pre-med advisory committee and aacomas ?

[ErinG]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hi guys! I have two questions, if you'd be so kind to think (and respond) about them...
1) I am a bit confused about the "letter from pre-med advisory committee *or* letters from two science teachers" requirement for schools-- which one is it? I am a bit concerned about the fact that, in my school, it is flippantly stated that the pre-med advisory committe "edits" the recommender's letters and "evaluates" the student apart from what is contained in the science professors' letters. I don't want a committee of people that I've never met to edit my letters!! What do you all think about this? Has anyone else felt a little uncomfortable about this? And does it really matter to med school adcoms which they receive?
2) For AACOMAS, I want to send my info (grades, personal statement, etc., etc.), but I won't be taking the mcat till August. Is there a way to have everything sent (i.e., push the "submit" button) without having one's mcat scores present on one's application?

Thanks everyone!

 

[ez073323]

ErinG,

I am a fan of the pre-med advisory committee because in addition to generating an "extra" LOR, they also will mail all your letters to which ever schools you designate to them... I went to UC Davis and our pre-med advisory committee wrote a LOR that was based on a interview and a few other things (other letters of rec that were already on file, transcripts, primary application)... this letter was the cover letter that prefaced all the other letters in my file. I seriously doubt that your school's pre-med advisory committee actually "edit" LORs that you submit into your file, so much as they probably resize/xerox your LORs. As to whether a med school cares if they get your LORs from your pre-med advisory committee versus directly from your professors, i guess it depends on if the school(s) that you are applying to are familiar with your school's pre-med advisory committee... The advisors that affliated with UC Davis are rumored to be well regarded, providing even more comfort with respect to my use of my pre-med advisory committee...

As for your second question, I don't think that you click submit until every part of the application is complete, which unforetunately includes an MCAT score...

Hope this helps and you need anything else, feel free to email me!

Brian Enriquez
[email protected]

 

[Moskeeto]

i went to UCD too and i was told flat out in an iterview that my committee letter was the one of the worst letters my interviewer had ever seen and the guy that wrote it should not be allowed to ever write letters again. He said it was very complimentary, but it was so bad he was embarrassed for UCD. that kind of knocked the speech out of me.

 

[irish79]

ErinG,

You can submit your AACOMAS. They will send your MCAT scores when they come. It is quite okay. I know someone who didn't take the MCAT until August and submitted his AACOMAS and AMCAS in early June. He had completed secondaries and had everything he needed at the schools (e.g. LOR's) and the school was just waiting for his MCAT scores to be released. When they were released, the schools received them and they immediately processed his application. So, if you I were you, I would submit as soon as possible.

Good luck.

 

[ErinG]

Hey Irish 79, thanks so much for the info!
(where in chicago are you located?? I'm in Chicago myself (I work at Northwestern's Medical school)

Anyone else have any ideas??

 

[irish79]

I'm in the NW burbs! What part of NW hospital do you work in? I have some friends that are nurses that work there--on the neonatal floor.

 

[ErinG]

Hey Irish79-
I actually volunteer on the hem-onc floor at Northwestern Memorial, and I work at the med school, as a lab tech in an immunology lab.
Do you go to CCOM?

 

[irish79]

ErinG,

I will start at AZCOM in the fall (the CCOM of the west) 😳)

Do you like working at the med school? I didn't get a very "friendly" vibe when I interviewed there.