Application Hacks 2012-2013 cycle

[Heavens Cloud]

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Do all BIOL classes have to be BCPM?

I had to take a biology ethics class. It's listed under "Seminar." I got a B (screw subjective grading for science classes --'), only 2 credits but I don't want to list it as BCPM if I don't have to...

 

[Mazdave]

How are you sure that it is not reflected upon negatively. If you try to slip something by amcas, get caught, get the big "X" next to the course - I'd imagine that it could suggest dishonesty.

I had every single one of my courses corrected by AMCAS (my school lists credit hours a weird way and I put them as they were on my transcript so AMCAS corrected them to their preferred way) so every one of my courses had an X. I am pretty sure it didn't affect me negatively at all.

 

[Ismet]

Do all BIOL classes have to be BCPM?

I had to take a biology ethics class. It's listed under "Seminar." I got a B (screw subjective grading for science classes --'), only 2 credits but I don't want to list it as BCPM if I don't have to...

You can list it under "Philosophy & Religion" since it is an ethics course.

https://www.aamc.org/students/download/181694/data/amcas_course_classification_guide.pdf

 

[light warrior]

I also want to emphasize writing what you learned from the experiences in the activities section, rather than a summary of what you did. I heard this advice from at least 2 adcoms. For example, if you volunteered in a hospital, don't write a description of your volunteer duties, instead, write something about how this experience has shaped you or taught you something new.

 

[supportivehubby]

I also want to emphasize writing what you learned from the experiences in the activities section, rather than a summary of what you did. I heard this advice from at least 2 adcoms. For example, if you volunteered in a hospital, don't write a description of your volunteer duties, instead, write something about how this experience has shaped you or taught you something new.

Def important to not waste this space. Give the admissions staff something interesting to read. They can chose to read it or not. It can't hurt -- why would they leave so much space if it wasn't intended to be used. . .

I think this is good advice, however, I did a combination resume/description. eg, in the space for my hospital volunteering I wrote something like:

--discharged patients
--collected materials for nursing staff from other hospital departments
--delivered meals to patients
--improved accessibility to frequently used documents for doctors and nurses

During my two and a half years at the surgical ward nurses station I completed administrative tasks while remaining available for any services I could offer to the nursing staff and the doctors. I recognized that my opportunity as a volunteer was more than just distributing soap or stickering patient charts. It gave me the chance to use my initiative to gain the trust of the staff. Volunteers came and went on a regular basis and many timidly waited for specific tasks and instructions. When I heard a nurse indicate she needed to move patients to other rooms I offered to help. When I heard a doctor looking for a patient chart I would seek it out. The benefits of actively volunteering were both personal and professional. The staff started to know me by name and would look for me since they could trust my abilities. The shifts flew by since I was always busy and having a great time. I started training new volunteers to help them transition into the role and helped them see the opportunity I saw. Volunteering was not about being there for three hours every Tuesday, it was about having a positive influence on the staff. By making their job easier I was giving them more time for their patients and therefore improving the patient experience.

etc etc. I liked this method because it supported both types of application readers. Readers that only wanted the facts/tasks and the ones that wanted to understand how it shaped me.

 

[tantacles]

How are you sure that it is not reflected upon negatively. If you try to slip something by amcas, get caught, get the big "X" next to the course - I'd imagine that it could suggest dishonesty.

I'd imagine it looks fishy if its a class you got a "C" in.

nah, it really doesn't matter.