AMCAS : All Questions Here

[jacksonchan85]

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hey guys,

my registrar sent out my transcript/trans. request form on Thursday May 27th....based on your experiences, when do you think AAMC/AMCAS will receive it??

thanks

 

[jacksonchan85]

hey guys,

my registrar sent out my transcript/trans. request form on Thursday May 27th....based on your experiences, when do you think AAMC/AMCAS will receive it??

thanks

 

[derf]

hey guys,

my registrar sent out my transcript/trans. request form on Thursday May 27th....based on your experiences, when do you think AAMC/AMCAS will receive it??

thanks

UCLA sent mine out May 7 and AMCAS emailed me a confirmation 3 days later. pretty fast.. depends on the processing of your school.

 

[DieselPetrolGrl]

uhhh
dumb Q: do i haveto submit AMCAS before i have transcripts sent? Also.....If and when i do sumbimt -- Can i keep adding schools? or do i haveto call them and make sure or something?

 

[docmemi]

uhhh
dumb Q: do i haveto submit AMCAS before i have transcripts sent? Also.....If and when i do sumbimt -- Can i keep adding schools? or do i haveto call them and make sure or something?

um, no...you can send transcripts before submitting amcas online (but you should open an application and get an id number obviously).

you can add more schools later on (online, just choose more schools and resubmit)...up until the individual schools' deadlines, which are mostly around nov 1-nov 15.

 

[whournameiz]

ok I still don't get this.

I'm on the quarter system, so do I enter the coursework like the following?

put 2000fall, 2000 winter, 2000 spring
2001 fall, 2001winter, 2001 spring etc? ?
i did that and the amcas never converted the 2000 winter/spring to 2001.

and when I try to enter it as 2001 winter, the winter quarter doesnt show up.

how are u suppose to do it?

 

[DieselPetrolGrl]

um, no...you can send transcripts before submitting amcas online (but you should open an application and get an id number obviously).

you can add more schools later on (online, just choose more schools and resubmit)...up until the individual schools' deadlines, which are mostly around nov 1-nov 15.

thanx!!! i was just like " 😱 " people alreday turned it in??? im a bit of a slowpoke i felt...well atleast i can get the schools on the ball w/ processing transcripts at the same time...

 

[derf]

ok I still don't get this.

I'm on the quarter system, so do I enter the coursework like the following?

put 2000fall, 2000 winter, 2000 spring
2001 fall, 2001winter, 2001 spring etc? ?
i did that and the amcas never converted the 2000 winter/spring to 2001.

and when I try to enter it as 2001 winter, the winter quarter doesnt show up.

how are u suppose to do it?

for the quarter system, keep the fall and spring the same *calendar* year (as your transcripts) and AMCAS will convert automatically to correct *academic* year. you WILL, however have to change the winter quarter yourself to correspond to the academic year. So, in a nutshell, only be cognizant with the winter quarter.

 

[sg4runner]

ok I still don't get this.

I'm on the quarter system, so do I enter the coursework like the following?

put 2000fall, 2000 winter, 2000 spring
2001 fall, 2001winter, 2001 spring etc? ?
i did that and the amcas never converted the 2000 winter/spring to 2001.

and when I try to enter it as 2001 winter, the winter quarter doesnt show up.

how are u suppose to do it?

Fall and Winter quarters will have the same calendar year, and spring quarter will be the following calendar year. Here's a tip that my school's career center gave: "Winter quarter grades should be entered as though they began in Dec. of the preceding calendar year, in order to reflect the correct academic year". Hope this makes sense.

Couple questions-
1)Can being Persian be considered Other Asian or should you put white, or what do people think? Would there be any benefit for putting "other Asian?"

Persians/Iranians are technically white since they are part of the aryan race. To the best of my knowledge, it would not be any more or less beneficial to put asian or other.

i don't whats up with the audit thing either, i keep getting:

92 WARNING GPA MCAT / Other Test information blank

even though i've entered all my coursework and everything, and my MCAT scores are all released to AAMC already.

I got this too and I think it does this if you haven't listed any other test scores (GRE, LSAT etc) besides the MCAT, so I don't think you have to worry about it.

 

[UDbiochem]

help! question.... (i apologize if this has already been asked)

so.. my pchemistry grade isn't up yet, probably will be up on like monday or tuesday. Should i wait to submit AMCAS until i get the grade?

also... what if i don't know what i'm taking next year... should i just estimate?

 

[gboug]

I'd wait for the grade b/c what if you guess wrong (which I guess could be a good or bad thing in your case). A wrong grade probably wouldn't look too good to them, I assume.

I would think that a good estimate of next year's classes would be fine. If they change, just let the schools know.

These entries are not binding, but are intended to give the medical schools an indication of what you expect to take. If you desire to request a change or a correction to your course listing after your application has been processed by AMCAS and made available to your designated medical schools, notify the schools directly of the change/correction.
AMCAS will not make changes to coursework that become available after your application has been processed. p. 35 of the AMCAS 2005 instuctions

 

[garfodie]

Does anybody have any advice about transferring credits when it might lower your gpa? On the one hand, they are 11 credits of dyamnics in clinical health and anatomy and physiology I&II combined from UMDNJ. On the other, I got an average of B/B- on them so they will definitely lower my 3.97 gpa. 😕 Any suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[CaMD]

Does anybody have any advice about transferring credits when it might lower your gpa? On the one hand, they are 11 credits of dyamnics in clinical health and anatomy and physiology I&II combined from UMDNJ. On the other, I got an average of B/B- on them so they will definitely lower my 3.97 gpa. 😕 Any suggestions would be appreciated!

It doesn't matter if you transfer it, AMCAS will see all the grades and average them together anyways.

 

[garfodie]

It doesn't matter if you transfer it, AMCAS will see all the grades and average them together anyways.

It's actually a high school "course" which I got credit from umdnj for and I have the wonderful option of "ignoring" it 😀

 

[krebse]

if it's a highschool course, then isn't this a ridiculous question? Sure, I get that for some weird-ass reason you got college credit, from UMDNJ no less, but those classes aren't required by medschools and most don't even recommend them, they likely won't benefit you and will lower your GPA - sounds like a no brainer to me...

 

[paco]

Hi all. I haven't logged onto the AMCAS yet (guess I'd better soon), but I was wondering if anyone could tell me if there's an easy way to list courses taken during my undergrad years (but at a different institution from undergrad) that I never transferred toward my undergrad degree since I didn't need them for my major. Many of them are BCPM since I was an engineering major...

Thanks in advance.

 

[lorelei]

Hi all. I haven't logged onto the AMCAS yet (guess I'd better soon), but I was wondering if anyone could tell me if there's an easy way to list courses taken during my undergrad years (but at a different institution from undergrad) that I never transferred toward my undergrad degree since I didn't need them for my major. Many of them are BCPM since I was an engineering major...

Thanks in advance.

It's really easy. You list each school you attended, then for each school you list classes taken. (This is true regardless of whether the credits transferred or not.) Don't forget to send transcripts from each school.

 

[Scubadoc]

So....I took a college course while in HS and got credit for it. It was through the main campus of the university I later attended (I attended a satellite campus) so my it shows up on this transcript (same university system). Do you think I need to get a separate transcript from the main campus or what?

 

[Agent Splat]

Howdy,

When I first entered college I had no plan or intention to go to medical school--I started off as an Art Major in photography. After one semester I changed my major to communications/journalism. Then I changed to a human biolgoy major after transferring to a different school for my sophomore year. Do I need to enter all majors from each school, or just the one I expect to get a degree from? My first year of college was at a different school, so the transcript reads only "communication" for my major. No sign of any Art major. Still, should I put both majors down for that school, as well as communications and human bio for the school I'm currently at, since the first semester at this school was also communcation?

Thanks,
--Marc

 

[redstar18]

So....I took a college course while in HS and got credit for it. It was through the main campus of the university I later attended (I attended a satellite campus) so my it shows up on this transcript (same university system). Do you think I need to get a separate transcript from the main campus or what?

You do not need a separate transcript, especially since the class is from the school you attend now. (All these posts about needing another transcript only applies if it's completely different school.)

 

[redstar18]

Do I need to enter all majors from each school, or just the one I expect to get a degree from? My first year of college was at a different school, so the transcript reads only "communication" for my major. No sign of any Art major. Still, should I put both majors down for that school, as well as communications and human bio for the school I'm currently at, since the first semester at this school was also communcation?

Unless you graduated with all those majors/degrees, only put the major(s) you will be graduating with. Even though your first year transcript reads "communication major," you should put down that a degree is not expected from that school (you didn't graduate from that school with a communication degree right?) Even though your other majors are not listed on your AMCAS, your art and communication coursework will be.

 

[venus0206]

Hey guys,
I have a question about the fees. Is the fee that results from designating medical school the only fee that we need to pay? I remember hearing that there are fees during secondaries. Are those fees separate from the ones on AMCAS? Im confused! 😕

 

[MoosePilot]

Hey guys,
I have a question about the fees. Is the fee that results from designating medical school the only fee that we need to pay? I remember hearing that there are fees during secondaries. Are those fees separate from the ones on AMCAS? Im confused! 😕

AMCAS charges $160 for the first school, $30 additional for each school after that. Then I think some schools charge a fee for secondaries.

 

[IceKid]

AMCAS charges $160 for the first school, $30 additional for each school after that. Then I think some schools charge a fee for secondaries.

i think pretty much ALL schools charge secondary fees. they range from about $30 to $100, with around $75 as an avg.

 

[MoosePilot]

i think pretty much ALL schools charge secondary fees. they range from about $30 to $100, with around $75 as an avg.

I'm really only interested in one school, USUHS, at this point and it does not. I am unfamiliar with other schools' requirements and fees.

 

[ATPase]

If you think the expenses are bad now....just wait until you start interviewing! Plane tickets, car rentals, hotel rooms. Find yourself a low-interest credit card ASAP.

 

[brats800]

I'm really only interested in one school, USUHS, at this point and it does not. I am unfamiliar with other schools' requirements and fees.

USUHS is a case all of its own. its a sweet deal (all free and stuff) if you don't mind going wherever the military wants to put you for a couple years of payback...i looked at it but decided i wanted to stay in the midwest. but yeah, back to the topic, USUHS doesn't charge for its application but most other schools do....

 

[liverpoolufmd08]

I have a question about the BCPM and class designation. What about certain engineering classes? For example, i have a class that's really thermo 1 but on the transcripts it's described as intro chem eng 1, but thermo 2 (still designated as a ChE class) is explicitly called thermo 2. do i put the thermo 2 and not 1? I also have a couple of explicit ChE kinetics classes. if i put these engineering classes in my BCPM do i have to put all/most of the others? will it cause amcas to move them all (i know we don't really know what goes on in their minds, and what they'd do but any speculation/experience may help?). i don't want them moving all/most of the engr classes and have them bring down my bcpm gpa haha!

Also is anyone waiting to get their MCAT score back before they submit? I wanted to submit as soon as possible, but i really can't gauge what i'll get for the April scores. You can't change whether you want to take the Aug MCAT after you submit right? Is it better to just put down no and if you have to take it again e-mail each school individually and inform them (hopefully we DON'T have to take it again though!)

Sorry for all the questions! And Good Luck everyone!

 

[pbehzad]

When listing Extracurricular activities, can you do in any particular order, or should you put the activities in order of importance? Also should you describe your activity by full sentences and in paragraph form, or can you use fragments that would look similar to how you would write something on a resume?

thanks.

 

[kmjannie]

When listing Extracurricular activities, can you do in any particular order, or should you put the activities in order of importance? Also should you describe your activity by full sentences and in paragraph form, or can you use fragments that would look similar to how you would write something on a resume?

thanks.

There is a button that you can click that will arrange them by chronological order or by type. That is how the adcoms will see them. However, it may be helpful to you to initially list them in an "importance" order. I have heard different things about how people are writing them. I am going to use paragraphs and full sentences. For my ECs I talked about my job responsibilities, and if applicable, threw in a sentence about what I learned, or how the experience was valuable to me. Don't get too caught up in that though - much of it can be talked about further in the interview.

 

[MoosePilot]

Also is anyone waiting to get their MCAT score back before they submit? I wanted to submit as soon as possible, but i really can't gauge what i'll get for the April scores. You can't change whether you want to take the Aug MCAT after you submit right? Is it better to just put down no and if you have to take it again e-mail each school individually and inform them (hopefully we DON'T have to take it again though!)

Sorry for all the questions! And Good Luck everyone!

If I had never taken the MCAT before, I would probably delay submitting my application until I'd received my scores. Have it all filled out online, ready to go, but don't submit until you know. It should only delay two weeks.

Your MCAT score might influence where you want to apply.

This is a good question and I hope you get some more responses, I'm curious if others would wait a couple of weeks in this case too.

 

[derf]

When listing Extracurricular activities, can you do in any particular order, or should you put the activities in order of importance? Also should you describe your activity by full sentences and in paragraph form, or can you use fragments that would look similar to how you would write something on a resume?

thanks.

in the application instructions, amcas says not to worry about order since each schools downloads them in order of their preference. they do not see them in the same order you put them in.

 

[Cerbernator]

Hey, when putting in coursework did you put it in exactly as it was on the transcripts? In some isntances my transcripts say things like "WRIT & LIT STUDIES I". Should I put it in like that or put "Writing and Literary Studies I"

 

[fun8stuff]

I worked at a pharmacy for a winter and 2 summers. How should I indicated this on AMCAS. For example, I worked from 2/01 - 8/01 at Rite Aide, 05/02 - 08/02 at Rite Aide, and 05/02 - 08/01 at an Independent Pharmacy.

Thanks for your help!

 

[MoosePilot]

Hey, when putting in coursework did you put it in exactly as it was on the transcripts? In some isntances my transcripts say things like "WRIT & LIT STUDIES I". Should I put it in like that or put "Writing and Literary Studies I"

My take was to put it just like on the transcript. The reason is that I think AMCAS has somebody manually checking your transcript vs. the application. Any delays because they don't interpret the long version you write the same as the abbreviation on the transcript will only hurt you.

What do ya think?

 

[Cerbernator]

My take was to put it just like on the transcript. The reason is that I think AMCAS has somebody manually checking your transcript vs. the application. Any delays because they don't interpret the long version you write the same as the abbreviation on the transcript will only hurt you.

What do ya think?

Thats also what I was thinking. The help section is rather ambigous on this🙁

 

[JohnnyJ]

I just ran an app audit and got this error message

Form Error/Warning Section Description
92 WARNING GPA MCAT / Other Test information blank


What section is GPA under and how do i fix this.

 

[MoosePilot]

I just ran an app audit and got this error message

Form Error/Warning Section Description
92 WARNING GPA MCAT / Other Test information blank


What section is GPA under and how do i fix this.

Check the help. I got several of those and if I recall correctly, warnings are just telling you to check something. They're not signs that something is definitely wrong, just that you may have left something out.

Double check (and read the help so you're not going off my memory), but that may be OK.

 

[docmemi]

I just ran an app audit and got this error message

Form Error/Warning Section Description
92 WARNING GPA MCAT / Other Test information blank


What section is GPA under and how do i fix this.

if you took the april mcat, its most likely warning you that your scores are not there yet. it will go away once you get your mcat scores back in late june.

 

[hakksar]

What that error message means is that you did not put in any other test information for tests other than the MCAT. It is not required to put any other tests (ie GRE scores) into AMCAS; however it allows you to do so in case you are applying MD/PhD etc. As long as you do not have any GRE, LSAT, GMAT, TOEFL or other standardized test scores that you want the adcomm's to see do not worry about that warning.

 

[fun8stuff]

I worked at a pharmacy for a winter and 2 summers. How should I indicated this on AMCAS. For example, I worked from 2/01 - 8/01 at Rite Aide, 05/02 - 08/02 at Rite Aide, and 05/02 - 08/01 at an Independent Pharmacy.

Thanks for your help!

anybody? .

 

[farleyisgod]

I took some classes at a community college, but they show up as a "T" (instead of a normal grade) on my University transcript. Should I put the actual grade (and have transcripts from the community college sent) or should I just put "T"?

Thanks.

 

[pbehzad]

I took some classes at a community college, but they show up as a "T" (instead of a normal grade) on my University transcript. Should I put the actual grade (and have transcripts from the community college sent) or should I just put "T"?

Thanks.

You need to have the community college send the transcript to AMCAS, and enter in the grades only under the community college. Don't put community college grades or transfer grades on your main schools transcript when entering in. You will have to put the grades for each individual school separately. Hope that helps.

 

[farleyisgod]

You need to have the community college send the transcript to AMCAS, and enter in the grades only under the community college. Don't put community college grades or transfer grades on your main schools transcript when entering in. You will have to put the grades for each individual school separately. Hope that helps.

Okay, yeah I got it.
I should've read the handbook before bothering you guys haha.

Thanks! 🙂

 

[MoosePilot]

anybody? .

Enter it as employment under the 15 opportunities section. I think the heading is paid employment/non-military. You should probably enter it as three separate entries.

 

[derf]

I worked at a pharmacy for a winter and 2 summers. How should I indicated this on AMCAS. For example, I worked from 2/01 - 8/01 at Rite Aide, 05/02 - 08/02 at Rite Aide, and 05/02 - 08/01 at an Independent Pharmacy.

Thanks for your help!

Put pharmacy clerk, etc as the title. Dates are 2/01 - XX/XX(or whenever you stopped work at the last pharmacy job). In the description, mention that you worked at (intermittent times) three diff locations. Put the average hours for all three jobs, and pick a contact from one of the jobs. That's the way I would do it. good luck

edit 1: just noticed that your jobs were continuous, not intermittent. Hence, I would just put 02/01- 8/02. much easier....

 

[Scubadoc]

so for study abroad through your university do you enter it as foreign college-not coded then describe it as through your college? then after doing the transcript exempt stuff because it transferred back to your school, do you have to have the registrar write a letter explaining the courses were credit/no credit and that is why there are no grades ? kind of confused about that last part especially....help!!!

 

[MoosePilot]

We discussed this before, but I seem to remember trying to submit my AMCAS application and it saying not until June 1. Now it says not until June 2. Did it change or did I misread it?

What time zone do they use to determine June 2?

 

[sg4runner]

so for study abroad through your university do you enter it as foreign college-not coded then describe it as through your college? then after doing the transcript exempt stuff because it transferred back to your school, do you have to have the registrar write a letter explaining the courses were credit/no credit and that is why there are no grades ? kind of confused about that last part especially....help!!!

If the classes you took abroad transferred back through your university, and the credits are on your transcript, then I'm pretty sure you don't mention the foreign university. In my case, I got actual grades from my abroad courses that went toward my GPA so I put them down as if I took them at my university, but I'm not quite sure how it works if you don't have grades... it seems like that shouldn't really matter, as long as your school gave you credit for them, but I don't know. I would get in touch with your school's pre-med advisors and ask, just to be on the safe side.

Good luck!

 

[Scubadoc]

sg4runner...thanks a million! 🙂