Canadian Applicants for US Schools 2009

[Guest begaster]

I don't think tutorials count as labs.

 

if you do have a lab course, indicate it on the course name! like: Chemistry 101 with Lab, or Introduction to Organic Chemistry with lab. This is because AMCAS won't be able to tell if it has a lab component otherwise

 

I would put anatomy and physiology under the biology category if there is one. I think the natural sciences refer more to physics/chem sort of science.

 

 

Also, dont wait till september! you can still submit your primary without your final mcat mark and can start receiving and working on secondaries. The earlier everything is in, the earlier you can start getting interviews- last year i had my first interview in september!!

 

 

I don't think this is true. In the description of the course, you can choose between "lecture only", "lab only", and "both lecture and lab."

[Guest begaster]

1) You sign up with interfolio

 

2) In your interfolio account, you enter that you're expecting a letter from Dr.A, Dr.B, and Mr.C

 

3) For each letter you tell Interfolio to expect, you print out a special cover sheet with a barcode. You give this special sheet to your letter writer, who must send the letter to Interfolio with this sheet.

 

4) Interfolio will then tell you that the letters have been received by them. You cannot read the content of the letters.

 

5) You then tell Interfolio which letters and which schools you want to have sent. E.g. Send letters from Dr.A and Dr.B to Harvard, letters from Mr.C and Dr.B to Dartmouth, etc.

 

 

Why Interfolio is better?

1) You control when and which letters are sent to each school

2) You don't have to ask your letter writers to send letters to a bazillion schools.

3) The costs are reasonable. It probably comes out the same as giving pre-paid envelopes

4) Most schools allow electronic transfer of letters from Interfolio. This means knowing for certain your letters have reached where they should.

 

I could go on, but I sound too much like I work for them already.

 

 

I was under the impression that Interfolio worked with electronic submissions?

 

Neither of my profs have told me anything about sending in a bar code sheet.

[KennethToronto]

I was under the impression that Interfolio worked with electronic submissions?

 

Neither of my profs have told me anything about sending in a bar code sheet.

 

Your letter writer can either submit to Interfolio electronically or via old-fashioned lettermail.

 

I asked all my referees to submit by mail, and this requires the inclusion of a bar-code sheet.

[worriedandwaiting]

I don't think this is true. In the description of the course, you can choose between "lecture only", "lab only", and "both lecture and lab."

 

I see, well perhaps this has changed from last year where I was told to put the "with lab" with the lecutre+lab courses because it isn't indicated otherwise on my transcript. (ex, my intro to orgo course has a lab component but doesn't say so on the course name so I was told to include it). If things have changed now then ignore my comment.

[redribbon]

for michigan state, they send u the secondaries, you fill it in, and then they later send you an application requesting for letters of reference...does that mean you have a good chance for interview? also, does anyone know how long that takes? my profs are leaving in mid july and they won't be back until last week aug.

[worriedandwaiting]

For michigan (michigan state - college of human medicine)

 

Lets see, I submitted my primary in july, I paid the secondary application fee on august 27th($60), I received teh secondary application (online) on the 30th, submitted it september 14th, was placed on hold till December. December 3rd they requested my LORs, I had an interview invite on the 13th of december (10 days after the request for the LORS). My interview was in january and I was accepted after.

 

...I hope that gives you an idea of the schedule.

[schnauzr]

worriedandwaiting, you're right about adding "and lab" to the course name.

 

"Enter designations for all of your lab course work exactly as they appear on the official transcript. If the lab credit is included with the lecture course credit, append the phrase "and lab" to the exact course title as it appears on the official transcript. For example, if "General Chemistry II" appears on the official transcript and lab credit is included with the lecture course credit, enter "General Chemistry II and Lab" and indicate "Yes" in response to the question, "Did this course include a lab section?"

 

AMCAS is not responsible for any processing delays or missed deadlines resulting from incorrect listings of course names and numbers."

 

Reading the HELP section is well.... really helpful.

[redribbon]

thanks worriedandwaiting!

[Guest begaster]

Oh, wow. I totally missed that. I suck at noticing these things. Sorry W&W.

[SpanishFly]

what do we do for courses that we will be taking in the future and therefore have no grade for? is it ok to leave that blank, or will the system think your application is incomplete?

[worriedandwaiting]

You need to fill it in. You probably right now have an idea of which courses you wll take next year so put those down. I think there is a future or in completion, option to put for the courses that you don't have grades yet for. If you don't have any clue what courses you will take next year, take a look at your schools course list, pick some that attract you and go from there. Its ok if you end up changin the courses on this list, but I would make sure that AMCAS knows that you will be taking enough credits to finish your degree and get the pre-reqs.

 

W&W

[Alastriss]

FYI guys, someone on SDN who is a canadian US MD graduate from albany scored a few interviews for radiology during carms, but withdrew from carms because his significant other matched into the same program he got into in the states. If US MD graduates are scoring interviews in RADIOLOGY then thats a very good sign!

[n00b]

Does anyone know if you can add schools to apply to after you've submitted your primary? Like if you suddenly want to add a few more for example.

[Tan008]

Does anyone know if you can add schools to apply to after you've submitted your primary? Like if you suddenly want to add a few more for example.

 

Yes, you can.

[n00b]

So is anyone here at a US undergrad right now? Or is everyone applying from Canada?

[Alastriss]

I am applying from canada. You can find us undergads at sdn.

 

If we took a micro course that had a lab component to it. Should we put + lab as well? I took some anatomy courses that had a lab component to it. They weren't all mandatory but in the course description it said 3h of Lect + 2h practical. So what do we do there?

[Art Vandelay]

I would include "and lab" if the course description or your transcript mentions the lab component or gives you credit for it.

[Art Vandelay]

When filling out the Experience Discription box in the Work/Activities section, are you guys using most of the 1325 character limit? Will it look bad if we only use about half the space? Is point-form acceptable/recommended/discouraged?

[Alastriss]

I would include "and lab" if the course description or your transcript mentions the lab component or gives you credit for it.

 

None of my courses show that on the transcript. They do show it in the course description in the academic calendar (3L;3P) P for practical/lab

[Alastriss]

art vandalay, you aren't part of a band called the artful vandalays are you?

[Guest begaster]

He's probably just paying homage to George Costanza (like the band is, for that matter).

[Art Vandelay]

He's probably just paying homage to George Costanza (like the band is, for that matter).

 

Indeed!

 

Alastriss: I would include it if it's in the course calendar. At U of T, for example, a half-year course with a lab is still weighted the same as another half-year course without a lab. As is similar with your situation, the lab component is not on the transcript, but it is on the course calendar.

 

Any takers for my question about the Work/Activities section?

[Alastriss]

Art Vandalay, I will do you one better. If you go to SDN and search for great tips on work/activities then you will come across a ridiculously helpful thread. What makes it so helpful is that LizzyM, an adcom member, will offer you direct answers to your questions.

 

I have used teh character limit on one entry. That is because it was in fact 3 entries into 1 (a lot of work with mental health/disabilities). I also nearly hit the character limit on hospital volunteering and conferences, which was all my volunteering put into 1 slot and all conferences where I presented the same area of research into 1. My format was (and yes it was point form and short quips):

 

General comments:

- list hours/week, timelines, description of activity if it isnt obvious from title

 

Duties:

- describe duties

 

personal significance

- on rare occasions only, and would be something like : learned the specific roles of different healthcare personnel, primary means of relieving stress, basic research not for me etc. One liners only, no big anecdotes.

[Art Vandelay]

Thanks for the info Alastriss, I'll check out that thread!

 

Also, if I submit my primary within the next two days when do you think it will be verified? (My transcript is already in)

[Alastriss]

Thanks for the info Alastriss, I'll check out that thread!

 

Also, if I submit my primary within the next two days when do you think it will be verified? (My transcript is already in)

 

You are looking around august 1-3 (Just like me!)

You can do your secondaries starting this weekend, because most of them are on SDN as well so you don't wait for them. make sure your LORs are into interfolio and you can be completely verified by early/mid august, which is just in time for first wave of interviews to be sent out, but cutting it close (EDP is always considered first)