AMCAS was very kind on my course classification

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flatearth22

flatearth22

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They didn't change any of my course classifications!

This includes 3 seminars I had held by the Chemical Engineering department that I designated as "Chemistry" instead of "Engineering" as well as a Meteorology class I had designated as "Physics" instead of "Natural Sciences" Also 2 kinesiology classes and a nutrition class (in kinesiology department) that I said was "Biology" instead of "Health Sciences." I got at least an A- on all of the above classes.

Overall my BCMP instead of being a 3.37 (conservative estimate with AMCAS changing EVERYTHING) turned out to be a 3.56 (AMCAS changing NOTHING) making it virtually identical to my overall GPA.

Furthermore they left some questionable classes that I assigned as "Social Sciences" alone so I would meet the requirements to apply to Illinois, Michigan State, etc.

Maybe they saw I was an Asian Californian with mediocre stats and cut me some slack....:laugh:

A note to people who haven't submitted yet - be generous on your course classifications and put the onus on AMCAS to change them....it worked for me!

:)
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This just goes to show that all the threads asking "OH NOES WHAT DO I CLASSIFY THIS COURSE AS?" are entirely unnecessary. Use your noggin and a grain of common sense and you'll be fine. And if they decide to reclassify something, who cares?

Neurotic people are neurotic.
 
NickNaylor said:
This just goes to show that all the threads asking "OH NOES WHAT DO I CLASSIFY THIS COURSE AS?" are entirely unnecessary. Use your noggin and a grain of common sense and you'll be fine. And if they decide to reclassify something, who cares?

Neurotic people are neurotic.
Click to expand...

Exactly.

Also AMCAS states that "Each course must be assigned a course classification based strictly on the primary
content of the course." (page 39 of 2012 AMCAS manual). Unless you put something like "ENGLISH 4382: Shakespeare in Context" as a Physics class I doubt they change anything that is reasonable.
 
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flatearth22 said:
They didn't change any of my course classifications!

This includes 3 seminars I had held by the Chemical Engineering department that I designated as "Chemistry" instead of "Engineering" as well as a Meteorology class I had designated as "Physics" instead of "Natural Sciences" Also 2 kinesiology classes and a nutrition class (in kinesiology department) that I said was "Biology" instead of "Health Sciences." I got at least an A- on all of the above classes.

Overall my BCMP instead of being a 3.37 (conservative estimate with AMCAS changing EVERYTHING) turned out to be a 3.56 (AMCAS changing NOTHING) making it virtually identical to my overall GPA.

Furthermore they left some questionable classes that I assigned as "Social Sciences" alone so I would meet the requirements to apply to Illinois, Michigan State, etc.

Maybe they saw I was an Asian Californian with mediocre stats and cut me some slack....:laugh:

A note to people who haven't submitted yet - be generous on your course classifications and put the onus on AMCAS to change them....it worked for me!

:)
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The only course I really had a reason to fudge at all was a pharmacology course I took. I listed it as Biology instead of Health Sciences because it focused almost entirely on anatomy, cellular biology and biochemistry related to drug use and addiction. They just received my transcripts today so I will have to wait and see what they do with it.
 
And you know what? Even if AMCAS has to change one or more of your classes, it's not a huge deal. They reclassified one of mine when I submitted my app last year (I can't even remember the class, but it was one that could fall under different areas), and it added maybe one day to the time it took my app to be verified. Maybe.
 
gettheleadout said:
One should still be honest in classification.
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True, but if the courses are ambiguous I think it's okay to lean towards the classification that will give you the better GPA. AMCAS seems to agree with me.
 
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Who has the last word as far as prereq fulfillment is concerned: AMCAS classification or med schools?
For instance, if my biochem lab is AMCAS-classified as "Biology," do I need to worry about some med schools potential reclassification down the road?
 
gree said:
Who has the last word as far as prereq fulfillment is concerned: AMCAS classification or med schools?
For instance, if my biochem lab is AMCAS-classified as "Biology," do I need to worry about some med schools potential reclassification down the road?
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It would be up to the school to decide that.
 
gree said:
Who has the last word as far as prereq fulfillment is concerned: AMCAS classification or med schools?
For instance, if my biochem lab is AMCAS-classified as "Biology," do I need to worry about some med schools potential reclassification down the road?
Click to expand...
As far as I know, AMCAS is not involved in determining if you fulfill the prerequisite courses for the schools you submit to. This would be up to the schools. For instance, among schools that require statistics, some require it be given through the math department, whereas others accept it through other departments. A biochem lab is a biochem lab whether it's offered through the chemistry department or the biology department. Whether the department makes a difference would depend on the school's requirement for their biochemistry prerequisite, and you should call schools directly to find out if the information is not available online.

Edit: Yeah, what Mauberley said.
 
flatearth22, did you submit on June 1? It only took 10 days to verify? wow, I was told the verification process is ~4 weeks

and this is silly, but do is B+-3.33 or 3.3 (and A- is 3.67 or 3.7)? Sounds like it wouldn't matter, but I just did both calculations...and BCPM is different.
 
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medschool2016 said:
flatearth22, did you submit on June 1? It only took 10 days to verify? wow, I was told the verification process is ~4 weeks

and I was wondering, are computer sciences and health sciences counted in BCPM or is that purely biology, chemistry, physics, and math.
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If you submit the first hour or so you can be verified in less than a day.
 
I had a course listed as "UC 280" titled Undergrad Research in which I classified as Biology and AMCAS trusted my judgement. It was research in a translational pathology lab, so it was biology, but I'm glad they trusted me on it.
 
camierz said:
I had a course listed as "UC 280" titled Undergrad Research in which I classified as Biology and AMCAS trusted my judgement. It was research in a translational pathology lab, so it was biology, but I'm glad they trusted me on it.
Click to expand...
Remember you can always appeal if you don't agree with the change.
 
medschool2016 said:
flatearth22, did you submit on June 1? It only took 10 days to verify? wow, I was told the verification process is ~4 weeks

and this is silly, but do is B+-3.33 or 3.3 (and A- is 3.67 or 3.7)? Sounds like it wouldn't matter, but I just did both calculations...and BCPM is different.
Click to expand...

I submitted on June 4th.

The longer you take to submit the longer it takes to verify. I've heard of up to 7 weeks if you submit in late July/early August and have more than 1 transcript to verify.

But I would assume it gets shorter if you were dumb enough to submit in October or something.

Amcas only goes to 1 decimal place. minuses are 0.7 and pluses are 0.3
 
are you kidding me?! they changed my abnormal psych, psych stats, research methods, and physio psych back to non-BCPM :mad:
 
latrala2300 said:
are you kidding me?! they changed my abnormal psych, psych stats, research methods, and physio psych back to non-BCPM :mad:
Click to expand...

nooooooooo, I'm taking 3/4 of those classes!

I have to take psychopathology though, which is supposed to be more in depth, is that more likely to get classified as bcpm?

never thought of trying research though, hum
 
vanillabear55 said:
nooooooooo, I'm taking 3/4 of those classes!

I have to take psychopathology though, which is supposed to be more in depth, is that more likely to get classified as bcpm?

never thought of trying research though, hum
Click to expand...

my physio psych was pretty much a bio class. psychopathology can be biological (neurotransmitters and all), but it seems like the reviewers are assuming psych is non-sci. so, in your case, they'd assume psychopathology has to do with the sociogenic hypothesis and the biopsychosocial model instead of real science. :thumbdown:
 
latrala2300 said:
are you kidding me?! they changed my abnormal psych, psych stats, research methods, and physio psych back to non-BCPM :mad:
Click to expand...

Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Math

Psych is not one of those four, so that should be expected.
 
are you kidding me?! they changed my abnormal psych, psych stats, research methods, and physio psych back to non-BCPM
Click to expand...
I don't think those 1st three classes would have enough bio in them to classify them as BCPM, but I'm surprised physio psych was changed

I have classes that were supposed to be cross-listed as Bio and Psych but ended up just being hosted by the psych department, though they're true neuroscience classes that have mostly biology.

Eg: clinical neuroanatomy(appears on transcript as neuroscience I), neurophysiology, neuroplasticity, intro to neuroscience

I'm listing these as Biology where other psych/neuro courses I'm leaving as social sciences (drugs and the brain, cultural psych, psychopathology, research methods, intro to psych, personality) it's subjective where to draw the line, but on the whole, does this seem reasonable?

have any other neuro or psych majors done something like this?
 
Freigeist said:
I don't think those 1st three classes would have enough bio in them to classify them as BCPM, but I'm surprised physio psych was changed

I have classes that were supposed to be cross-listed as Bio and Psych but ended up just being hosted by the psych department, though they're true neuroscience classes that have mostly biology.

Eg: clinical neuroanatomy(appears on transcript as neuroscience I), neurophysiology, neuroplasticity, intro to neuroscience

I'm listing these as Biology where other psych/neuro courses I'm leaving as social sciences (drugs and the brain, cultural psych, psychopathology, research methods, intro to psych, personality) it's subjective where to draw the line, but on the whole, does this seem reasonable?

have any other neuro or psych majors done something like this?
Click to expand...

I would leave Intro to Neuro as a BESS, but otherwise that looks pretty good. Keep in mind that medical schools see AMCAS' verification marks, so i'm pretty sure they'll see me trying to pull a fast one on my BCPM lol
 
vanillabear55 said:
wasn't the point of the OP that the classes he/she took weren't those....?
Click to expand...

Yes, he lied and got away with it. Whoever was reviewing his application didn't catch it.

Why he would boast publicly about his cheating is beyond me, however. :thumbdown:
 
Diggidy said:
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Math

Psych is not one of those four, so that should be expected.
Click to expand...

Psych Stat = Math
Physiological Psych = Neuroscience = Bio
Abnormal Psych depending on the teacher/school can be heavy in the bio-psychology paradigm.
 
BaronVonZ said:
Yes, he lied and got away with it. Whoever was reviewing his application didn't catch it.

Why he would boast publicly about his cheating is beyond me, however. :thumbdown:
Click to expand...

Uh...what?

You didn't take those classes. You don't know what content they covered. Refer to your 2012 AMCAS manual pg. 39 - "Each course must be assigned a course classification based strictly on the primary content of the course." The Chemical Engineering seminars had lots of thermo and analytical chem in them....ditto for the kinesiology classes basically being all biology. It was my call and AMCAS agreed with me.

SDN has a lot of good advice but being super anal about course classification isn't one of them. And how can it be cheating if AMCAS didn't make the changes? That's like saying it's cheating if I graded my own test and then the prof looked at my grading and made any changes that I forgot or overlooked. The prof who looked at my "graded test" made no such changes.

Future applicants - focus on the content of the course and not the department it comes from when classifying.
 
This is great news for you, so it shouldn't matter what we have to say about it.
 
serenade said:
Psych Stat = Math
Physiological Psych = Neuroscience = Bio
Abnormal Psych depending on the teacher/school can be heavy in the bio-psychology paradigm.
Click to expand...

this is exactly what I would think
 
flatearth22 said:
Uh...what?

You didn't take those classes. You don't know what content they covered. Refer to your 2012 AMCAS manual pg. 39 - "Each course must be assigned a course classification based strictly on the primary content of the course." The Chemical Engineering seminars had lots of thermo and analytical chem in them....ditto for the kinesiology classes basically being all biology. It was my call and AMCAS agreed with me.

SDN has a lot of good advice but being super anal about course classification isn't one of them. And how can it be cheating if AMCAS didn't make the changes? That's like saying it's cheating if I graded my own test and then the prof looked at my grading and made any changes that I forgot or overlooked. The prof who looked at my "graded test" made no such changes.

Future applicants - focus on the content of the course and not the department it comes from when classifying.
Click to expand...

wait wait wait. Thermo and analytical chem? I'd love to unincluded analytical chemistry from my BCPM? But it's still chemistry... Same goes for thermo from P. Chem.

But I know p chem and AChem will need to be included under chem in my AMCAS.... so how is it you got to exclude Chem engineering classes???
 
pre med 2014 said:
wait wait wait. Thermo and analytical chem? I'd love to unincluded analytical chemistry from my BCPM? But it's still chemistry... Same goes for thermo from P. Chem.

But I know p chem and AChem will need to be included under chem in my AMCAS.... so how is it you got to exclude Chem engineering classes???
Click to expand...
Simply because they are engineering classes. There is a separate category for those. Flatearth was playing the game and apparently won that round...
 
FWIW-

I hear a lot of folks talking about how AMCAS doesn't change things...Well yours truly go burned this past cycle.

For example:

One class, called "Issues in Medical Studies" was taught as a part of my phil o science major, by a phil prof. So, I listed it as PHIL. Well, AMCAS felt it was better suited for BIO and made the change. I appealed, they instructed me to get bent...Big Fat X next to it on my AMCAS.

For my research credits, my school classifies it based on the type of research: If it involves anything clinical, its "Health Science" if its straight bench work, its "BIO." Since I do clinical work, I listed my stuff under Medical Science. AMCAS disagrees for all 12 hrs of research=lots of X's.

As for if the X's matter: While this may not hold true everywhere or in every situation, I was told by an asst dean of let me in's that one X is cool. Multiple indicates you didn't put the right effort into the app, particularly if the same X is there for multiple cycles.

Moral of the story: I would LOVE for this tactic to be legit, but it could end up being very bad, particularly if you use it multiple times. That being said, I'm just going to follow this: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CFoQxQEwAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.google.com%2Fviewer%3Fa%3Dv%26q%3Dcache%3A4CZAqbMxD1gJ%3Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.aamc.org%2Fstudents%2Fdownload%2F181694%2Fdata%2Famcas_course_classification_guide.pdf%2B%26hl%3Den%26gl%3Dus%26pid%3Dbl%26srcid%3DADGEESiTkAy6HeDxwSGZ3-zVOVl2OGfWqVj6vVIQMF9b3ZlSMQTg14inTyzS6ttgPjPBjsA4hkXfXp_wBFcP3XPh1BpbgCvs47K6z0GeyfKzSeNmS8S9QFGUYIntJZKlu-fO9GLujpoW%26sig%3DAHIEtbTJ83FnXaxw_xN-LuMTwugp4SFK6g&ei=-8emT72zOoOt2QWZw8ymAg&usg=AFQjCNGY8HK_WA0lfMGffEjwL_4loRhcSg
 
NickNaylor said:
This just goes to show that all the threads asking "OH NOES WHAT DO I CLASSIFY THIS COURSE AS?" are entirely unnecessary. Use your noggin and a grain of common sense and you'll be fine. And if they decide to reclassify something, who cares?

Neurotic people are neurotic.
Click to expand...

Welcome to SDN. Land of the Neurotic. :D
 
Any opinions on whether computer labs count as labs?
 
gilbenl said:
FWIW-

I hear a lot of folks talking about how AMCAS doesn't change things...Well yours truly go burned this past cycle.

For example:

One class, called "Issues in Medical Studies" was taught as a part of my phil o science major, by a phil prof. So, I listed it as PHIL. Well, AMCAS felt it was better suited for BIO and made the change. I appealed, they instructed me to get bent...Big Fat X next to it on my AMCAS.

For my research credits, my school classifies it based on the type of research: If it involves anything clinical, its "Health Science" if its straight bench work, its "BIO." Since I do clinical work, I listed my stuff under Medical Science. AMCAS disagrees for all 12 hrs of research=lots of X's.

As for if the X's matter: While this may not hold true everywhere or in every situation, I was told by an asst dean of let me in's that one X is cool. Multiple indicates you didn't put the right effort into the app, particularly if the same X is there for multiple cycles.

Moral of the story: I would LOVE for this tactic to be legit, but it could end up being very bad, particularly if you use it multiple times. That being said, I'm just going to follow this: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CFoQxQEwAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.google.com%2Fviewer%3Fa%3Dv%26q%3Dcache%3A4CZAqbMxD1gJ%3Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.aamc.org%2Fstudents%2Fdownload%2F181694%2Fdata%2Famcas_course_classification_guide.pdf%2B%26hl%3Den%26gl%3Dus%26pid%3Dbl%26srcid%3DADGEESiTkAy6HeDxwSGZ3-zVOVl2OGfWqVj6vVIQMF9b3ZlSMQTg14inTyzS6ttgPjPBjsA4hkXfXp_wBFcP3XPh1BpbgCvs47K6z0GeyfKzSeNmS8S9QFGUYIntJZKlu-fO9GLujpoW%26sig%3DAHIEtbTJ83FnXaxw_xN-LuMTwugp4SFK6g&ei=-8emT72zOoOt2QWZw8ymAg&usg=AFQjCNGY8HK_WA0lfMGffEjwL_4loRhcSg
Click to expand...

Does that "X" actually pass onto medical schools? That doesn't make much sense.
 
gilbenl said:
FWIW-
I'm just going to follow this: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...w8ymAg&usg=AFQjCNGY8HK_WA0lfMGffEjwL_4loRhcSg
Click to expand...

I did exactly this. My only C was in Zoology (began with ZOO). Made sense to me that it would be "Animal and Avian Sciences," and therefore NPSC. AMCAS still X'ed it for me and changed it to BIO.

Seems to me that you can't get any more "Animal Science" than ZOO, but apparently not! It's unfortunate seeing as how a C can make a big difference in sGPA.
 
Looks like I'll get verified sometime next week.

We'll see if my French Cooperative Education (Listed as FRE-3900) gets changed from its Biology designation...

FWIW, it was Biology research, just in French
 
I agree. I got pretty lucky with classifications as well.

I was able to list "Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences" class as a Behavioral Social Science without getting it Xed. It was completely a statistics course and my lowest grade in UG.

Classify courses whatever will help you out most and pray for the best!
 
I didn't bother to go through and see what they changed, but after TMDSAS reviewed my transcripts my sGPR went up a few tenths of a point. I was quite pleased.
 
BlueLabel said:
I didn't bother to go through and see what they changed, but after TMDSAS reviewed my transcripts my sGPR went up a few tenths of a point. I was quite pleased.
Click to expand...

Yes, TMDSAS is definitely more generous.
 
Okay, should I attempt to classify these landscape architecture classes as biology? Both are three credit hours and I got As in them.

"Natural Systems and Site Analysis": learn how to analyze the ecology of a landscape (soil texture/chemistry, species, succession, etc.) using the prairie as a working laboratory (perhaps similar to a 'Fundamentals of Ecology'-type bio course).

"Environmental Ethics and Issues": I have this as Philo/Ethics but ... maybe?

Thank you! I'm not attempting anything sketchy elsewhere so maybe I should take gamble on these :)
 
nancy mcgunter said:
Okay, should I attempt to classify these landscape architecture classes as biology? Both are three credit hours and I got As in them.

"Natural Systems and Site Analysis": learn how to analyze the ecology of a landscape (soil texture/chemistry, species, succession, etc.) using the prairie as a working laboratory (perhaps similar to a 'Fundamentals of Ecology'-type bio course).

"Environmental Ethics and Issues": I have this as Philo/Ethics but ... maybe?

Thank you! I'm not attempting anything sketchy elsewhere so maybe I should take gamble on these :)
Click to expand...

Can't comment on the site analysis course but environmental ethics is definitely ETHICS and not biology. I took a course on the ethics of global warming and its policies which actually included a lot of physics but I didn't list that as a physics class because it's not. Writing papers on and discussing moral/ethical implications of science is not science imo.
 
namiie said:
Can't comment on the site analysis course but environmental ethics is definitely ETHICS and not biology. I took a course on the ethics of global warming and its policies which actually included a lot of physics but I didn't list that as a physics class because it's not. Writing papers on and discussing moral/ethical implications of science is not science imo.
Click to expand...

I agree. :( Still holding out hope for the other one, though! We spent at least half the class on plant/animal species of the prairie (either in the classroom or in the field) or on things like succession.
 
Update for 2016?

There's some courses that could go either way / I'm thinking about playing it out like OP and putting the onus on AMCAS to change it.

Is this a bad idea? Who sees those X's?
 
I think 3 of my courses were reclassified. My sGPA went from 3.84 to 3.77. Made me upset :p
 
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