old undergraduate transcript inclusion

Nontraditional Premed Discussion
1

Hi, I’ve just discovered this gem of a website and haven’t yet read very far into the archives. But I really wanted to ask this question anyway.


I read in a post that it is required to include all undergraduate coursework in your application. Does this mean that if I went to college right after high school and dropped out mid-semester, and this was over twenty years ago, I would have to include that transcript along with my most recent successful transcript?


Thanks,


Marc

2

That’s correct, at least as far as AMCAS goes. Any college-level coursework needs to be reported.


AACOMAS is somewhat more forgiving; I believe they require the transcript, but will calculate your GPA based on retaken scores. AMCAS calculates all grades, ever.


For those of us with histories of academic indiscretion, that’s another hurdle to overcome - but it’s certainly not insurmountable.


Also, welcome!

3

Thanks Adam,


For the sake of asking, how exactly would they know that such a transcript even existed if I didn’t tell them?

4
  • ni3tzsch3 Said:
Thanks Adam,

For the sake of asking, how exactly would they know that such a transcript even existed if I didn't tell them?



They won't necessarily know... I have met people who have done exactly this--take a course "for practice" at some other school and not report it, then take it again, resulting in higher GPA.

But if AMCAS or your medical school ever finds out that you lied, you could be kicked out of school, and even if you graduate safely and they find out later on, you could lose your license to practice. So if you take a course and not report it, you'd better wear a disguise and use a different name because about a hundred people plus a professor and a grad student or two will all know you took the course.

It's just not worth it, in my opinion.
5

Terry,


I agree it’s not worth it, but now I have some idea why they want transcripts of all undergraduate work. Thanks.

6

Okay, what if you went one week or two to college and withdrew? I mean you have no grades to show…and it is over 20 years ago. How do you handle that?

7

If you generated a record of your withdrawal then you need to report it. If you DROPPED a course (this is different from withdrawing) during the add-drop period then it wouldn’t show up on a transcript and there’d be no reason to report it. But if there’s a transcript somewhere with a notation that you were registered for a course, you’d better put it on AMCAS.


Mary

8

never mind… i didn’t read the post well enough…


9

Don’t forget that you also must include any courses that you took as a high school student at a college if you received college credit.


As Mary says, the bottom line: if there is a transcript out there somewhere, you need to submit it to AMCAS.


And as Terry indicates, when you sign the AMCAS application at the bottom indicating that everything is true, it better be. The consequences can be dire.


Cheers,


Judy

10

Do not LIE EVER, (not that anyone is thinking of this)…you never know who is on that adcom…and what they know.

11

Greetings,


I included everything… the good the bad the ugly, I often wonder if they are not looking (even TESTING) for such candor! At the end of the day they were interested in what I had done lately…


I was quizzed on a “W” on an English course from way back in 1983, but I almost got the feeling they were teasing me about it.


I took the pre-requisites, BY THE NUMBERS starting in 2000, and I taught an undergraduate physiology lab after my first year… THAT DID come up (in a huge way)…


While I was answering a question in the “open records” interview, I sort of noticed interviewer number two “flipping” through my file, it LOOKED like he was cross referencing something…


He then said, "You know, many students tell us their undergraduate physiology experiences are the most the useful in preparation for medical school… I see you have taught that for the last three years… I also note that your supervisor is your most stellar letter… hum… how interesting” AND he DID NOT ASK a QUESTION!


It was all I could do NOT to stand up and exclaim “TOUCHDOWN” WHOO HOOO!!


Richard