AMCAS 2011
Leading Your Students to Success
Kristin Franke
Applicant and Advisor Relations
The AMCAS Letters Service
Albany Medical College
Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Baylor College of Medicine
Rush Medical College
University of Connecticut School of Medicine
Boston University School of Medicine
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
University of Florida College of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
San Juan Bautista School of Medicine
University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine
Columbia University College of P & S
Sanford School of Medicine of the University of South Dakota
University of Illinois at Chicago-College of Medicine
Creighton University School of Medicine
Southern Illinois School of Medicine
University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine
Dartmouth Medical School
Stanford University School of Medicine
University of Kansas
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
State University of New York Downstate Medical Center
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Drexel University College of Medicine
Stony Brook University-School of Medicine
University of Louisville School of Medicine
East TN State U., James H. Quillen College of Medicine
SUNY at Buffalo Medical School
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Eastern Virginia Medical School
SUNY Upstate Medical University
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Emory University School of Medicine
Temple University School of Medicine
University of Michigan Medical School
FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Texas A&M University System Health Science Center College of Medicine University
MD/PhD
University
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine
University
MD/PhD
University
The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University
Florida State University
George Washington University Sch of Med & Hlth Science
Georgetown University School of Medicine
of Minnesota Medical School
of Mississippi School of Medicine
of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine
of Nebraska College of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
The Commonwealth Medical College
University of Nevada School of Medicine
Howard University
The Medical College of Georgia
University of North Carolina School of Medicine
Indiana University School of Medicine
The Ohio State University College of Medicine
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University
The University of Arizona College of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
The University of Miami School of Medicine
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Keck School of Medicine University of Southern California
The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center
University of South Alabama College of Medicine
Loma Linda University School of Medicine
The University of Oklahoma
University of South Carolina School of Medicine
Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
The University of Toledo College of Medicine
University of South Florida College of Medicine
LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans
The University of Vermont College of Medicine
University of Texas Medical Branch MD/PhD
LSU School of Medicine-Shreveport
Tufts University School of Medicine
University of Texas Medical School at Houston MD/PhD
Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine
Tulane University School of Medicine
University of TN Health Science Center College of Medicine
Mayo Medical School
UCLA PRIME
University of Utah School of Medicine
Medical College of Wisconsin
UCLA/Drew Medical Education Program
University of Virginia School of Medicine
Medical University of South Carolina
UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
University of Washington School of Medicine
Meharry Medical College
UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School
University of Wisconsin
Mercer University School of Medicine
University of Alabama School of Medicine
UT Southwestern MD/PhD
University of Arkansas College of Medicine
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
University of California-Berkeley/SF
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
University of California San Diego
Virginia Tech Carillion School of Medicine
University of California San Francisco
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
New York University
University of California, Davis School of Medicine
Washington University School of Medicine
Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine
University of California, Irvine-College of Medicine
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
University of Central Florida College of Medicine
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Oregon Health and Science University
University of Chicago-Pritzker
West Virginia University School of Medicine
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine
Michigan State University
Morehouse School of Medicine
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
New York Medical College
The AMCAS Letters Service
Seven Non-participating medical schools
Duke University School of Medicine
Ponce School of Medicine
UCR/UCLA Thomas Haider Program Biomedical
Sciences
Uniformed Services University of the Health
Science
Universidad Central Del Caribe
University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine
Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Letters of Evaluation Overview
• Give one letter of request form to Ms. Thomas, for your
committee evaluation + clinical evaluations.
• Applicants may create up to 10 letter entries
• Committee letters, letter packets, and individual letters
each count as ONE entry
• Applicants can designate specific medical schools to
receive specific letters
• The Letter Request Form guarantees that AMCAS will
match letters to the correct applications
• We suggest that applicants print one for each letter
entry and give it to the letter-writer
• Make sure your students are aware of your school’s
Letters of Evaluation Overview
Letter Request Form
Applicant’s
identifying
information
Letter ID
and Letter
Type
Methods
the
author
can use
to send
their
letter to
AMCAS
Used by AMCAS to attach
the letter to the application
The author’s address
*
Many medical schools
require that
recommendations are
on official letterhead
and bear the signature
of the author
Advisor and Applicant FAQs
“Why doesn’t the application work on my computer?”
Anyone trying to access the 2011 application must
use one of the following browser versions.
• For PC users:
• Internet Explorer 5.5, 6.0, 7.0, and 8.0
• Netscape 7
• Firefox 1.0.2, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0, and 3.5
• For Mac users:
• Mozilla Firefox versions 1.0.2, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0, 3.5
• Netscape 7
• Internet Explorer 5.1.7 and 5.2
OldApps.com is a great resource for downloading
older versions of these browsers
Advisor and Applicant FAQs
“How do I enter this course into the application?”
• Applicants should request copies of their
OFFICIAL transcripts to use as they fill out the
AMCAS Application
• Applicants MUST enter information and
corresponding grades for every course in which
they have ever enrolled, including:
• AP & College Credit earned in High School
• Study abroad
• Withdrawals, Incompletes, Fails, and Repeats
• AMCAS needs it all, regardless of any
undergraduate forgiveness policies.
Advisor and Applicant FAQs
“What does AMCAS need for my ‘study abroad’ courses?”
1. Courses taken at an overseas campus of a U.S. institution or an
American college overseas
• Courses MUST be listed under the institution attended
• Official transcripts are required
2. Courses taken independently at a foreign institution, credit
transferred to a U.S. or Canadian institution
• Courses should be listed under the foreign institution
• Institution accepting the credit must be listed in the
“Schools Attended” section of the application
• Transcript exception must be requested for the foreign
institution
3. Courses taken independently at a foreign institution, credit not
transferred
• Courses MAY be listed under the foreign institution
• Transcript exception must be requested
Advisor and Applicant FAQs
“How do I classify this course?”
•Course Classifications (ex – Biology, Fine Arts,
Philosophy, etc.) are used in the calculation of
your AMCAS GPA
• The BCPM GPA is comprised of Biology,
Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics courses
• Course that are not classified as "BCPM" will be
calculated in the AO (All Other) GPA
•When selecting a Course Classification,
applicants must choose the category that best
describes the primary content of the course
• The description of the course on the school’s
website is often helpful when deciding
Advisor and Applicant FAQs
“How do I classify this course?”
Behavioral & Social Sciences (BESS)
Anthropology
Economics
Family Studies
Psychology
Sociology
Biology (BIOL) - BCPM
Anatomy
Biology
Biophysics
Biotechnology
Botany
Cell Biology
Ecology
Entomology
Genetics
Histology
Immunology
Microbiology
Molecular Biology
Neuroscience
Physiology
Business (BUSI)
Accounting
Business
Finance
Human Resource Studies
Management
Organizational Studies
Marketing
Chemistry (CHEM) – BCPM
Biochemistry
Chemistry
Physical Chemistry
Thermodynamics
Communications (COMM)
Journalism
Media Production & Studies
TV, Video, & Audio
Computer Science/Technology
(COMP)
Computer Science
Computer Engineering
Information Systems
Telecommunications
Health Sciences (HEAL)
Allied Health
Chiropractic
Dentistry
Hearing & Speech Sciences
Hospital Administration
Kinesiology
Education (EDUC)
Medical Technology
Counseling & Personnel Services
Medicine
Curriculum & Instruction
Nursing
Educational Policy
Nutrition & Food Sciences
Educational Administration
Occupational Therapy
Health Education
Optometry
Human Development
Osteopathy
Physical Education (except for sports Physical Therapy
courses such as tennis, golf,
Physician Assistant
aerobics, etc. Use Other for these
Public Health
types of courses.)
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Special Education
Sports Medicine
Veterinary Medicine
Engineering (ENGI)
Aerospace Engineering
History (HIST)
Biomedical Engineering
History
Chemical Engineering
Foreign Languages/Linguistics/Lit.
Civil Engineering
(FLAN)
Electrical Engineering
American Sign Language
Engineering
Comparative Literature
Environmental Engineering
Linguistics
Mechanical Engineering
Foreign Language(s) & Literature
Nuclear Engineering
Government/Political Sci/Law (GOVT)
English Language & Literature
Criminology & Criminal Justice
(ENGL)
Government
English Composition & Rhetoric
International Relations & Studies
English Creative Writing
Law/Legal Studies
English Language & Literature
Political Science
Public Affairs & Policy
Fine Arts (ARTS)
Urban Policy & Planning
Art
Art History
MATH (MATH) - BCPM
Dance
Applied Mathematics
Fine Arts
Mathematics
Music
Statistics
Photography
Theatre
Natural/Physical Sciences (NPSC)
Agriculture
Animal and Avian Sciences
Forestry
Geography
Geology
Horticulture
Landscape Architecture
Meteorology
Natural Resources
Oceanography
Environmental Science & Policy
Other (OTHR)
All courses which do not fit appropriately
into another category, including:
Architecture
Interdisciplinary courses
Library Science
Military Science
Sports (tennis, golf, aerobics, etc.)
Philosophy/Religion (PHIL)
Ethics
Logic
Philosophy
Religion
Theology
Physics (PHYS) - BCPM
Astronomy
Physics
Special Studies (SSTU)
Afro-American Studies
American Studies
Gender Studies
Advisor and Applicant FAQs
“What do the medical schools see?”
• The BCPM, AO, and Total GPAs and Credit Hours are divided by
each year of education
• Supplemental Hours (such as Pass/Fail or AP credits) are listed
below and will not factor into the AMCAS GPA
Advisor and Applicant FAQs
“OMG I already submitted and I need to make a change!!”
• Very few changes are permitted once the application has
been submitted. They are:
• Name and Contact Information
• Required and Alternate IDs
• Indication of MCAT test date
• Letters of Evaluation can be added and assigned to
medical schools, but NOT deleted
• Applicants may indicate that a letter will not be sent
• Medical schools can be added and programs can be
changed if the deadlines have not passed
•After making a post-submission change, the applicant
must re-submit in order to save changes
Advisor and Applicant FAQs
“What do I need to disclose if I have ‘gotten into trouble’?”
•Institutional Action due to unacceptable academic
performance or a conduct violation. Even if the action…
• …did not interrupt enrollment
• …does not appear on or has been deleted from your
official transcript/school records
•Felonies and Misdemeanors of which you have been
convicted or to which you have plead “guilty” or “no
contest”
• For any post-submission convictions, applicants MUST
notify their medical schools with 10 days of the offense
Refer to the AMCAS Instructions for complete
details on what needs to be reported.
Final Words of Wisdom
What we wish we could tell every single applicant…
•Pretty please read the Instruction Manual!
•Early is good, but error-free is better. Focus on
completeness and accuracy over early
submission.
•Use the “Print Application” button to double-check
your data. Medical schools will see the mistakes!
•Frequently check back in with your application to
ensure all is going to plan.
•Know your deadlines and keep track of them.
Contact your advisor/school ahead of time so that
you aren’t scrambling to make deadlines