Engineering profs = Science LOR?

[serendipity007]

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I have searched the forum for a while now and haven't been able to gather a consensus on this question...

I am an engineering+humanities double major and am done with my pre-reqs. Almost all of my classes are under the engineering and humanities departments. I took the minimum amount of pre-reqs required (I feel like this is going to bite me later on). However, since I am a BME major, it's not like I am trying to avoid sciences. Also my BCPM classes were huge, I didn't get to know my professors as much as I would have liked to.

Now, the definition for BCPM (according to AMCAS) allows Thermo and Biopharmaceuticals to count as 'chemistry' and 'biology' classes respectively. My school offered these as BME (surprise!) but I did really well in these classes. They were small and my profs loved me. I would like to use these as my 2 science LORs. I am afraid they will get rejected though since I have read (while searching on the forum) that schools do this on a case-by-case basis.

I am sure to have a LOR from my PI whom I have worked for the last 2 years and going. I also have a LOR from my public health prof and mentor (she has also known me for 2 years). Plus, my humanities profs are amazing too! So, I am good on those corners. Advice on the science LOR side?

Thanks!!! 🙂

 

[serendipity007]

Just to clarify, I have taken classes in the biology, chemistry, physics, and math departments for my pre-reqs. I am definitely not using Thermo and Biopharm to cut corners on my pre-reqs. It's just I don't think the professors will write strong enough LORs when I have my engineering and PI profs who are more likely to write better ones. Especially when my engineering classes should (hopefully) be classified as BCPM.

 

[obx4189]

I graduated with my degree in BME and both my science letters were written by faculty in the BME dept. I have several friends who have already matriculated to medical school with undergrad majors of BME and ChemE and they used their engineering professors as their science letter writers so it must be acceptable.

 

[dr zaius]

Things might have changed, but they wouldn't let me do it back in 2009. They don't count most engineering courses as science for BCPM.

 

[Praefectus]

If it counts on AMCAS, I wouldn't see a problem with it.

 

[TheWeeIceMan]

You couldn't gather a consensus because it really varies school by school. It's a pain, but you should probably contact the schools you are interested in to see what their policy is. I was a BME major too, so I know how irritating it can be.

 

[notbobtrustme]

yea, pretty much no consensus because none exists. Schools take them, some won't. Your only recourse is to talk to each school individually since there aren't enough engineers applying to warrant clarification on school websites.

 

[ShenanigansMD]

I'm banking on one of my engineering profs as a science prof [fingers crossed].

 

[Lafakads]

I know some FL schools said engineering counts as a science. FIU said they would prefer science but engineering works. Honestly I dont even think there is any faculty left 4 years ago when I took those classes, so I couldnt even get them if I tried.

 

[BigBlueBear]

Every school I contacted (aside from MCW) has allowed engineers as science writers.

MCW said that my engineering guy could be a science as long as I classified his class as a BCPM on my AMCAS.

 

[serendipity007]

Thank you, everyone! I understand, then, that the safest recourse would be to contact schools individually. It is interesting that AMCAS has "Biotechnology" categorized under "Biology" and "Thermodynamics" under "Chemistry" and as many fellow BME majors have chimed in, many of our courses have these headings. But, they are offered by the engineering department. Since I will count these courses as BCPM (https://www.aamc.org/students/download/181694/data/amcas_course_classification_guide.pdf), I hope the science LORs will be allowed from my engineering professors. However, I agree, calling schools individually will be the best idea.

 

[chillaxbro]

Is biology a science? It's nothing but memorization

 

[ShenanigansMD]

Is biology a science? It's nothing but memorization

Lol, at least the labs should be considered science. Even biology is given abstract interpretation at times.