Each course in the AMCAS application must be classified strictly on the primary content of the course. You are responsible for selecting the correct course classification, but AMCAS reserves the right to change classifications if the assigned classification clearly does not apply.
Your transcripts: AMCAS requires one official transcript from each U.S., U.S. Territorial, or Canadian post-secondary institution at which you have attempted coursework, regardless of whether credit was earned. Transcripts must be sent directly from the registrar’s offices and should be accompanied by the AMCAS Pre-barcoded Transcript Request Form.
Foreign Coursework/Study Abroad: For more info on this, consult the AMCAS Applicant Guide AMCAS GPA: AMCAS will convert most standard undergraduate transcript grades to AMCAS grades based on conversion information provided by your institution. The AMCAS GPA provides medical schools with a standard way to compare each applicant’s background.
AMCAS requires one official transcript from each U.S., U.S. Territorial, or Canadian post-secondary institution at which you have attempted coursework, regardless of whether credit was earned. To determine whether or not an official transcript is required for one of your undergraduate institutions, consult the AMCAS Applicant Guide.
Conversation. Did your #AMCAS coursework get reordered in your app? As long as the Academic Year, Academic Term and Year in School are correct for each course, you have met the chronological order coursework requirement.
Historically for the AMCAS application, if you repeated a course, all grades would be counted. (All credit hours earned will be counted and averaged for your final GPA.) They have always taken into account all of the courses you've taken, regardless of repeating courses.
Your BCPM GPA includes all biology, chemistry, physics, and math courses taken as an undergraduate—not just the pre-med courses.
Please note that AMCAS assigns the same weight (4.0) to grades of A+ and A. AMCAS counts all attempts of a repeated course, even if your school does not.
Yes, you should retake the class. Not because the new grade will look better on your application, but because you almost certainly didn't learn the course material properly. (If you're more worried about your grade than your mastery of the material, you should stay out of grad school.)
No, retaking classes for med school isn't necessary because you have a good GPA. You took the required classes in school. Also, keep in mind that since AACOM has killed grade replacement, any new grades from classes you retake will just be averaged together with your old grades.
Your "premed" GPA is more commonly known as your science GPA, and sometimes referred to as your "BCPM" (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math) GPA .
The average GPA for medical school matriculants in 2017–2018 was a 3.64 science, a 3.79 non-science, and a 3.71 overall....What is a Good GPA for Med School?ApplicantsMatriculantsTotal GPA3.563.712 more rows
Most of these courses are also cross- listed in Neuroscience (and all Neuroscience courses are classified as "Biology"). Note that Psychology 101 is not included; this course has an NS code, but the content has been primarily social science in nature.
AMCAS GPA is only different than your school GPA if your school uses an unusual system of calculating GPA. If it's the standard -. 3 for a - (eg A- = 3.7) and +. 3 for a + (eg B+ = 3.3), then your school GPA wil equal AMCAS' calculation.
If you have experienced any form of social, economic or educational disadvantage—at any time in your life—you can apply to medical school as a disadvantaged applicant. To receive this designation means that you will need to complete an additional essay on the AMCAS application.
So how do med schools do it? Do they recalculate all of the applicants with one standard? Thank you. In short, yes, they convert all of the various grading systems into a single standard AMCAS GPA.
If you repeated a course, enter all of your attempts and corresponding grades even if your school has a grade forgiveness policy. Enter your coursework in the sequence it appears on your official transcript(s). This helps to avoid inadvertent omissions. Do not list coursework twice.
I took a medical terminology class and did not categorize it as BCPM. AMCAS agreed.
Three of the 12 (§) awarded credit hours are from the second semester art coursework and counted in the Supplemental Hours (ᵶ). The applicant received an AMCAS GPA of 3.55 (ß) with 20 credit hours (Ȣ) earned for their senior year. All pass/fail credits are recorded in Supplemental Hours (ᵶ).
Include AP credit courses only once (by selecting Advanced Placement as the Special Course Type), even though AP credit for the same subject may have been awarded by more than one institution. AP courses can be assigned under the institution awarding the most credit.
If you’re applying to medical school for the first time, you’ve likely heard of AMCAS, the American Medical College Application Service.
When calculating your GPA, the AMCAS application separates Biology/Chemistry/Physics/Math courses, otherwise known as “BCPM courses” or “science courses,” from “non-science courses,” otherwise known as “all other (AO) courses.” Collectively your BCPM GPA (science GPA) and AO GPA (non-science GPA) comprise your total GPA.
You can list up to 15 examples. You’ll be asked to highlight up to three as the most meaningful (or at least one, if you’ve listed two or more examples). You’ll write about these most meaningful experiences, focusing on your impact and the qualities these experiences demonstrate. The process can take some time, but it’s not that difficult once you get the hang of it. For more details plus numerous examples, read our comprehensive AMCAS Work and Activities guide.
5,300 characters are allotted to explain your personal narrative, and why you want to go to medical school. Check out our medical school personal statement guide for advice on how to tackle your AMCAS personal statement, as well as multiple full-length examples.
If the letters are grouped together as a packet from one source, or are from a committee, you can make one entry for the whole set. You can create up to 10 entries. Entries may be added and assigned to medical schools after the application has been submitted, but they cannot be edited or deleted after submission.
Note that MD/PhD programs require two additional essays—the “Why MD/PhD?” essay and the Significant Research Experience essay —which are covered in our comprehensive MD-PhD guide.
Therefore, your course list and GPA will be “locked in,” even if you receive new course grades since submitting your AMCAS application. If you would like to update individual schools on more recent grades, you may do so in your secondaries—if there’s a natural place to mention an update—or via an update letter.
7. The AMCAS application is moving towards becoming more digitally oriented. The AMCAS program collects over 134,000 transcripts a year, says Sharifa Dickenson, AMCAS operations director. On average, about 40% of those are electronic and the rest are paper, though this cycle is currently seeing about 65% electronic.
3. It takes at least five hours to complete. There’s no tip or trick to help you get past this one — the application is time-consuming. But as long as you’re prepared for that and don’t wait until the last minute, it will be smooth sailing, according to AMCAS Document Processing Team Lead Shannon Vines.
4. Each application takes 4-6 weeks to process. Once your application is submitted, it’s important to remember just how much time it can take to process — six weeks at peak season. Processing an application requires the verification of 676 data points, including courses, credit hours, and grades. In 2018, a team of 30 AAMC staff spent 1,728 hours verifying 33,860,260 application data points.
And because medical schools are committed to holistic review — weighing all pieces of an application and not just academic metrics — schools will be looking at the application top to bottom to get a sense of who the applicant really is.
The application includes an opportunity to list up to 15 experiences like research projects, community service initiatives, physician shadowing experiences, and jobs that define you as a unique candidate. There is also an essay portion that requires some in-depth thought. And because medical schools are committed to holistic review — weighing all pieces of an application and not just academic metrics — schools will be looking at the application top to bottom to get a sense of who the applicant really is.
The American Medical College Application Service ® (AMCAS®) celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, marking a half-century of guiding medical school hopefuls in applying to, and being accepted at, America’s medical schools.
The AMCAS cycle opens May 1 and closes in mid-October the following year. It’s important to keep track of exactly when the materials need to be with the appropriate people. The AMCAS application opens May 1 and the submission date opens on May 30.
AMCAS stands for The American Medical College Application Service ® (AMCAS ® ). It is the central location that processes U.S. medical school applications. All applications to all American schools – no matter how many you apply to – can be made easily through just one online application to AMCAS. Most U.S. medical schools use AMCAS as the primary application method for their entering classes.
The AMCAS GPA provides medical schools with a standard way to compare each applicant’s background. The BCPM GPA is comprised of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics courses. All other coursework will be calculated in the AO (All Other) GPA.
Wondering when does AMCAS opens? The answer is: during the period from June to September, AMCAS will take approximately six weeks to process your request. As soon as you can send it on June 3, it can be sent to medical schools earlier on June 27. The deadline for submission is August 1st. The regular treatment time will vary from October to December.
The length is relatively short, 5,300 characters (spaces are counted as characters), or approximately one page. If you exceed the available space you will get an error message. Be sure to proofread your essay carefully in another document format as there is no spell-check in the application form. If you’re applying to an MD-PhD program, you must complete two additional essays: the MD-PhD Essay and the Significant Research Experience Essay If you’re applying to an MD-PhD program, you must complete two additional essays: the MD-PhD Essay and the Significant Research Experience Essay Stuck? Worried you will get something wrong? We are here to help. If you need assistance with this or other areas of your application to Med school, be sure to contact: [email protected]
Complete the AMCAS application on the AMCAS website – The Application breaks down into 9 sections, as follows:
The 2020 AMCAS processing fee is $170, which includes one medical school designation. Additional medical school designations are $40 each. You can pay online by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover) or with a Fee Assistance Program award. AMCAS will not accept any offline payments, including checks, money orders, or credit card information sent via mail, fax, email, or telephone.
Our team of doctors at MedApplications helps students get admitted to medical school and residency programs across the country and around the world. Look to our years of experience serving on medical school admissions committees and as faculty members of top schools to give your AMCAS application the edge it needs to succeed.