Psych Professor taught my Neuroscience class. Could I ask them for a science LOR

[poohbear23]

So the title pretty much says it all. Long story short, I took a class in Behavioral Neuroscience this semester and it's pretty heavy on biology-related content. However the professor that's currently teaching it is from the Psych department. I'm going to ask my prof for a letter of recommendation but I was wondering if it could count as a science LOR?

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[pre med 2014]

Is the class under psychology or biology?

 

[BABSstudent]

So the title pretty much says it all. Long story short, I took a class in Behavioral Neuroscience this semester and it's pretty heavy on biology-related content. However the professor that's currently teaching it is from the Psych department. I'm going to ask my prof for a letter of recommendation but I was wondering if it could count as a science LOR?

Neuroscience normally is a BCPM class so it should count as a science letter. The thing that will determine it is how the abbreviation for the class looks. If it is a psych class then it probably won't, but if a biol or neuro class it will.

 

[TexasSurgeon]

So the title pretty much says it all. Long story short, I took a class in Behavioral Neuroscience this semester and it's pretty heavy on biology-related content. However the professor that's currently teaching it is from the Psych department. I'm going to ask my prof for a letter of recommendation but I was wondering if it could count as a science LOR?

I'm sure it would. If you know the professor well enough, I don't see what's holding you back, especially since I think this would count as a BCPM class.

 

[poohbear23]

Thanks for your replies! It's listed under the psych department :/ I guess I'll check with some of the schools I'm applying to.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Neuroscience normally is a BCPM class so it should count as a science letter. The thing that will determine it is how the abbreviation for the class looks. If it is a psych class then it probably won't, but if a biol or neuro class it will.

Abbreviation for a class doesn't really matter. Its the course material.

 

[BABSstudent]

Abbreviation for a class doesn't really matter. Its the course material.

AMCAS is going to classify the course as a non science (based on abbreviation and their BCPM rules) and the OP will have to challenge it and say it is a science and provide the syllabus. Whatever AMCAS says it is on the primary will determine if it is a science or non science letter. The OP can try to list the course as a science course and hope AMCAS doesn't change it but he/she should know this doesn't always work. Be prepared to challenge it by having a syllabus and some course work to prove it is a science.

 

[image187]

Abbreviation for a class doesn't really matter. Its the course material.

I think this is the case. I took a class called PSY 3** Clinical Psychopharmacology, which is clearly a psychology class taught by a psych professor, and when I submitted my AMCAS with it listed as a non-science they put it in as a science course. The course was basically all science so it made sense to me it should be a science course, but I wasn't expecting this. I thought they would just go by the course title and department

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

AMCAS is going to classify the course as a non science (based on abbreviation and their BCPM rules) and the OP will have to challenge it and say it is a science and provide the syllabus. Whatever AMCAS says it is on the primary will determine if it is a science or non science letter. The OP can try to list the course as a science course and hope AMCAS doesn't change it but he/she should know this doesn't always work. Be prepared to challenge it by having a syllabus and some course work to prove it is a science.

Not really. Most people on here have done it. A lot of schools house neuroscience in their psychology department. Most school realize that. Likewise most schools understand that Exercise physiology is biology class or that a Stat course in the sociology department is a math course.

And for BCPM classification most people just label it Bio and it goes through. Very few people on here have encountered problems with that.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I think this is the case. I took a class called PSY 3** Clinical Psychopharmacology, which is clearly a psychology class taught by a psych professor, and when I submitted my AMCAS with it listed as a non-science they put it in as a science course. The course was basically all science so it made sense to me it should be a science course, but I wasn't expecting this. I thought they would just go by the course title and department

Because the abbreviation is helpful, but the course name is also important. But like I said, most schools realize in the majority of schools neuroscience is housed in the psychology department as neuroscience is a new field.

 

[TexasSurgeon]

AMCAS is going to classify the course as a non science (based on abbreviation and their BCPM rules) and the OP will have to challenge it and say it is a science and provide the syllabus. Whatever AMCAS says it is on the primary will determine if it is a science or non science letter. The OP can try to list the course as a science course and hope AMCAS doesn't change it but he/she should know this doesn't always work. Be prepared to challenge it by having a syllabus and some course work to prove it is a science.

This is not entirely true.

 

[pre med 2014]

Thanks for your replies! It's listed under the psych department :/ I guess I'll check with some of the schools I'm applying to.

so it is probably not going to be a science LOR