*~*~*~*Official AMCAS Questions Thread 2018-2019*~*~*~*

Started by Lucca
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JBruinW said:
So to me that sounds like I don't need to include anything because I dropped within the normal time period. Or am I misreading this? I'll email the school about an official letter in case my AMCAS verification is held up for this reason. I was just verified by AACOMAS so it wasn't an issue for them.
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I don't think you'll be dinged for failure to include it on your AMCAS transcript, and an official letter mailed in by the school promptly has a good chance of arriving before you are verified.
 
Im wondering, if i was already verified, how long after you add a school on AMCAS do the med schools get it? Is it instant? or do i fall to the back of "the line" everyone seems to be worried about lol.

im just happy my comitee letter got released today. was worried it would get out in august lol
 
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gonnif said:
No, it is specifically up to the applicant to check status on their AMCAS application
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So is there a place on amcas that says if the app has been transmitted? Or is it just if the app is marked as "AMCAS processing is complete" and we assume that means it's been transmitted as well.
 
I have tried searching this on the threads, but wasn't successful. But I am confused as in what primary address to fill in, on the LOR. Is it the referee's university office address sufficient or a home address needed?
 
If my application is put on hold due to a missing transcript, does it go back into the queue as if I had just submitted once the transcript is received? The people at AMCAS said that there is a "special queue" for people on hold. Long story, but there was a transcript I did not know existed (military transcript even though I did not take any courses while in the military) so my application is currently "waiting for transcripts". I had originally submitted 6/8 so if I do go back into the normal queue, I wont be verified until mid august.
 
gonnif said:
Had did AMCAS find out that a transcript was missing? if you never took any courses, how did this come about? Was this somehow listed on your application?
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According to AMCAS on the phone, for all military applicants they check to see if a Joint Service Transcript is available. Apparently I have one and never knew. I looked it up myself and it is for "courses" I took in the military that have no grades or anything like that. It is for trainings that I have received, like one is for my training to board enemy pirate vessels and other ships needing assistance.
 

haha I have received similar comments! Thanks for your insight! I was a tad bit concerned because I did not want to go ALL the way back to the end of the line after waiting for nearly a month to get looked at.
 
16. Does AMCAS begin verifying my coursework once they receive my transcripts?
No. AMCAS only verifies coursework once you submit your application. AMCAS will send you an email notifying you of the date they receive your transcript and the school that sent it, but that doesn't mean that your coursework is being verified.
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Does this mean that they begin working on your application even if all of your transcripts are not in yet? I submitted around the 18th but I had one straggler transcript that didn't show up until 10 days later. Does that mean that they don't start working on your application until that last transcript shows up or?
 
gonnif said:
They will NOT work on your application until everything has arrived. Your application does not enter the verification queue until BOTH your primary and ALL transcripts have been received
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OK thanks, I that what I thought but when I was rereading the FAQ's, number 16 made me wonder if they did actually start processing them once you hit the submit button.
 
@gonnif Need your help with answering following TWO questions on Earlier year med school applications:
I was a 7 yr BS/MD student and would have matriculated at a med school this August. However I decided against joining this August and withdrew from 7 YR BS/MD in April this year. But I had already made the application in 2017-18 cycle to one school only in AMCAS.

Some med schools are asking about previous applications and if I decided against joining why so . The second question is how I have improved my application in this cycle.Since I completed my BS in 3 years I graduated this May and doing research and clinical shadowing in a hospital, what would be the best way to answer both the question without having to say I wanted to try in better schools.

I would really appreciate if you could guide me how to answer both questions.
 
325jerseyboy said:
@gonnif Need your help with answering following TWO questions on Earlier year med school applications:
I was a 7 yr BS/MD student and would have matriculated at a med school this August. However I decided against joining this August and withdrew from 7 YR BS/MD in April this year. But I had already made the application in 2017-18 cycle to one school only in AMCAS.

Some med schools are asking about previous applications and if I decided against joining why so . The second question is how I have improved my application in this cycle.Since I completed my BS in 3 years I graduated this May and doing research and clinical shadowing in a hospital, what would be the best way to answer both the question without having to say I wanted to try in better schools.
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I can't sugar coat this, you are in a world of hurt.
 
325jerseyboy said:
@gonnif Need your help with answering following TWO questions on Earlier year med school applications:
I was a 7 yr BS/MD student and would have matriculated at a med school this August. However I decided against joining this August and withdrew from 7 YR BS/MD in April this year. But I had already made the application in 2017-18 cycle to one school only in AMCAS.

Some med schools are asking about previous applications and if I decided against joining why so . The second question is how I have improved my application in this cycle.Since I completed my BS in 3 years I graduated this May and doing research and clinical shadowing in a hospital, what would be the best way to answer both the question without having to say I wanted to try in better schools.

I would really appreciate if you could guide me how to answer both questions.
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So you were accepted to an MD school as a part of your BS/MD program and then you declined the acceptane?
 
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Do med schools look at withdrawals due to to medical reasons different than standard withdrawals?

At my school, we had to go through a rigorous process to get a "Medical Withdrawal", listed as a WM on the transcript, instead of W. I will still put the WM courses as a Special Course Withdrawal on AMCAS I'm guessing, and my grade as WM, but will that be enough for med schools to understand the distinction? I didn't see any mention of that in the manual
 
Question: Finished a secondary for a school. All other aspects of my app are in (transcripts and required LOR. primary should be verified in the next few days). However I am waiting on one more LOR from a physician, which I think will be strong. Should I submit the secondary and add the letter in after? Or just wait until I receive the letter?

Thanks!
 
gonnif said:
I dont understand these questions! Are you thinking that having a secondary before a letter will start the evaluation? Do you think the sane person reading the secondary is going to be the one reading the letter? Do you think a physican letter, especially a shadow letter, will have any impact on an adcom particularly if you have all the required letters? Do you think that all schools will process all applications the same way?

Submit you secondary ASAP
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Yes I have the required letters, just wasn’t sure on the process was if they’d look at the additional letter during the review. It’s from a physician I’ve been working with for the last 2 years

But I will submit and hopefully get the letter by this weekend. Thanks!
 
gonnif said:
The definitive answer is: it doesnt matter. This is the grade you have and speculating what any school or individual adcom will do with it is a waste of time abd effort doing nothing but adding to stress and worry. You cant change it so move on
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Ok I hear ya. I guess my real question is, can I put "WM (Medical Withdrawal)" in the grade field instead of just "WM" as it appears on my transcript? I don't want to get flagged though for writing something not on the transcript. (The end of the transcript does have a key where the abbreviations are spelled out, but not sure if schools see that or what)
 
I have a few questions about AMCAS before I submit this weekend -

1. I am an ORM whose race is overly represented in medicine. Should I refrain from filling out the self-identity page that tells my ORM status? Would it be disadvantageous to not fill this out though, like I'm hiding something?

2. There is a question that asks in what area we lived from birth to age 18. I lived in USA for 12 years and 6 years in another country. However, my time within the USA was in 5 different cities, which I never stayed in for more than 2-4 years. My 6 years in the foreign country was continuous. Would I list the foreign country area for this question instead of USA? We can only input cities in the answer field, not countries so there is no option to put down USA.

3. If I received a federal pell grant in my undergrad studies, do I answer "yes" to the question: Have you and your family used federal or state assistance programs?

4. My financial percentages for how I paid for my postsecondary education are approximated and might be a bit off. Do these need to be exact, or is it okay that they are estimates?
 
Also, I am submitting without any letter entries added in my app. This is okay right? I'm assuming we can add letter entries in later. thank you!

@gonnif was hoping you can help with these questions. Thanks!
 
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Hi I have a few questions about entering Coursework into AMCAS:

1) My official transcript lists all my AP credits as one lump sum (without identifying the specific APs) under 'Test Credits'. Although I received AP credit for Calculus AB & BC, per my advisor, I still took Calculus AB at my undergrad institution (it's listed as 'MATH 11: Calculus & Analytic Geometry I' on my transcript). Should I list the MATH 11 course as a 'Repeat'?

2) If directly underneath some of my course titles, a course topic is also included, is it okay to exclude listing the course topic since there is no way to fit all the characters in the Course name space? For ex:
ENGL 1A Critical Thinking & Writing I
Course Topic: Avant-Garde & Science

3) How should I list my 'Model UN Research Prep' and 'Model UN: International Conflict Sim(ulation)' courses? Both courses are listed in my transcript with course credit (1.0) and grades (A). Both courses had no lecture component; one was a weekly research prep session for Model UN and the second was the actual participation in the Model UN conference. Should I consider both courses as 'Lab'? If so, should I include 'Lab' in the Course Names?

4) If my combined lecture and lab courses include 'L&L' in the Course Name, would you still recommend I add 'And Lab' to the Course Name or is 'L&L' widely accepted as meaning lecture & lab? For ex: 'Organic Chemistry I L&L'

5) I got academic credit for 2 internships. 1 is a public health internship which I will be assigning to 'Public Health' since course number includes 'PHSC' (Public Health Sciences); however, I am not sure if should label it as 'Lab only'? If so, do I need to add 'And Lab' in the Course Name?

The second internship is listed as 'AppliedEthic Intern: Healthcare' on my transcript (health care ethics internship) and is assigned with the course number 'ELSJ' (known as 'Experiential Learning Social Justice' at my undergrad institution). I'm not sure how to classify this course (should I choose Philosophy/Religion because it has to do with ethics? Or should I classify it as Health Sciences?), and again I am unsure if I should label it as 'Lab only' or as 'Combined Lecture & Lab'? The internship consisted of monthly rotations at local hospitals shadowing different types of health care professionals and bimonthly class lecture and reflections on health care ethics. Would I add 'And Lab' in the Course name?

Thank you so much!
 
I'm not too sure where to ask this question but I tried searching for an answer.. One of my professors sent in a LOR through Interfolio and I submitted it to AMCAS prior to Interfolio finishing it's quality check. When the report finally came back, the LOR was missing both the letterhead and signature. It's been received by AMCAS and I already emailed my professor regarding the error. Can I resubmit the letter to AMCAS via Interfolio using the same letter ID or do I have to generate another LOR request/evaluation in AMCAS for submission?
 
Michou said:
I'm not too sure where to ask this question but I tried searching for an answer.. One of my professors sent in a LOR through Interfolio and I submitted it to AMCAS prior to Interfolio finishing it's quality check. When the report finally came back, the LOR was missing both the letterhead and signature. It's been received by AMCAS and I already emailed my professor regarding the error. Can I resubmit the letter to AMCAS via Interfolio using the same letter ID or do I have to generate another LOR request/evaluation in AMCAS for submission?
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From The Official Letter of Recommendation Thread:
gonnif said:
Any letter writer can use the same AMCAS letter ID and upload a new letter that will be added to any existing letter. This is in place mostly to correct missing letterhead and signature.
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meraki_soul said:
Also, I am submitting without any letter entries added in my app. This is okay right? I'm assuming we can add letter entries in later. thank you!

@gonnif was hoping you can help with these questions. Thanks!
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Since @gonnif hasn't checked on this thread in a week, I'll take the liberty of answering. Yes, it's OK to submit without adding letter entries. You can add them later.

Hopefully, he'll return soon to answer your other question above.
 
gonnif said:
I would say it HEAL; mark as lab type, do not put "and lab"
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Wait what?! The video said to put "and lab" after all courses that have a lab component in them! Was I not supposed to do this?

For example, for my chemistry class, I put "General Chemistry and Lab," after watching the AMCAS video. But the course on my transcript only reads as "General Chemistry." I also checked the lecture and lab component at the bottom.
 
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gonnif said:
You need to manually distribute all your AP credits (as below directions), manually enter approximate course names, then mark both AP and college class calculus as retakes

https://aamc-orange.global.ssl.fast...1bf6e3/2019-amcas-applicant-guide.pdf#page=34
If AP credits appear in one block on the transcript, distribute the credit appropriately among the AP exams taken.

For example, the University of Southern California awarded nine credits for three AP exams. On the
official transcript, the credit appears as nine credits for AP exams, with no indication of the subject
of the individual exams. On your AMCAS application, enter each exam as an individual course and
distribute the credits appropriately, but do not exceed the total amount of credits earned.
If the transcript from the college awarding AP credit does not list course names, enter the subject
area for which credit was earned (e.g., AP Credit: English) as the Course Name.


Omit the topic

you can mark them as lab but dont as "And Lab"

include "and lab"


you can mark them as lab but dont as "And Lab"


I would say it HEAL; mark as lab type, do not put "and lab"
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Thank you so much gonnif! So grateful for all your insight 🙂
 
Question on within how many days you should send out secondary:
If the school does not specifically mention any date to fill out secondaries by, is there a general rule within how many days the completed secondaries should be sent out without negatively affecting the results. Some of specific schools in question are
1. Vanderbilt
2.Duke
3. UNC

I would appreciate any insight on this
 
Goro said:
What part of "world of hurt " don't you understand?
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Hi Goro,
Thank you for your response. Having committed to the decision, I have no way of going back.Obviously based on your feedback I am really crestfallen.Will you please suggest how I can handle this situation ?
 
Hello, I had a question about secondaries! I am a reapplicant, and some schools ask if I took a gap year and what I did. For the schools I am reapplying to, I thought I could simply just talk about my application this past year and my job work. For the schools I am applying to for the first time, however, was this technically a gap year, and should I mention I attempted to apply to medical school? Thank you!
 
@gonnif: Need your advice
I applied to a med school for MD onl;y program and talked to the school to change it to MD?PHD. . They advised me to make changes in AMCAS application. However when I go to Med school in the app to change MD to MD?PHD it does not save it . It does not also allow me to Resubmit.
 
gonnif said:
I was first going to say no, but instead I will say freakin' hell no!!!!!

There is no reason to tell the new schools that you applied and were rejected from medical schools already. Of course you realize that most medical schools who address the issue say that the biggest mistake reapplicants make is applying again to soon.
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That makes sense! I was very hesitant on mentioning my application. So, I guess I will technically call this past year a gap year then.
 
gonnif said:
Cant you write in something like "USA-multiple cities"

No, this isnt asking about educational money
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There is no option to put in multiple cities...should I just put the city where I spent the most number of years in - which would be abroad for me?
 
gonnif said:
No, this isnt asking about educational money


estimates are fine
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It seems like AMCAS classifies federal pell grant as federal financial assistance though :shrug: That's what the guy told me when I called, to put down yes. Maybe I should put down "I don't know" since it is a little ambiguous.
 
Hi, I'm sorry if this has been answered before, but i recently got verified and I was looking through the threads I found that several of the pysch classes i took, people listed them as BCPM and had it included in that gpa. As a psych major this would really help me out alot, but is it too late to do this now since i've been verified? is the reverification process not worth it?
 
I submitted my AMCAS yesterday and just realized I put the wrong hours for volunteering as 860 instead of 260, how can I correct this? Do I contact each of the schools now or should I wait for secondaries. Help! I'm pretty concerned.
 
Good stuff that belongs in this thread:
I'm currently filling out some course work on my AMCAS application and am confused with a few things.

So background info, I re-took Ochem III and Cell/Molec. bio my senior year. According to my transcript, the "old" grades for those 2 classes show, but with an asterisk by the grade with 0 credits. The most recent ("new") grades also show but with the actual credits. I'm assuming my transcript/school replaced my old grade with my new grade but kept my old grade for other schools to see. That's okay with me as long as my GPA isn't affected.

Anyway, for the AMCAS application, I have put down the old ochem and C/M grades with no credits AND the new ochem and C/M grades with credits. I indicated for the new grades that they were repeats. Now as for the old grades, I'm not sure which box to click? Exempt? No record? Deferred? They are in my transcript with 0 credits and an asterisk next to the grade.

Also, I passed the AP psych test in high school which exempted me from taking it in college. It's currently on my college transcript. I entered it in as well but I can't check the box that says "Advanced Placement" because I've already checked the "Pass/Fail" box since my transcript gave me a Pass/Fail grade for it.

I'm confused with what I should be clicking :3
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gonnif said:
For your retakes you
1) click BOTH the first and second times as repeats
2) you put the original number credits and not the zero currently on your transcripts... and yes this will affect your GPA
3) for AP check AP and not pass/fail
Click to expand...
 
gonnif said:
Depends on classes, course descriptions, and how much time you have to reverify
Click to expand...


I got verified on 7/25

The classes are

Abnormal psych
-Classification, etiology, and treatment of mental and behavioral disorders with emphasis on contemporary theory and research
biopsychology
-Theoretical and laboratory examination of basic neural and hormonal processes underlying behavior.
cognitive psychology
-Theory and research on human learning, memory, and cognitive processes. Writing intensive.
Algorithms and data structures
-Object-oriented design: objects, classes, methods, encapsulation; programming fundamentals: data, variables, selection, loops, arrays, input/output; basic graphics and exceptions.
 
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I was under the impression that health professions courses were part of the non-BCPM GPA for AMCAS.

I was granted credit by GWU for military courses (not something I wanted, something that was forced on me) and I have several courses that are clearly health professions courses that are being classed as bio and chem. I just want to make sure I'm not wasting my time contacting AMCAS about it.

For example:

PATH 042 - Chemistry and Urinalysis (I listed as health professions, they changed to CHEM)
PATH 055 - Clinical Immuno (I listed as health professions, they changed to BIO)

Also, I took a descriptive astronomy course (ASTR 504) that was changed to PHYS. There was no lab, there was purely a learn about the stars class with zero math.

They listed the associated lab rotations as Health so I am confused as to why they changed the other courses. @gonnif , I could use your expert opinion on this one.
 
Just found out from Interfolio that one of my letters has no handwritten or digital signature. It says "Sincerely and then typed name." After that, there are a couple of spaces and another copy of the same typed name. Is this okay, or do I need to ask this letter writer to resubmit with a handwritten signature?
 
I went ahead and filed a notice of disagreement with them for the classification of my allied health courses as bio and chem courses. They say it can take up to 5 business days to make a decision. If they find in my favor, will they update the schools after recalculating my gpa?
 
Also, for the letter titles, do we need to specify the type of letter it is. For example, "Science letter from Dr. ____, PhD (University name)?"

I was thinking of saying "Letter from Dr. ____, PhD (School or organization name)." Is that too long?
 
gonnif said:
Get signature as some schools will balk at a letter without.



Dr. NAME, PhD is incorrect. You should put NAME, PhD. If you want to put more fine but no one will notice or care
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Thanks! Do medical schools see these letter titles?
 
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