Where would you classify Biomechanics?

[mac_kin]

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Physics or Math
we really did more math than physics. However, the course doesn't appear anywhere in the samples in the AMCAS book.

 

[adiddas125]

I would say physics. If amcas sees otherwise... they will prob change it.

 

[inflamesdjk02]

I classified Biomechanics under Engineering, and AMCAS was pretty fresh w/ that.

 

[DF38]

At my school it was offered in the kinesiology department, so I put it under health sciences with my other kines classes. If you're picking between physics and math, I'd say physics.

 

[mac_kin]

At my school it was offered in the kinesiology department, so I put it under health sciences with my other kines classes. If you're picking between physics and math, I'd say physics.

My Kinesiology dpt. also offerred this course. However, on the AMCAS application it states that they want you to classify courses under the content of the course, not by which dpt offers it, right? (So if the Arts dept. at your school offers physics, you still classify it as physics, not as arts.)
So thats why I assumed physics or math for biomechanics.

 

[shoal]

My Kinesiology dpt. also offerred this course. However, on the AMCAS application it states that they want you to classify courses under the content of the course, not by which dpt offers it, right? (So if the Arts dept. at your school offers physics, you still classify it as physics, not as arts.)
So thats why I assumed physics or math for biomechanics.

I put this under engineering as well. Because our course was far more mechanics than biology - and I'd assume the same for any undergraduate biomechanics course. Mechanics is generally a engineering study and not physics. Thats my take anyhow. and certainly not math even though it has tons of math.

With that rationale, every engineering course could be considered BCMP.

 

[pokeytu]

it should count as BCMP but as engineering I don't believe it does. That really hurt my BCMP as an biomedical engineer.

 

[newbie1kenobi]

My Kinesiology dpt. also offerred this course. However, on the AMCAS application it states that they want you to classify courses under the content of the course, not by which dpt offers it, right? (So if the Arts dept. at your school offers physics, you still classify it as physics, not as arts.)
So thats why I assumed physics or math for biomechanics.

Would the biomechanics course include an overview of human anatomy and how engineering/physics concepts apply to human movement? If so, the focus of this course should classify it under health sciences.

 

[blantant]

it should count as BCMP but as engineering I don't believe it does. That really hurt my BCMP as an biomedical engineer.

i am also a biomedical engineer with fantastic engineering grades, but getting screwed by the BCMP calculations. i just emailed amcas because it doesn't make sense to ignore these classes just because they are 'engineering', especailly classes like biomechanics which seem like the quintessential B-C-M-P class. In fact, most biomedical engineering classes deserve to be included considering that they usually involve the rigorous application of all four disciplines: bio, chem, math, and physics...

So does anyone know how strict they are with these "Course Classifications"??? Can't i just label these classes differently?

hopefully amcas replies to my email and is flexible about this.

peace

 

[DF38]

My Kinesiology dpt. also offerred this course. However, on the AMCAS application it states that they want you to classify courses under the content of the course, not by which dpt offers it, right? (So if the Arts dept. at your school offers physics, you still classify it as physics, not as arts.)
So thats why I assumed physics or math for biomechanics.

Yeah, it's a pretty grey area. The "physics" in my class was so basic that I could have done it in middle school, so I didn't think I could legitimately label it as a physics class. But yours could be completely different. That's why I hate this damn application.

 

[newbie1kenobi]

Here's the manual for the AMCAS 2007 application,

http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/amcasinstmanual2007.pdf

Biomedical engineering does fall under ENGI, whilke Kinesiology (equivalent to Biomechanics?) falls under Health Sciences. Even if you assign your courses differently, there's a statement that says that "AMCAS reserves the right to
change Course Classifications if the assigned Course Classification clearly does not apply."

Hope this helps.

 

[PBandJ]

i am also a biomedical engineer with fantastic engineering grades, but getting screwed by the BCMP calculations. i just emailed amcas because it doesn't make sense to ignore these classes just because they are 'engineering', especailly classes like biomechanics which seem like the quintessential B-C-M-P class. In fact, most biomedical engineering classes deserve to be included considering that they usually involve the rigorous application of all four disciplines: bio, chem, math, and physics...

So does anyone know how strict they are with these "Course Classifications"??? Can't i just label these classes differently?

hopefully amcas replies to my email and is flexible about this.

peace

let me know what they say to you. my biomedical engineering classes were my best grades, so i would like to include those in my BCPM gpa.

 

[mac_kin]

Here's the manual for the AMCAS 2007 application,

http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/amcasinstmanual2007.pdf

Biomedical engineering does fall under ENGI, whilke Kinesiology (equivalent to Biomechanics?) falls under Health Sciences. Even if you assign your courses differently, there's a statement that says that "AMCAS reserves the right to
change Course Classifications if the assigned Course Classification clearly does not apply."

Hope this helps.

Biomechanis is a course offered by the Department Kinesiology. It's not really equivalent at all... many ppl don't really understand that.

But I will send an email to AMCAS as well and see what they say. Then I'll post back.

 

[newbie1kenobi]

What I actually meant was that any course under kinesiology related to human movement would probably fall under health sciences. Sorry for the inaccurate post.

I've been through the AMCAS applications for three years (I'm in! Third time's the charm!) and I have been classifying the Biomechanics and Kinesiology course (under physical therapy courses) that I took under health sciences. So far, AMCAS thought it was appropriately classified after receiving the transcripts with course descriptions.

Your biomechanics course may be under a different focus, so better check with AMCAS to be sure.

 

[blantant]

Here's some helpful information from another thread.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=283630

Just called up AMCAS and they said that for designations of courses ~ they generally take the student's word for the classification. I.e. if you had a bionengineering class, you would determine if it leaned towards more biology or more engineering. However, blatant misclassifications will be corrected.

Did you guys hear the same thing?

So it looks like AAMC will be more lenient about it this year. They never replied to my email, but it seems like they are pretty responsive to phone calls. Has anyone else tried to call?

Funny, each one of our 'biomechanics' classes seems different though. Mine was mostly a tensor math class, applied to bio, with a little bit of physics sprinkled on top.

 

[j-med]

it's crosslisted engineering and physics at our school!~

 

[JDWflash44]

I was a kinesiology: exercise science major and went through this last year. If I got an A I would put it under biology and if I got anything lower I would put it under health sciences . And it worked, they didnt change anything and I ended up with a 3.92 BCMP GPA 😀 . Work the sysem anyway you can.

Jim