AAMCAS thinks my post-bacc stuff is graduate work?!

[NonTradMed]

AAMCAS screwed up and thought my post-bacc work is actually graduate work.

I think the problem is that the school where I took the post-bacc work puts people already with degrees into their non-degree graduate program which I think sounds to the AAMCAS verifer like a graduate level program. Considering the classes I took were all undergraduate, I don't know why they didn't think a bit before classifying it as such.

The problem is, I was trying to raise my undergraduate science GPA. My graduate has no science GPA so now that nice science GPA gets to sit all by itself. But my undergraduate science GPA looks crappy. The only consolation I have is that my undergraduate GPA was acquired five years ago, whereas my recent science GPA I got this last semester.

What complicates this problem is that I already have graduate work done (a few years ago) and the GPA for that overall is pretty low, so when combined with this post-bacc GPA, my overall GPA for graduate still looks crappy.

I'm not sure if I should fight this or not. I've heard a lot of med schools look just at undergrad science GPA, or put more stress on it than graduate science GPA. And I want to put that good science GPA that I'd acquired at the spot where I'll get maximum benefit. Should I fight this placement in the graduate section? Or should I just let it go? I don't want people to confuse my recent science GPA with any of my past (pretty lousy) graduate work, but as a result of this recent misplacement of post-bacc, my graduate science GPA looks very nice. Ugh. I hate AAMCAS.

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[jintonic5]

AAMCAS screwed up and thought my post-bacc work is actually graduate work.

I think the problem is that the school where I took the post-bacc work puts people already with degrees into their non-degree graduate program which I think sounds to the AAMCAS verifer like a graduate level program. Considering the classes I took were all undergraduate, I don't know why they didn't think a bit before classifying it as such.

The problem is, I was trying to raise my undergraduate science GPA. My graduate has no science GPA so now that nice science GPA gets to sit all by itself. But my undergraduate science GPA looks crappy. The only consolation I have is that my undergraduate GPA was acquired five years ago, whereas my recent science GPA I got this last semester.

What complicates this problem is that I already have graduate work done (a few years ago) and the GPA for that overall is pretty low, so when combined with this post-bacc GPA, my overall GPA for graduate still looks crappy.

I'm not sure if I should fight this or not. I've heard a lot of med schools look just at undergrad science GPA, or put more stress on it than graduate science GPA. And I want to put that good science GPA that I'd acquired at the spot where I'll get maximum benefit. Should I fight this placement in the graduate section? Or should I just let it go? I don't want people to confuse my recent science GPA with any of my past (pretty lousy) graduate work, but as a result of this recent misplacement of post-bacc, my graduate science GPA looks very nice. Ugh. I hate AAMCAS.

you should fight it. without a stand out post bacc gpa you're going to get filtered out, esp if your grad gpa+postbacc gpa= mediocre. there's not much you can do about your undergrad gpa b/c post bacc work is counted separately, but at least with your post bacc gpa separate you can show that you DO have good work on your record.

 

[Phil Anthropist]

Someone in Pre-Allo had a similar problem with AMCAS:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=205665

I agree with jin. You should contact the AAMC to get the courses calculated into the proper areas.

 

[Phil Anthropist]

Undergrad + Postbaccalaureate both contribute to the undergrad cumulative GPA for AMCAS. Postbaccalaureate gets its own section, but it also contributes to the undergrad cume.

Grades from graduate programs (e.g., SMPs or traditional graduate programs) do not.

 

[NonTradMed]

Thanks for the advice. I'm kind of worried now. I can't imagine why they didn't just look at my classes, it's obvious it's undergraduate courses! I put in an academic change request and I called them today, they told me they'll look it over and get back to me, probably in a couple of weeks. Great.

I'm really upset b/c I feel I'm being screwed over with this. Just one more thing to screw me up in this process.

PS: I've know heard that post-bacc GPA is good to have as undergraduate rather than as graduate on these forums. My post-bacc science GPA is counted in the graduate science GPA bracket by itself, which makes it look really really nice...so I'm guessing by people's reactions that this is still worse than having the post-bacc science GPA counted in by itself in the undergraduate bracket?

So strange, you'd think adcoms would like to see a nice 'graduate' science GPA over a nice undergraduate science GPA....

 

[jintonic5]

Undergrad + Postbaccalaureate both contribute to the undergrad cumulative GPA for AMCAS. Postbaccalaureate gets its own section, but it also contributes to the undergrad cume.

Grades from graduate programs (e.g., SMPs or traditional graduate programs) do not.

i stand corrected.

 

[jintonic5]

Thanks for the advice. I'm kind of worried now. I can't imagine why they didn't just look at my classes, it's obvious it's undergraduate courses! I put in an academic change request and I called them today, they told me they'll look it over and get back to me, probably in a couple of weeks. Great.

I'm really upset b/c I feel I'm being screwed over with this. Just one more thing to screw me up in this process.

PS: I've know heard that post-bacc GPA is good to have as undergraduate rather than as graduate on these forums. My post-bacc science GPA is counted in the graduate science GPA bracket by itself, which makes it look really really nice...so I'm guessing by people's reactions that this is still worse than having the post-bacc science GPA counted in by itself in the undergraduate bracket?

So strange, you'd think adcoms would like to see a nice 'graduate' science GPA over a nice undergraduate science GPA....

mannn i hope it works out for you~

i think grad school gpa's dont have as much weight b/c a lot of grad classes you need to maintain a B to pass, or something along those lines... so it makes any decent grade you may have received look average.

 

[NonTradMed]

I'm so upset right now, as if there isn't enough going on in this process. It'll probably be a week or two before I get a reply....I just hope they realize their mistake and correct it. I have made quite some sacrifices to get to this point, and I don't want it ruined b/c some verifier in Iowa couldn't stop to think a bit.