AMCAS Application question

[CanAmPremed]

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Hey All,

I was going throught eh AMCAS application guide on the AAMC website and it said that there is a section where you list all the colleges attended. Here is my problem, when I first finished highschool school I entered into some business (due to peer/parental pressure) program at a local university in Toronto, Canada. I was there for less than 1.5 months until I realized that business wasn't for me and that I truly wanted to be in a science program, so I withdrew from the school completely. I took the remainder of the school year off to take the high school requirements for science programs in Canadian universities and worked full time while doing it until the next school year when I started a science program @ another university.

The thing is, on the section for listing colleges attended it says I have to list schools even if I didn't earn credit. But I know that if I list a school and that I was there for only 1.5 months it will show me as being not hard working and as one who gave up or something. And I know that one mistake is going to screw me for admissions. What should I do guys? Should I just not mention it? Would AMCAS/Med schools ever know ? I am so worried about this.

Please any advice would be kindly appreciated.

Cheers

 

[tacrum43]

The thing is, on the section for listing colleges attended it says I have to list schools even if I didn't earn credit. But I know that if I list a school and that I was there for only 1.5 months it will show me as being not hard working and as one who gave up or something. And I know that one mistake is going to screw me for admissions. What should I do guys? Should I just not mention it? Would AMCAS/Med schools ever know ? I am so worried about this.

Don't worry about it looking bad. You were only there for a short time, and I'm sure medical schools won't hold it against you. In a way, it could even be a good thing because now you know that's not something (business that is) that you want to do. I would imagine most schools won't care, and it would only take a 30 second explanation at an interview.

But you should definitely put it down on AMCAS anyway. It would look a lot worse to be dishonest about that, than to have dropped out of business school three or four years ago.

 

[McMD]

I agree. It shows that you have actually thought/pursued something other than medicine and med schools DEFINITELY like to see that. I think it actually shows character and I'm sure most (if not all) schools would agree.

 

[87138]

Don't worry about it looking bad. You were only there for a short time, and I'm sure medical schools won't hold it against you. In a way, it could even be a good thing because now you know that's not something (business that is) that you want to do. I would imagine most schools won't care, and it would only take a 30 second explanation at an interview.

But you should definitely put it down on AMCAS anyway. It would look a lot worse to be dishonest about that, than to have dropped out of business school three or four years ago.

As tacrum alluded to, omitting it on your AMCAS may make the Adcoms think you have something to hide, should it come up at some point. If you're open about it, you may be asked about it in an interview, and you can simply explain that you felt coerced into a subject area you quickly recognized was not for you, and that ever since then, you have decided to devote your life to scholarly pursuits in the area of science/medicine. Of course, interviewers will probably follow this up with "well how do we know you won't quit medical school after 1.5 months?", to which you can answer something like "Over the past X years during my studies in the science program I've reaffirmed my desire to pursue this avenue, and blah blah blah."

Make it work FOR you instead of AGAINST you. That's pretty much the golden rule in interviews.

 

[nimotsu]

Not to be funny or anything but I thought the AMCAS was basically for Americans only... international applicants (like Canadians) don't get much play from American schools even if they are superstars.

 

[LizzyM]

Not to be funny or anything but I thought the AMCAS was basically for Americans only... international applicants (like Canadians) don't get much play from American schools even if they are superstars.

Absolutely untrue, at least at the private schools. State schools that favor state residents will treat Canadians like out-of-state applicants.

 

[businessguy]

Not to be funny or anything but I thought the AMCAS was basically for Americans only... international applicants (like Canadians) don't get much play from American schools even if they are superstars.

I don't think that's quite the case with Canadians.

 

[Law2Doc]

Hey All,

I was going throught eh AMCAS application guide on the AAMC website and it said that there is a section where you list all the colleges attended. Here is my problem, when I first finished highschool school I entered into some business (due to peer/parental pressure) program at a local university in Toronto, Canada. I was there for less than 1.5 months until I realized that business wasn't for me and that I truly wanted to be in a science program, so I withdrew from the school completely. I took the remainder of the school year off to take the high school requirements for science programs in Canadian universities and worked full time while doing it until the next school year when I started a science program @ another university.

The thing is, on the section for listing colleges attended it says I have to list schools even if I didn't earn credit. But I know that if I list a school and that I was there for only 1.5 months it will show me as being not hard working and as one who gave up or something. And I know that one mistake is going to screw me for admissions. What should I do guys? Should I just not mention it? Would AMCAS/Med schools ever know ? I am so worried about this.

Please any advice would be kindly appreciated.

Cheers

You have to list it. The down side of getting caught sidestepping the explicit rules would be an inability to go to med school. That's pretty silly considering this isn't even going to affect your GPA or anything. Just be prepared to explain it at interviews.

 

[nimotsu]

Absolutely untrue, at least at the private schools. State schools that favor state residents will treat Canadians like out-of-state applicants.

This is interesting... thanks for the info!