*~*~*~*Official AMCAS Questions Thread 2011-2012*~*~*~*

[n3xa]

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I don't think there's anything legally forbidding you to do any of those things (well, the EKG thing is weird, but I dunno if it's forbidden). You should list them as part of your job. I took medical histories as part of one of my volunteer experiences.

And to sort of extend this question to shadowing experiences that involved more than just standing in the corner passively observing.

In addition to some of the other important things I learned from shadowing, I also know what an enlarged prostate feels like?

 

[exquisitemelody]

And to sort of extend this question to shadowing experiences that involved more than just standing in the corner passively observing.

In addition to some of the other important things I learned from shadowing, I also know what an enlarged prostate feels like?

I think it's alright as long as the patients gave permission. Some of the doctors I shadowed were a little more hands on than others, and I did a little more than just stand there.

 

[arrowhead1]

Hey everyone,

I have a publication in a journal that I want to put in my work experience/activities section, but I'm not entirely sure what I need to put in the description. Should I include a citation? Should I briefly describe the paper? The two premed advisers I've seen both told me something different so I am not really sure what to do.

Thanks!

 

[anon747]

.

 

[fizzgig]

i would think 100% loans. that's how you had to fund schooling which is what they're asking. you didn't have some sweet pile of money/paying job ready to go to pay for half of it at the time, which is how i'd interpret your 50/50 way of putting it...

 

[mauberley]

Hey everyone,

I have a publication in a journal that I want to put in my work experience/activities section, but I'm not entirely sure what I need to put in the description. Should I include a citation? Should I briefly describe the paper? The two premed advisers I've seen both told me something different so I am not really sure what to do.

Thanks!

I'd do both.

So regarding the part of the app where it asks for how we paid for school, in terms of loans vs. parents vs. student contribution etc, I've got a question about that.

Pretty much all my schooling was covered by students loans initially, but now being 9+ years out of undergrad, I've paid off most of those loans. If, just for example, I still had 50% left to pay and had paid off the other 50% of the loans already, would I say that my school payments were 1/2 loans and 1/2 my contribution, or do I go by how it was paid right at the outset and say, for example, 100% loans?

I would go by how it was paid at the outset.

 

[Schizotypy]

Kind of a dumb question, but I couldn't find an answer via searching:

Does anyone know approximately what time the app becomes available for submission on June 1? I have to travel on this day and I want to know how likely it is that I'll be able to submit before leaving.

Oh, and to answer my own question (and those of the 2 people who asked before me): I emailed AMCAS and they said that certificates such as the one I listed can be listed as a minor if you wish, because AMCAS does not verify majors or minors.

 

[FCBarca1990]

Hey guys,

Not sure if this question has been answered already on this thread, but from what I've garnered from perusing online, an independent research study course under the Biology department would be listed as "Biology" right? Therefore, it would factor into the BCPM?

Thanks!

 

[mauberley]

Does anyone know approximately what time the app becomes available for submission on June 1? I have to travel on this day and I want to know how likely it is that I'll be able to submit before leaving.

I bet even if people knew, they wouldn't tell anyone so they'd have the advantage. 😉 There are two times I would guess to try: after midnight, and after daily planned maintenance (5am-7am ET Mon-Sat, 5am-9am ET Sun).

Hey guys,

Not sure if this question has been answered already on this thread, but from what I've garnered from perusing online, an independent research study course under the Biology department would be listed as "Biology" right? Therefore, it would factor into the BCPM?

Thanks!

I believe that is correct.

 

[ladeedahh]

I'm having some uncertainty answering the "In what area did you spend the majority of your life from birth to age eighteen?" question. The majority of my life has been spent in 2 cities in one genereal area. However, in terms of absolute quantity, I've spent the most amount of time in a third city (by a smidge), but this was a long time ago. Which should I list?

 

[Schizotypy]

I'm having some uncertainty answering the "In what area did you spend the majority of your life from birth to age eighteen?" question. The majority of my life has been spent in 2 cities in one genereal area. However, in terms of absolute quantity, I've spent the most amount of time in a third city (by a smidge), but this was a long time ago. Which should I list?

I'm in the same situation (1-10 one place and 10-18 another). I listed the area I spent the most years in that I can remember. I figure my high school years mattered more than ages 1-4, which I barely remember.

 

[citrusguy2010]

can you just decline to answer that question? or would that be a red flag? b/c i spent birth-13 in NJ but then i moved to CA from 13-22 but now i'm back in NY.

what does that question really do?

 

[gettheleadout]

I'm in the same situation (1-10 one place and 10-18 another). I listed the area I spent the most years in that I can remember. I figure my high school years mattered more than ages 1-4, which I barely remember.

I think that's a valid interpretation.

 

[Swiss Medical]

So...if i have 5 different research experiences

1. surf x
2. surf2x

.....and so on

Is it necessary to fill out only ONE for al these experuences or 5 separate ones....?

 

[citrusguy2010]

does anyone know what to do if they have a multiquarter class?

like i did a research class that lasted two quarters and i didn't get a grade until the end of the second quarter. so on my transcript it says that the first quarter was worth 4 units but the grade says "IP" and then at the end of the second quarter the class was worth 8 units and then followed by a grade.

so would it be right for me to just write that the first quarter class was 0 credits with an A (the grade I got in the end) and then the second quarter class was 8 units with an A?

 

[apoptosis123]

If we got academic credit/a grade for research that shows up on our transcript, is there any special designation we should give to this when we put it in amcas? Should I select "lab only" since there wasn't any lecture associated with it? (Even though its not a lab class)

 

[mauberley]

does anyone know what to do if they have a multiquarter class?

like i did a research class that lasted two quarters and i didn't get a grade until the end of the second quarter. so on my transcript it says that the first quarter was worth 4 units but the grade says "IP" and then at the end of the second quarter the class was worth 8 units and then followed by a grade.

so would it be right for me to just write that the first quarter class was 0 credits with an A (the grade I got in the end) and then the second quarter class was 8 units with an A?

You should enter in the class exactly as it appears on your transcript.

If we got academic credit/a grade for research that shows up on our transcript, is there any special designation we should give to this when we put it in amcas? Should I select "lab only" since there wasn't any lecture associated with it? (Even though its not a lab class)

You can review the special course designations starting on page 41 of the instruction manual. I don't see any of them as applying to your situation.

 

[Cinematographer]

I am sure this has been asked before, but this thread is so long.

I submitted my AMCAS application last year and withdrew without sending it to the schools I wanted to apply. Basically, I sent it to a school I had no intention of going to just so that it would be verified. After verification I decided it would be best to reapply this year based on my MCAT score.

So, what I'd like to know is: would I be consider a reapplicant by the schools that didn't receive my primary application?

Thanks in advance to anyone that replies!

 

[mauberley]

I am sure this has been asked before, but this thread is so long.

I submitted my AMCAS application last year and withdrew without sending it to the schools I wanted to apply. Basically, I sent it to a school I had no intention of going to just so that it would be verified. After verification I decided it would be best to reapply this year based on my MCAT score.

So, what I'd like to know is: would I be consider a reapplicant by the schools that didn't receive my primary application?

Thanks in advance to anyone that replies!

Googling "amcas reapplicant" turned up this thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=124341 I don't see why that information wouldn't still apply.

 

[SteveJMarist]

So my school takes a bit to compose and send out a committee letter/packet to VirtualEvals. It takes them 3-4 weeks to get that stuff over, and we can only request that they send the info after submitting our app (which I will def be doing June 1st). That puts my letters being received right around early July or so. Will this impact my chances? Do schools not read your letters until after receiving your secondary? I'm a little confused by the time line of everything. Based on this, what happens if you submit a secondary app, but my school still hasn't sent over my letters?

Thanks and sorry for the abundance of questions.

 

[mauberley]

So my school takes a bit to compose and send out a committee letter/packet to VirtualEvals. It takes them 3-4 weeks to get that stuff over, and we can only request that they send the info after submitting our app (which I will def be doing June 1st). That puts my letters being received right around early July or so. Will this impact my chances? Do schools not read your letters until after receiving your secondary? I'm a little confused by the time line of everything. Based on this, what happens if you submit a secondary app, but my school still hasn't sent over my letters?

Thanks and sorry for the abundance of questions.

Schools consider your application to be complete when all supporting materials are received, including letters of recommendation, and will not review incomplete applications.

You would still want to submit your portion of the secondary application as soon as possible, but your application would not be reviewed until both your essays and the letters are received. Going complete in July isn't as bad as it might seem from hanging around SDN.

 

[Signifier]

I some questions about transcript issues:

1) My school does something weird with some classes, where the lab is listed separately from the class but with 0 credits. So I took the lecture, BIO211 (4 credits) and the lab, BIO211B (0 credits). How should I enter this sort of weirdness into AMCAS?

2) I spent 2 years at a community college before going to a university and completing my degree in about 4 years (I started Fall 2004 and graduated Spring 2010). So, if I enter Fall 2004 classes, am I a "freshman"? When do I turn into a "sophomore"? For Fall 2010 classes, what am I-a "senior"? When was I a junior? It seems a bit confusing for people who took more than 4 years to do college.

3) A lot of the community college courses I took transferred to my university and "changed" in the process. For instance, I took PHL 101 Philosophical Problems in community college. When I transferred to my university, that course became PHL 201 Introduction to Philosophy. How do I handle this? Do I list the original courses at the community college AND their "new versions" at my university?

Thank you x 1000

 

[SteveJMarist]

Schools consider your application to be complete when all supporting materials are received, including letters of recommendation, and will not review incomplete applications.

You would still want to submit your portion of the secondary application as soon as possible, but your application would not be reviewed until both your essays and the letters are received. Going complete in July isn't as bad as it might seem from hanging around SDN.

Thanks, m. I guess I just have to hope that my school hustles to get it done!

 

[mauberley]

I some questions about transcript issues:

1) My school does something weird with some classes, where the lab is listed separately from the class but with 0 credits. So I took the lecture, BIO211 (4 credits) and the lab, BIO211B (0 credits). How should I enter this sort of weirdness into AMCAS?

2) I spent 2 years at a community college before going to a university and completing my degree in about 4 years (I started Fall 2004 and graduated Spring 2010). So, if I enter Fall 2004 classes, am I a "freshman"? When do I turn into a "sophomore"? For Fall 2010 classes, what am I-a "senior"? When was I a junior? It seems a bit confusing for people who took more than 4 years to do college.

3) A lot of the community college courses I took transferred to my university and "changed" in the process. For instance, I took PHL 101 Philosophical Problems in community college. When I transferred to my university, that course became PHL 201 Introduction to Philosophy. How do I handle this? Do I list the original courses at the community college AND their "new versions" at my university?

Thank you x 1000

1) You should enter it exactly as it appears on your transcript.

2) Please consult page 37 of the instruction manual.

3) Courses are entered only against the institution where it was originally taken. Transfer credits are not entered into AMCAS.

Please ensure you've read the instruction manual for any other questions you might have. The answers to all three of your questions were found there.

 

[sector9]

Schools consider your application to be complete when all supporting materials are received, including letters of recommendation, and will not review incomplete applications.

You would still want to submit your portion of the secondary application as soon as possible, but your application would not be reviewed until both your essays and the letters are received. Going complete in July isn't as bad as it might seem from hanging around SDN.

I definitely agree that you'll be fine by going complete in July, but there are a very small number of schools that will look at your application even without your letters. For example, Ohio State will send out an interview invite before they receive your letters. They only require you to have the letters available before the date of the interview. I just thought I'd point that out for stevejmarist

 

[mauberley]

I definitely agree that you'll be fine by going complete in July, but there are a very small number of schools that will look at your application even without your letters. For example, Ohio State will send out an interview invite before they receive your letters. They only require you to have the letters available before the date of the interview. I just thought I'd point that out for stevejmarist

Good call!

 

[deleted212936]

1/ Is there anyway I can fill out the application using Firefox, without having to download another version? I have the latest version of Firefox.

2/ I'm a reapplicant. Do I have to send my transcript to AMCAS again?

 

[sector9]

1/ Is there anyway I can fill out the application using Firefox, without having to download another version? I have the latest version of Firefox.

2/ I'm a reapplicant. Do I have to send my transcript to AMCAS again?

Does your most recent firefox version preclude you from posting in the correct thread? http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=813135
Anyway,
1) No, unless you get a user agent spoofing add on
2) Yes. Already answered in the right thread, as well as on the AMCAS FAQ website

 

[Signifier]

My apologies.

 

[DISCOSTEW]

Hey quick question:

Every semester in college I was "took" a 1 or 2 unit class for NCAA athletics. This class is used to keep some athletes eligible units-wise. In-season it is 2 nits. On the transcript the grade is CR for credit, how would I input that on the special courses section? Is it Pass/fail?


This is how it appears on my unofficial transcript:
FALL SEMESTER 2006 UA UE GP GR
ATHL 197BBM BASEBALL/COND/M 0.0 1.0 0.0 CR

Thanks!

 

[Cinematographer]

Googling "amcas reapplicant" turned up this thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=124341 I don't see why that information wouldn't still apply.

I saw that thread before. Still doesn't answer if one is considered a reapplicant if X school wasn't selected to receive your primary.

 

[sector9]

I saw that thread before. Still doesn't answer if one is considered a reapplicant if X school wasn't selected to receive your primary.

...well, I think you should be able to answer your own question. Do you really need SDN to answer this question?
Did you apply to the school before? If the answer is no, then you aren't a reapplicant. 😕
If you only put down one school last year, then you are only a reapplicant at that school if you decided to apply there this year too. The AMCAS application asks:
Have you applied to this medical school in previous years?

 

[Cinematographer]

...well, I think you should be able to answer your own question. Do you really need SDN to answer this question?
Did you apply to the school before? If the answer is no, then you aren't a reapplicant. 😕
If you only put down one school last year, then you are only a reapplicant at that school if you decided to apply there this year too. The AMCAS application asks:
Have you applied to this medical school in previous years?

Thanks. I just needed reaffirmation, because I was told by my clueless pre-med advisor that I would be considered a reapplicant to ALL schools. Guy needs to retire.

Thanks again.

 

[Sammich117]

1/ Is there anyway I can fill out the application using Firefox, without having to download another version? I have the latest version of Firefox.

2/ I'm a reapplicant. Do I have to send my transcript to AMCAS again?

Does your most recent firefox version preclude you from posting in the correct thread? http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=813135
Anyway,
1) No, unless you get a user agent spoofing add on
2) Yes. Already answered in the right thread, as well as on the AMCAS FAQ website

Merging with appropriate thread

 

[Medicalbound10]

I have searched but could not find a particular answer, so any help you can helps.

I took a year long certificate courses from a university and got a certificate. There was no grades for the class but other master and pharmacy students that took the class had credit for it?

So do i need to have the school listed as enrolled and send a transcript?

Also, while i was in high school a University did a joint program with my HS and I received 15 credits. Which i was able to use to wave required core classes when i got to other 5-year the university. The classes are listed on another university transcript but reading from the above responses, I will need to request a transcript, right?

thanks for the help 🙂

 

[NeuralNetwork]

My transcript shows Advanced Placement credits applied in a separate area prior to my first quarter at my undergraduate college. When "Other Term" is selected as the option for these courses, they fall in the last position of my first year. Putting them under the summer quarter lists them before my other classes as my transcript does, but does not hold true to where the credit was actually applied. Any recommendations on what the best way to list the AP scores are?

 

[mauberley]

I have searched but could not find a particular answer, so any help you can helps.

I took a year long certificate courses from a university and got a certificate. There was no grades for the class but other master and pharmacy students that took the class had credit for it?

So do i need to have the school listed as enrolled and send a transcript?

Also, while i was in high school a University did a joint program with my HS and I received 15 credits. Which i was able to use to wave required core classes when i got to other 5-year the university. The classes are listed on another university transcript but reading from the above responses, I will need to request a transcript, right?

thanks for the help 🙂

Yes, to both questions.

 

[mauberley]

My transcript shows Advanced Placement credits applied in a separate area prior to my first quarter at my undergraduate college. When "Other Term" is selected as the option for these courses, they fall in the last position of my first year. Putting them under the summer quarter lists them before my other classes as my transcript does, but does not hold true to where the credit was actually applied. Any recommendations on what the best way to list the AP scores are?

I would choose the summer term, so as to keep it in the same order as was listed in the transcript. The summer term would also count as "prior to your first term" (assuming the fall is your first term), so I see no issue in that respect, either. Generally, people list AP credit as belonging to the fall term.

 

[anonymitas]

My institution releases all committee letters on August 15. My sense is that we can get away with this lateness in the admissions process because it's a big-name institution.

However, I surmise this means our applications cannot be complete until late August. As long as our secondaries are in before then, then there's no disadvantage right? My question is, how late can I submit AMCAS with there being absolutely no disadvantage? Late June? Assuming it takes a month to verify, and I can do secondaries with short (<1 wk) turnaround time. Also assuming I do not apply to schools like Ohio State that give interviews before receiving letters (any other schools like that?).

 

[Medicalbound10]

Yes, to both questions.[/QUOTE]

thanks for q. response.

I have a mac and, I could not figure away to get around the firefox 3.6 requirement so I downgraded my firefox🙁

If you have a mac, the virtual machine allows you to run other operating systems. I have partitioned my drive and have windows so I can run explorer but it is a hassle so i just downgraded firefox 😉

 

[mauberley]

My institution releases all committee letters on August 15. My sense is that we can get away with this lateness in the admissions process because it's a big-name institution.

However, I surmise this means our applications cannot be complete until late August. As long as our secondaries are in before then, then there's no disadvantage right? My question is, how late can I submit AMCAS with there being absolutely no disadvantage? Late June? Assuming it takes a month to verify, and I can do secondaries with short (<1 wk) turnaround time. Also assuming I do not apply to schools like Ohio State that give interviews before receiving letters (any other schools like that?).

Your analysis makes sense.

 

[mauberley]

I have a mac and, I could not figure away to get around the firefox 3.6 requirement so I downgraded my firefox🙁

If you have a mac, the virtual machine allows you to run other operating systems. I have partitioned my drive and have windows so I can run explorer but it is a hassle so i just downgraded firefox 😉

You can have Firefox 3.6 installed somewhere other than your Applications folder while leaving Firefox 4 in place. (I installed Firefox 3.6 onto my desktop without any problems. You just can't run both versions simultaneously.)

 

[grindtime1]

Searched all over the forums and didn't find the answer (only found stuff on how long it takes AMCAS to verify primaries, now how long it takes the average person to fill them out).

Has anyone started working on them years in advance? How long does it take usually (from what I've heard the PS is a killer).

 

[Acoustic]

idk if you're serious, but if anyone started preparing years ahead they most likely aren't meant for med school. The primary itself I would say takes anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months to complete. This is based ENTIRELY on how good of a writer you are, because the bulk of the work is in the personal statement.

 

[phnerd1105]

Wow.....gunner alert

The PS is only a killer if you can't explain why you want to go into medicine. Which means that you shouldn't be going into medicine anyway.

 

[grindtime1]

idk if you're serious, but if anyone started preparing years ahead they most likely aren't meant for med school. The primary itself I would say takes anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months to complete. This is based ENTIRELY on how good of a writer you are, because the bulk of the work is in the personal statement.

So if you're a bad writer, you are at a serious disadvantage when applying?

 

[Acoustic]

So if you're a bad writer, you are at a serious disadvantage when applying?

Seeing as 100% of your communication before an interview is written, I'd say yes. But there's a major difference between writing poorly and being poor at writing quickly.

 

[BushidoBrown]

Took me like a week. But then again, I've been writing for years and I got an S on the writing sample.

 

[lisi326]

😱 geez. I did most of the primary in 2 days, wrote the PS in an afternoon plz don't start a year early. go have a drink or watch a movie or something

 

[Acoustic]

Took me like a week. But then again, I'm been writing for years and I got an S on the writing sample.

Took me a few months to think about it and write it all out. Did slightly better at the writing sample. It really depends on how you write for how long it takes. But it CERTAINLY doesn't take years. Few months of thinking about it tops. I tend to over plan for writing though... which is a curse.