Dumb AMCAS mistake

[jlamacc1]

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Okay, so I'm feeling like a complete idiot right now. I was reviewing my AMCAS research statement (which has already been submitted) and realized for the first time that I referred to PCR as 'plasmid chain reaction' instead of the correct 'polymerase chain reaction.' 😱 This statement was edited by several people in my lab, and nobody caught the mistake! Damn. Do you guys think this will hurt my application/credibility at all?

 

[solitude]

Okay, so I'm feeling like a complete idiot right now. I was reviewing my AMCAS research statement (which has already been submitted) and realized for the first time that I referred to PCR as 'plasmid chain reaction' instead of the correct 'polymerase chain reaction.' 😱 This statement was edited by several people in my lab, and nobody caught the mistake! Damn. Do you guys think this will hurt my application/credibility at all?

No. If several people in your lab didn't catch it, and you didn't catch it after many edits, there's a slim chance that the adcom is going to notice it when they are zooming through your essays at warp speed because they have to read 4 more before they can go home for dinner and their kid's soccer practice and...

On the off chance that they notice, this mistake is not of a magnitude to keep them from interviewing you. If you had written, say, Penis Chain Reaction, then I would be slightly more worried.

your AMCAS is done--my advice is to stop reading it over for mistakes and celebrate!


Edit: by the way, since we're on the subjects of mistakes/typos, I read the other day that the British refer to a typo as a "fat-finger", which I find hilarious.

 

[SaltySqueegee]

Okay, so I'm feeling like a complete idiot right now. I was reviewing my AMCAS research statement (which has already been submitted) and realized for the first time that I referred to PCR as 'plasmid chain reaction' instead of the correct 'polymerase chain reaction.' 😱 This statement was edited by several people in my lab, and nobody caught the mistake! Damn. Do you guys think this will hurt my application/credibility at all?

Well that sucks a bit. You are human after all (I'm assuming). I'm sure as long as the rest of your application isn't riddled with typos or word substitutions they will probably look at it as an honest mistake. Just as long as you didn't say you invented plasmid chain reaction. 😉 Then that would be a different situation...

Speaking of PCR, I heard from my PI that the inventor of PCR methodology was on LSD when he thought of it? Is this an urban science community legend?

 

[jlamacc1]

No. If several people in your lab didn't catch it, and you didn't catch it after many edits, there's a slim chance that the adcom is going to notice it when they are zooming through your essays at warp speed because they have to read 4 more before they can go home for dinner and their kid's soccer practice and...

On the off chance that they notice, this mistake is not of a magnitude to keep them from interviewing you. If you had written, say, Penis Chain Reaction, then I would be slightly more worried.

your AMCAS is done--my advice is to stop reading it over for mistakes and celebrate!


Edit: by the way, since we're on the subjects of mistakes/typos, I read the other day that the British refer to a typo as a "fat-finger", which I find hilarious.

Thanks, Solitude. You've made me realize that my mistake could have been much worse (how about "Polygamous Chain Reaction?" 😀)

 

[Mountain Cow]

[/quote] Speaking of PCR, I heard from my PI that the inventor of PCR methodology was on LSD when he thought of it? Is this an urban science community legend?[/quote]


I heard it was marijuana from my biochemistry teacher, but wouldnt be suprisied if he got the details wrong.

 

[solitude]

Well that sucks a bit. You are human after all (I'm assuming). I'm sure as long as the rest of your application isn't riddled with typos or word substitutions they will probably look at it as an honest mistake. Just as long as you didn't say you invented plasmid chain reaction. 😉 Then that would be a different situation...

Speaking of PCR, I heard from my PI that the inventor of PCR methodology was on LSD when he thought of it? Is this an urban science community legend?

I heard a similar Urban science legend: that he was driving somewhere tripping on LSD and thought about how it would work and knew that with that thought he had won the Nobel Prize. Not sure if that was just hyperbole or what.

 

[solitude]

Thanks, Solitude. You've made me realize that my mistake could have been much worse (how about "Polygamous Chain Reaction?" 😀)

haha so true. Now go out and celebrate finishing AMCAS!