Does Undergraduate Research count towards science GPA?

[Admires]

Thanks, guys. Question answered.

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[Catalystik]

It sounds like a legit inclusion. Whether you can prove it is the issue.

Good luck. If you don't get the answer you want, email again in a few weeks, as different responders may advise differently.

 

[Holmwood]

I got mine to count for science gpa. You can list it as a biological science or something.

 

[040111333]

You can classify it as BIO on the application and provide supportive documentation to back it up. This would be easy if the course catalog states the type of lab facility you'd be affiliated with. And much more difficult, if not. If the latter is true, I suggest you email AMCAS with your question and see what it would take. And keep a copy of the response in case you later run into difficulties, like having a verifier for your transcripts who isn't paying attention to the details you've provided and changes the designation to non-BIO.

Hey, sorry to ask another question on here, but I was just wondering if AMCAS could also do the opposite? Like change a class that is designated as NEUR on your school catalog, but in reality, doesn't have much science content in the class as shown in the course description? I took a class where we watched documentaries/films on psychological issues and basically just discussed the video….didn't have any science really, but it is classified as NEUR. Will I be allowed to keep this in my bcpm GPA?

 

[040111333]

Also, is research credit heavily scrutinized and frowned upon by adcoms? I also have about 10 credits of undergraduate research, which helped my sGPA….

 

[Holmwood]

Hey, sorry to ask another question on here, but I was just wondering if AMCAS could also do the opposite? Like change a class that is designated as NEUR on your school catalog, but in reality, doesn't have much science content in the class as shown in the course description? I took a class where we watched documentaries/films on psychological issues and basically just discussed the video….didn't have any science really, but it is classified as NEUR. Will I be allowed to keep this in my bcpm GPA?

Which department was it taught under and what is its full title?

If AMCAS decides to change things around, you will have time to appeal it if they calculate it wrong.

 

[040111333]

Which department was it taught under and what is its full title?

If AMCAS decides to change things around, you will have time to appeal it if they calculate it wrong.

It is taught under the neuroscience dept. The class is an elective called "Special Topics in Neuroscience." I'm just wondering if they normally leave the already classified BCPM classes alone without looking too much into it…in that case, I should be fine, unless AMCAS goes through all the course descriptions to make sure it really is bcpm...

 

[Holmwood]

It is taught under the neuroscience dept. The class is an elective called "Special Topics in Neuroscience." I'm just wondering if they normally leave the already classified BCPM classes alone without looking too much into it…in that case, I should be fine, unless AMCAS goes through all the course descriptions to make sure it really is bcpm...

You still have to classify it in the AMCAS, and there's no "neuroscience" classification unfortunately.
Neuro is difficult to classify as it's interdisciplinary.
I would personally classify it as BESS (Behavioral & Social Sciences). Then again, if that course was on the biological basis of behavior, then it wouldn't be wrong to designate it as BIOL.

Go with your best intuition. Like I said, you have time to appeal it if they decide to designate it to a different classification.


A similar case would be Biostats (and for my uni, it was very bio heavy). It is taught in the biology department so I designated it as BIOL, and AMCAS was okay with it. Technically, it should be math since it is statistics.

 

[040111333]

You still have to classify it in the AMCAS, and there's no "neuroscience" classification unfortunately.
Neuro is difficult to classify as it's interdisciplinary.
I would personally classify it as BESS (Behavioral & Social Sciences). Then again, if that course was on the biological basis of behavior, then it wouldn't be wrong to designate it as BIOL.

Go with your best intuition. Like I said, you have time to appeal it if they decide to designate it to a different classification.


A similar case would be Biostats (and for my uni, it was very bio heavy). It is taught in the biology department so I designated it as BIOL, and AMCAS was okay with it. Technically, it should be math since it is statistics.

But I thought all NEUR classes were automatically calculated under BCPM? according to this at least https://www.aamc.org/students/download/181694/data/amcas_course_classification_guide.pdf

 

[Holmwood]

But I thought all NEUR classes were automatically calculated under BCPM?

It's not automatically calculated. You have to classify every single course you took under the categories they give.
That depends on whether you choose to classify it as bio or behavioral science. There is no neuro classification in the AMCAS so you will have to choose one of them.

 

[040111333]

It's not automatically calculated. You have to classify every single course you took under the categories they give.
That depends on whether you choose to classify it as bio or behavioral science. There is no neuro classification in the AMCAS so you will have to choose one of them.

Ah I see…I think I will just classify it as bio then and see what they say.

 

[Catalystik]

Hey, sorry to ask another question on here, but I was just wondering if AMCAS could also do the opposite? Like change a class that is designated as NEUR on your school catalog, but in reality, doesn't have much science content in the class as shown in the course description? I took a class where we watched documentaries/films on psychological issues and basically just discussed the video….didn't have any science really, but it is classified as NEUR. Will I be allowed to keep this in my bcpm GPA?

Yes, AMCAS has been known to recategorize a class that traditionally has less than 50% hard science content or which in their experience doesn't qualify. If the course catalog supports the science designation, you have a small chance of this happening though. If it doesn't support a BIO designation, you'd be best off to pick another category.

 

[040111333]

Yes, AMCAS has been known to recategorize a class that traditionally has less than 50% hard science content or which in their experience doesn't qualify. If the course catalog supports the science designation, you have a small chance of this happening though.

This is all they say in my school's course description for the class: "Selected topics reflecting in specialized areas of neuroscience." Do you think AMCAS will investigate further?

 

[Catalystik]

This is all they say in my school's course description for the class: "Selected topics reflecting in specialized areas of neuroscience." Do you think AMCAS will investigate further?

Some get away with it and some don't. If it's questioned, the verification of your transcript would be delayed.

 

[040111333]

Some get away with it and some don't. If it's questioned, the verification of your transcript would be delayed.

Would the delay significantly affect me if I submit first day AMCAS opens? Like do you know how long the delay would be?

 

[Catalystik]

I recall one investigation that took 6 weeks, but it's more typical that it takes less time. It probably depends on how deep the pile is and when/how many employees are assigned to attend to it.

Let me remind you that you are required to Certify (like an attestation or e-signature) that everything on the application, is true and complete, or somesuch.

 

[040111333]

I recall one investigation that took 6 weeks, but it's more typical that it takes less time. It probably depends on how deep the pile is and when/how many employees are assigned to attend to it.

Let me remind you that you are required to Certify (like an attestation or e-signature) that everything on the application, is true and complete, or somesuch.

Hmm…but my school classifies it as NEUR, which comes under BIOL for AMCAS purposes, so if I put down BIOL, I wouldn't be lying right? If they choose to change it later, they can do so. But regarding the certification, I hope this won't be a problem!