Really WEIRD requirement for a med school

[Tweetie_bird]

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For some reason, I always thought that our official transcripts that we sent to AMCAS got forwarded to each school. I guess not! Did you guys hear that it's illegal to forward our transcripts by AMCAS to each of our schools??

So now MCW is asking us to forward our OTs to them. Any other school have such a weird requirement??

Tweetie

 

[Street Philosopher]

kinda makes you wonder wtf amcas is good for.

 

[kaos]

So far, this is unheard of.

I also thought AMCAS forwarded transcripts; otherwise, med schools wouldn't ask for ours directly unless we were interviewed or accepted.

Hmmm....

 

[Tweetie_bird]

exactly my thoughts!!

The MCW supplemental messed up online and i have a few problems that can now only be fixed through an OT. Atleast I have a good reason to send mine in, but why the hell did we go through this whole AMCAS verification crap if schools are gonna ask for it themselves?

Really makes you wonder....

 

[moo]

MCW didn't ask for mine last year, although Northwestern made us bring OTs to the interview.

 

[CaNEM]

AMCAS is not allowed to and will not forward transcripts to the schools.

Think about it: if AMCAS simply forwarded transcripts, why would they make us type in every single course we took in the application? This is their way of working around the transcript sending restriction. See, if they have you CREATE a replica of your transcript online, then they verify it by comparing it to your official transcript and send the replica to your designated schools, they are not ACTUALLY sending your official transcript. Therefore, getting your transcript to the school is done, side-stepping legal issues. Got it?

For related information regarding AMCAS, see this webpage, "What is AMCAS sending out to schools?" at http://academic.uofs.edu/organization/hpo/amcasappinfo.html

 

[jot]

Processed applications:
Processed applications represent the complete set of data an applicant has submitted to AMCAS. All sections of processed applications have completed AMCAS processing. All data in such applications are considered final unless changes are later sent to the schools. These applications are transmitted electronically via the AMCAS 2002 Data Transmission Utility (DTU) to all designated medical schools.

In addition to the processed applications transmitted using the DTU, AMCAS also provides medical schools via FTP with abridged application data. Some of the data included in this file transfer are applicant biographic information, schools attended, course work, verified GPAs, MCAT scores and contact information. These data do not include applicant essays or post-secondary experiences.

Love Always,
AMCAS

i love the sig at the end of that page - "love always,"

 

[CaNEM]

Originally posted by jot




i love the sig at the end of that page - "love always,"

Who ever said that AMCAS doesn't have a heart!

 

[Tweetie_bird]

so now what does it mean for other schools? Do I have to have my OTs sent out to ALL the 34 schools i applied to??? Or just the ones that ask for it right now?

I am really not liking how repetitive this process is. So far, I've had to type my courses in atleast twice for each school. Some, three times.

 

[CaNEM]

Originally posted by Tweetie_bird
so now what does it mean for other schools? Do I have to have my OTs sent out to ALL the 34 schools i applied to??? Or just the ones that ask for it right now?

Tweetie,

Very few AMCAS schools ask you to send an OT. They get your verified course list from AMCAS, so the only reason some schools ask this is simply because they don't trust AMCAS to deliver, after last year's fiasco. Before you send an OT to a school which asks for it, though, I'd call the school to make sure they really want it and that the requirement isn't just a remnant from last year.

For instance, on Hopkins' app, they ask for an unofficial transcript to be sent to them. However, they only said this because they werent confident that AMCAS worked out all their bugs. Since they have been receiving AMCAS apps just fine so far this summer, if you call them, they'll tell you that you don't need you to send the transcript.

 

[kaos]

Originally posted by Tweetie_bird
so now what does it mean for other schools? Do I have to have my OTs sent out to ALL the 34 schools i applied to??? Or just the ones that ask for it right now?

I am really not liking how repetitive this process is. So far, I've had to type my courses in atleast twice for each school. Some, three times.

No, CaNEM's right. AMCAS only uses OTs to check whether or not we put in courses correctly. I have no idea why med schools need you to enter courses again--what, are they too lazy to even check the AMCAS applications we sent them? (Maybe it's just that we took too many classes...) Anywho, we're only supposed to send a med school our OT if they specifically request it. Like in the case you're talking about. Or when we get interviewed or accepted. They'll tell us when they need it.

 

[Tweetie_bird]

Originally posted by CaNEM


Tweetie,

Very few AMCAS schools ask you to send an OT. They get your verified course list from AMCAS, so the only reason some schools ask this is simply because they don't trust AMCAS to deliver, after last year's fiasco. Before you send an OT to a school which asks for it, though, I'd call the school to make sure they really want it and that the requirement isn't just a remnant from last year.

For instance, on Hopkins' app, they ask for an unofficial transcript to be sent to them. However, they only said this because they werent confident that AMCAS worked out all their bugs. Since they have been receiving AMCAS apps just fine so far this summer, if you call them, they'll tell you that you don't need you to send the transcript.

Thanks for the quick response guys, esp CaNEM. I called MCW today and they told me that they want it anyway. It's a pain because I live so far from my schools and I need to get the OTs in person. I wish I could just have a stash of OTs sitting at my home. That way, if anybody asked for it all I have to do is mail it.

Anyway, thanks for your help guys.

 

[altaskier]

It's not that it is "illegal" to forward your transcripts to schools, it is just that schools don't want to be swamped with a load of transcripts from applicants. However, if a school asks you to send a transcript, then it is okay. The only reason you don't send transcripts to schools is that they don't want to deal with a crap load of paperwork. Plus, someone at the medical school has to sit down and verify your transcript. So that takes lots and lots of time. That is what AMCAS does for us. You will see that when you get accepted to a school, they will ask you to send them your transcripts as well. So don't be too worried. It really isn't a weird requirement at all.

Good Luck

 

[BushBaby]

When apply this past year, I got requests from several schools to send my transcript directly to them(with secondary). I guess they knew that AMCAS was having problems. One school told me to send my official transcript or bring it to the interview.

 

[CaNEM]

Originally posted by altaskier
It's not that it is "illegal" to forward your transcripts to schools, it is just that schools don't want to be swamped with a load of transcripts from applicants.

No. In accordance with the Family Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, each transcript released by the student can be released to only a single party (i.e., AMCAS), and that party does not have the right to share the information with any other party (i.e., a medical school). It is a legal issue, not a courtesy AMCAS gives to our schools.

 

[BlackPuma]

Originally posted by Tweetie_bird
For some reason, I always thought that our official transcripts that we sent to AMCAS got forwarded to each school. I guess not! Did you guys hear that it's illegal to forward our transcripts by AMCAS to each of our schools??

So now MCW is asking us to forward our OTs to them. Any other school have such a weird requirement??

Tweetie

no this is not a weird requirement at all...what you are also failing to realize that AMCAS has your grades for the most part up to spring (depending if you entered your grades in after you got ur spring grades or before!)

schools such as MCW, Northwestern, UCI, and there ARE OTHER SCHOOLS as well, that request YOU to send transcripts from all your schools, are also (don't forget) done so that they CAN GET AN UPDATED version of your grades that is INCLUDING SPRING, SUMMER and EVEN FALL And winter depending on when you interviewed....

in fact, while I was interviewing at UCSF, they didn't require me to send updated transcripts...but they also wanted updated "grades"...

the reason for this is, for some people after enting your last grades for AMCAS....you sometimes think your off the hook and you let your grades drop I would be one of them, BUT schools that asked for updates, can check your transcripts and see if you have been naughty or nice

you should have seen how AMCAS was last year....and if you did you wouldnt be complaining at all

 

[FutureM.D.]

Originally posted by Tweetie_bird
Do I have to have my OTs sent out to ALL the 34 schools i applied to???

You applied to 34 schools?! Could you tell me how much that cost in application fees. And do application fees vary by school? How much?

 

[Tweetie_bird]

For 34 schools, AMCAS fees cost me 1140 bucks.

For secondaries so far I've spent about 400 bucks. Only 5 down. More to go.

 

[Bikini Princess]

Originally posted by Tweetie_bird
For 34 schools, AMCAS fees cost me 1140 bucks.

For secondaries so far I've spent about 400 bucks. Only 5 down. More to go.

it's a good thing you're not applying mstp, that would be double the work.