what is BCPM vs All Others?

[Guest UBClebronjames]

Hello,

 

On the AMCAS website they divide your GPA into different groupings. I am still confused on what they mean and how they can potentially hurt you or help you in the eyes of admissions committees.

 

Could some one please shed some light on what the BCPM is? and how they determine if a course should belong in one category versuses another?

 

Their website lists:

 

GRADE POINT AVERAGES

-------------------------

Academic Status

BCPM

All Others

TOTAL

Supplemental Hours

 

thankx!

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hi there,

 

BCPM means Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics. When you apply to AMCAS-using US medical schools, AMCAS categorizes each of your courses, selects all the courses that fall into one of the BCPM course categories, and reports an average for that group of courses, separately. Therefore, the medical schools see not only your GPA, but also your GPA for BCPM courses.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest threeputt]

does biology include micro, biochem, immunology etc?

[Guest moo]

Yes, but not stuff given by psychology, e.g., even if it were a course on neuropsych but it was given by the psych dept it would go under "All Others." Schools weigh the BCPM GPA higher when making admissions decisions.

[Guest UBClebronjames]

So AMCAS doesn't view science psychology courses under the BCPM?

 

I have a number of science neuropsych courses.. what is the best option for me to do? Should I send a letter explaining my situation to each school?

 

:\

[Guest moo]

I don't know. I think some people have gotten them reclassified, and they might do that if you attach a letter from the psych dept or the registrar or something to your transcript. But the default pathway is "AO" for psych courses.

[Guest studentz]

Schools weigh the BCPM GPA higher when making admissions decisions.

 

It depends. Most US schools (with exceptions of course) are nowhere near as numbers-oriented as Canadian schools. There are literally thousands of US applicants that do their BCMP prereqs at 2-yr colleges. Adcoms know this.

 

Also, with hundreds upon hundreds of undergrad institutions, US schools put much more emphasis on MCAT scores than Canadian ones do.