* * 2010 - 2011 Application Season * * Post AACOMAS Questions Here !!!

BU Medical Sciences
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Hey guys,

I'm just about ready to submit my AACOMAS. I'm nervous as heck! Probably the biggest mouse click I'll ever make in my whole life lol. *cue dramatic music*

Anyway, I just needed this question answered before I submit. Have ya'll been putting contact information for your EC's and stuff? (for example... hospital volunteering, volunteering for the Carebral Palsy of Greater Houston, etc.). Do they actually contact hospitals to see if you've volunteered? I'm not sure which number to give.

I guess my question is..... is it necessary to put contact information? This part of the AACOMAS agreement scares the crap out of me:


  • I understand that should AACOMAS discover false or missing data, that AACOMAS will notify me of the discrepancy with a request for review. AACOMAS will also notify all colleges which I have designated, of the discrepancy and my response.
  • I understand that if false or missing data are discovered in my application, that such submission may constitute grounds for dismissal from an osteopathic medical college at any time, even after matriculation.
 
tbone1234 said:
Hey guys,

I'm just about ready to submit my AACOMAS. I'm nervous as heck! Probably the biggest mouse click I'll ever make in my whole life lol. *cue dramatic music*

Anyway, I just needed this question answered before I submit. Have ya'll been putting contact information for your EC's and stuff? (for example... hospital volunteering, volunteering for the Carebral Palsy of Greater Houston, etc.). Do they actually contact hospitals to see if you've volunteered? I'm not sure which number to give.

I guess my question is..... is it necessary to put contact information? This part of the AACOMAS agreement scares the crap out of me:


  • I understand that should AACOMAS discover false or missing data, that AACOMAS will notify me of the discrepancy with a request for review. AACOMAS will also notify all colleges which I have designated, of the discrepancy and my response.
  • I understand that if false or missing data are discovered in my application, that such submission may constitute grounds for dismissal from an osteopathic medical college at any time, even after matriculation.
Click to expand...

I didn't have some of the information handy so I didn't put a contact info (e.g. going out of business, too long ago, etc.).
 
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I was wondering if I have to list something that says "NG" (no grade) on my transcript?

Example...
My transcript says..

BIOL 3700 Microbiology 4.00 A <-- I listed this

Then under that it says
BIOL 3700L Microbiology Lab 0.00 NG <---- should I list this on AACOMAS?

The lab grade was included in the 4 credit hour Microbiology course.
 
Thanks for the reply!

I'm just wondering if I should put contact information for any of the ECs... I have ~20 entries in the EC/volunteer section, but no contact information. Would adcoms recommend I put some sort of contact info??

Now that I think of it, I have one final question before submission. AYEE!!

I know in TMDSAS, any spaces you leave between lines are eliminated when the actual application is generated.. which makes things look ugly. For AACOMAS, if I put spaces in the description, will they appear when adcoms see it? Or does everything need to be typed in a single paragraph?

Thanks so much guys!! I couldn't have gotten through this app cycle without yall.
 
tbone1234 said:
Thanks for the reply!

I'm just wondering if I should put contact information for any of the ECs... I have ~20 entries in the EC/volunteer section, but no contact information. Would adcoms recommend I put some sort of contact info??

Now that I think of it, I have one final question before submission. AYEE!!

I know in TMDSAS, any spaces you leave between lines are eliminated when the actual application is generated.. which makes things look ugly. For AACOMAS, if I put spaces in the description, will they appear when adcoms see it? Or does everything need to be typed in a single paragraph?

Thanks so much guys!! I couldn't have gotten through this app cycle without yall.
Click to expand...

Well, putting contact info is optional but would it raise flags? I think omitting information that is not required shouldn't be a minus, but that's my personal opinion. Others may disagree.

As for line breaks, I believe they are preserved when you submit, but this is really a non-issue.
 
Just got my first acceptance!!!!! to LECOMMMM!!! I don't mean to brag but this has been such a long process, I have wanted to be a doctor for as long as I can remember and after 27 years, undergrad, a masters program, 4 MCATS, 3 application cycles (2 MD and this DO), and 1 MD waitlist... finally...FINALLLYY, I am going to be a doctor!!!

Don't give up guys! If this is what you want, keep applying and applying, never give up on your dreams...ok enough mush! :love:
 
Congrats man!! Your perseverance payed off! :)

Maybe you can answer a question I had about LECOM. Do they require a Dean's letter?? I read that on the excel powerpoint I found on SDN.

Man I feel so far behind this app process. I just submitted my primary today, and haven't even gotten a DO letter yet. *sigh...*

Anyway, congrats!
 
The more I look at this application, the more questions I have. AW#&YFHEIWF!!!!

Btw, I was wrong in my last post. I haven't submitted today (I was just about to... until I had this question):

For the number of hours over the total span vs. hours per week.... Let's say for a club, I put it around 4 hours/week (i was the founder, put in a ton of hours). BUT, I don't know exactly how many hours total I put in (over 700 for sure). Should I guess, or would it be okay to put in "4" for hours/week... and leave the total span hours blank?

Omg i think that's my absolute last question.... AHHHHHHH

And I'm still kinda curious what other people's opinions are of putting contact information in the description box.

Thank you all SO MUCH. *freaks out*
 
tbone1234 said:
Congrats man!! Your perseverance payed off! :)

Maybe you can answer a question I had about LECOM. Do they require a Dean's letter?? I read that on the excel powerpoint I found on SDN.

Man I feel so far behind this app process. I just submitted my primary today, and haven't even gotten a DO letter yet. *sigh...*

Anyway, congrats!
Click to expand...

Thanks! For LECOM you do not need a deans letter, just a pre-med committee letter and a DO letter. They don't need the pre-med committee letter until they invite you to interview and they don't need the DO letter until you are offered an acceptance. But if you have them it never hurts to submit them early.

As far as the hours thing...what I did was just estimate how many hours a week I worked and multiplied that by how long I did the activity. I don't think you have to be precise since it all evens out in the end...I'm sure some weeks you worked more than 4 hours while others you worked less

Good luck and remember...you're still pretty early in the cycle!
 
Ah okay! That's so good to hear about the LORs... u just made my night so much better! haha.

Congrats again man!! :)
 
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I have a quick question about how to code a one-month "January term" course when entering all my courses in the application.

Since it is only one month long, I don't think I can code it as a semester even though the credit hours earned are equivalent to those in a semester. Would it be coded as a Winter - Unit instead of Winter - Semester? Any tips from people whose school has this type of term?

Thanks so much!
 
hi my application just got "undelivered" b/c i entered course information wrong. I am really confused by this conversion scale or how to do it at all. My school does not use semester hours, it just gives you credits of 1.0 for every course completed and 0.25 for a lab science. How do I convert this? Thanks
 
For KCOM, there's a downloadable printable evaluation form. Does that mean I have to go back to my letter of recommenders and get them to fill this out? I already have a letter of rec. from a science professor and another from a DO. I thought that was all I needed?
 
1) I was reading the app handbook and it said that "AACOMAS only verifies grade of C or better to meet prereq. Check with individual colleges"
So, I am confused on what that means. I got a C- in Ochem III (third quarter ochem) but never retook it. does that mean I need to retake ochem in order to met the prereqs, if not...schools won't even consider me?
i took biochem and got a A-
my science gpa is a 3.4 and overall is probably a 3.5

2) At UCLA, you can fulfill the english requirments by taking GE courses that had a writing component in any dept- such as history. the app handbook says that i can list the appropriate courses as english and make a notation at the end of my PS....i don't have room in my PS! =( any way to get around it? its listed on my transcript as 10W (with the W denoting writing)

3) how important is a DO LOR? i have a few MD ones already, but haven't had a gotten a DO ones yet. also, i asked a DO who was an anesthesiologist and she said that her letter won't mean as much since she does the same thing as a MD. should i ask her for a letter still?

4) also, i saw that we can list planned courses. im not sure what classes i am taking this fall and spring semester and even if i do. how should i list them? because what happens if i don't end up taking the course.
 
Last edited:
ronaldo23 said:
hi my application just got "undelivered" b/c i entered course information wrong. I am really confused by this conversion scale or how to do it at all. My school does not use semester hours, it just gives you credits of 1.0 for every course completed and 0.25 for a lab science. How do I convert this? Thanks
Click to expand...

bump
 
Questions! =) i posted this in the application thread, but haven't gotten any response. sorry for the double post. i wanna get in my app asap so kinda frantic! hehehe

1) I was reading the app handbook and it said that "AACOMAS only verifies grade of C or better to meet prereq. Check with individual colleges"
So, I am confused on what that means. I got a C- in Ochem III (third quarter ochem) but never retook it. does that mean I need to retake ochem in order to met the prereqs, if not...schools won't even consider me?
i took biochem and got a A-
my science gpa is a 3.4 and overall is probably a 3.5

2) At UCLA, you can fulfill the english requirements by taking GE courses that had a writing component in any dept- such as history. the app handbook says that i can list the appropriate courses as english and make a notation at the end of my PS....i don't have room in my PS! =( any way to get around it? its listed on my transcript as 10W (with the W denoting writing)

3) how important is a DO LOR? i have a few MD ones already, but haven't had a gotten a DO ones yet. also, i asked a DO who was an anesthesiologist and she said that her letter won't mean as much since she does the same thing as a MD. should i ask her for a letter still?

4) also, i saw that we can list planned courses. im not sure what classes i am taking this fall and spring semester and even if i do. how should i list them? because what happens if i don't end up taking the course.

thanks in advance for your help! :)
 
bubbles17 said:
Questions! =) i posted this in the application thread, but haven't gotten any response. sorry for the double post. i wanna get in my app asap so kinda frantic! hehehe

1) I was reading the app handbook and it said that "AACOMAS only verifies grade of C or better to meet prereq. Check with individual colleges"
So, I am confused on what that means. I got a C- in Ochem III (third quarter ochem) but never retook it. does that mean I need to retake ochem in order to met the prereqs, if not...schools won't even consider me?
i took biochem and got a A-
my science gpa is a 3.4 and overall is probably a 3.5

2) At UCLA, you can fulfill the english requirements by taking GE courses that had a writing component in any dept- such as history. the app handbook says that i can list the appropriate courses as english and make a notation at the end of my PS....i don't have room in my PS! =( any way to get around it? its listed on my transcript as 10W (with the W denoting writing)

3) how important is a DO LOR? i have a few MD ones already, but haven't had a gotten a DO ones yet. also, i asked a DO who was an anesthesiologist and she said that her letter won't mean as much since she does the same thing as a MD. should i ask her for a letter still?

4) also, i saw that we can list planned courses. im not sure what classes i am taking this fall and spring semester and even if i do. how should i list them? because what happens if i don't end up taking the course.

thanks in advance for your help! :)
Click to expand...

1) Yes, I would have had to retake LS2 if I wasn't a bio major and had like 90 units of bio.

2) Designate them as english, e-mail AACOMAS. The schools go by where AACOMAS designates them.

3) Yes, still get her letter, most DOs are an equivalent to MDs. They just want to see that you have done your research on osteopathic medicine. That said, some schools require a letter from a DO, others will take an MD. Check ChocolateBear's signature to find the list.

4) List planned courses for your major that you are required to take, list planned courses that you are fairly certain you should take. As long as they are not pre-req courses it shouldn't make too much difference if a few classes are off. Since you are graduating this year I'd assume you've still got quite a bit of your major left.
 
thanks for your reply.

im still a little confused...should i retake ochem? or do i NEED too? (i really rather not since i took this class like 5 yrs ago)

i graduated already. so if i take classes its through UC Berkeley extension since i am in the bay area. im not totally sure if i am going to take classes so i am hesitant of putting it down.
 
I haven't completed my English course requirements and I forgot to enter these courses for future/planned courses.

My application is already verified. I am so worried :( WHat should I do?
 
bubbles17 said:
thanks for your reply.

im still a little confused...should i retake ochem? or do i NEED too? (i really rather not since i took this class like 5 yrs ago)

i graduated already. so if i take classes its through UC Berkeley extension since i am in the bay area. im not totally sure if i am going to take classes so i am hesitant of putting it down.
Click to expand...

Do you have other organic chemistry courses to make up for the missing units? You are going to be required to have 8 semester units of organic chemistry (including labs) in order to matriculate. Unfortunately for you, 30A, 30B and 30BL will only equate to 7.4 units and you will be left short. 30AL is actually a general chemistry lab despite having the organic numbering.

If you were in the 14 series, well I dunno how they work out. Look at your transcript and figure out how many semester units you have of organic chemistry. If it is less than 8 you are going to need to retake it (C- doesn't count in the 8, all prereqs must be completed with C or better).
 
You could also just apply to schools that will substitute Biochem for Organic. I don't have time to take Organic II, so I am only applying to the schools that substitute.
 

HI, sorry to repost but i got no answers on the other thread.

my application just got "undelivered" b/c i entered course information wrong. I am really confused by this conversion scale on the help guide or how to do it at all. My school does not use semester hours, it just gives you credits of 1.0 for every course completed and 0.25 for a lab science. How do I convert this? Thanks
 
seap3 said:
You could also just apply to schools that will substitute Biochem for Organic. I don't have time to take Organic II, so I am only applying to the schools that substitute.
Click to expand...

do you know what schools do that? or where i can find that info?

Thanks
 
I'm not sure if this will help you, but my school gave units - one course was 1.0 units and science courses with labs were 1.25. For my AACOMAS application, I converted these to semester hours, which were the following:

1.0 unit = 4.0 semester hours
1.25 unit - 5.0 semester hours

Is that the conversion you used before you app was sent back to you by AACOMAS?
 
DbDan said:
Do you have other organic chemistry courses to make up for the missing units? You are going to be required to have 8 semester units of organic chemistry (including labs) in order to matriculate. Unfortunately for you, 30A, 30B and 30BL will only equate to 7.4 units and you will be left short. 30AL is actually a general chemistry lab despite having the organic numbering.

If you were in the 14 series, well I dunno how they work out. Look at your transcript and figure out how many semester units you have of organic chemistry. If it is less than 8 you are going to need to retake it (C- doesn't count in the 8, all prereqs must be completed with C or better).
Click to expand...

I went to UCLA and I'm pretty sure the 7.4 units is enough. They round up to 8.
 
kleos atanatos said:
I went to UCLA and I'm pretty sure the 7.4 units is enough. They round up to 8.
Click to expand...

I went to UCLA also, the only problem I can see is that he's essentially "not passed" the last stage of organic chemistry. I'd contact schools to find out, personally I'd be much more comfortable just taking Ochem at berkley extension 2 nights a week and making sure you got a good grade. Even if you do get an interview with that C-, you are going to get asked about it (I was asked about mine last year), if you take Ochem at berkley you'll at minimum clear up any doubts.
 
Are we allowed to edit EC section on AACOMAS after submitting? I noticed that I entered the wrong year for one of my activities (ex. 2009 instead of 2008). I just logged onto AACOMAS and changed the year. Does this save the information? I see that we are still able to edit some parts of our application.
 
Will the GPA on the AACOMAS application include all grades of repeat or only the highest grade? I am assuming we are to enter every class we took, including every time we took a class. I'm just hoping that the gpa calculation disregards the lower of the the 2 grades.
 
I believe it uses the last grade, whether or not it is the highest. I could be wrong though.

Have you checked the instructions? I thought I read something about it there.
 
The instructions are a bit ambiguous. They mention that the class should be listed as Repeat and Last Repeat. I am not sure where to record this. Do I write it as the course title and if so do I also include the name of the class? They mention "code" in the instructions but I am not aware of any code unless they are referring to the prefix and title entry slot. Also, the instructions mention that all repeats should be listed in sequence. Up until the repeated course I was entering the courses in chronological order as it appears on my transcripts. So, I am assuming this means I have to keep any repeated courses listed back to back.
What do you guys think? Any takers?
 
Oh, just found the code section. No worries there. So, will the system correct GPA to only include the last grades on repeats?
 
does AACOMAS automatically download letters from Virtual Evaluations? My commitee letter was sent there and AMCAS auto downloaded it ....
 
ronaldo23 said:
does AACOMAS automatically download letters from Virtual Evaluations? My commitee letter was sent there and AMCAS auto downloaded it ....
Click to expand...

No. AACOMAS doesn't have a letter service. Individual schools will have to download the letters if they participate in Virtual Evals.
 
I just got verified today(friday 8/6). Can I make changes to my personal statement before it goes out tuesday? If not can I make changes to my personal statement before I submit to other schools without affecting my verified status?
 
looktme said:
I just got verified today(friday 8/6). Can I make changes to my personal statement before it goes out tuesday? If not can I make changes to my personal statement before I submit to other schools without affecting my verified status?
Click to expand...

Once you submit you can't change your personal statement at all, ideally, you shouldn't change anything except update with grades if necessary or add a new activity
 
Hello, I'm not sure if there's an official AACOMAS Q&A thread (if there is, can someone link me, as I cannot find it :)). I have a question about entering coursework. I will be starting an MS degree program at the end of this month, and have added the university in the Colleges and Coursework section of the application. However, I don't know what courses I will be taking, as I am not allowed to register for them until after orientation (which is at the end of the month, right before classes start). AACOMAS is marking that section of the application as "incomplete" and will not let me submit without entering any courses. What should I do? I don't want to delete the university altogether, as I want schools to know what I will be doing this year. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
 
G1SG2 said:
Hello, I'm not sure if there's an official AACOMAS Q&A thread (if there is, can someone link me, as I cannot find it :)). I have a question about entering coursework. I will be starting an MS degree program at the end of this month, and have added the university in the Colleges and Coursework section of the application. However, I don't know what courses I will be taking, as I am not allowed to register for them until after orientation (which is at the end of the month, right before classes start). AACOMAS is marking that section of the application as "incomplete" and will not let me submit without entering any courses. What should I do? I don't want to delete the university altogether, as I want schools to know what I will be doing this year. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
Click to expand...

I had this same problem a year ago. In the end I ended up deleting the courses but mentioned my plans for the coming year in my personal statement. That way I was able to not have to deal with entering courses but was still able to note my upcoming graduate work.
 
avion321 said:
I had this same problem a year ago. In the end I ended up deleting the courses but mentioned my plans for the coming year in my personal statement. That way I was able to not have to deal with entering courses but was still able to note my upcoming graduate work.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the response. I just looked up courses that were offered and courses that I am required to take, and just listed those.
 
can someone tell me how long it took for AACOMAS to process the application...i am submitting the primary today, is it too late :(?
 
Rexhina said:
can someone tell me how long it took for AACOMAS to process the application...i am submitting the primary today, is it too late :(?
Click to expand...

Its not too late but its not early anymore either. You should be alright. Time to verify your application is going to depend on when your transcripts got there. Seems like its taking 2+ weeks at this point. Have your secondaries ready to submit the day you get them.
 
I am in a program where you receive a fellowship stipend every semester just for being in the program. If you do research, your stipend is increased by a set amount, no matter how many hours you spend on the research. Would the research done through this program fit better in the Work Experience or EC/Volunteer/Community Service section?
 
My committee letter was updated to virtualevals and amcas auto downloaded it. Two questions: 1. will AACOMAS do the same? 2. do DO schools just download them from AACOMAS or are we supposed to have our schools send committee letters to individual colleges?
 
My understanding is that for DO schools, your LORs won't go through AACOMAS at all. You'll need to send them to each DO school. I'm using Interfolio, so I'm not sure how VirtualEval works. My letter writers upload to Interfolio, then I direct Interfolio to send them to each school. Hope this helps!
 
patel2 said:
My committee letter was updated to virtualevals and amcas auto downloaded it. Two questions: 1. will AACOMAS do the same? 2. do DO schools just download them from AACOMAS or are we supposed to have our schools send committee letters to individual colleges?
Click to expand...

You have to send the letters to individual schools. AACOMAS does not handle the LORs at all
 
I believe your committee adviser adds your letters to virtualevals and at some point you have to let your adviser know which DO schools to release your LORs to...in other words the schools that you are sending secondaries to. Most DO schools request LORs at the same time you send in secondaries. If I am not correct, someone please respond but I was under the impression that this is how it works from my adviser. For AMCAS though, does AMCAS automatically send your uploaded LORs to schools or do we have control over that through the application?
 
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