UCSD Extension Nutrition BIOL Courses: Would they count in BCPM gpa?

[DocSherman]

Hello! I have a question for the forum.

I was looking at taking some Nutrition courses through UCSD Extension. I noticed that some of their nutrition courses have the BIOL moniker by them (Foundations of Nutrition I: Introduction to Nutrition Science).

Since they have that moniker by them, is it safe to say that they'll count as a part of the science GPA calculation? Thanks!

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[gyngyn]

https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/article/course-classification-guide/
Nutrition is not BCPM, it is HEAL.

 

[DocSherman]

https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/article/course-classification-guide/
Nutrition is not BCPM, it is HEAL.

That's what I was thinking. However, I called a guy from the AAMC and he said that it could be considered BIOL since its under the BIOL moniker, according to UCSD.

According to him, the professor can argue whether it is truly BIOL or not if AAMC chooses to dispute it. I just wanted to get this forum's opinion since UCSD uniquely sticks Nutrition in the BIOL category.

 

[gyngyn]

That's what I was thinking. However, I called a guy from the AAMC and he said that it could be considered BIOL since its under the BIOL moniker, according to UCSD.

According to him, the professor can argue whether it is truly BIOL or not if AAMC chooses to dispute it. I just wanted to get this forum's opinion since UCSD uniquely sticks Nutrition in the BIOL category.

The course description will be the deal-maker (or breaker...).

 

[DocSherman]

The course description will be the deal-maker (or breaker...).

Well...I think it offers some hard science moments. The course apparently will go over as follows:

• The importance of nutrition research, research study designs, the scientific method
• Planning a healthy diet; utilizing balance, moderation and variety
• Guidelines for nutrition; the Dietary Reference Intakes, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the food label
• Nutrient digestion, absorption and transport and common disorders of the GI tract
• Carbohydrates, lipids and proteins, including their functions, needs, sources and roles in health
• Vitamins, minerals and dietary supplements
• Nutrition throughout the lifecycle including nutrition for pregnancy, breastfeeding, infancy, childhood, adolescence and older adulthood
• Energy balance, weight management and eating disorders
• Food safety and technology
• Global hunger and malnutrition

The second part of the Nutrition course offers more hard science moments:

• Nutrition screening, assessment, counseling and nutritional genomics
• Nutrition support (tube feeding and total parenteral nutrition), hospital and modified diets and food-drug interactions
• Nutrient digestion, the human microbiome and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract
• Hypertension and heart disease
• Diabetes and prediabetes
• Energy balance, weight management, overweight and obesity and metabolic syndrome
• Energy metabolism, inborn errors of metabolism, metabolic stress and respiratory disorders
• Liver and kidney disease
• Cancer and HIV/AIDS

What do you think? Could the highlighted portions be convincing to the AAMC? The course is under BIOL (so it doesn't run into the NUTR issue) and they both highlight hard science aspects, so its not full of relative fluff in the science sense of the word.

 

[gyngyn]

Well...I think it offers some hard science moments. The course apparently will go over as follows:

• The importance of nutrition research, research study designs, the scientific method
• Planning a healthy diet; utilizing balance, moderation and variety
• Guidelines for nutrition; the Dietary Reference Intakes, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the food label
• Nutrient digestion, absorption and transport and common disorders of the GI tract
• Carbohydrates, lipids and proteins, including their functions, needs, sources and roles in health
• Vitamins, minerals and dietary supplements
• Nutrition throughout the lifecycle including nutrition for pregnancy, breastfeeding, infancy, childhood, adolescence and older adulthood
• Energy balance, weight management and eating disorders
• Food safety and technology
• Global hunger and malnutrition

The second part of the Nutrition course offers more hard science moments:

• Nutrition screening, assessment, counseling and nutritional genomics
• Nutrition support (tube feeding and total parenteral nutrition), hospital and modified diets and food-drug interactions
• Nutrient digestion, the human microbiome and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract
• Hypertension and heart disease
• Diabetes and prediabetes
• Energy balance, weight management, overweight and obesity and metabolic syndrome
• Energy metabolism, inborn errors of metabolism, metabolic stress and respiratory disorders
• Liver and kidney disease
• Cancer and HIV/AIDS

What do you think? Could the highlighted portions be convincing to the AAMC? The course is under BIOL (so it doesn't run into the NUTR issue) and they both highlight hard science aspects, so its not full of relative fluff in the science sense of the word.

Hard to say. Let us know what they decide!

 

[DocSherman]

Hard to say. Let us know what they decide!

Sure. Thanks.

 

[JSReed]

Based on experience, I believe amcas counts these as HEAL courses while aacomas blends them into science.

 

[DocSherman]

Based on experience, I believe amcas counts these as HEAL courses while aacomas blends them into science.

That's what I read online. However, the AAMC guy said that it really depends on the class itself, especially since UCSD counts them as BIOL classes. I've read that some students on the forum got their Nutrition classes classified as BIOL because of that.

 

[JSReed]

That's what I read online. However, the AAMC guy said that it really depends on the class itself, especially since UCSD counts them as BIOL classes. I've read that some students on the forum got their Nutrition classes classified as BIOL because of that.

Idk my nutrition was counted as health for amcas and I didn't try to protest it. But you could try.

 

[DocSherman]

Idk my nutrition was counted as health for amcas and I didn't try to protest it. But you could try.

I wonder...was it from a Biology or a Health Department? I've heard that Nutrition can fall into either realm, depending on what the institution thinks about it.

 

[JSReed]

I wonder...was it from a Biology or a Health Department? I've heard that Nutrition can fall into either realm, depending on what the institution thinks about it.

Could be. Our nutrition department was separate. N=1.

 

[DocSherman]

Could be. Our nutrition department was separate. N=1.

Okay. UCSD Extension counts them as a BIOL course because (according to the nutrition professor) there is no nutrition department at the institution. Thus, they're all considered Biology credit, according to UCSD Extension.