*~*~*~*Official AMCAS Questions Thread 2015-2016*~*~*~*

[gonnif]

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For Childhood information, what age range should I put? The bulk of my childhood until HS was spent in a different city with a much different income level than in high school (my parent was in residency). I am worried that it looks a little odd that it lists my parent as an MD but income level is listed as that of a resident. Should I just put my HS years information instead?

Put in what you think/feel accurately reflects your childhood. Dont tailor your answers for what you think the reader might see/feel/think. If you are going to an ethical doctor with integrity, start with your application

 

[mehc012]

For Childhood information, what age range should I put? The bulk of my childhood until HS was spent in a different city with a much different income level than in high school (my parent was in residency). I am worried that it looks a little odd that it lists my parent as an MD but income level is listed as that of a resident. Should I just put my HS years information instead?

I would be truthful, first and foremost. It asks for their income during the majority of your childhood - i.e. at least 9 or so years.
Similar to you, my family's income level changed substantially throughout my childhood. I started out with both parents at or below high school education level and our family requiring food stamps, and ended with one parent in a terminal degree with decent income. Thus, my parents' education likewise appears incompatible with the income listed. However, keep in mind that if they wanted to just make all assumptions based on your parents' degree, they wouldn't have to bother with the second section.

 

[mehc012]

What is the best way to submit transcripts for schools that process transcripts through National Student Clearinghouse? Add instruction to include transcript request form number in the description section?

My National Student Clearinghouse page had an 'Attachments' field, which asked for any documents that needed to be included with the official transcript when mailed. It then asked for instructions for said attachment, so I included a signed .pdf of the Transcript Request form and wrote in the instructions to include it.

I decided to skip the whole e-.pdf thing because they did not ask specifically for the Transcript ID number, so I presumed (as AAMC told me to) that my school's office is not set up to transfer the files securely and appropriately.

 

[schiffbased]

Not actually applying this cycle but thought this more than appropriate to post here... How do you cite a publication in which it was a "photo quiz" or "clinical challenge?" I have quizzes on a few case reports in different journals but unsure how to correctly cite them--should it still just be normal MLA?

This is not my publication but this is an example of a photo quiz:
http://www.the-dermatologist.com/content/what-causing-these-pigmented-macules

 

[gonnif]

My National Student Clearinghouse page had an 'Attachments' field, which asked for any documents that needed to be included with the official transcript when mailed. It then asked for instructions for said attachment, so I included a signed .pdf of the Transcript Request form and wrote in the instructions to include it.

I decided to skip the whole e-.pdf thing because they did not ask specifically for the Transcript ID number, so I presumed (as AAMC told me to) that my school's office is not set up to transfer the files securely and appropriately.

It is a undergraduate school specific policy that you need to do at your schools student portal or registrar's process

 

[Affiche]

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[pinstriped1992]

I have a few questions as I am just getting started with AMCAS.

1. Should I request my university to send a transcript to AMCAS as soon as possible?

2. If I studied abroad, but it was at an abroad program through my university and it appears on my normal university transcript, would I be required to submit my abroad time as a separate university?

3. Also, my AP classes as well as some non-degree post grad classes I've taken after graduating both appear on my undergrad transcript, can I include this in my normal transcript without listing it as separate schools?

Thank you!

 

[mehc012]

It is a undergraduate school specific policy that you need to do at your schools student portal or registrar's process

Ah, fair enough...the portion I was talking about was on the NSC website, with no blatantly school-specific wording, but I was directed there through my school's portal and it knew my undergrad institution without me entering it, so it likely was at least somewhat school-specific. Sorry if I misled.

 

[mehc012]

I have a few questions as I am just getting started with AMCAS.

1. Should I request my university to send a transcript to AMCAS as soon as possible?

2. If I studied abroad, but it was at an abroad program through my university and it appears on my normal university transcript, would I be required to submit my abroad time as a separate university?

3. Also, my AP classes as well as some non-degree post grad classes I've taken after graduating both appear on my undergrad transcript, can I include this in my normal transcript without listing it as separate schools?

Thank you!

1. Yes, if you are not waiting on grades from this semester.
2.

Study Abroad Program Sponsored by a U.S. or Canadian Institution:
List the sponsoring institution and the foreign institution in the Schools Attended section. Request a transcript exception for the foreign institution and select the reason, “Foreign institution or study abroad program sponsored by U.S., U.S. territorial or Canadian institution—Credits transferred”. When asked if credit from the foreign school was transferred select “Yes” and enter the name of the sponsoring school in the required field.

...

List study abroad coursework under the foreign college, the foreign listing of your home institution, or the organization at which it was attempted, exactly as it appears on the sponsoring U.S. or Canadian institution's transcript. Do not enter the coursework twice.
 If the sponsoring U.S. or Canadian institution provides letter grades (e.g., A, B, C, etc.) and credit hours convertible to semester hours for each course on their transcript: Enter all required course data. AMCAS will include this coursework in your AMCAS GPAs.
 If the sponsoring U.S. or Canadian institution does not provide letter grades other than Pass/Fail:
Indicate "Pass/Fail" as the Special Course Type and provide all other required course data, entering the transcript grade exactly as it appears on the official transcript of the U.S. or Canadian sponsoring institution.

So you have to list both your home school and the foreign school, but you may request a Transcript Exemption for the foreign one and list the credits under it as they appear on the transcript of the sponsoring US school.

3.

To claim AP credit, the credit hours must be listed on your transcript. AP courses should be entered under the term in which the college credit was initially granted. If no term is designated, include these credits with freshman coursework (FR). Include AP credit courses only once (by selecting Advanced Placement as the Special Course Type), even though AP credit for the same subject may have been awarded by more than one institution. AP courses can be assigned under the institution awarding the most credit. If AP credits appear in one block on the transcript, distribute the credit appropriately among the AP exams taken
...
Do not send high school transcripts or AP score reports to AMCAS
...
(p36)Assign High School (HS) status to college-level courses taken prior to the high school graduation date you entered in the Schools Attended section, regardless of the physical location of the college-level course. This does not include AP, Exempt, or CLEP credit.  Assign Freshman (FR) status to Advanced Placement, Exempt, or CLEP credit awarded when you first entered college.

AP credit on your transcript, unless otherwise stated on that transcript, generally goes as freshman fall and is listed under the college which granted you credit. If no college granted you credit, don't list it.

As for the second part of q3 (regarding PB courses taken at alma mater), I will utterly defer to those more experienced in this, as it's not found directly in the Instructions.

 

[pinstriped1992]

@mehc012 Sorry for the confusion. I mean to say that my foreign programs grades and courses are listed in my regular undergraduate transcript.

 

[mehc012]

@mehc012 Sorry for the confusion. I mean to say that my foreign programs grades and courses are listed in my regular undergraduate transcript.

Yes, that's exactly what is covered under the above quotes.


Because yours are on both the foreign and the regular undergraduate coursework, you did Study Abroad (sponsored by a US institution) with Credit Transferred.
"If the sponsoring U.S. or Canadian institution provides letter grades (e.g., A, B, C, etc.) and credit hours for each course on their transcript: Enter all required course data."

So you'd make 2 school entries: foreign school and your home undergraduate.
You would request a Transcript from your home undergraduate
You would request a Transcript Exemption for the foreign school.
You could then enter your Study Abroad coursework under the foreign school, exactly as it shows on your home undergraduate's transcript.

 

[deleted380953]

Sorry, wrong thread

 

[mmmbop2020]

A few questions regarding the coursework section..

1. I attended college full-time EXCEPT Fall Semester of my Sophomore year (2nd year in college) - where I was part-time; JUST for that semester. Because of that, my credits lag a bit and according to AMCAS (where 36-65 credits is Soph.), my fall semester of junior year (3rd year in college) falls under their Sophomore classification (I had 61 completed credits entering fall of 3rd year). Should I keep that fall 3rd year classification as sophomore or move it to junior since I'm close? TL;DR: Should we follow the course credit #s exactly, or just relatively close?

2. I received credit as a TA for a Bio lab - should I list that as lecture, lab or both?
I also received credit for research - same question: lecture, lab or both?
I received credit for a course where I did classwork but also got graded as a clinical volunteer - same thing, lecture, lab or both?

3. I attended my school's branch campus for a year before going to their main campus and I took some summer courses at their other branch campuses (not the one I attended for a year). Should I make these each a new school attended? Right now I have all my course work listed under "XXX University - Main Campus"; my transcript does not distinguish between the campuses that I completed the coursework at.

Thanks 🙂

 

[iDOliveinMD]

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[gonnif]

Why do some colleges just count those high school classes as pass/fail without the grades. Is there anyway to petition to amcas to not count your grades from high school in your final cGPA or BCPM?

Rule 1: Take a Breath

Frankly, I would say its not worth the effort. They will show up in the "HS" line in AMCAS (ie college classes taken while in HS) and it will be obvious to an adcom that you were less than a freshman as well as see a grade trend upward (I assume). Ignore the issue and the stress you are giving yourself and move on. It will be nothing more than a momentary blip that will not be an issue.

 

[gonnif]

1. I attended college full-time EXCEPT Fall Semester of my Sophomore year (2nd year in college) - where I was part-time; JUST for that semester. Because of that, my credits lag a bit and according to AMCAS (where 36-65 credits is Soph.), my fall semester of junior year (3rd year in college) falls under their Sophomore classification (I had 61 completed credits entering fall of 3rd year). Should I keep that fall 3rd year classification as sophomore or move it to junior since I'm close? TL;DR: Should we follow the course credit #s exactly, or just relatively close?

You can do this by year or by credits; either way is acceptable. Dont get concerned of the credit values which are guidelines

2. I received credit as a TA for a Bio lab - should I list that as lecture, lab or both?
I also received credit for research - same question: lecture, lab or both?
I received credit for a course where I did classwork but also got graded as a clinical volunteer - same thing, lecture, lab or both?

Your credit for being a TA in a Lab could go either way, but I would call it Lab
Research was presumably primarily lab so call it Lab
Last one sounds mostly lecture.

In the end, it really doesnt matter

3. I attended my school's branch campus for a year before going to their main campus and I took some summer courses at their other branch campuses (not the one I attended for a year). Should I make these each a new school attended? Right now I have all my course work listed under "XXX University - Main Campus"; my transcript does not distinguish between the campuses that I completed the coursework at.

My rule of thumb is 1 transcript = 1 college. Since its the same college with multiple branches, just list it as a single school. Make it easy on the AMCAS verifier

 

[nih15hopeful]

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[gonnif]

Please don't quote, as I'd like to delete this post later for anonymity.

I know common wisdom is to enter course titles into AMCAS exactly as they appear on transcripts. My school's gen chem 1 course is titled "General Chemistry" but gen chem 2 is titled "General Chemistry and Qualitative Analysis." Should I include a "2" somewhere in the gen chem 2 course title so that adcoms have no reason to question whether or not I've taken the sequence of courses? Perhaps like this: "General Chemistry (2) and Qualitative Analysis" Or should I leave it as it is and assume there'll be no issues?

Rule 1: Take a Breath

Sorry, I quote: if your willing to ask it in a public forum, be willing to keep stand by your words. Besides, it is overly neurotic to worry about this perfectly reasonable question.

Treat your AMCAS primarily as verification of the transcript. You want to make it as clear as possible to AMCAS what you are putting down is what is on the transcript. The adcom will not look that deep down into coursework nor should you worry about any technical prerequisites fulfillment

Prerequisites are not typically checked until a post-admissions/pre-matriculation process after you have taken an offer of acceptance. I doubt any one will question it

 

[nih15hopeful]

Got it, thanks for the tip!

 

[Nontrad8]

Do I need to have my letter writers write my AAMC ID and Letter ID within the recommendation itself? like sincerely professor X AAMC ID:xxxxxx Letter ID: xxxxxxx ?

 

[summergirl]

Since data is not transferred to schools until June 27th, does that mean that everyone who has arrived at the same stage in the application process by June 27th will be equal? So if one person got verified by June 5th but another person got verified by June 26th, their data would be transferred on the same day and thus med schools would put them down as applied on the same day? Thanks!

 

[gonnif]

Do I need to have my letter writers write my AAMC ID and Letter ID within the recommendation itself? like sincerely professor X AAMC ID:xxxxxx Letter ID: xxxxxxx ?

No, the actual LOR is just viewed by the medical school. The AAMC ID is just to ensure the letter is associated with proper AMCAS application so it is directed correctly

 

[mehc012]

Since data is not transferred to schools until June 27th, does that mean that everyone who has arrived at the same stage in the application process by June 27th will be equal? So if one person got verified by June 5th but another person got verified by June 26th, their data would be transferred on the same day and thus med schools would put them down as applied on the same day? Thanks!

Basically, yup. Only this year's first release date is currently set at July 1
https://www.aamc.org/admissions/processingtools/409866/importantdates.html

 

[gonnif]

Since data is not transferred to schools until June 27th, does that mean that everyone who has arrived at the same stage in the application process by June 27th will be equal? So if one person got verified by June 5th but another person got verified by June 26th, their data would be transferred on the same day and thus med schools would put them down as applied on the same day? Thanks!

Theoretically yes. However, as they get transferred to individual schools, they process them to process.

While being early and, more importantly, accurate is good, it really is of marginal advantage. Most schools will get the bulk of apps from AMCAS mid-July to mid August or early September. While you could argue that there is a marginal advantage with early interview scheduling, it really is minor. By the time secondaries are out and returned, LORs received, files complete, by the time the first full adcom meets, its September. In other words, early cycle work is processing work, not major decision making on applicants.

Relax, calm down, take it easy, it is a long slow process that apparently warps the time-space continuum for premeds

 

[heebeejeebies]

Basically, yup. Only this year's first release date is currently set at July 1
https://www.aamc.org/admissions/processingtools/409866/importantdates.html

How likely is a June 5th verification anyway? I thought application submissions are impossible until June 2nd and can take up to 6 weeks to verify?

 

[mehc012]

How likely is a June 5th verification anyway? I thought application submissions are impossible until June 2nd and can take up to 6 weeks to verify?

Dunno, since it's wholly irrelevant to applying.
I do know that verification takes longer as the line increases. In the morning on June 2, you could probably verify same-day. The next week? Depends on that year's applicants and how many submitted before you!

Here's the thread where people tracked verification times over the cycle last year.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/official-2010-2011-amcas-verification-thread.734116/page-6

Again, THIS IS ALL BESIDE THE POINT, verifying June 2 or early July is unarguably equivalent, and even pushing it to mid-late July is, as gonnif states above, probably of minimal significance.

 

[gonnif]

How likely is a June 5th verification anyway? I thought application submissions are impossible until June 2nd and can take up to 6 weeks to verify?

Some transcripts are easier to verify, some are there early, someone has to be first.

However, after transmission to individual schools, each processing flow is different, so really its not going to matter much.

I should keep a valium salt lick in the student waiting room this time of year

 

[Affiche]

Do we need to have all of our letters of rec submitted to be verified?

 

[gonnif]

Do we need to have all of our letters of rec submitted to be verified?

Letters are not verified by AMCAS ; they are simply forwarded as directed to individuals as requested. Letters are transmitted separate from application transmission and will be transmitted via ongoing basis post-AMCAS application transmission
https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/amcas/faqs/148166/amcas_2010_faqs-17.14.html
https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/amcas/faqs/148166/amcas_2010_faqs-17.14.html

When does my letter information have to be complete in the AMCAS application? Does it have to be complete before I can submit?
You may assign your letters before and/or after you submit your application. Letters do not have to be assigned to the letter entries in your AMCAS application before you can submit, although you have the option to add this information before submitting. Please note that after you submit your application, you can add letter entries, but you cannot delete or change existing letter entries.

Will all my letters be sent to the medical school at the same time?
AMCAS does not "hold" letters until all are received. Any of your letters that arrive at AMCAS while your application is being processed will be sent to your designated medical schools along with your application once your application has been processed. Letters that get to AMCAS after your application has been processed will be made available to your designated schools as soon as they are received.

 

[ProperPurplePeopleEater]

I worked in a lab for credit for 4 semesters and after two semesters a new department began to manage the class, changing the title of the class but listing the same course number on the transcript. Everything about the course is the same but the way it is listed on the transcript. I am going to use the name as it appears on the transcript each semester, but should I also check the final two semesters as "repeat"?

 

[MaybeDr]

So I've been in college for 6 years. How do I deal with putting in senior, junior freshman, etc? seeing as it will cause me to have 3 years listed as senior. Very confused.

 

[MaybeDr]

So I've been in college for 6 years. How do I deal with putting in senior, junior freshman, etc? seeing as it will cause me to have 3 years listed as senior. Very confused.

"Courses for a Bachelor's degree earned in more than four years should be assigned statuses of Freshman (FR), Sophomore (SO), Junior (JR), Senior (SR), Senior (SR),"

I think I just answered my own question lol

 

[otterxavier]

I have transfer credit from AP courses and study abroad. My college transcript shows that I received credit for them, but doesn't assign a grade. The grade column has an "X," but this doesn't mean anything in our grading system. When I enter these into AMCAS, should I leave the grade blank, or put X since that's what is on my transcript? (I know that some schools use X to indicate an incomplete or withdrawal, so I'd like to avoid confusion there.) Or, is there another way to indicate that a course was transferred without a grade?

 

[bluetovah]

Is anyone else having this issue? I'm trying to add coursework for my undergrad institution, but it only allows me to select high school.

 

[mmmbop2020]

You can do this by year or by credits; either way is acceptable. Dont get concerned of the credit values which are guidelines



Your credit for being a TA in a Lab could go either way, but I would call it Lab
Research was presumably primarily lab so call it Lab
Last one sounds mostly lecture.

In the end, it really doesnt matter



My rule of thumb is 1 transcript = 1 college. Since its the same college with multiple branches, just list it as a single school. Make it easy on the AMCAS verifier

Thank you!

 

[KevinGnapoor]

Few questions:

1. In what area did you spend the majority of your life from birth to age eighteen? - I was born and raised in a South Asian country until age 9, and then I immigrated to the US. Since time spent from birth to 18 is even, what location is most acceptable?

2. How have you paid or did you pay for your post-secondary education? - How accurate do these percentages have to be? I just ballparked them to best reflect my finances at the time.

3. I took the GRE a couple of years ago. Do I need to disclose my scores?

 

[gonnif]

Few questions:

A few answers below

1. In what area did you spend the majority of your life from birth to age eighteen? - I was born and raised in a South Asian country until age 9, and then I immigrated to the US. Since time spent from birth to 18 is even, what location is most acceptable?

you could:

1) answer both as above
2) which one had the most impact upon you
3) the one closer to your attending college

any will work

2. How have you paid or did you pay for your post-secondary education? - How accurate do these percentages have to be? I just ballparked them to best reflect my finances at the time.

Ballpark is fine

3. I took the GRE a couple of years ago. Do I need to disclose my scores?

I dont recall if they ask that on the AMCAS but if they do you MUST answer as you dont want some silly ass technical violation discovered later to be the ethical violation they decide to kick out with

 

[medic86]

I have a question:

My school awarded me credit for CLEP and Life Experience when I matriculated in 2013, but listed it on my transcript under 2011. The AMCAS instruction manual states:

"AP courses should be entered under the term in which the college credit was initially granted. If no term is designated, include these credits with freshman coursework (FR)."

What would you guys suggest?
1. Listing it as Freshman, or;
2. Listing it under 2011, even though I didn't technically matriculate at this school until 2013?

I contacted AMCAS, and they weren't particularly helpful in regard to this.

Thanks!

 

[gonnif]

I would suggest list under 2011 as it will match the transcript and likely less confusion for AMCAS verifier

 

[KevinGnapoor]

A few answers below



you could:

1) answer both as above
2) which one had the most impact upon you
3) the one closer to your attending college

any will work



Ballpark is fine



I dont recall if they ask that on the AMCAS but if they do you MUST answer as you dont want some silly ass technical violation discovered later to be the ethical violation they decide to kick out with

Thank you for the helpful answers. AMCAS asks for any standard exams taken and they do list the GRE, so I figured I have to disclose that? Even though I don't think it's relevant or needed.

 

[azzeh123]

.

 

[gonnif]

Thank you for the helpful answers. AMCAS asks for any standard exams taken and they do list the GRE, so I figured I have to disclose that? Even though I don't think it's relevant or needed.

They ask for it, you have to disclose it. And you agree upon submission that all is truthful you havent knowingly or intentionally left anything out. If you do leave it out, you have violated an agreement that could be an ethical violation that, however unlikely, have you banned from applying ever again and you would have no legal recourse.

No one will care what your GRE score is or likely notice. Just report it

 

[gonnif]

If an updated transcript is sent to amcas before the application is submitted, will that transcript replace the old one? And if so how would one know they received the knew one

That would likely confuse AMCAS, which somewhere states that you shouldnt have more than one transcript submitted. Either wait for the final or use the earlier one. But do not do both which could delay your application

 

[mehc012]

They ask for it, you have to disclose it. And you agree upon submission that all is truthful you havent knowingly or intentionally left anything out. If you do leave it out, you have violated an agreement that could be an ethical violation that, however unlikely, have you banned from applying ever again and you would have no legal recourse.

No one will care what your GRE score is or likely notice. Just report it

I think @KevinGnapoor is overstating it by saying AMCAS asks for any standard exam given. The wording is

Would you like to include your test score from another exam (such as the GMAT, LSAT or GRE)?

To me, that's different, and does not seem to require disclosure.
I suppose it could be considered safer to disclose than not to, though.

 

[gonnif]

I think @KevinGnapoor is overstating it by saying AMCAS asks for any standard exam given. The wording is

To me, that's different, and does not seem to require disclosure.
I suppose it could be considered safer to disclose than not to, though.

You are quite right, if they ask "would you like" to add the exam, it is up to the applicant; there is no obligation

If they had said "please list" or "provide" you would need disclose

 

[Mavs88]

I have a class that's "NC" and for 0 credit hours and shows up on my transcript...should I enter it just as that?

 

[gonnif]

I have a class that's "NC" and for 0 credit hours and shows up on my transcript...should I enter it just as that?

If its on your transcript u must enter it. See AMACS instructions p41 . It should be listed as AU (audit) as no credit and no grade


Audit (AU)
Audit refers to any course you attended without attempting to earn credit, either formallyor informally. If you officially registered for the course, it is usually listed on the transcriptwith a special symbol or notation. No credit hours or AMCAS grade will be assigned

 

[Cawolf]

I just want to verify I did something correctly.

I have a semester internship on my transcript that has a course name, number, and description. The units are 0.0 and the grade is blank, literally just an open space.

I chose to enter INTERN 001, Fall Internship, Units = 0, Grade = " ", and chose Exempt.

AMCAS keeps giving me big warnings, so I thought I would see if you thought that sounded OK? The course was not for a grade, it is a couple years old.

TMDSAS and AACOMAS both have me leave it off.

 

[007Cardio]

I already got my school to send my transcript to AMCAS and they received it. I just realized that my transcript is about to be updated. Can I just send AMCAS my updated transcript or do I have to somehow cancel my first transcript then send my updated one?

 

[thyroxine2468]

How would you classify a Communication Studies / Public Speaking course?

The closest thing I found was Communications, but I don't feel like the course I took fits with that grouping.