what does amcas use for course work mean?

by Dr. Celestino Rogahn Sr. 3 min read

Full Answer

What is AMCAS work and activities and why is it important?

Although AMCAS Work and Activities is the fifth section, along with your personal statement, it will be the first place admissions committees will look to get a sense of your personality and if you fit the mold of the medical student they’re looking for.

How do I classify courses in the AMCAS application?

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.

What is the AMCAS medical school application?

Run by the Association of American Medical Colleges, the AMCAS medical school application is a centralized application service through which you’ll submit your grades, test scores, a list of descriptions of your work experience and extracurricular activities, your AMCAS personal statement, and AMCAS letters of recommendation.

Should I include future hours on my AMCAS application?

Ensure that you only include future hours if you are 100% certain you can and will fulfill these, as AMCAS can verify these months after you have submitted the application. 11. What is the biggest mistake students make when filling in the work and activities section?

How do I enter coursework on AMCAS?

1:546:392018 AMCAS Application Tutorial - How to Enter Basic Course WorkYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipInformation enter your courses in the order that they appear on the official transcript. Starting atMoreInformation enter your courses in the order that they appear on the official transcript. Starting at the beginning. Once you move your status forward ie from freshman to sophomore status.

What is the meaning of AMCAS?

The American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®) is the AAMC's centralized medical school application processing service. Most U.S. medical schools use AMCAS as the primary application method for their first-year entering classes.

Do I put future coursework on AMCAS?

Current/Future (CC) You are not required to list Current/Future coursework and you do not need to provide a transcript for these courses if you include them.

What is included in AMCAS work activities?

Part 2: AMCAS Work and Activities categoriesArtistic Endeavors.Community Service/Volunteer - Medical/Clinical.Community Service/Volunteer - Not Medical/Clinical.Conferences Attended.Extracurricular Activities.Hobbies.Honors/Awards/Recognitions.Intercollegiate Athletics.More items...•

How does the AMCAS work?

AMCAS collects, verifies, and delivers application information and MCAT® exam scores to each school you choose. AMCAS does not make admissions decisions; each participating school is responsible for making its own individual admissions decisions.

How do I get AMCAS?

How to Complete the AMCAS Application: Step-by-Step GuideComplete your AMCAS application and submit online.Once you submit your AMCAS application and release your transcript, your application will begin being processed. ... Review your Course work (AMCAS grades, semester hours, course classifications, verified AMCAS GPA).More items...

What is the easiest medical school to get into?

The 20 Easiest Medical Schools to Get IntoUniversity of Mississippi Medical Center.Mercer University School of Medicine.East Carolina University.University of North Dakota School of Medicine.University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine.The University of South Dakota.Augusta University.University of Oklahoma.More items...

Is AMCAS GPA higher or lower?

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.

Does AMCAS round GPA?

I was speaking to one of the premed advisors at my school who seemed to believe that AMCAS does not round, I.e. if you end up with a 3.398 it is reported as a 3.39 and not a 3.40. I just checked my verified GPAs, one was a rounded-up value and one was rounded-down.

Should I use all 15 activities AMCAS?

It will hurt your application if you have less than 15 activities. As you'll see below, the types of activities that you include, the length of time you participated, and your description of these events all have an impact on how the adcom views your dedication to this career path.

Should you fill out all 15 activities?

Do I Need to Fill Out All 15 Experiences? You do not need to fill out every space. If you're considering filling out each one, only choose to do so if you have 15 quality experiences to share. Diluting your activities with less impactful or less noteworthy experiences will only hinder your application.

How many experiences should I put on AMCAS?

15 experiencesA maximum of 15 experiences may be entered; however you can enter up to four occurrences for each experience. Enter only significant experiences; medical schools are interested in quality rather than quantity. Work and activities will appear on your application in chronological order and you cannot rearrange them.

What is AMCAS GPA?

The AMCAS GPA provides the 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.

Is AMCAS only for MD?

Most US medical schools granting Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degrees require that students apply through AMCAS. However, there are seven M.D. schools that do not participate in AMCAS. These schools use the Texas Medical & Dental Schools Application Service (TMDSAS).

What is AMCAS verification?

After you have certified and submitted your application, and AMCAS has received all of your required transcripts, your application will enter the processing queue. AMCAS staff will verify your application and ensure that the coursework data that you have entered correctly reflects your official transcript(s).

What do you need to submit AMCAS?

Contact Information including Permanent and Preferred Mailing Addresses. Alternate Contact Information. Date of Birth, Birth Address, and Gender. Letters of Evaluation (only additions of up to 10 letters and notifying AMCAS of a letter no longer being sent).

What is the AMCAS work and activities section?

As a medical school applicant you may be bewildered by the American Medical College Application Service or AMCAS work and activities section which is a very important part of your primary application and should complement your medical school personal statement. You may not be sure what to write, whether to use bullets or narratives, ...

How many characters can you use in an ACMAS application?

ACMAS applicants can select up to three of the 15 entries that they consider their “most meaningful experiences.” You can use up to 1,325 characters (including spaces) to elaborate on why your experiences were meaningful. For each experience, applicants select one of the categories AMCAS specifies.

Why do medical school admissions committees use your application?

Medical school admissions committees use your application to evaluate your personal characteristics and the best applications demonstrate passion, enthusiasm, insight, and introspection. Committees also want to be convinced of your commitment to and understanding of the practice of medicine.

Do you use bullet points in medical school?

Don’t Use Bullet Points. Many medical school applicants do not take full advantage of the work & activities entries, and use bullet points to describe their experiences. These students typically do not earn as many medical school interviews.

Do you put more emphasis on AMCAS or personal statement?

In fact, a few schools openly state that they now place greater emphasis on the AMCAS work and activities descriptions than on the personal statement. You should devote as much time to composing your experience descriptions as you do to writing your personal statement.

How many sections are there in the Amcas application?

While there are nine sections to the AMCAS application, this guide will explore Section Five: AMCAS Work and Activities. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) runs the American Medical College Application Service, or AMCAS, a centralized application service that allows aspiring first-year medical students to create one application that can be sent to most US medical schools. In this blog, you'll learn how to compose effective entries, including the AMCAS "Most Meaningful Experiences", which activities should be included, and how to maximize the allotted space to create powerful entries. Finally, we'll show you 40 AMCAS Work and Activities examples from our own past successful students so you can work towards creating your own stand-out entries.

How many characters are needed for a work and activities entry?

You cannot rearrange this secondary ordering once a committee has applied it. For each standard Work and Activities entry, you will have 700 characters (including spaces) to describe the experience beyond just type, title, duration, total hours, organization name, city, and contact information for verifiers.

Is AMCAS shorter than personal essay?

Even though each AMCAS entry is considerably shorter than a component like your personal essay, that doesn’t necessarily mean that these are easier to compose, nor that they are of less importance than the AMCAS personal statement. There are no insignificant aspects of the application process. You must bring your best, most refined effort to each and every component of your application. Sometimes, working with less space is actually more difficult, because you want to say as much as you can within a very limited character count. So don’t delay or put off this portion of your application—crafting stellar entries will take a lot of time and energy, but the payoff is immeasurable.

What is AMCAS work?

AMCAS Work and Activities is section five of nine on your medical school application. You will be able to select 15 premed experiences, ranging from extracurricular activities, volunteering experiences, employment, honors, and more. You have the opportunity to discuss how those experiences shaped your desire to become a physician.

What is the Amcas?

The American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) is the AAMC’s centralized medical school application processing service. It’s the primary application method for first year entering classes for most US medical schools.

What do you do with extracurriculars for medical school?

In addition to your personal statement, your activities and extracurriculars give admissions committees a sense of your interests and your motivations, as well as whether or not they match with what they’re looking for in a medical student.

What is the fifth section of AMCAS?

Although AMCAS Work and Activities is the fifth section, along with your personal statement, it will be the first place admissions committees will look to get a sense of your personality and if you fit the mold of the medical student they’re looking for. Some students consider the Work and Activities section of their application to be less ...

How to get clinical experience?

The two main ways to get clinical experience are through volunteering and shadowing. Volunteering in a clinical setting allows you to be an active, contributing part of a healthcare environment. Being able to interface with patients will give you real insight into what it means to be a doctor.

What are the common mistakes that applicants make on the Work and Activities section?

The biggest mistake applicants make on the Work and Activities section is falsely thinking it’s not as important as the other sections. Just because it isn’t as complicated as crafting a personal statement doesn’t mean it’s any less important.

Does AMCAS have a say in admission decisions?

Although you submit your medical school application to AMCAS, the service has no say in admission decisions—those are made solely by the individual medical schools. AMCAS simply collects, verifies, and delivers your application materials and MCAT score to the schools you apply to.

What is an AMCAS application?

The AMCAS is basically the Common Application for MD programs. The AMCAS is used widely by U.S. medical schools, so it’s necessary to understand how it works. Because it can be a confusing system to navigate, we’ve broken it down into its tiniest components in this comprehensive AMCAS application guide.

What is an amca?

What is AMCAS? If you’re considering applying to medical school for the first time, you’ve likely heard of AMCAS, the American Medical College Application Service. Run by the Association of American Medical Colleges, the AMCAS medical school application is a centralized application service through which you’ll submit your grades, test scores, ...

How many entries can you make in a medical school packet?

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.

What are the categories of community service?

These include community service (medical or non-medical), artistic endeavor, honors/awards, military service, paid employment, and hobbies, among others. If you can’t find an appropriate category, you can choose “other.”. 2.

Does AMCAS accept transcripts?

AMCAS requires one official transcript from every post-secondary institution (i.e., college-level and beyond, including college courses you took during high school) where you have attempted course work. Official transcripts must be sent directly from each institution. Moreover, AMCAS accepts both paper and electronic transcripts. Finally, you should wait until you have registered for an AMCAS account before requesting that your transcript (s) be sent to ensure that AMCAS can accurately match your transcript (s) with your application ID and to avoid delays.

Is it time consuming to fill out an AMCAS application?

Final Thoughts. Though it can be time consuming, the hassle of filling out the AMCAS medical school application is far outweighed by the convenience of a single service to submit most of your application materials.

Can you lock your GPA in AMCAS?

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.

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Sending Transcripts to AMCAS

  • AMCAS accepts both paper and electronic transcripts. Electronic transcripts must be transmitted through our approved vendors, National Student Clearinghouse and Parchment, or sent via secure email from approved school registrars. AMCAS will not accept transcripts via fax. To avoid adde…
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Transcript Processing timelines

  • The table below details all delivery options available to registrars, in order from fastest delivery to slowest. Processing begins once your transcripts are delivered to AMCAS. Reference the transcript processing toolto find the latest date your transcript will be processed based on the mode of transmission to AMCAS. Please note, you will receive an email from AMCAS when your …
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Entering Your Coursework

  • Take your time when completing the Coursework section of the application. Omitting coursework, grades, credits, or supplying incorrect grades may affect your AMCAS GPA and could delay the processing of your application, which could result in missed deadlines. Keep a copy of your official transcript(s) next to you while you complete this section to help ensure that your informa…
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The AMCAS Medical School Application

  • The American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) is the AAMC’s centralized medical school application processing service. It’s the primary application method for first year entering classes for most US medical schools. It doesn’t matter how many different schools you intend to apply to; you only need to submit one set of application materia...
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An Intro to The AMCAS Work and Activities Section

  • AMCAS Work and Activities is section five of nine on your medical school application. You will be able to select 15 premed experiences, ranging from extracurricular activities, volunteering experiences, employment, honors, and more. You have the opportunity to discuss how those experiences shaped your desire to become a physician. It’s important to think strategically abou…
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Work and Activities Categories

  • There are 18 AMCAS Work and Activities categories that you can select from. 1. Artistic Endeavors 2. Community Service/Volunteer – Medical/Clinical 3. Community Service/Volunteer – Not Medical/Clinical 4. Conferences Attended 5. Extracurricular Activities 6. Hobbies 7. Honors/Awards/Recognitions 8. Intercollegiate Athletics 9. Leadership – Not Listed Elsewhere 1…
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How to Prepare For The Work and Activities Section

  • Plan Your Activities Early
    Start thinking about this section of your application early. Don’t wait until you are already preparing your medical school application, as you may find out too late that you don’t have enough meaningful experiences. These experiences take time to find, and they take time to fulfil…
  • Keep a Journal
    Keeping a record of your notable experiences is vital. DO NOT simply rely on your memory, as it might be years between when you participated in the activity and when you apply to med school. Throughout your activities, be on the lookout for significant experiences and interesting anecdot…
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How to Approach The Work and Activities Section

  • 1 | Narrow Down Your Activities
    Start by making a list of all of the activities you participated in. Next, eliminate any activities that you weren’t an active participant in. For example, if you were a member of a premed organization but only attended a few meetings, leave it off the list. The name of the game is quality, not quant…
  • 2 | Write Descriptive Activity Titles
    Ensure your activity title is as descriptive as possible. A vague title like “Volunteer” or “Research” won’t provide the admissions committee with any real insight. Be specific and describe both the activity and your exact role succinctly.
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Work and Activities Section Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • The biggest mistake applicants make on the Work and Activities section is falsely thinking it’s not as important as the other sections. Just because it isn’t as complicated as crafting a personal statement doesn’t mean it’s any less important. Mistakes to avoid: 1. Thinking the section is easy and not spending enough time crafting answers 2. Not thinking about your extracurriculars in ad…
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Work and Activities Section FAQs

  • How Many Activities Can I Include?
    You can include a total of 15 activities, and you have 700 words to describe each. You do not need to complete all 15, but you should complete at least 10.
  • What If I Have Too Many Activities?
    You have two options if you have too many activities to include in the 15 spaces. First, simply remove any experiences that are less meaningful or interesting. Second, combine multiple activities into one entry. For example, if you worked on a few different research projects in the s…
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Craft A Stand Out Medical School Application

  • Med School Insiderswill help you create a stand out medical school application. Our team of doctors has years of experience serving on admissions committees, so you’ll benefit from key insights from people who have been intimately involved with the selection process. Our Comprehensive Medical School Admissions Packages are designed to maximize your potential. …
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