...thank you very much 🙂. im just gonna take a deep breath and take it in May. i think i will be fine.... thanks for your help.

any ideas what i can do since i cant include it in my PS and theres really no spot to talk about it?? i guess i could slyly try to work it in to my interviews?

Yeah, you could definitely work it into your interviews. It would be a great example for a variety of interview questions. Good choice on taking "the beast" in May! You're going to do great! 😉

 

[MedStudentWanna]

I have a transcript question for those of you who've already been through the process.

If we can't submit until June 1st, is it okay to have transcripts sent over now or will they get lost in the shuffle before June 1st?

Wondering the same thing.

 

[blondeshell15]

Wondering the same thing.

....I'm waiting for prions (or any other veteran) to answer this one too 🙂

 

[prionsRbad]

Wondering the same thing.

....I'm waiting for prions (or any other veteran) to answer this one too 🙂

OK, I was going to give someone else a chance to answer questions, but I'll go ahead. 🙂

Last year, I did send my transcripts in about a week early, but I called and asked them if it was ok. I had a friend who sent hers in really early and she ended up having to resend them when aacomas officially opened.

So, I would give them a call and see if they're ready to start accepting transcripts. Hopefully it will be ok and you guys can check that off your list!

 

[Live4Life]

Is anyone else having trouble deleting schools from the AACOMAS application?

 

[Revilla]

Thanks, Prions!

Is anyone else having trouble deleting schools from the AACOMAS application?

I'm not. What happens when you try to remove it?

 

[Live4Life]

I'm not. What happens when you try to remove it?

The site just freezes and tries to process the info but nothing happens. I should have specified the school that I am having trouble deleting is one that I entered coursework for and not one of the the schools to which I am applying.

 

[Revilla]

The site just freezes and tries to process the info but nothing happens.

That's weird. I just added and removed another school just to see and it worked for me. Maybe close your browser and log on again? I'm not really sure.

 

[starl3tte]

Is anyone else having trouble deleting schools from the AACOMAS application?

I'm also having trouble with deleting one of my colleges off of the Colleges & Coursework section. After clicking "delete," the screen takes forever to load, and then I just end up with an "error" page full of coding.

 

[Live4Life]

I'm also having trouble with deleting one of my colleges off of the Colleges & Coursework section. After clicking "delete," the screen takes forever to load, and then I just end up with an "error" page full of coding.

Glad to hear that I am not alone.

 

[Nasem]

are you able to enter community college pre-med courses (for example, biology 1 & 2 ?)... I ask this because these are the ONLY 2 pre-req that I had to take at a community college, everything else (gen chem, orgo, physics) has been taken at a 4-year univ with good performance

Only problem I have with the biologies, is that I was unable to transfer the credit back into my college because I was a senior when I took them..... and at my school (MSU), you can not transfer community college credits if you are a junior or higher

 

[Doc Henry]

are you able to enter community college pre-med courses (for example, biology 1 & 2 ?)... I ask this because these are the ONLY 2 pre-req that I had to take at a community college, everything else (gen chem, orgo, physics) has been taken at a 4-year univ with good performance

Only problem I have with the biologies, is that I was unable to transfer the credit back into my college because I was a senior when I took them..... and at my school (MSU), you can not transfer community college credits if you are a junior or higher

Not only can you enter those courses from community college but you are required to. I took classes at a community college and entered them with no problem

 

[BearsDoc]

I have 15 units of AP credit, 15 unit of first semester in college, so should I change my status from Fr to So just after 1 semester? I also have 20 unit semester, is this means I need to change my class standing in the middle of a semester, I am a bit confused, please help. Thank you.