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Human Medicine

I was wondering if you could send me information on the application for the internship sponsored by the American Heart Association. I remember getting an e-mail from career mail about it, but I cannot locate that e-mail, so if you could send me the website and any other information that would be great. Thank you. Answer

I am currently a freshman in L&S. While I was in high school, I took 2 history courses and an english course at a community college. All 3 classes were transferrable for UC credit. I'm considering applying to medical school in a few years and I was wondering how these classes would appear on my transcript and factor into my AMCAS application? Answer

I already took Math 1a first semester, but I was having a difficult time with it so I decided that rather than risk my GPA, I would just take it for pass/no pass. I passed the class. I know that I am supposed to take 1 year of math to meet math requirements for med school. Anyway, after passing math 1a, I don't get any credit for Math 16a (but I do get a grade), and I only get 2 units for math 16B (but they do give me a grade). I was wondering if units like that actually matter to med schools or is my plan fine? Answer

I plan to take MCAT in August and apply for medical school afterward. I know that it's better to take MCAT in April so I can apply sooner, but would it really matter that much? Does applying few months later significantly decrease the chance of getting into a medical school? Also, I know that many medical schools require you to take a year of English. Do I have to fulfill this requirement before applying for medical school? And, would taking English at community college look bad on your application? Answer

I am planning on applying to medical schools over the next year (and am graduating in May). I would like to volunteer at the Suitcase Clinic this semester, but I'm also enrolled in an MCAT prep class preparing for the April exam; the prep class is a time conflict with the Suitcase clinic. If I decided to defer the MCAT until August (and put off the prep class as well), not only could I volunteer at the clinic, but I would also have a chance at graduating with honors in my major because I could take an extra class to boost my gpa. I have limited clinical experience shadowing a doctor through HMAP, and extensive (2 1/2 years now) experience in a research lab. Question: Is it more important for me to take the MCAT in April, or is it better to volunteer at the clinic and have a chance at graduating with honors? What problems will I face if I don't have my MCAT scores until October, after taking the exam in August? Answer

I am applying to medical school right now, and I would like to know if I need to take an additional biology class. i have taken bio1a-1b, mcb 102, and chem 3a-3b along w/ the other prereqs. UC Irvine has a 12 unit bio requirement, one of which has to be upper div. since i already use mcb 102 for their biochem requirement, i believe that i will have to take another upper div bio class to meet the 12 unit requirement. is this correct? can i take mcb 165 and maybe a decal to fulfill this requirement? will mcb 165 also fulfill usc's "molecular biology" requirement as well? thank you very much Answer

I have an interview process question... I have a medical condition known as Palmar & Planar Hyper Hydrosis whereby my palms and the soles of my feet sweat profusely. I was diagnosed in my Sophmore year at CAL and I waived the option of an expensive insurance-covered operation. As you probably now know, my condition is not something common and in fact it was through my own inquiry that I came to the conclusion of my hyperhydrosis condition. My point is... It has been a hinderance in the daily activities of my life(ie church, applications, test-taking, lab material handling, etc). I am curious as to the effect this will have on the individuals who will interview me. Should I give them an explanation? I do not want any pity points but I simply dont want my condition which is uncontrollable to jeapordize my future in medince. My academic performance and character should speak for itself. What is your opinion and advice? Answer

I am applying to medical schools, and I am wondering how I fill out the FAFSA. Specificially my concern is that I understand it is due in February for med and pharm schools, but there only 4-6 slots on the FAFSA form for the schools i can send the application, and I am applying to way more schools than 8. I've come in for drop ins and the drop in advisor could not find the answer. So I'm hoping you can answer my question, or tell me where I can go to find the answer. Answer

I'm a senior majoring in Econ and Math. I will be done with all the requirements by the end of the Summer '04. I've recently changed my career to becoming a doctor. So, I was wondering what is the best way to prepare for the med school. I didn't go over the unit ceiling so I can come back to school for one more semester. Should I take pre-med requirements at cal for just one semester and take the rest at a community college? If so, could you recommend me what classes to take? I've taken Chem 1A and Physics 7A. Or is it better to go to a community college right after getting BA degrees? Or is it better go to a univ. w/ postbac program? Answer

I have a question about fulfilling chemistry requirment for the med. school. On the website it says, " Chemistry (two years) - Most students take Chem 1A, 3A, 3B and MCB 102 or 100 and classify 1A / 3A as General Chemistry and 3B / MCB 102 or 100 as Organic Chemistry." My case is a little bit different. I've taken chem 1A, chem 3A, 3B, and chem 130 (p. chem), but not yet MCB 102 (planning to take in senior year). Can I use chem 130 as second semester of genearal chem and chem 3A and 3B as organic chem.? Answer

I am a 2nd year pre-med student who majoring in MCB and Minoring in music. a. When i shall take my MCAT if i want to attend Med school right after my graduation? I have completed all pre-med course requirements with average GPA of 3.88.

b. Also, am i suppose to start applying process at begining of my senior year? Answer

Hello, I am a graduate student in public health and I went to UCB for undergrad. I would like to know a counselors opinion on how many letters, and what kind, I should use in my med school application. Some people I know submitted a 'composite letter', which as I understand it is a cover page and summary of all of the letters of recommendation written by another recommender. Should I use one of these? I have many options for letters to submit, and I have some specific questions about which letters I should use. I would like to email with an advisor about this. Thanks Answer

I'm asking a professor I took two classes with, and who is also my honors research sponsor, to write a rec letter for me for med school. One recommendation is that I ask my post-doc mentor at my lab to write a short blurb about me and give that to Prof. XXX to incorporate into his letter. Should I get the 2 of them to co-sign my letter then? Or should I also get a full length letter from my research supervisor, just to have, just in case? Answer

I have 2 questions: 1. Would a letter of rec from a psychology professor who teaches a psychology class that is almost 100% biology based (neuroscience) count for a science letter of recommendation?

2. If a school requires two science letters of recs do most schools want one letter from one genre of science and the other from a different (i.e. one from a bio prof and the other one from a physics prof, or a chemistry prof). In other words, would two letters from two different biology profs be ok? Answer

I am a pre-med student and plan on taking the MCATs sometime in 2005. I still need to take Biology 1A and MCB 102. Originally I had planned on taking bio 1A this summer, MCB 102 next fall, and preparing for the MCATs in the spring. However, I would like to study abroad this summer. My decision deadline is approaching rapidly and I was wondering if it is better for me to stay in Berkeley this summer taking bio 1A or if I have the time to study abroad (even though studying abroad doesn't fulfill any requirements). Thank you. Answer

In regards to the BCPM gpa, what courses other than MCB and IB courses can be labeled as a biology class? Nutritional Science classes? Public Health Classes? Psychology classes? Can these classes be classified under BCPM? Is the BCPM gpa weighted much more than the AO gpa? Answer

Do you know of any out-of-state public universities that have been kind to Cal students in regard to medical school admissions? Answer

If I'm accepted to a medical school, but choose to defer a year in order to go abroad and teach English, am I allowed to apply again to med schools in that deferred year, knowing that I'll have to make proper arrangments since I won't be in the US, in hopes of making a school I'd rather go to? I tried looking for an answer through AAMC and AMCAS, and didn't find anything that forbade this, but somehow, this doesn't seem 100% ethical. Answer

I am currently trying to approach people for letters of recommendation for medical school. I wanted to clarify some things. Firstly, is the number of letters two or three? I also want to know what would be better: a letter written by my Bio 1B TA, cosigned by a professor or a letter from one of my upper division French professors. I already have secured a letter from my anatomy professor and will have another from the hospital I volunteer at. I just don't know if I should opt for the other science class or go for my French professor who knows me well and has seen more of my written and speaking skills. One final question, my anatomy professor as said she doesn't write letter until the first week of school (mid August). Is that okay in terms of getting letters out there to prospective schools? Answer

I asked my professor for a recommendation letter; how necessary is it for him to use the form with a ranking grid? How many schools really require that, as opposed to a letter without it? Answer

If I took a summer class at a community college while I was in high school, can the grade from that class be added to my primary application? On the AMCAS application, it says I should "enter any course you have ever enrolled in US postsecondary institution," including "college-level courses you took in high school" Can I use the grade from the community college class to "boost up" my grade for the application? Answer

I am currently taken Physcis 8a, Pass/Not Pass. If I pass the class, can I still take it next semester for a grade? Answer

I had a question about medical schools or dentistry schools. If you failed a class and retook it ( for example chemistry ) Do they average the two grades out, or take the better grade into your gpa ? Answer

To a pre med counselor: I am currently working on AMCAS. My situation is a bit complicated since I transferred unconventionally in junior year from another 4 year institution. So I am wondering how the coursework section of the application should be completed. This is a timeline of my education: 1. (summer coursework at junior college at various times) 2. 1999-2000 and fall 2000 at Washington University in St. Louis. I received AP credit here for calculus I, but I still took the Calc I course. Do I need to write that on my application? 3. Spring 2001 at Chabot College. I took two courses to fulfill some requirements for transferring to Berkeley. 4. Fall 2001 I began studying at Berkeley. However, in order to get me to junior standing in units, my AP scores from Physics had to be used (even though I still took Physics at Berkeley). Do those need to appear on the application? If so, what standing would they classified under? (Freshman, junior?) Also, I need to take a Statistics course for applying to UCLA. I plan to take it in the future at a junior college. How does this get entered? Answer

Hi, I have a couple questions about AMCAS application. First, AMCAS asks us for tests other than the MCAT. Is it a good idea to put AP Test scores (since the tests show up on our transcript), and/or SAT and SATII scores or is that unnecessary? Answer

I am a pre-medical student looking for job/volunteer opportunities that would give me hands-on clinical experience in a job/volunteer position as similar as possible to being a doctor in a clinical setting, given my limitations that I only have a college education and no medical degree. Any suggestions of good opportunities in this area besides simply shadowing other physicians? Answer

I have only taken 2 classes at 2 different JCs and I got a "W" notation on all of them for not attending classes. I will be taking a calculus course at the JC where I got a "W", and I was wondering, does having a "W" on your community college transcript look bad to med schools even though your 4 year university transcript shows no "W"? Answer

Hi, I have a question regarding the AMCAS application. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to put for "credit hours" under the course work section for the classes that I have taken. Is that equivalent to the number of units for each class something else? Thanks for you help. Answer

I am applying to medical school this June and have taken quite a few courses Pass/Not Pass. Some of these were offered exclusively pass/not pass, others were not, none were major or pre-med requirements (they were all non-science classes that I took as electives, usually pass/not pass because I had a heavy courseload). Question: Is it true that these courses may count as a C in my GPA? Are they calculated into the AMCAS GPA at all? Where do I find this information (I read the AMCAS instructions, and it wasn't clear, also asked a pre-med counselor who didn't know). Thanks! Answer

It says in the AMCAS instructions that a transcript should be accompanies by the AMCAS transcript request form. - It says you can send a transcript before sending in the application, which I would like to do because I know transcripts can take a while to send and process, and most people I know who've had transcripts sent from Berkeley to grad schools have had problems and sometimes had to re-send (so I figured I should try early). It says there is a transcript request form you need to print, but I can't find the link to the form (on the AMCAS site)... Am I missing something? Can you send the link? - Since the transcript request form should accompany the transcript, does this mean we have to request "special processing" from the office of the registrar to release our transcript? This costs more than the regular transcript release, so I just want to make sure that this is what you have to do for medical schools. - Will we need to send transcripts more than once during the application process (I graduated a few months ago, so all my grades are already on the transcript)? With secondaries, for example? Thanks! Answer

I was wondering if I could use a recommendation from my professor of ESPM 167 (environmental health) as one of the science recommenders. The professor is a biologist, and the classes covers a lot of biology of global diseases, though we also discussed the social impact of disease. Questions: 1. For AMCAS course categories, I'm not sure if this should be natural sciences or the HEAL category? Or BCPM? 2. If the course is not classified as BCPM, but as natural sciences, does the recommendation still count as a science recommendation? Answer

I'm currently filling out the AMCAS and have a question regarding the post secondary experiences. I received a Governor's Scholarship Program Award at the end of my senior year in high school, and the award can only be used towards my college education. I did not claim the award until this year since it will be my last year at Cal. Can I list is as a college experience/award or is it considered to be from high school and should not be listed. Thank you! Answer

How do we know which courses count as science for the AMCAS science GPA? As well as science recommendations? Specifically, the following courses: ESPM 167, ESPM 106, ESPM 192, ESPM 199, NS 103, Ecology (taken abroad), IB 117 Answer

Some schools indicate that you have 2 weeks to make a decision upon granted acceptance to their program. What if you are still waiting for other schools and you don't want to let go of that acceptance just yet? DO you call them and ask if they can hold your position until you hear from the other schools? I thought we have until May 15th to decide where we want to attend. Answer

During which part of the application process are the Letters of Recommendation due? Also, is it possible to have a teacher write to each specific school instead of having one generic letter for all? Finally, can you give me some information on deferring enrollment? Do most schools allow you to defer if you are accepted and decide you need to wait a year before beginning? Answer

I have a few C's on my transcript in some Pre-Med courses. My question is that is it possible to retake those courses, NOT FOR UNITS, but to get the grade replaced? I understand D's and below are allowed to retake the course for grades and units and it is replaced on the transcript. What is the grade I could have recieved in order to retake the class strictly for the letter grade, NOT the units? Answer

A friend told me that, if pre-med requirements don't satisfy any of my major requirements, it's not neccessary for me to transfer summer school pre-med courses from community college to Berkeley. This would really help me out, since I'm having trouble finding the course I want to take at a college that has a specific tranfer agreement with Berkeley, and I have too many units as it is. Is this true, or is it important to transfer the course credit to Berkeley in order for it to be recognized by med schools? Answer

I entered Berkeley planning to major in MCB and go into research. I have since discovered that I Hate, with a capital H, research. Now I am toying with the possiblity of medical school. However, I have as of yet paid no real attention to my gpa. How competitive is a 3.5 science gpa? With a 3.9 non-science gpa? Do I have a shot at all? Also, what exactly counts towards the science gpa? More specifically, can I boost my science gpa with upper division science courses, or do med schools only consider the lower division pre-med courses in calculating the science gpa? In other words, I wish to major in economics. Would you advise me take some more science courses beyond the required math, chem, phys, bio, and, MCB 102? Would the stats class I take for econ count in my science gpa? Finally, what kinds of other pre-med resources are there available to me? I think being able to talk to students currently going through the process or who have already done so would be a world of help. Any suggestions? Answer

I am currently applying to medical school with AMCAS. I had a question about credit hours. Is this the number of credits out of 4 or 5? or is it the converted number that factors in the grade. For example an A in a 4 unit class...would I mark 4 or 16? Thanks. Answer

I just recently graduated and I'm planning on taking an EMT class at Merritt college over the summer. I'm applying AMCAS right now, and wondering if I need to request a transcript - but I won't have grades for this until august, and I really don't want to wait. Do I have to get a transcript exception or do I just ignore this, because it's in progress? Thanks. Answer

I know that I want to be a doctor. However, beyond this, I do not know what I want to do. That is to say, I have observed clinical settings numerous times (in FSI and various other settings), but I cannot decide which specialty interests me more. I also have an interest in public health, but only from the medical end. That is, I am not sure whether or not I want to get an MPH or not in addition to my MD degree, but I definitely want the MD degree. I am currently considering whether or not to apply to medical school right now. I am not sure because I do not feel focused within these disciplines. My initial thought was to explore within these disciplines when I am in medical school, as I know the general areas interest me, and the best opportunities to explore these areas will be where I can actually participate, and I can do this best in medical school. However, it seems like most people are more focused when they are in medical school and already know which way they are leaning as far as specialties of medicine, public health, etc. Should I apply to medical school now or hold off, get a better sense of my focuses within medicine/public health, and apply later? Answer

For AMCAS coursework entry, I have a question regarding the issue of indicating that a lab section was included with the course units, in the case of a course with units and a grade that included both lecture attendance and lab attendance. For Cal students, do "Discussion" sections, like with Humanities classes, count as lab sections? Math classes also have discussion sections. You don't do 'science lab' experiments/assignments, but whatever the department, they are extra time for the course every week in addition to the lecture. Quizzes are often included with discussions that are part of the grade. And, they're with an assistant or associate of the lecturer. I wanted to make sure that I'm not overlooking this. Thank you very much. Answer

Many of the medical schools require a year of english. I took one "english" course and was considering taking another to fulfill this prerequisite. Today, however, I realized that as a mechanical engineering major, I took a technical communication class. The objective of this class centered around grammar and writing papers. Do you think that it would be reasonable to classify this course as english on the primary AMCAS application? Answer

This question is regarding how to enter AP coursework into the central AMCAS application. When listing AP courses, the academic status is freshman. However, I am confused about what semester to enter them under. This is an example of the AP courses that I have to enter as shown on my transcript: ADV PLACEMENT EXAM-BIOL, 05-99 ADV PLACEMENT EXAM-MATH BC, 05-00 Should I enter both in the Fall 2000 semester? Should they be classified as full year courses? Since you aren't supposed to assign more than one status to a term, and I took classes with sophomore standing in Fall 2000, I am further confused about what to do. Please help! Answer

As I prepare to deliver my letter of recommendation "kit" to my writers (i.e. cover letter, resume, mission statement, transcript, and waiver statement), I'm unsure about how to get the pdf file to these folks. Can I send the guidelines page--with the pdf link on it I believe--as an attachment to them or should I print it off and include it with the kit. I'm leaning towards the former because I can't see them loading a hard copy into a typewriter to compose their letters! Any feedback would be much appreciated. Answer

I'm taking summer school this summer at UCLA but I won't have any type of grade back from them until after I submit amcas. Should I be including UCLA in my schools attended even though I can't submit a grade? I want to submit my AMCAS by the end of June, but my UCLA grade probably won't be out until late august at the earliest. Also, I just wanted to make sure, MCB is considered a bachelor of ARTS, not SCIENCES, right? Answer

When I was a senior in high school, I took classes at Cal through the High School Honors Program that does not exist anymore. According to the AMCAS instruction book on page 33, any courses take through an honors program should be given honors status. Should I therefore label all Cal courses that I took during my senior year of high school as honors? The only mention of the program on my transcript is "08-23-99 ADM IN ACCELER HIGH SCH STDNT PRG", but I do have enrollment paperwork that has the high school honors program name used. On one hand, I feel that the honors label would raise flags when AMCAS checks it. On the other hand, I feel that not having the honors label would hide one of my achievements. Please help! Answer

I have a question regarding the English/Humanities requirement for Medical Schools. I am an engineering major and the humanities classes I have taken include one lower division classics class, one lower division ethnic studies class, and one upper division ethnic studies class. I have also passed both the literature and language English AP tests. I plan on taking an upper division Political Science class next semester. Have I fulfilled the English/humanities requirement for medical schools or do I need to specifically take English classes? Thanks. Answer

I'm currently filling out my AMCAS application for entry in Fall 2005. I participated in EAP and studied for a year in Edinburgh, Scotland. Am I not supposed to list the University of Edinburgh in the "Schools Attended" section because it was through EAP? The AMCAS Instruction Book says: "List every post-secondary institution where you have enrolled for at least one course, even if credits have been transferred, no credits were earned, or you withdrew." Based on that, it seems that I should list the University of Edinburgh. Since the credits were transferred to Berkeley, does that mean I should leave blank the Coursework section for Edinburgh? Thanks for your help. Answer

I was wondering if you knew how we should fill out the coursework section for MCBH196a and b because on the transcript it says "IP" for MCBH196a and 4 units but it has a grade for MCBH196b and puts it down as 8 units. Should we just write it exactly like it is on the transcript? Also, for AP courses, should we only include the ones we used to satisfy pre-med reqs? Is it necessary to include US History AP? And do we fill in a grade for it? Thanks! Answer

Hello, I have some questions for you. First, can I still fill out the career center survey about what I did after graduation? If so, how long will it be available and where can I access it? Second, I'm applying to medical school right now, and there are some classes that I'm not sure what to do with in my GPA calculations: (1) I took a calculus class at a community college, got a D, repeated it and got a B. Do I include the grade points for the D? Do I include the number of units for the D? (2) I took a physics class at a community college, got a W, repeated it later. Do I include the number of units for the W? (3) I took a (lower division) statistics class at a community college, got an A. It is a math class, but as far as I know, med schools don't require statistics, so should I count it in my science GPA, or just in my cumulative? (4) I took an astronomy class here at Cal, got an A, but again, it's not a science class that med schools require. Also, it's a lower division class that I took while I was a senior. Should this class go in my science GPA? Answer

Im applying to med school and working on my application at the moment. For the post secondary experiences, what type of answers are the admissions commitee looking for? Do they want stories/anecdotes like they do for the personal statment, or facts and job/experience description, like the type you write for a resume? Also can we use personal experiences in this section, and list it as other? What exactly is the admissions commitee looking for when they ask us for post secondary experiences? thank you. Answer

I would like to take a few post-bacc scinece classes to enhance my med school application and undergraduate GPA. I am considering UC Berkeley extension's online and correspondence courses as opposed to going to a local college. Do you think this is a good idea? How would ad coms see this? Would these classes be considered in a similar regard to the courses I took on campus as a student? Answer

I just got my mcat results back. A 36T, with 11 verbal, 12 bio, 13 physical. I have a low gpa, like 3.2, so I was hoping it could balance it out. If I take the mcat again, in August, and am applying this summer, would it still count? Does it even help? I know I can do better, as I didn't really study for the test. Answer

I just got my April MCAT scores back. VR-11 PS-12 BS-12. I know i did horribly on the writing section (N). Should I take retake the MCAT in August? Answer

I checked on the GPA calculator on your website and I do not understand that it is possible for P/NP classes to negatively affect your GPA even if you pass. For example I got a C+ (3unit class), A- (3 unit class), A (3 unit class), and a B (four unit class), along with a P (1 unit class), P (1 unit class) and another P (2 unit class). If I did not take those P/NP classes my GPA would have been higher. Is this true? If schools do not factor in positive points for your P/NP classes than P/NP classes negatively effect your GPA. Please help, I am quite concerned. Answer

Ahoy! What with receiving my MCAT score, I've given to ruminating the course of my life (as standardized testing lends to such things), and I was wondering about the relative weight between MCAT and GPA in the numbers aspect of med school applications. My MCAT is strong (PS 11 BS 13 VR 13), my overall GPA borderline (3.48, double major humanities and MCB), and my science GPA rotten (rounds up to 3.3). I'm having trouble narrowing down what schools it is wise to aspire to (my interests hover between public health and academia). Is it variable among institutions, how they might view the disparity between my numbers, or is there a general consensus (even among the illustrous UC's) on what each is worth, and thus a guide on how I might choose my applicant list? In other words is Stanford et al. in the stars? Answer

I'm planning to take only 3 courses during freshman year: College Writing R1A, Chem 1A, and Math 16A. They add up to 13 units. Will medical schools think i'm chickening out when they see that i only took 3 classes? Answer

Hi, I'm an econ major whose doing the premed tract. I'm a senior now and need just MCB 102 and Physics 8B before I complete the prereqs. I plan on taking the August 2005 MCAT; when would be a good time to ask for letters of recommendation? Should I start asking now, or should I ask next summer/fall when I start applying? Thank you so much! Answer

To get another unit of bio lab, I took a 2 quarter unit lab course at Cal State Hayward during their spring quarter. My grade is available online, but transcripts aren't available until 2 weeks after grades are sent through the mail. I haven't received grades via mail yet, implying I'd have to wait at least another 2 weeks before the transcript for that single course would be sent. I am finished with my primary and am ready to submit it. Should I just change this course to a Current/Future course to facilitate processing my application? Answer

1. Are engineering courses (i.e., courses taken from the College of Engineering) factored into the BCMP GPA for AMCAS? 2. Most med schools require a letter from a humanities professor. How leniently do they define "humanities"? How about a business or public policy professor? I'm applying to Haas or otherwise plan to minor in PP so I might not have a chance to take l&s courses... Answer

Many of the secondary applications ask for letters of recommendation from "professors" if you do not have a committee. My letters have been written by GSIs. Is this a problem and should I pursue getting letters from professors that do not really know me or do GSI's fall under the heading of "professor"? Also, I requested that my letters be cosigned by the professor which my letter writers agreed to do, but how do I know if this actually happened? Will it say so when I log in to the letter service? Answer

A secondary asks for obstacles overcome not mentioned in the rest of the application. I mentioned my medical condition in my personal statement. Is it alright to talk about it more in depth here? Also, this question is optional. does it look bad to not answer an optional question? Answer

Hello! Thank you for this wonderful site - I just discovered it (as a soon-to-be fifth year!) and have learned so much your FAQ sections. I have a somewhat unusual question for you. I am a Development Studies and South Asian Studies double major and will be starting my fifth year at Cal. I recently decided that I would like to pursue medicine after I graduate and am now posed with a slight dilemma. With one year (and possibly a summer) left to go, I am debating whether to complete all of my pre-med requirements in my remaining time (which would mean 2-3 science classes per semester) or waiting until I graduate to either enroll in a Post-Bac program or complete my requirements at a community college. If I follow the latter path, I would probably use my remaining year to fulfill another goal: completing a third major in Economics. Assuming that I am serious about attending medical school, do you have a particular recommendation based on the options I have provided? Or can you suggest another possible course of action? I appreciate your time and assistance. Have a wonderful summer! Answer

What math class do you suggest me taking if I am interested in med school and I finished what is equivalent to Math53 (Caclulus 3) at a community college during high school and took the Calc BC AP test? Should i retake Math1A for higher GPA purposes or take math54 or stats? Also, I am planning to major in molecular and cellular biology. Answer

One of my letter writers has mailed in a letter to the letter service. It does not show up on the letter service online. He was wondering who he could call to make sure the letter has arrived. Is there a number that my letter writer can call or someone that he could email? Answer

I'm filling out the course requirements section of the UC Irvine secondary application for medical school, and it says that they require 12 semester units of biology. That's 3 semesters of biology, correct? Does Bio1A, Bio1B, and MCB 102 fulfill that requirement? Does any MCB class fulfill that, or does it have to be IB? Answer

Where can I find a list of medical schools that are abroad, but also U.S. accredited?(example Poznan University of Medicine Sciences in Poland) If there is no compiled list that you know of, can you name a few of the universities that you are aware of? I have been searching online, but cannot find one compiled list. Answer

1. Does Psych 101 (Statistics for Psych) count under the science GPA of the AMCAS application? The class is largely math driven, and has little to do with psychology or any other social science for that matter.

2. Also, I studied abroad in Spring 2004 (my last semester). I am filling out the AMCAS application now, however my grades from the Spring 2004 semester are not on my transcript yet. What do I do? Do I send in a current transcript from the University now and then send in a completed transcript later? It might be another 4-6 weeks until my grades from abroad during Spring 2004 are included on my transcript. Answer

I'm working on my secondary application for UC Irvine. They require 2 semesters of general chemistry (for which I put Chem 1A and Chem 3A). They also require 2 semesters of Organic Chemistry (for which I put Chem 3B and MCB 102). However, they also require a semester of biochemistry. Should I put down MCB 102 twice with an explanation, or put down MCB 130 for biochem, or something else? Answer

When mailing the secondary application, I was wondering if I need to mail it certified mail or not. I remember when I applied to college, many schools ask not to use certified mails because they would delay the processes. If not using certified mail, do I need to include any special things,like mailing certificate or something? Or should I just send it first class without having any special things? Oh, the school does not ask for self-stamped postcard, should I include one for them to reply? Answer

Hi, I'm using the letter service to send letters of rec to med schools. Which applies to me (from UPenn 2ndary): 1. I will meet the requirement by having my educational institution send a committee letter or composite / group of individual letters. 2. I will meet the requirement through the submissions of two individual letters, one of which represents a science department. Thanks. Answer

Hi, Washington University asks for the name of the "representative of your educational institution" that prepares your letter packet. Which name from the career center should I give? Thank you. Answer

I was looking at several secondary applications for med school and noticed that the colleges give two options for recommendation letters. I have all of my letters in the letter service already. The first option is usually something like this: I will meet the requirement by having my educational institution send a committee letter or composite / group of individual letters. Do not list below letters which are included in this packet. The second option is: I will meet the requirement through the submissions of two individual letters, one of which represents a science department. Another way it is asked is: Please check here if you are having a Committee packet of letters submitted. I was wondering what type of option i should choose. Are the letters sent by the service considered a packet of letters from the institution? Answer

I am a little confused about which option to choose for letters of recommendation on the secondaries. New York Medical School secondary asks me to: Please provide the College Name of the Premedical Committee OR provide the names of references for Science and Non-Science courses from whom we can expect to receive your Letters of Evaluation. Which do i do? Answer

I am a transfer student finishing up all of my graduation req. this summer at Cal. Recently, I've decided to go to med school and begin all of the science requirements. My plan is to do them over the next year and a half at Cal, while working and volunteering. This would only allow two classes at a time given the work schedule. An L & S counselor told me that this isn't a good idea b/c med schools want you to "carry a load." Is this accurate? Answer

I wanted to ask your advice on sending my Cal transcripts to AMCAS. At present, my GPA is 3.37, and I'm enrolled in a 3 unit science class. If I get at least an A- in this course, then I'll have a 3.4, and if I get a B or B+, I'll have about a 3.35. I took the August MCAT last year and will take the August MCAT again this year. I wanted to submit my Cal transcripts to AMCAS today, but then I thought that if I wait until my grade for this science class is posted, I might be applying with a 3.4. I know there's not that much difference between a 3.37 and 3.4 mathematically, but I think it might make a subconscious difference for a person who looks at those numbers on my application. So would you recommend that I wait until this grade posts, or send it in now? The reason I think it wouldn't make a difference is because I was told that schools will just put my application on hold anyway, until my new MCAT score comes in, which will be after this grade posts. Is this correct, or do they look at it before the MCAT score arrives? Also, if I wait to send a transcript, will AMCAS consider my application incomplete? Answer

I know that the Career Center cannot reveal anything regarding the content of a student's rec letters, but I heard that they can recommend to the student which letters to use. Is this true? Answer

In regards to secondary applications, many schools ask you to list your 1 year of General Chemistry classes and 1 year of Organic Chemistry classes. I took both Chemistry 1A and 1B, in addition to O-Chem 3A and O-Chem 3B. I also took MCB 102 (Biochem). So, my question is whether to list Chem 1A and 1B as 1 year of General Chemistry and O-Chem 3A and 3B as 1 year of Organic Chemistry. I'm concerned because i recently learned that Chem 1A and O-Chem 3A are used to fufill 1 year of General Chemistry requirement and O-Chem 3B and MCB 102 to fulfill 1 year of Organic Chemistry. If i do follow this pattern, should i just not list Chem 1B as part of 1 year of General Chemistry? Answer

Hi, UCSF requires 1 year in Biology, including the study of vertebrate zoology. According to the website, courses in vertebrate embryology, genetics, cell physiology, or comparative vertebrate anatomy, WITH LABORATORY, will satisfy the Biology requirement for admission. I completed Bio 1A, MCB 102 and IB 132. I also plan to take Bio 1B and IB 131. I am not sure if I can satisfy that requirement with those classes. If not, what class I have to take in order to satisfy the requirement? Answer

I was filling out the U. of Michigan secondary, and I wasn't sure how to fill out the coursework section. It asks for 8 hours of chemistry, both inorganic and organic, and it has a separate slot for chemistry laboratory. The same applies for biology and physics. What should I put in the chemistry section? Chem 1A and 3A? Following that, what should I put in the "laboratory" slot for all three subjects? Answer

I am in the middle of filling out many secondary applications and have noticed that many schools have their own cover page for letters of recommendations that they would like you to use. It is necessary to contact each of those schools separately and let them know about how the letter service handles our letters and has its own waiver form? Answer

a) USC's requirements include (according to its secondary): Biochemistry 1 semester/ 1 quarter Molecular Biology* 1 course * Molecular Biology requirement met by following courses: molecular genetics, cell and molecular biology, advanced cell biology or the equivalent. I completed Bio 1A, MCB 102, and IB 132. I plan to take Bio 1B and IB 131. I know that MCB 102's title is Survey of Biochem and Molecular Biology. I was wondering that if MCB 102 would satisfy BOTH biochem and molecular requirements for USC? If not, what class should I consider to take in order to satisfy those requirements?

b) It seems that USC has a cover letter for the letters of recommendation (according to its secondary). How would I put this in the package sending out by Letter Service? Is it necessary to do that, or what needed by USC is already satisfied by the Letter Service? Answer

As an MCB major, I took chem 1a, 3a, 3b. I heard that I should name Chem1a and 3a as general chemistry and Chem 3b and MCB 102 for organic. chemistry. Is this true? For University of Pittsburgh, it actually wants the name of the class as well. I can't write that Chem 3a is organic chemistry under the General Chemistry section. I heard that the career center can send out a letter explaining chemistry at UCB. How do I get the chemistry letter? Answer

I received a secondary from tulane, and i have a question regarding letters of rec. sent to tulane. In the letter service's website, it states that tulane has specific letter forms that the letter service accepts and will attach to letters of recommendation sent to tulane. however, when i went to tulane's website, there are no forms. i'm confused. what letter forms is the career center/letter service talking about when it says that it will send specific letter forms attached to recommendation letters for tulane and howard, etc.? is this still applicable for this year? if so, where are those forms? it seems to me after going through tulane's website and secondary directions that there is no specific letter of rec. forms. please advise. thank you. Answer

I am wondering about the time frame in which I should be returning the secondaries. I am getting a lot of them and I am not sure how urgent it is for me to complete them the following day, week, month, etc. Answer

I recently received a letter from Boston University School of Medicine asking for my letters of recommendation. There is no supplemental form to fill out, but they have indicated that if there is no Pre-Medical Advisory Committee, we should send the three letters of recommendation and "indicate why no Committee letter is available." Do I need to add any information the Letter Service request form other than my AAMC ID? Answer

(I took the suggested science pre-med. reqs from Cal) and I called Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University Admissions office and they said that I would have to take another semester of general Chem. to meet their req. for admission. I am wondering if the person I talked was not aware of the UCB premed. chem. preparation and if the Career Center has contacted this university regarding their chemistry reqs. and Cal's pre-med. courses. Thanks- Answer

I have a critical need to raise my BCPM (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Math)GPA. I've calculated that with straight A's in 29 units of these courses I can raise my BCPM GPA to 3.2 from 2.66. It's important to me that the courses I take this semester count as BCPM. I'm signed up for two courses I'm not so sure about: IB C144 - Animal Behavior and Plant Biology 10 - Plants, Agriculture and Society Can you tell me whether these will fit under the BCPM heading? Thanks very much. Answer

Hi- What resesources/services do you offer for checking/proof-reading med school secondary essays already written and in need of feedback? Anything via the web? Answer

I finished Chem. 1A, Chem. 3A/3B, and Bio. 1B at Cal and I've taken the other half of Bio and Physics as well as one quater of Biochemstry at UCLA and I took enough classes to make sure the units were equivalent to a semester. My questions are 1.) do I have to take the equivalent Chem 1B at a semester schedule school like Santa Monica Junior College to have one year of general chemsitry on my transcripts or could I get a letter from the school saying I took the equivalent of one year of gen. chem. in Chem. 1A? 2.)I got C's in all my science classes at Cal except for Chem 1A, and I only built up rapport with my Chem. 3B professor who said he would write a letter, should I ask my Chem 3B professor for a letter of recommendation even though it's been at least 4 years since we've seen each other and I got a C in his class or should I just send in the letters from my professors at UCLA? Answer

i have read the pre-med faqs but i still did not get all the answers i wanted. i am planning on applying to medical school but i skipped chem 1a when i first started because of my ap scores. i would rather take another elective besides chem 130a to fulfill a requirement for my mcb major. for medical school is it quite important that i take physical chemistry or is there any way that i will be able to bypass this class? also i passed out of both reading and composition classes with ap scores. i havent taken any english classes yet, but i have taken a significant amount of classes that involve quite a bit of reading, analysis, and writing. i was also wondering what my options for this requirement would be? i do plan on applying to the top level medical schools and wondering how lenient they are with these prerequisites. Answer

I am an economics major who started on the pre-med path late. I have taken chem1a,3a,3b, physics 8a, 8b , and bio 1b. My question is in regards to biochemistry and general chemistry. I know some schools require 4 semester of chemistry (2 general, 2 organic) ALONG with biochemistry. However, it sounds like a lot of students take biochem to also satisfy an organic chemistry requirement as well. Is it ok to have biochem satisfy these two requirements (have one class satisfy biochemistry and organic chemistry)? What classes would you recommend for me (I cannot take chem 1b at berkeley since I will get only 3 units for it, but I am looking into taking it at Vista Community College which I assume would give me full credit and I will likely do well in it)? Answer

1. I studied abroad through the EAP program, therefore I was attending a university in a foreign country, but still enrolled through UCB. The grades from my semesters abroad are on my UCB transcript. My question is: Under the colleges attended section of the AMCAS application, do I include the foreign university as a separate university? 2. I attended a community college course during high school (the summer before my senior year of high school). Even though I attended the community college course before graduating from high school, does it count as a post secondary institution? The community college's name appears on my UCB transcript, therefore do I have to include a transcript from the community college in my AMCAS application? Answer

Since we list Chem 3B (Chem Structure and Reactivity) and MCB 102 (Survey of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) as our two semesters of Organic Chemistry, what do I list on the UC Irvine application that asks for a semester of Biochemistry also in addition to this, because I have no other Biochem courses left to list? Also, do we use the course names listed on our transcript, as this is what I've done so far. Answer

AMCAS has just verified my application but there are some X marks meaning they corrected something and verified it. Is this going to negatively affect my chances of getting into medical school in any way? Some of these changes I do not even see, so I am sort of confused at this point. Answer

What about the requirements for Letters of Recommendation from Northwestern School of Medicine that I got with my secondary? They say in their "Special note" that they have the following guidelines: use a 12 font print on one side of the paper only type the candidates name and AAMC ID number in the upper right corner of every page if use handwriting, use bold black ink What should I do? I got my letters from my professors before I could even be assigned my AAMC Identification number. My letters are confidential so I can't look at them to see if the font is the right size. Answer

I'm working on my secondary application for UC Irvine. They require 2 semesters of general chemistry. I put Chem 1A and Chem 3A. They also require 2 semesters of Organic Chemistry. I but Chem 3B and MCB 102. They also ask for one semester of biochemistry. I have been advised to use MCB 102 twice, but my MCB 102 grade is the lowest grade on my transcript and would really rather not bring more attention to it. Can I put down MCB 130 instead since I got an A in that? Answer

I am currently filling out secondary applications. Many schools ask if there is any additional information I would like to provide them with. I will be out of the country for about 10 days in early January, and unable to go to any interviews if they chose to grant me one. Is this something I should mention now in the extra space? Or should I wait until later if/when schools ask for interviews to mention the fact that I will be unavailable during that specific time? Answer

I know that most med schools will take MCB 100 to fill the "organic chemistry" requirement along with Chem 3B, especially if Chem 1A and 3A are used to fill the General Chem slot. However, I just got a letter from Dartmouth Med School saying that it will *not* accept a biochemistry course as filling the organic chem requirement. What other (4unit) courses can I use (or take) to fill that requirement? Answer

You have recommended that we use clear laser-printable lables to fill out secondaries, if paper forms are necessary. I just want to clarify, are these the labels that are usually used for mailing labels? Or should I be able to find whole clear sheets (8.5 x 11) that can be cut and stuck onto the secondaries? Answer

I tested out of the R & C requirement, but noticed that many med schools had a year-long English requirement. I was wondering then if I needed to take R & C classes to meet their requirements, or if I could just take English classes. Thanks! Answer

I used my English Lit AP to satifsy my R1A requirement and took only R1B. Do I need to take another semester of English?(as some schools say they require 1 year of English). If another semester is required, which type of classes are considered an English course? I've heard classes such as Asian Am satisfy the English requirement. Answer

Is chem 130a needed to take the MCAT or to apply to med school? And is it best to take MCB 100 or 102; what is the main difference? I heard MCB 100 is harder, is that true? Is it best to finish all pre-med requirements before spring of junior year so that the MCAT can be taken during then? For example, if physics 8b is being taken during spring of junior year is it advisable to postpone the test until August and then postpone application to med school (since it's bad to take the test august before the year of intended entry)? Thank you so much!!! I really appreciate it!!! Answer

I was recently put on the interview hold list after I sent in my secondary. I was wondering if there was any recommended action that I should take at this time in terms of letters of intent, or updates. I've been working full-time since I graduated and I don't really have anything that positive/significant to add, however. Answer

I am an intended MCB/premed major. I didn't take any pre-req courses for pre-med this semester but took 3 breadth classes and with Eng R1B. To catch up, would you recommend taking Math1A, Chem and Bio along with a 1 or 2 unit seminar/decal? Or should I take Math1A and either Chem or Bio? Also, would you recommend taking a class over the summer at a local community college to catch up? Answer

Hi, I was wondering if medical schools used legacy admissions and if so which ones? Neither of my parents were doctors, so this wont affect me, I'm just curious. Thanks for your help. Answer

I was planning on taking Bio 1a next semester, than 1B during the summer. However, i took a BioSci 100 class at college of the canyons which was a four unit course, with a lab and final practicum. It covered concepts which seem to be very similar to the ones described on the course description of Bio 1A. i am a psychology major, and have not taken any upper division Bio courses. Could this bio sci 100 be used instead of bio 1A? Answer

I am a senior in the Chemical Biology major in the College of Chemistry. I have recently decided to be pre-med and I am wondering which of the courses I have ALREADY taken satisfy premed requirements. For those requirements which I do not fulfill, I would like recommendations as to which courses would fulfill it. By pre-med requirement: Chemistry (2 years) I have taken Chem 1A, 3A, 3B, (3 of 4 semesters of chemistry). Do any of the following fulfill the last semester? Chem 130A/B (no there is no lab), Chem 5 (Analytical methods in Chemistry WITH lab), Chem 3 (Bioinorganic Chemistry, no lab), Chem 135 (Chemical Biology, no lab) MCB 110 (General Biochemistry, no lab), MCB 110L (the lab class with 15 hours of lab a week) Note: Chem 135 and MCB 100 have restricted credit between them and are considered very similar Physics I took 8A/B so I am fine. One year of Math Math 1A, Math 1B at a community college One year of biology Bio 1B Do any of the following fulfill the last semester? MCB 110 (General Biochemistry), MCB 110L (Lab class with 15 hours of lab a week), Chem 135 (Chemical Biology, no lab. There is restricted credit for Chem 135 and MCB 100) Do I need to take Bio 1a??? Also, I heard that it is beneficial/required? to have English classes. I am a double major with Spanish Literature so I have obviously been taking humanities classes. Does it matter that they are not in English? Answer

On my AMCAS application, I put down that I would be taking English 199. However, last semester as I was planning out my Spring schedule, I realized I would not be able to fit that class and the course was mostly restricted to majors. I had intended to take Eng 199 to fulfill the 1 year requirement of English that med schools require, since I used my AP to waive out of R1A, and only took R1B. Do I need to take another semester of English? If so, will it be acceptable if I take a class at Vista College instead? Lastly, do I need to inform colleges that I've made this change to my AMCAS application? Thank you Answer

I was pre-med all through college and in fact am waiting to hear back from a med school right now. However, I decided not to go to medical and stay here in the bay area. My whole resume was focused around that and now as I plan to look for a new career I have no idea what to do (I am not too interested in nursing or being a physician's assistant). I feel frustrated b/c of my GPA 3.2 and the fact that if I applied to the caliber of schools in this area that they think that I'm just another one of those premeds that couldn't cut it and be something else. Answer

I know the requirements vary with different medical schools but,in general, do most medical schools accept R2a classes (like asian american studies) for the first half of their english requirement? Answer

I have a question regarding when to take the MCAT and apply for medical school. If I will be at Cal for an extra semester, should I still plan to take the MCAT during April of my third year or later? Do I still apply during June of my third year or do I apply during June of my fourth year? Lastly, under my situation, what happens during the Spring semester after I have graduated and before I attend medical school in September? Basically, what do you suggest I do to meet the deadlines in the case that I may or may not be at Cal for an extra semester? Thank you. Answer

im a graduate student in physics and after getting my masters this year im going to go to med school. my question is about fulfilling the coursework requirements for med school: ive finished chem 3a/b here and will have finished bio1a/1b by the summer, but im worried about my general chemistry reqs. i took 2 quarters of lecture and 1 quarter of lab in g-chem at ucla where i was an undergrad, but thats it. ive read the whole g-chem textbook to prep for the mcats, so i was wondering if a good physical science mcat score would let me skip a last quarter? and if the schools all require i take the class, can i take it next year while im waiting to get in? should this delay my application or acceptance? thank you. Answer

For the recommendation (with ranking grid) form where should a co-signing faculty member sign? If they are supposed to sign in the space provided at the bottom of the page, where would be a good place for the GSI to sign? A related question: when filling out the waiver statement is the name of the recommendation writer the GSI or the cosigning faculty member? Thanks for the help. Answer

I heard that it looks good, though not required for premeds to take upper division biology courses, in addition to Bio1A-1B. How much extra weight does it carry? I am an Econ major, so taking extra courses beyond the minimum are quite a bit out of my way, so I was wondering if it was worth it to take an extra biology course. Also, my backup plan for if I don't get into medical school is to go into consulting or somewhere else in finance, and I am currently looking for internships in both finance and health. Would internships in finance strengthen my med school application, or would it hinder it, making me look like I'm unfocused? Answer

I have a question about courses listed on the AMCAS primary application. If I took some community college courses for credit while I was still in high school, should these be listed on the primary? And will my grades in these courses be counted into my AMCAS GPA? Answer

Can chem 1b be taken instead of mcb 102 for non science majors who are pre-med for the fourth semester of chemistry? Answer

Rosalind Franklin University does not acknowledge MCB 102 to satisfy the pre-medical pre-requisite for the second semester of Inorganic Chemistry; simply because they do not know what MCB 102 is. The school has asked for a syllabus as well as a letter from the appropriate advisory service saying that UC Berkeley allows MCB 102 to satisfy this requirement. Please contact me at (323) 447-9761, as well as fax Karyn Wickersheim the head of the admissions department at Rosalind Franklin University at 847-578-8601 and by faxing her at 847-578-3284. Please respond to this matter as soon as possible because my acceptance depends on this problem resolution. Answer

I am SO SORRY to ask this question, again, but I just want to be clarified as I enter the scary realm of AMCAS. In regards to the chemistry requirements ;oP, should I . . . 1.) List MCB 102 twice on my central appl or is this something I do on my secondaries? 2.) If I were to list MCB 102 twice (one for Ochem req and another for biochem requirement), should the course name of MCB 102 stay the same as it appears on the transcript? 3.) I took MCB 102 over the summer . . . under which semester should I list the O-chem part of it and biochem part of it? Thank you so so much for your help. Answer

My question is regarding filling out "course classification" when reporting coursework for the AMCAS. I took History of Art R1B to fulfill the second half of the RC requirement and thus, I want to use that class as the 2nd semester of "English/writing" for med schools. My question is whether I should classify that course under "English Language and Literature" or whether I should put it under "Fine Arts". From reading AMCAS instructions, usually history of art goes under fine arts, but I'm wondering whether medical schools will realize that history of Art R1B is really a English/writing course if I don't put it under English language and literature. What should I do? Answer

I’m not sure how to classify the following courses for AMCAS: MCELLBI 98/198 (Directed Group Study) – Biology or Other IDS 130 – Philosophy or Other MCELLBI 130L – Should this be counted as a Lab Only class even though we had lectures? ASAMST – Special Studies INTEGBI 117 (Medical Ethnobotany) – Biology? Answer

I sent my transcripts off today, so my spring grades won't be on them. Should I still report the classes I'm taking this spring under the "Current/Future" course classification? I've already finished my premed requirements this past fall, so I'm thinking that I probably don't have to, but I wanted to check with you guys. Answer

For the Activities section of the AMCAS:
should I include in the descriptions of my activities why I think these activities are important and relevant to medicine? Or are they just looking for mere descriptions? Answer

I am filling out AMCAS and am wondering how to classify Anthro 1, Physical Anthropology aka Biological Anthropology. We discussed genetics, evolution and anatomy, so I would like to classify it as a biological science class, which would help my BCPM GPA. However, it may be considered by AMCAS to be a social and behavioral science class. Also, the class has a 1 hour a week discussion/ "lab". I am not using this class as my bio lab requirement, but I was wondering if I can classify it as lecture + lab. Answer

I just had a question about the primaries. For the work/activities section it says to list your experinces and awards and gives you space (1325 character) to write about every thing you list. However, if you have recieved dean's honor awards, are you supposed to write about that? I am not sure what they expect you to write about the dean's honor award. also, when sending in transcripts on the registrar's web site, I know I have to request special processing because I have to attach the amcas request form with the transcript. However, you have to give amcas' address, which is a PO box. I want to send the transcript rush/express but can't because the address is a po box, so how do i get around this? Answer

Hi. I just recently decided to major in IB - after I gave up on it my first semester. I took Chem 1A my freshman year, but because I was discouraged from all science courses, I changed the grading option to a Pass/No Pass. I passed the course, but it turns out I only got a C. My problem lies in the fact that I need a letter grade for Chem 1A. I can either revert my Pass to a C or take it over for a letter grade without receiving units. I don't mind retaking the coure over summer (I was planning on auduiting it anyways). However, I don't know what the best course of action is in regards to applying for medical school. Should I revert the Pass to a C, or retake the class so medical schools see a P in addition to a letter grade? (How would that even work in calculating GPA for medical schools?). Thanks! Answer

I received a D+ in physics last semester and want to retake it...if i retake it in community college will the grade transfer and replace my grade in the berkeley gpa. Also how will med schools look at this will they prefer that i retake it at berkeley. Answer

For the Work/Activities section of the AMCAS, the Career Center counselor previously said that the descriptions should describe what the experience is and why it is significant. However, what portion of it should just be pure facts of what the experience is about. I find myself writing a majority of the 1325 characters on what the experience is and only 2-3 sentences on how it is significant to me. Should the descriptions be more like that on a resume or more like a mini personal statement (listing what happened vs. a creative and well-thought up paragraph)? Answer

I am a recent Berkeley Alum who majored in IB, and who is applying to med school. I need to take biochem, but was not able to add into the berkeley MCB 102 class for this summer because it is full, but the professor is considering letting me into it. She said that numerous of her students have used Extension biochemistry classes to apply to med school. Would this fit into the berkeley system(ie its sounds like berkeley has a very specific understanging with meds schools in which biochem can work as a second semester of Ochem as well as biochem). I took chem 1a, 3a, and 3b at CAL. Would this be enough with the extension biochem class X115A for most meds schools. She said that the extension class only included 3/4 of the material of MCB102. Also, neither class has a lab, which I was surprised by. This did not seem to matter according to many ask the counselor answers. Is this true? Also if I did get into the MCB 102 class I would have to miss 1 of the 4 class meetings per week due to work conflicts. Do you think that this should be workable. Which course would you suggest, assuming I can get into both? Answer

I understand that we are supposed to list chem 1a/3a as general chem and chem 3b/mcb 102 as organic, but where are we listing this. on the primary amcas, it only lets you list courses as chemistry, but not any distinct type of chemistry. Answer

I've been online reading the student forums for tips on how to complete the work/activities section of the AMCAS. Here's some advice I found that was supposedly from a premed advisor at another school: * Less is definitely more * Descriptions only in activities section - the interview will establish what they learned and how it will add to the skills and attitudes of an excellent physician * Explicit instructions are mandatory -particularly for undergraduates * High school activities should not be listed unless they were continued in the post high school years, but never as an additional item. Here are my questions: 1) Is the second bullet about "descriptions only" actually true? I had originally thought that it was also important to describe what you got out of each event rather than give a rote recitation of what you did. 2) In regards to high school stuff, I've been in martial arts since I was in 1st grade and I continue with it presently, but on a reduced level since I'm so busy with college. I think that listing that hobby would make me more unique. What are your thoughts on this. Answer

I started my AAMC application for this summer but decided that I will not be continuing the application process until next year. I am also asking for letter of recommendation from my professors to be sent to the Letter Service. I understand that we need to put our AAMC# on all of our letters, so I was wondering if I should put the number from the 2006 application? Answer

Regarding the coursework section in the AMCAS application,I was wondering how closely we need to follow the chart on page 64 of the instruction booklet on how to assign your class standing based on the units you have completed. My units are as follows: Fresh: 44 (w/ AP units included) Soph: 79 Jun: 156 whereas the numbers given on the chart are 32, 64, and 96. Should I change my class standings to go by this chart or stick to what I have? Answer

I'm a premed student that's planning to take the MCAT next April and apply next summer (2006). For schools that require statistics like UCLA, is it too late for me to take statistics during Fall 2006? Or should I have taken it before I apply? Answer

I am majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology and I am interested in pursuing a career as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthestist. What is the normal path a Berkeley student would take to become a CRNA? Could you list some popular schools/programs that students go through? How rigorous is the workload, and what is the average GPA one would need to attend a CRNA program? And I don't think I would need to take the MCATs right? Answer

I took bio 1B during the spring semester and I was very close with my GSI but I never even talked to any of the prof. If I ask the GSI for a letter of reco. for the med school application, would she be able to have it co-signed by the prof? Also, should I wait to ask my GSI for the letter when I'm doing my med school applications or ask her now? Answer

I am thinking of applying to around 30 medical schools and was wondering if this is too many. Do medical schools find out what other universities a student applies to and if so, would it look bad to apply to too many schools? Answer

I have two questions. 1) The online instructions on career.berkeley.edu say that we have to goto Sproul 110 to get the exact credits for our AP courses. I am in LA for the summer, is there anyway that I can get the exact credits for each of my AP classes without going to sproul 110? Is there a phone number that I can call to get that information? 2) Do we need to only send on transcript to AMCAS. Answer

Although I understand that for Pre-Med prerequisites, you should take all the courses for a letter grade, I was wondering if it's possible to take a course or two for a P/NP grade? I was planning to take physics for a P/NP and heard that even though it's not favorable, it's okay. Answer

If I am planning activities in the future for this summer and fall that I feel strengthen my application, should I include them on the AMCAS? What should I put in the description if I don't know much about it yet? Answer

I'm an MCB major applying to med school this summer but have not yet taken Bio1B. I plan to take it second semester of next year and have indicated this on my application in the future coursework section. Does the one year of biology requirement need to be satisfied before applying or just before entering med school? Answer

Is it necessary to take Bio 1b for the MCAT/ med school if I eventually take another biology class here at Berkeley? I am a chem bio major and I will be taking at least 1 MCB class, and I also plan on taking Bio 1a. I understand that this could be considered a question I need to ask an academic advisor, but I did and he was not sure. Do you know if it is necessary to take a full year of "general" biology or can I take a full year of any biology to fulfill the med school requirement? Answer

i have noticed that some students recommend taking physiology before the mcat, however i am more concerned about taking upperdivision science courses for my science gpa on the amcas application. i am planning on taking ib 131, ib 245, mcb 102, and ph 162a or ib 132 in the summer. my concern for physio is that i am going to be taking it as part of a paramedic certification through a junior college. is this sufficient for strengthening my science background/gpa if i get a strong letter of recommendation from the course instructors? or would it be better to take ib 132 here at berkeley? Answer

Hi. I'm going to be a third year in L&S this fall. I probably won't apply to medical school until spring of 2007-(I’m an art history and MCB double major hoping to do two theses and graduate in 4 and a half years), but I was hoping to talk to a counselor about which schools could be a good fit for me. Do you think it is too early to be thinking about where to apply? Answer

I am planning to take MCAT in two months. But I don't feel like I am ready for it. So I was wondering if it is okay to take the test to see what's my stage right now, like pre-test for the real ones later. But I heard that Medical schools count the first MCAT score the most because it shows the real grade of student without any MCAT experiences. Is that true? Thank you. Answer

Hi, I wanted to know if a rec letter from a professor already has been put in my file, can that letter be updated. I ask because when I gave my letter writers my statement, I strongly talked about a specialty I would like to do. However, i was reading "Ask the counselor" responses and it said that med schools like an open mind when enetering med schools. i am afraid that my letter writers may have all mentioned I wanted to do burn surgery somewhere in my letter and I was not aware of the fact that it was better not to go in too focused in regards to applications for med school. Would it be improper and odd for me to ask my letter writers if they mentioned anything about burn-specialty in my letter? If you think it would be okay, could I ask them to revise it a tiny but, assuming they even mentioned it. I am very scared that I was not general enough in the statement I gave letter writers. My amcas personal statement was general enough because I keep hearing that deciding on a specialty is not the way to go. Please advise, as I know my letter writers will write wonderful letters, but I don't want there comments to be negated based on the fact that some med schools will not like someone who has really made their mind up. Answer

I wanted to know that if I gave my letter writer my statement (though my statement has noqw changed sicne it is mroe general and does not list a specialty) and I know he has not written the letter yet, can I ask him not to mention the specialty I would like to do as a doctor. Is it alright to tell him not to mention something and do I have to tell him why or is this going to complicate issues? Answer

I was advised in a mini session to reduce my number of listed activities by arranging them thematically. but i am unsure how to enter them. For example, under the experience "Co-op" I want to include that I was an active member for four years, organized several events, served on the board of directors, and was a paid house manager. Do I describe this as paid employment? leadership? other? Likewise with categories like "Performing arts" and "teaching". Some activities fit among many themes. Is this thematic arrangement a good idea, or am i supposed to just list the specific activities themselves? I have a lot of activities, but i want to efficiently convey that they were all pretty significant and engrossing (and hence the gpa). Am i worrying too much about this? Answer

I just graduated from Berkeley as a bioengineering major and I am planning to apply to medical school this summer. I have taken all of the medical school requirements except for Bio1b, but I am deficient in volunteer experience in hospitals. Additionally, I have taken 2 semester of bioengineering honors research and I have taken IB131. I was wondering if medical schools will allow me to subsitute my Bio1b requirement with IB131 and my research experience. Answer

One more quick question. Is it ok to take MCB 102 the last semester of my senior year, even while applying to medical schools now or do they want it sooner? Answer

This summer I'm planning on fulfilling some of my pre-med requirements at a junior college back home. I'm going to take English R1B and Statistics, for UCLA med school. My question is: can I do these pre-med requirements at at junior college and what statistics class do I have to take? thanks Answer

I am reapplying to medical schools and reusing my recommendation letters. One of my professors that sent me a letter shows on the letter service site with comment "Entering 2005". Since the letter was confidential I dont know exactly how particular he was about my admission date. How important is it to medical schools that the letter be addressed to the school year that I am applying for? (I only applied to 8 schools last time, and so the other ones that I apply this time will have never read this letter.) Although I have two other letters from staff in my folder that i can choose from, I feel that this professor probably knows me better. Do you suggest that I go back to him for another letter? I dont know if that would be easy since I am not in school anymore and have not talked to him since last year. What do you suggest? Answer

I am premed and trying to finish the prerequisites in a timely matter. I've decided to take Physics 8b at a Cal State University over the summer. However, I want to work this summer as well, so I'd rather not take Physics 8b lab (at the State school, they're 2 different classes). Will med schools care if I don't take 8b lab? (I don't need the course for any major requirements, only for med school.) Answer

Hi, I spoke briefly with Patty Meyer about doing the informal post-bac program at SF State, starting Fall 2005. I currently have a senior standing and still need to complete my physics 8B requirement and R1B requirement. I was planning on taking these courses at a JC during the summer. However, I was wondering if it would be better to take them at SF State, since I'll be doing post-bac there in the fall...in other words, how much will taking these two courses at a JC vs. at SF State impact/influence my med school application? (the reason i ask is because the classes for summer 05 are full at sf state, so i was wondering how bad it would be to take the classes at a JC) Answer

If I had already taken prerequisites at UC Berkeley, is it advisable to retake them at a community college just to earn a better grade? Answer

I spoke with a counselor before and they said that you would be able to send a letter or official email to med school telling them about the chem req and how chem 1a, 3a is inorg and chem 3b and mcb 102 is org chem. Unm the med school I am applying to needs some verification. Also, how soon do you think they will receive this information in and could I be notified so I oculd follow up with him? Could you please send this to dbear@salud.unm