*-*-*The Official AMCAS Questions Thread 2011*-*-*

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traitorman said:
Someone asked if LOE's are sent in with secondaries. I just want to be clear that LOE = LOR right?

I still have 2 LORs pending. Because LORs are sent in with secondaries, should I just wait till I receive all my LORs before I have my health professions send in a packet to AMCAS or should I have them send in what I have now then add the other 2 later?

Last question: I'm confident all my LORs are good except for one though. Do the health professions office automatically determine which to send and which not to send?
Click to expand...

LOE = LOR

You want your LORs to be sent in ASAP. They are used for the secondaries (and actually a lot of schools don't even look at your LORs until the interview) but they need to be there in advance. Send them in as soon as you can, because you don't want a late mix-up that screws you over.
 
Hey guys for Research classes taken im not sure what to put for their class classification.

Since there is no option for "Research" and we must classify the classes based on primary content do we just put what field the research was in.

For example: If it was genetics research we would classify it as biology.

However I have one that is for Psychiatry, should I put this under Health Sciences or something else?

Also do you "Lab Only" for research that you got credit for?

Thanks
 
I also have a question for course names

I have taken 3 physics classes and on my transcript all 3 of them say Physics for Life Science Majors.

However on the course websites they becomes more specific like "Physics for life science majors: Mechanics".

I know AMCAS needs to verify our info with what is on our transcript, but I want medical schools to also now the content of my math and physics classes.

Should I just leave it generic and let them all have the same Course names with different course numbers, Or should I put the specifics in there? I dont want to delay my application because AMCAS has to change my info back to whats on my transcript.

Thanks
 
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Hi all,

I'm a total newb here, so I'm sorry if creating a new thread was unnecessary. I did the search option, but I couldn't find an answer to my question.

But anyway, I am currently working on the AMCAS application, and it asked for the colleges that I attended. After completing undergrad, I took two language courses at a community college (my only two courses at a community college), while studying for mcats, and researching at a lab. I got an A in one course, and withdrew from the other, because of time constraints. Should I even list this community college in the AMCAS? I'm thinking if I don't, I don't have to explain the W, but if I do, it shows that I was still productive more or less, post graduation. What do you think? And if I posted in the wrong section, please redirect me. Thanks in advance!
 
Can transcripts be forwarded to amcas.org electronically (directly from registrars office, of course)? I was unable to find a definitive answer to this question on the website.

Also, can letters of recommendation be submitted electronically?
 
Hi everyone
Couple questions about the AMCAS app..

Can anyone tell me if you're supposed to write the description of each Work/Activities in paragraph form or bullet-point form?

Also, how detailed should everything be? For example, when writing about my research, would I put the results of our study? Or would it be more like, "I did X under Dr. X, and we analyzed X, and these were my duties.?"

Thanks in advance for your help!
 
starfish26 said:
Hi everyone
Couple questions about the AMCAS app..

Can anyone tell me if you're supposed to write the description of each Work/Activities in paragraph form or bullet-point form?

Also, how detailed should everything be? For example, when writing about my research, would I put the results of our study? Or would it be more like, "I did X under Dr. X, and we analyzed X, and these were my duties.?"

Thanks in advance for your help!
Click to expand...
Merged your thread with the existing AMCAS thread.
 
ecapora1 said:
Can transcripts be forwarded to amcas.org electronically (directly from registrars office, of course)? I was unable to find a definitive answer to this question on the website.

Also, can letters of recommendation be submitted electronically?
Click to expand...

No, and yes.
 
I agree with apumic...you have to include every single grade. If you don't, it could bite you in the a** later.
 
metallica81788 said:
LOE = LOR

You want your LORs to be sent in ASAP. They are used for the secondaries (and actually a lot of schools don't even look at your LORs until the interview) but they need to be there in advance. Send them in as soon as you can, because you don't want a late mix-up that screws you over.
Click to expand...

Do you mean that we can't submit our primaries until the LORs are online?
 
masterwolfie said:
Do you mean that we can't submit our primaries until the LORs are online?
Click to expand...

:bang: This has been said multiple times... you do not need your LORs submitted to submit your primary. They need to be uploaded for you to be complete at schools, though, and that comes at the secondary stage. It's best to get them in ASAP, but they don't need to be there before you submit.
 
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Kind of an odd question I suppose, but where do you actually list the contact information in the work/activities section? I see spaces for names and titles, but not for phone numbers/emails etc. Also, there is only space for one contact, which is problematic if you want to compress some things. For example, I volunteered at a few hospitals which I want to include under one category, but the contact's aren't the same, so how would I go about doing that? Same issue applies to research etc. Would I write multiple names in one space or what?
 
My spring grades don't come out until ~June 20th...(quarter system UC)...should I just send my xcripts in now? Or just wait til' then...is that too late already?
 
DESPERATE FOR AN ASNWER....I have searched/posted all over this whole site and have had no luck!

Medical Technology internship....1 year post college, lead to getting a certification but no degree. I don't care if the courses I took during it count toward my gpa, I just want adcoms to know i took them and to have the transcripts. Right now, I have the internship listed under work/activities, but I was wondering if there was some way to make it be under the college/institution section so I can list the courses, generate a transcript request form, and have my program director send it to amcas

Any adivce, or even ideas, on this topic would be greatly appreciated!
 
Hi all, I'm taking my MCAT on may 22nd, I was wondering if submitting June 1st makes a difference from submitting by end of june, around the 22nd when MCAT scores come out.

I always hear that the earlier the better when applying, but does it really make a difference for these extra 20 days? Is there an order that the school look at apps in the order recieved? or is it just batch by batch?

I appreciate the replies.
 
Nah those 20 days are fine. Still should go through pretty quickly. It is usually the order that you are complete (everything in and secondary) and often it is just the order the committee member who is in charge of your file decides to go through it. There is nothing wrong with submitting with just a couple schools early just to get verified and then adding more schools when you are happy with your score. But if you will be waiting until next year if you don't score well, then wait to submit.
 
frescoengano said:
My spring grades don't come out until ~June 20th...(quarter system UC)...should I just send my xcripts in now? Or just wait til' then...is that too late already?
Click to expand...

You can send them in now and update when you get your grades in. You'll already be verified by then and it won't take nearly as long to update new grades compared to the initial verification.

Or you could not send them if they aren't great grades, or save them for updates for schools later on in the process if you want.
 
The difference is if you submit June 1st, your app will be verified within a few days. Around the 22nd, it will take 2-3 weeks. Schools receive the first batch of applications sometime in early July.

Also, merging this with the AMCAS thread.
 
frescoengano said:
My spring grades don't come out until ~June 20th...(quarter system UC)...should I just send my xcripts in now? Or just wait til' then...is that too late already?
Click to expand...

You can send them now, or wait.

BlameItOnTheOH said:
DESPERATE FOR AN ASNWER....I have searched/posted all over this whole site and have had no luck!

Medical Technology internship....1 year post college, lead to getting a certification but no degree. I don't care if the courses I took during it count toward my gpa, I just want adcoms to know i took them and to have the transcripts. Right now, I have the internship listed under work/activities, but I was wondering if there was some way to make it be under the college/institution section so I can list the courses, generate a transcript request form, and have my program director send it to amcas

Any adivce, or even ideas, on this topic would be greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...

Did you take courses at a college? If so, you must list them on your AMCAS.
 
tino33 said:
Hi all, I'm taking my MCAT on may 22nd, I was wondering if submitting June 1st makes a difference from submitting by end of june, around the 22nd when MCAT scores come out.

I always hear that the earlier the better when applying, but does it really make a difference for these extra 20 days? Is there an order that the school look at apps in the order recieved? or is it just batch by batch?

I appreciate the replies.
Click to expand...

Does it matter? Probably not. Take a look at this thread and the long list of applicant submission / verification dates.

http://more.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=633393&page=15

Applicants who submit day 1 get verified in a day. Applicants who submit in late June took about a month to get verified. That means most of your secondaries would come in late July. I personally didn't want to take a chance and submitted my app a week after I could. It took 10 days for me to get verified, but my app went out with the first bunch. Regardless of what you do, during this period that you are getting verified, WORK ON YOUR SECONDARIES. Use the school section of this forum to track the secondary prompts from the schools you're going to apply to and work on them. Don't get behind. It sucks being overwhelmed with 7 or 8 secondaries in your inbox that you got all at once and have to complete. It doesn't mean crap if you get your primary in early, but then lag on secondaries. What really matters is when you app is complete at a school.

Get ready for a ride buddy. It's certainly a trip. Good luck.
 
OK thanks for the link....

I looked into this Interfolio thing, but I can't get a clear ideas if it is necessary or not...If I wanted to just apply to one school not on the AMCAS letter service, is it possible without interfolio?

If I am using the AMCAS letter service, what is the best way to explain to potential writeres who may be new to the system how to use it?

When should I ask to have the letters available by?

Is there any concern with having a letter written after submitting my application, because one writer, said they would start once they have all the info from my completed app?

Sorry for so many questions, but I want to get this all sorted ASAP, cuz I am sending my CV and personal statement to my letter writers now, and have already been asked where and when they need to be sent, so I dont seem so disorganized to my letter writers as I do here! Thanks.
 
I took several college courses in high school and then attended that same college after high school. When it asks for the years attended for that college, should I write "2004-2011"? In the course section I listed the courses in the semester I took them and then checked the high school box for the high school ones. Is this correct? Thanks!
 
Sorry for reviving an old post, but I have a very similar concern, and it wasn't really addressed in the thread linked in the earlier post.

Mammalian Evolution
Taught in Biology dept
...by a professor at the med school anatomy dept

I feel like it's bio, but I'm getting mixed feelings after looking at the posted list...
 
I go to a UC and we use the quarter system...when entering course work in AMCAS do I have to convert credit hours to semester hours??
 
I have a question about the non-science LOR. I had a non-science prof that was going to write my letter, and due to travel issues she is no longer able to get me a letter before end of August. I have not taken a non-science class in 3 years, and I do have a letter from my boss that I've been working under for 2 years.

However, I'm afraid some schools will still look down at the application without a non-science LOR, and I have one other option. There is a professor at the school where I'm doing my post bacc and I have been taking Spanish lessons from her outside of class (I do not take Spanish).

I've known her for quite some time and she has offered to write a LOR for me. Will this work since she is from the foreign language department, or does the non-science LOR have to come from someone who specifically taught a course I took?

Thanks.
 
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I can't believe I forgot about this.. I think this is a complete example of 'doing better for others will one day do better for you'

When I was in India, I lived in a fairly poor area and noticed that alot of parents were not able to help their children in doing their homework. So, I decided to help out. I went to a few families and informed them that I'll be available to help/teach their children for an hour a day. I ended up with ten children within a week. I did this for 2 years. I had just started in eleventh grade so, I taught/helped while I was in eleventh and twelfth and then I moved here.

I can definitely use this experience as a leadership? Can't I? I didn't give it a name or anything since I didn't think I will ever use this to put it in an application.

I am so excited right now since I just remembered it when my mother was talking to one of the family over the phone in India. And, I was like, Oh my God! How could I forget about this.

I need help as to how to put it in AMCAS since I didn't have a name for it and wouldn't have any way of giving out the name of supervisor, contact, etc. since I was the one doing everything.
 
Unforgettable said:
I can't believe I forgot about this.. I think this is a complete example of 'doing better for others will one day do better for you'

When I was in India, I lived in a fairly poor area and noticed that alot of parents were not able to help their children in doing their homework. So, I decided to help out. I went to a few families and informed them that I'll be available to help/teach their children for an hour a day. I ended up with ten children within a week. I did this for 2 years. I had just started in eleventh grade so, I taught/helped while I was in eleventh and twelfth and then I moved here.

I can definitely use this experience as a leadership? Can't I? I didn't give it a name or anything since I didn't think I will ever use this to put it in an application.

I am so excited right now since I just remembered it when my mother was talking to one of the family over the phone in India. And, I was like, Oh my God! How could I forget about this.

I need help as to how to put it in AMCAS since I didn't have a name for it and wouldn't have any way of giving out the name of supervisor, contact, etc. since I was the one doing everything.
Click to expand...

I don't know if I'd put this on the application - it sounds like a great example of non-clinical volunteering but unless I misread your post you did this activity in high school and it did not carry over into your undergraduate years.

Also, I would reserve leadership for situations in which you led your peers (elected officer of a club, training other volunteers) and your situation seems to me like it would fit best under "Tutoring/teaching."
 
I agree 100% with above. That experience is a great example of non-clinical volunteering. In the description box, you can elaborate about your "leadership role" during the activity...
 
Hi I am thinking about taking an EMT-B class at a community college this summer but I am not completely sure yet. Do I still have to list that in my AMCAS as a current/future class? Also, would I need to have a transcript sent from that school? I haven't taken any other classes from that CC so this would be my only class on it (if it shows up at all as a current class)

Thank you!
 
tpham1030 said:
Hi I am thinking about taking an EMT-B class at a community college this summer but I am not completely sure yet. Do I still have to list that in my AMCAS as a current/future class? Also, would I need to have a transcript sent from that school? I haven't taken any other classes from that CC so this would be my only class on it (if it shows up at all as a current class)

Thank you!
Click to expand...

If you are registered, list it. If not, don't (until you register).

If you have enrolled in the class, then you MUST get a transcript. It doesn't matter how many classes you've taken.
 
Does anyone know if there is a way to submit transcripts in a way that you don't have to fill out their specific transcript request form for the school?? I transferred from a school in NY and I don't want to mail in a transcript request form when I could do it online and it would be processed and sent the next day. Is there just an address I could have them sent to? Or do I have to use this specific form?
 
Total180 said:
Does anyone know if there is a way to submit transcripts in a way that you don't have to fill out their specific transcript request form for the school?? I transferred from a school in NY and I don't want to mail in a transcript request form when I could do it online and it would be processed and sent the next day. Is there just an address I could have them sent to? Or do I have to use this specific form?
Click to expand...

Fax it.
 
Total180 said:
Does anyone know if there is a way to submit transcripts in a way that you don't have to fill out their specific transcript request form for the school?? I transferred from a school in NY and I don't want to mail in a transcript request form when I could do it online and it would be processed and sent the next day. Is there just an address I could have them sent to? Or do I have to use this specific form?
Click to expand...

If I recall correctly, you can have transcripts sent without the AMCAS form. The form just helps AMCAS match the transcript to your application.
 
Hey guys. I want to apply early as possible, but my rec letters won't be complete probably until early July. How will this work out in terms of getting/submitting secondaries as I know they have deadlines. Am I screwed in terms of timing, etc. b/c I'm getting those letters later on?

Thanks.
 
DoctaFuture said:
Hey guys. I want to apply early as possible, but my rec letters won't be complete probably until early July. How will this work out in terms of getting/submitting secondaries as I know they have deadlines. Am I screwed in terms of timing, etc. b/c I'm getting those letters later on?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Most school don't even have their secondaries ready until mid to late July anyways. You don't need to have your letters in to get a secondary. You only need to have your letters turned in when you submit your secondaries. So if they are in early July you'll be fine
 
BlameItOnTheOH said:
DESPERATE FOR AN ASNWER....I have searched/posted all over this whole site and have had no luck!

Medical Technology internship....1 year post college, lead to getting a certification but no degree. I don't care if the courses I took during it count toward my gpa, I just want adcoms to know i took them and to have the transcripts. Right now, I have the internship listed under work/activities, but I was wondering if there was some way to make it be under the college/institution section so I can list the courses, generate a transcript request form, and have my program director send it to amcas

Any adivce, or even ideas, on this topic would be greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...

Where did you do the internship? Did you do it through an actual school, or through a program at the hospital? Will the hospital provide a transcript? If you can't get a transcript for it, list it as an activity. I know my hospital has a program that can either be done at the local college for credit, or after you get a bachelor's degree for no credit. If it's the former, you'd have a transcript mailed to AMCAS and list it in the courses. If it's the latter, you probably just list it in the activities section.

metallica81788 said:
You can send them in now and update when you get your grades in. You'll already be verified by then and it won't take nearly as long to update new grades compared to the initial verification.

Or you could not send them if they aren't great grades, or save them for updates for schools later on in the process if you want.
Click to expand...

Your primary will not be updated for new grades after verification. The only way to let schools know of additional grades is to send them to schools individually.

Unforgettable said:
I can't believe I forgot about this.. I think this is a complete example of 'doing better for others will one day do better for you'

When I was in India, I lived in a fairly poor area and noticed that alot of parents were not able to help their children in doing their homework. So, I decided to help out. I went to a few families and informed them that I'll be available to help/teach their children for an hour a day. I ended up with ten children within a week. I did this for 2 years. I had just started in eleventh grade so, I taught/helped while I was in eleventh and twelfth and then I moved here.

I can definitely use this experience as a leadership? Can't I? I didn't give it a name or anything since I didn't think I will ever use this to put it in an application.

I am so excited right now since I just remembered it when my mother was talking to one of the family over the phone in India. And, I was like, Oh my God! How could I forget about this.

I need help as to how to put it in AMCAS since I didn't have a name for it and wouldn't have any way of giving out the name of supervisor, contact, etc. since I was the one doing everything.
Click to expand...

tpham1030 said:
Hi I am thinking about taking an EMT-B class at a community college this summer but I am not completely sure yet. Do I still have to list that in my AMCAS as a current/future class? Also, would I need to have a transcript sent from that school? I haven't taken any other classes from that CC so this would be my only class on it (if it shows up at all as a current class)

Thank you!
Click to expand...

Leadership experience is leading a group of your peers, not those substantially younger than you. And you did this in high school, so while it's a memorable experience, it's probably not valid for your med school application.

Total180 said:
Does anyone know if there is a way to submit transcripts in a way that you don't have to fill out their specific transcript request form for the school?? I transferred from a school in NY and I don't want to mail in a transcript request form when I could do it online and it would be processed and sent the next day. Is there just an address I could have them sent to? Or do I have to use this specific form?
Click to expand...

There's a section on AMCAS where you can put additional identification numbers. This is where you put your student IDs, so that AMCAS can match up documents to you that have numbers other than your AMCAS number and SSN. You don't absolutely need the specific form, just have them sent to the address on the form.
 
For the LOE, once our undergradute university's letter service sends off the letter to AMCAS, and we have put in AMCAS the contact information for the letter service coordinator, what do we do at that point so that the med schools can download the letters? Do they download it automatically from AMCAS?
 
Asyouwereatrio said:
For the LOE, once our undergradute university's letter service sends off the letter to AMCAS, and we have put in AMCAS the contact information for the letter service coordinator, what do we do at that point so that the med schools can download the letters? Do they download it automatically from AMCAS?
Click to expand...
You'll get an email from AMCAS saying they've received the letter

Then, for the schools that participate in the AMCAS letter service, you can go to the "Medical Schools" part of your application and choose which letters you want to be assigned to which schools. After that, the schools will take care of it
 
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DoctaFuture said:
Hey guys. I want to apply early as possible, but my rec letters won't be complete probably until early July. How will this work out in terms of getting/submitting secondaries as I know they have deadlines. Am I screwed in terms of timing, etc. b/c I'm getting those letters later on?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

You also have to consider the lag time between your letter is written and when the letter is received by AMCAS. With interfolio, the lag time can be as long as 2 weeks during July.
 
Hey, does anyone know how to enter grad courses on AMCAS? I took a grad course this semester as a senior, but there's no option on AMCAS to indicate that it was a grad course (unless I'm missing something). I'd appreciate if someone could point me in the right direction. Thanks :luck:
 
I apologize if this question has already been asked on this thread... I did a search, but didn't find anything related.

I have a LOR that is being co-written by two of my instructors, one was the lecturer from my bio class and the other was the bio lab instructor. Both of them have PhDs if that counts for anything. Since both of my instructors are co-writing the letter, how do I submit this letter? I'm going to use Interfolio. So far it seems I have the following options:
a) Pick one letter writer to submit the letter and use this person's info when entering in the contact info on AMCAS
b) Have both letter writers submit individually, which seems redundant since AMCAS would get 2 copies of the same letter
c) Use the packet letter option. In this case whose info do I put for the primary contact?
d) None of the above?

That felt too much like an MCAT question. Sorry, guys...

Also, for one of my non-science letters my instructor is no longer teaching at the university. Do I still list him as part of my undergraduate institution? It's sort of the nature of my major to bring in instructors from our field to teach classes, though they are not technically professors.

Hopefully all of that made sense...
 
taylormade2006 said:
It says "graduate" in the menu where you also select "undergraduate", etc.
Click to expand...

I feel really dumb asking this but where would that be...lol, sorry. All I see is "Graduate" in the drop down menu for "year in school" but I put senior for that...
 
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