2009-2010 AMCAS Questions Thread

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In my high school, AP wasn't offered. We had dual enrollment where we were getting community college credit as well as high school credit for some classes. Because of this, I have a transcript from that community college.

Do I put these classes in AMCAS since they're technically on a college transcript? Do they get factored into my GPA? The credits transferred to my 4 yr school, but the grades did not.

Yes, you will have to get a transcript from that CC, and enter the grades into AMCAS. Since you'll have a transcript from your original school, those grades will affect your GPA.
 
Yes, you will have to get a transcript from that CC, and enter the grades into AMCAS. Since you'll have a transcript from your original school, those grades will affect your GPA.

Whoa, are you sure about that? That's the best news I've gotten in a long time.
 
Why wouldn't they? You got grades for those classes, and all your grades affect your GPA... They're not the same as AP/IB classes where (most) schools don't give you actual grades, just credit.

Well, they were high school classes, after all. Is this unusual? I figured someone would have dealt with this before.
 
2 questions:

1) Under course number section, do we list the section # as well? For example: my transcript lists my bio I class as BIOL-101 03, so do I write down BIOL-101 for course # or BIOL-101 03?

2) My bio major requires that we take a class called Seminar in Biology 4 times to graduate. All we do is present on a bio topic once for 50 minutes and then listen to other ppl do their presentations for the rest of the semester. Should I list this under Biology for Course Classification, or Other, since it's not really a true bio class?

gracias, amigos.
1. Course numbers should not include the section

2. Course classification should be based on the primary content of the course. Usually it is left as the applicant enters it, although sometimes it may be changed during verification.
 
AMCAS has received my official transcript and it took one day to process:

"AMCAS has received a transcript in support of your application to the 2010 entering class." (got this via email)

So send in your transcript NOW if you plan to submit on first day.
 
Well, they were high school classes, after all. Is this unusual? I figured someone would have dealt with this before.

This is not unusual. My school and many other schools across the country have this same thing. Basically dual enrollment allows you to take the classes at high school from high school teachers, but a special arrangment between your high school and the college allows you to get college credit for it. In terms of AMCAS this is no different than actually taking the class at the college, except you list it as high school credit not freshman, sophomore, etc. This may help inflate your overall GPA, but med schools will still see your HS GPA separate from your freshman GPA and all other years. Thus, they will know if your GPA is being helped significantly by dual enrollment.
 
AMCAS has received my official transcript and it took one day to process:

"AMCAS has received a transcript in support of your application to the 2010 entering class." (got this via email)

So send in your transcript NOW if you plan to submit on first day.

Wish I can, gotta wait for spring grades.
 
If you did research that wasn't paid or wasn't for credit, do you mention in the description that it was volunteer or will they figure that out?

Also, do you bunch together the research that you did under one tab for research? I did chem. research during my first year and then did research in biochem. during my third year-totally different timing.
 
I don't know if this has been asked or not, but I did a search with the search function and found nothing. AMCAS didn't really explain what to do in the following situation...

When filling in the coursework, if you were a freshman going into a semester with 24 credits, and after that semester you had 36 credits (therefore being a sophomore), would you list your "year in school" as freshman or sophomore? Since you are going from freshman to sophomore, do you list yourself as a freshman (since you had 24 credits before entering the semester) or a sophomore (since you had 36 credits after the semester was complete)?
 
I would like to send out my app as early as possible as many people have advised, however, I have a problem: I am applying to both DO and MD schools, but my app currently only shows that I've shadowed 2 DOs. I am shadowing an MD for a week the end of June and should get a LOR out of it. I'm wondering whether I should wait to send my AMCAS app until after the MD shadowing experience so I have more of a description to write, or if I should just send it early with the planned experience listed. Would waiting make that much of a difference?
 
I don't know if this has been asked or not, but I did a search with the search function and found nothing. AMCAS didn't really explain what to do in the following situation...

When filling in the coursework, if you were a freshman going into a semester with 24 credits, and after that semester you had 36 credits (therefore being a sophomore), would you list your "year in school" as freshman or sophomore? Since you are going from freshman to sophomore, do you list yourself as a freshman (since you had 24 credits before entering the semester) or a sophomore (since you had 36 credits after the semester was complete)?

Try reading the thread before posting.

EDIT: Fine, general consensus is that you can do either and AMCAS will change it the way they want it.
 
I would like to send out my app as early as possible as many people have advised, however, I have a problem: I am applying to both DO and MD schools, but my app currently only shows that I've shadowed 2 DOs. I am shadowing an MD for a week the end of June and should get a LOR out of it. I'm wondering whether I should wait to send my AMCAS app until after the MD shadowing experience so I have more of a description to write, or if I should just send it early with the planned experience listed. Would waiting make that much of a difference?

1. You don't need shadowing to get in.
2. DO shadowing is shadowing.
3. Don't get a letter from someone you've only known for a week.
 
3. Don't get a letter from someone you've only known for a week.

I disagree. If your other LORs come from people who know you very well (but aren't physicians), it may help you to have an MD letter even though the interaction was brief.
 
I disagree. If your other LORs come from people who know you very well (but aren't physicians), it may help you to have an MD letter even though the interaction was brief.

What is this person going to be able to write about you? "He/she was really good at...following me around. He/she seemed like a nice person (from what I could tell in 1 week)." Seems like a worthless letter IMO.
 
I can't guarantee anything, but when I applied last year, I was not penalized. How would you be penalized here?

So would this work for AP credit too? I received two semesters' worth of AP Bio credit; both equivalent courses are listed on my transcript as the same NAME (but different course numbers).
 
Don't get a letter from someone you've only known for a week.

Thanks for the response, minus the assumption that I will only have known the doctor a week. But just because you brought it up:

My father's practice shares an office with this doctor's practice because both specialties deal primarily critical care patients. I worked in that office for 3 years, and upon my decision to pursue medicine, worked in the attached hospital for two summers observing procedures performed by said doctor and others. Said doctor knows me both personally and professionally, as further evidenced by his presence at my HS and college grad parties. In fact, the doctor offered to write me a LOR before I even began my premedical coursework as a post bacc. After spending a week shadowing him exclusively, I not only hope he will write a dynamite letter, but I more importantly hope that I will be able to speak more confidently and knowledgeably about the daily life of this doctor. Thanks for the judgment anyway.
 
anyone, for bunching together research experience in work/activities? 😛
 
What is this person going to be able to write about you? "He/she was really good at...following me around. He/she seemed like a nice person (from what I could tell in 1 week)." Seems like a worthless letter IMO.

Yeah, that's why I opted not to ask for a letter from MD I'm shadowing.
 
If the research was completely different, then put them under separate listings.

Okay. Also, for the work/activities title, would you put the actual name of the project, or just the type of research (i.e., Inorganic Chemistry Research or Research in Inorganic Chemistry)?
 
Anyone written descriptions for their research yet? How much do you include? How specific did you get? I don't want to be technical or boring. I've done 3 years of research and don't know how much to include/what I should say about it.
 
Anyone written descriptions for their research yet? How much do you include? How specific did you get? I don't want to be technical or boring. I've done 3 years of research and don't know how much to include/what I should say about it.

Same situation here. I had to include some technical language in explaining what research was about, is that okay? I just don't how technical is too technical.
 
Many of my 1-credit labs (that supplement lectures) have exotic names. For example, the 1-credit General Chemistry Lab is called "Introduction to Experimentation."

So, when listing it on AMCAS, should I append a "(Gen. Chem. Lab)" after the name, just for clarification? I don't want them to think I didn't take a lab with General Chemistry
 
Okay. Also, for the work/activities title, would you put the actual name of the project, or just the type of research (i.e., Inorganic Chemistry Research or Research in Inorganic Chemistry)?

That, my friend, is a great question. And I have no answer. Hopefully someone else will help us out here.
 
Anyone written descriptions for their research yet? How much do you include? How specific did you get? I don't want to be technical or boring. I've done 3 years of research and don't know how much to include/what I should say about it.

most research grants are at the result of preliminary studies, aggregated speculation from previous publication, and well developed story. If you stayed for 3 years and you are really comfortable with what your lab did, you probably got to see a grant unfold.

i started with the first hypothesis we worked with. followed up with the observations and then the deviations/extensions. The first conclusion that allowed for the next model. The next model's results. Next hypothesis, more intricate, and just a little bit on the work entailing that. The future of this study. If you translate all that into your experience - emphasis on your project and your role - and add clinical relevance to that (if there is any) it could make for a good story. Thats what I did. I'm just saying.

Remember this is not like an IRTA application. So I would stray from saying stuff like I ran ELISAS/blots (these things are implied). I see that a lot in applications. If you are saying you are running ELISAS (which are like a 7 hour all day process), you are just saying that you were only a technician. If you want to say something along those lines, you can be like "when I assayed for the effect of Z on chemokine/x/y production we found out..." or if you are only good for western blots (the reality is that most post docs use us for technicalities), you can say that "after knocking down X with si/shRNA, or transfecting blah blah blah, I checked for the cell expression of Q and found..."

anyway... most molec bio labs do the same thing, maybe you aren't even molecular bio. If you are clinical research, which means data collection/entry, I would focus more on the phenomenology rather than start off the description by saying "I helped enter data for...".


ok that was really roundabout and may not have answered much, just PM me, i gotta go
 
technical is fine as long as it is theoretical technicalities that you articulate well. just don't imply that you were a drone *** technician. Show that you actually did something thinking and that you actually had a role (that you enjoyed).
 
Many of my 1-credit labs (that supplement lectures) have exotic names. For example, the 1-credit General Chemistry Lab is called "Introduction to Experimentation."

So, when listing it on AMCAS, should I append a "(Gen. Chem. Lab)" after the name, just for clarification? I don't want them to think I didn't take a lab with General Chemistry

Interesting question. One of my chem labs is called "Descriptive Inorganic Chemistry Instrumentation"-I typed it in exactly as it appeared on my transcript, just like that, and checked "lab" only. I think Instrumentation/Experimentation would suffice to indicate that it was a lab course, and if you checked lab, it should be fine. Especially if the numbers are in sequence (i.e., the lecture was Chem 100, and the lab was Chem. 101).

Anybody wanna tell us how to input our research titles? 🙂
 
most research grants are at the result of preliminary studies, aggregated speculation from previous publication, and well developed story. If you stayed for 3 years and you are really comfortable with what your lab did, you probably got to see a grant unfold.

i started with the first hypothesis we worked with. followed up with the observations and then the deviations/extensions. The first conclusion that allowed for the next model. The next model's results. Next hypothesis, more intricate, and just a little bit on the work entailing that. The future of this study. If you translate all that into your experience - emphasis on your project and your role - and add clinical relevance to that (if there is any) it could make for a good story. Thats what I did. I'm just saying.

Remember this is not like an IRTA application. So I would stray from saying stuff like I ran ELISAS/blots (these things are implied). I see that a lot in applications. If you are saying you are running ELISAS (which are like a 7 hour all day process), you are just saying that you were only a technician. If you want to say something along those lines, you can be like "when I assayed for the effect of Z on chemokine/x/y production we found out..." or if you are only good for western blots (the reality is that most post docs use us for technicalities), you can say that "after knocking down X with si/shRNA, or transfecting blah blah blah, I checked for the cell expression of Q and found..."

anyway... most molec bio labs do the same thing, maybe you aren't even molecular bio. If you are clinical research, which means data collection/entry, I would focus more on the phenomenology rather than start off the description by saying "I helped enter data for...".


ok that was really roundabout and may not have answered much, just PM me, i gotta go

In any of your interviews, witness, did they ask you to talk about your research or bring up your research in any way?
Thanks for the reply.
 
In any of your interviews, witness, did they ask you to talk about your research or bring up your research in any way?
Thanks for the reply.

YES, but I applied MD/PhD to most. Even in my MD interviews, they like to bring research up. However, they will bring up usually whatever you seemed most enthusiastic about in your application (that's my belief).
 
YES, but I applied MD/PhD to most. Even in my MD interviews, they like to bring research up. However, they will bring up usually whatever you seemed most enthusiastic about in your application (that's my belief).

Oh okay, but I'm guessing interviewers will grill all MD/PhDs about their research.
 
in the middle of your interview, there maybe a question or two regarding things you seem to be lacking (if any... like clinical, research, shadowing)

some schools do take shadowing very seriously (the primary care schools esp). There are schools that will reject you with high numbers if you don't have them. Not all, maybe not even many - but you should understand what it is like to be a doctor, what patients are like, the hospital environment, etc. If you want to attend a school that is known for research (the very well funded NIH programs) then you may like to show that you demonstrate an academic mentality through research experiences and/or high GPA/MCAT
 
some schools do take shadowing very seriously (the primary care schools esp). There are schools that will reject you with high numbers if you don't have them. Not all, maybe not even many - but you should understand what it is like to be a doctor, what patients are like, the hospital environment, etc. If you want to attend a school that is known for research (the very well funded NIH programs) then you may like to show that you demonstrate an academic mentality through research experiences and/or high GPA/MCAT

Hmm...I don't have any shadowing experience right now (except for my aunt, but that's family and I guess that wouldn't count)...I plan on shadowing after my MCAT in June, but that's after I submit my AMCAS. I do have volunteering experience, though, and also have about 2 years of experience as an EMT-B. Would the lack of shadowing experience hurt me in any way?
 
Thanks for the response, minus the assumption that I will only have known the doctor a week. But just because you brought it up:

My father's practice shares an office with this doctor's practice because both specialties deal primarily critical care patients. I worked in that office for 3 years, and upon my decision to pursue medicine, worked in the attached hospital for two summers observing procedures performed by said doctor and others. Said doctor knows me both personally and professionally, as further evidenced by his presence at my HS and college grad parties. In fact, the doctor offered to write me a LOR before I even began my premedical coursework as a post bacc. After spending a week shadowing him exclusively, I not only hope he will write a dynamite letter, but I more importantly hope that I will be able to speak more confidently and knowledgeably about the daily life of this doctor. Thanks for the judgment anyway.

Chill out. If you had known him for a week, I wouldn't have used the letter. As you've described it now, it sounds like it should be a good letter. No judgment, you just didn't mention all of the facts.
 
Oh okay, but I'm guessing interviewers will grill all MD/PhDs about their research.

definitely. most md/phd "interviewers" really just talk about their own research though. I have had people give me their papers, give me a powerpoint presentation, etc.

the schools that I applied to, that were MD only... will still ask if its a big part of your app (say you wrote about it in your essay, I don't know why). However, it is definitely your responsibility to showcase your best activities/accomplishments (in your primary/secondaries/interviews).

you don't have to jump up and down for research. it sucks. even phds will tell you they hate being in a lab. it is okay to say that you do not see yourself having a research oriented career and that you would like to directly be involved with patients (i think its better). just don't come across complaining in your short essays or interviews (its surprising how many people do that). people like happy people.
 
Hmm...I don't have any shadowing experience right now (except for my aunt, but that's family and I guess that wouldn't count)...I plan on shadowing after my MCAT in June, but that's after I submit my AMCAS. I do have volunteering experience, though, and also have about 2 years of experience as an EMT-B. Would the lack of shadowing experience hurt me in any way?

I don't think anyone can give you a definitive answer, but I seriously doubt it.
 
Hmm...I don't have any shadowing experience right now (except for my aunt, but that's family and I guess that wouldn't count)...I plan on shadowing after my MCAT in June, but that's after I submit my AMCAS. I do have volunteering experience, though, and also have about 2 years of experience as an EMT-B. Would the lack of shadowing experience hurt me in any way?

you have extensive clinical experiences that SHOULD make up for it. But I don't know ****, to be honest. I did get asked at interviews about why I did not make rounds with my parents, however.

Since you have shadowing experience with your aunt, can you set up 2 afternoons a month shadow w/ her co-workers while you are studying? It may be a good study break, you might learn something, and be extra motivated.

If you end up hating it, then great, you saved yourself the MCAT and application fees. Can't hurt either way.


Write about your EMT experiences and volunteer experiences so that you do not feel that you undersold yourself (or the opposite - came across a tool) for the 9 months following submission.
 
definitely. most md/phd "interviewers" really just talk about their own research though. I have had people give me their papers, give me a powerpoint presentation, etc.

the schools that I applied to, that were MD only... will still ask if its a big part of your app (say you wrote about it in your essay, I don't know why). However, it is definitely your responsibility to showcase your best activities/accomplishments (in your primary/secondaries/interviews).

you don't have to jump up and down for research. it sucks. even phds will tell you they hate being in a lab. it is okay to say that you do not see yourself having a research oriented career and that you would like to directly be involved with patients (i think its better). just don't come across complaining in your short essays or interviews (its surprising how many people do that). people like happy people.

Thanks a lot. That's a great advice.👍

And LOL about "interviewers" talking about their research.
 
np

if anyone else is stuck on their activities section and feel like you do not want to make bullets or don't know what to write for them or the essays, I would suggest critically thinking your about your ECs for a bit.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=5138131&postcount=84

that is a post on "tough interview questions" that I remember from a while ago (before interview season. it might help you to read through them/the entire thread. Think about answers to those questions. Tackle your primaries/secondaries few hours later (or days). You may find that you are writing with those questions in mind.

When you get to your interviews, you may find it easier to address a tough question or two with your activities. This is not only helpful for you, but the interviewer as well. Most people will not make notes while they talk to you. Some may not even write anything down until the end of the day or later. You can assume that they will go back to your primary/2ndary to write your feedback. If you have answered questions in those resources, then, I would assume, it would benefit you before the committee decision.


Don't overthink it though... I'm just saying things in hindsight. gl
 
Chill out. If you had known him for a week, I wouldn't have used the letter. As you've described it now, it sounds like it should be a good letter. No judgment, you just didn't mention all of the facts.

There were no additional facts to mention. I asked about application timing, not the LOR.
 
What is this person going to be able to write about you? "He/she was really good at...following me around. He/she seemed like a nice person (from what I could tell in 1 week)." Seems like a worthless letter IMO.

Well yeah, IF all you do is follow the person around with your arms crossed looking awkwardly at the floor and then ask for a letter on your way out.

If you built good rapport with the doctor, I would ask. Ask questions about the patients, ask the doctor questions about him/herself, show interest generally. Meaningful interactions can be brief.
 
you have extensive clinical experiences that SHOULD make up for it. But I don't know ****, to be honest. I did get asked at interviews about why I did not make rounds with my parents, however.

Since you have shadowing experience with your aunt, can you set up 2 afternoons a month shadow w/ her co-workers while you are studying? It may be a good study break, you might learn something, and be extra motivated.

If you end up hating it, then great, you saved yourself the MCAT and application fees. Can't hurt either way.

I wish I could, but I can't, I've got a pretty intense study schedule to follow.

Write about your EMT experiences and volunteer experiences so that you do not feel that you undersold yourself (or the opposite - came across a tool) for the 9 months following submission.

Yeah, I think I'll just talk about those experiences and my shadowing experience after June in my secondaries. Hopefully that will help me out, thanks.
 
So for my math class, I took Math 1A and 1B, which are first and second semester calculus.

On my trasncript, it's the same title "Intro Calculus" for both classes. The names are identical, no 1 and 2. Do I enter in "Intro Calculus" for both on AMCAS? Or should I enter in 1 and 2?

I had the same thing with my math: Applied Math 21a and 21b, both called "Calculus in the Sciences" or something like that. I put "Applied Math 21a" and "Applied Math 21b" in the course number, and that differentiated between the identical course names.

at whats the deal with Duke NOT using the AMCAS LOR service?
 
2 questions:
1) If I repeated a course, should I check the repeat box under course work for both the original course and the repeat course or just the repeat course?
2) I understand that AMCAS averages the original course and the repeated course...but I was wondering if it counts as 2 seperate classes or just 1 class? For example, the class I repeated is 4 units (first time D second time A)... would they count it as 2 seperate classes meaning I would receive a 1(for the D) for the original 4 unit class and 4(for the A) for the repeated 4 unit class (total = 8units). Or would they count it as one class and just average the 1 and the 4 and count it as a 4 unit class (2.5/4unit class)? Does it even make a difference GPA wise (4 unit vs 8 unit)?

hopefully this makes sense
thanks!
 
2 questions:
1) If I repeated a course, should I check the repeat box under course work for both the original course and the repeat course or just the repeat course?
2) I understand that AMCAS averages the original course and the repeated course...but I was wondering if it counts as 2 seperate classes or just 1 class? For example, the class I repeated is 4 units (first time D second time A)... would they count it as 2 seperate classes meaning I would receive a 1(for the D) for the original 4 unit class and 4(for the A) for the repeated 4 unit class (total = 8units). Or would they count it as one class and just average the 1 and the 4 and count it as a 4 unit class (2.5/4unit class)? Does it even make a difference GPA wise (4 unit vs 8 unit)?

hopefully this makes sense
thanks!

Just for the repeated course. So just the second time.

You will get a 2.5 for 8 credits. They take both grades and credit hours into account, which is why you should do really really well if you're going to repeat a course.
 
I had the same thing with my math: Applied Math 21a and 21b, both called "Calculus in the Sciences" or something like that. I put "Applied Math 21a" and "Applied Math 21b" in the course number, and that differentiated between the identical course names.

at whats the deal with Duke NOT using the AMCAS LOR service?

Yeah, the course numbers should differentiate between the identical names. I'm not changing my course names.

Good thing I'm not applying to Duke.
 
Thanks for the response, minus the assumption that I will only have known the doctor a week. But just because you brought it up:

My father's practice shares an office with this doctor's practice because both specialties deal primarily critical care patients. I worked in that office for 3 years, and upon my decision to pursue medicine, worked in the attached hospital for two summers observing procedures performed by said doctor and others. Said doctor knows me both personally and professionally, as further evidenced by his presence at my HS and college grad parties. In fact, the doctor offered to write me a LOR before I even began my premedical coursework as a post bacc. After spending a week shadowing him exclusively, I not only hope he will write a dynamite letter, but I more importantly hope that I will be able to speak more confidently and knowledgeably about the daily life of this doctor. Thanks for the judgment anyway.

Is this doctor a family friend...or do they know you personally in some other (completely separate) regard? It has been posted in numerous threads throughout Pre-Allo that letters from family friends, doctors or not, do not factor into admissions decisions because they cannot be objective.
 
Is this doctor a family friend...or do they know you personally in some other (completely separate) regard? It has been posted in numerous threads throughout Pre-Allo that letters from family friends, doctors or not, do not factor into admissions decisions because they cannot be objective.

no he's not a family friend. He is a doctor that works in the office I worked in for 3 years. He is a doctor that rounds at the hospital I worked at for 2 summers. He is a doctor that shares an office with my father, and as a result has been invited to significant events in my life such as grad parties. I do not go golfing with his family, I do not vacation with his family, and I do not understand why people completely disregarded the portion of my original post which actually asked a question unrelated to this letter.
 
I would like to send out my app as early as possible as many people have advised, however, I have a problem: I am applying to both DO and MD schools, but my app currently only shows that I've shadowed 2 DOs. I am shadowing an MD for a week the end of June and should get a LOR out of it. I'm wondering whether I should wait to send my AMCAS app until after the MD shadowing experience so I have more of a description to write, or if I should just send it early with the planned experience listed. Would waiting make that much of a difference?


You should send out your app ASAP and add the new LOR later. The med schools give you plenty of opportunities to update your information. The majority of schools send out a secondary invite before even reading your initial so that would be a great opportunity to talk about your new clinical experience with the MD. And I think that the LORs from the DOs should be helpful because med schools are looking to see that you have had patient contact and that you know what you are really getting yourself into.
 
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