AMCAS Language....Problem?!

[StPlayrXtreme]

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On the primary application, I specified English as Primary language. I also specified Spanish and Italian, thinking it was just asking about basic proficiency.

I have since read that this section is usually intended to specify languages in which fluency is obtained, and I do not consider myself fluent in either language.

Spanish, I can hold my own in most situations, took 6 years in high school, one upper level course in college, and I am writing HIV awareness materials in Spanish for a program in Panama (requiring a dictionary for medical terms).

I've only taken basic italian, and can only hold basic conversations.

Even my Spanish should only be considered working proficiency...and I would really be flustered if my interviewer tried to test me.

It's too late for me to change my AMCAS application. Is this a problem?

Obviously, you could tell I'm not fluent by looking at my transcript and seeing the course levels that I took for each language.

But, I am worried that this will be perceived as misrepresentation....is it necessary for me to send a letter to every medical school to explain my selection?

 

[Raryn]

It most likely won't come up, but the general recommendation is don't put down any language you wouldn't feel comfortable being interviewed in. If any of your interviewers can speak Italian, they would be within their rights to start asking you questions... in Italian.

 

[QuaerensIntelle]

I did the same thing with Spanish, after reading the instructions...I was confused about it but I read something that led me to believe it was any language you had a working grasp of. However, I did indicate in one of my activities ( a Spanish study abroad) that I was working towards fluency-so hopefully they'll get that it was a mistake.

 

[ar2388]

i think you are fine for spanish but next semester take a class in italian just in case?

 

[StPlayrXtreme]

I think I came up with a solution.

I'm applying to go on a the trip to Panama to help run a health program in Spanish over winter break.

If I am accepted to the program, I would like to send med schools an update and let them know about the pretty substantial health related activity.

So, I could also add a paragraph explaining my level of language proficiency in the same letter...just to cover all my bases.

My Spanish isn't bad, but I would freak out if my interviewer started asking me questions in Spanish.

 

[stixx]

I did the exact same thing. I am pretty much fluent in French, and I get tons of practice living in Montreal, but I listed Japanese as well. A year ago right when I came back from Japan I would have felt comfortable interviewing in Japanese, but I've had pretty much 0 practice since then. Since I submitted my AMCAS and realized I messed up I've been studying up again /sigh

I also did mention during my entry for my Japan trip that I developed my fluency there. So hopefully they won't be expecting me to have known it since I was young.

 

[ButImLETired]

On the primary application, I specified English as Primary language. I also specified Spanish and Italian, thinking it was just asking about basic proficiency.

I have since read that this section is usually intended to specify languages in which fluency is obtained, and I do not consider myself fluent in either language.

Spanish, I can hold my own in most situations, took 6 years in high school, one upper level course in college, and I am writing HIV awareness materials in Spanish for a program in Panama (requiring a dictionary for medical terms).

I've only taken basic italian, and can only hold basic conversations.

Even my Spanish should only be considered working proficiency...and I would really be flustered if my interviewer tried to test me.

It's too late for me to change my AMCAS application. Is this a problem?

Obviously, you could tell I'm not fluent by looking at my transcript and seeing the course levels that I took for each language.

But, I am worried that this will be perceived as misrepresentation....is it necessary for me to send a letter to every medical school to explain my selection?

Random! I also have those three languages checked. Huh, its a pretty strange mix. Awesome!

Funny story: after I graduated, I took a class at a different university over the summer, and in the application it asked me if English was my first language- which, technically, it's not. So I checked "no". Next thing I know I have emails from the schools asking me what my TOEFL score was- apparently my college diploma was not proof enough of my fluency for this particular school.

Anyways, I wish they would specify more carefully the level to which you're fluent in a language. It would save everyone a lot of grief.

 

[yuiness]

I put in Chinese. I'm technically a Chinese citizen and Chinese is supposed to be my first language, but I moved to the US when I was very young. I can understand conversational Chinese very well, but my speaking ability is a little lacking and I'm completely illiterate... I really hope no one starts interviewing me in Chinese :/

 

[Diksha]

If its a comfort to anyone, I put Hindi and French. I am not completely comfortable in speaking Hindi, and I haven't spoken French in over a year. If someone starts interviewing me in these languages, I'll try to struggle along and hope that they don't think I'm being disingenuous.

 

[Raryn]

I put Russian, which I can speak fairly well. Course, knowing me, if someone tried to interview me in Russian, I would make some huge faux pas like using the wrong form of "you." (Eh, its like Spanish, where you basically call everyone thats not a kid/family member/good friend of yours by the plural form of "you" unless you're trying to insult them.)

 

[Bacchus]

Give them a bullet and they'll find their foot... Let this be a lesson to those in upcoming cycles that unless you can hold a conversation as if you were living in the country your entire life, don't put it down. Save yourself the grief.

 

[Diksha]

Give them a bullet and they'll find their foot... Let this be a lesson to those in upcoming cycles that unless you can hold a conversation as if you were living in the country your entire life, don't put it down. Save yourself the grief.

B..b..but then no one could feel good about their language abilities! : )

Hopefully nothing terrible will come of it.

 

[Raryn]

Give them a bullet and they'll find their foot... Let this be a lesson to those in upcoming cycles that unless you can hold a conversation as if you were living in the country your entire life, don't put it down. Save yourself the grief.

I can hold a conversation like that in Russian easily enough. I make a mistake here and there, but hell, I make some in English too. (Not as many of course)

Only thing I would be afraid of would be (like I said above) mixing up my pronouns. Thats usually only a problem for me because (almost) everyone I speak to in Russian is a close family friend or relative, and I'm just not used to being formal. 😛

 

[JeanLuc]

I'm pretty sure that you would not offend anyone by saying the informal "you" form. In the former Yugoslavia the informal is deemed impolite/mildly rude (for the situations you're describing) but it certainly is not offensive. Also, people are forgiving of these errors especially when they know you're from the diaspora. Though this is based on my experiences in ex-Yu and not in Russia. But I imagine that the socio-linguistic? rules are about the same.

 

[mterp45]

On the primary application, I specified English as Primary language. I also specified Spanish and Italian, thinking it was just asking about basic proficiency.

I have since read that this section is usually intended to specify languages in which fluency is obtained, and I do not consider myself fluent in either language.

Spanish, I can hold my own in most situations, took 6 years in high school, one upper level course in college, and I am writing HIV awareness materials in Spanish for a program in Panama (requiring a dictionary for medical terms).

I've only taken basic italian, and can only hold basic conversations.

Even my Spanish should only be considered working proficiency...and I would really be flustered if my interviewer tried to test me.

It's too late for me to change my AMCAS application. Is this a problem?

Obviously, you could tell I'm not fluent by looking at my transcript and seeing the course levels that I took for each language.

But, I am worried that this will be perceived as misrepresentation....is it necessary for me to send a letter to every medical school to explain my selection?

This could be extremely troublesome. A lot of schools like to bring in an interviewer who speaks one of the languages you claim to speak fluently. This could be viewed as dishonesty and cost you an admission somewhere. I would try to change it I was you.