When is the deadline to enter my preferences?
5:00 pm this Thursday (March 26)
Is the powerpoint available?
Hoping to have it on line soon. (waiting for some .ftp assistance from tech support)
Why can't I add more courses?
The software was designed to safeguard the approval of the advisor by preventing changes to the list after the advisor approved it. Some advisors have eagerly approved schedules that did not have enough options. If that's the case, let me know, I'll ask MEIS to reset your access.
How many courses should I list in each category?
At least enough to complete graduation requirements, plus a couple extra to be safe....
- - 4 weeks Medicine AI
- - 4 weeks Surgical AI
- - 4 weeks Ambulatory AI
- - 4 weeks Inpatient AI
- - 16 weeks of electives
What if I want to take away electives?
For now, you don't need to do anything. Don't request anything. If you want to request a course at UASOM that you might later drop assuming the away elective does not work out at that time, you can.
There are roughly three places to take away electives...
LCME school that uses the Visiting Student Application Service (VSAS) http://www.aamc.org/programs/vsas/start.htm
LCME school that does not use VSAS http://services.aamc.org/eec/students/ and that school's web site
Others that require academic approval for credit https://www.uasom.uab.edu/ElectiveRequest/StudentLogin.asp?ret_link=%2FElectiveRequest%2Fstudentneworexisting%2Easp&type=notLogged
What if I want to do a research elective?
Put it the course in your list of electives. The course description in the Academic Catalog will give you the requirements and process... but you can do the process later and get the course scheduled now. Again, if you fail to complete the process, the course would be dropped.
How do I plan a strategy for ranking my entries?
1) Make a draft of your ideal schedule.
a. Course A in Block 1
b. Course B in Block 2a
c. Course C in Block 2b
d. Etc.
2) Rank each item as to how important it is.
3) The most important of those should be your first ranked request.
4) The second most important should be a bit later but after 4-6 choices to address "back-up" plans.
5) Create back-up plans
a. If you could not get your first rank (for example: Course C in Block 2b) what would be your fallback for other times to get it. (Block 2a? Block 3b?, etc.
b. If you could not get your first rank (for example: Course C in Block 2b) what would be your fallback course for that time. (Course B? Course D?)
6) Enter two or three "back-ups" as in step 5 above as your second, third, fourth, etc. rank.
7) The second rank (from step 4 above) should go after those "back-up" entries.
8) Complete the same "back-up process" (permutations of the course and permutations of the dates) for this second rank.
9) Continue through your "ideal schedule" entering "back-up" plans after each entry.
If you use this process, you increase the chances of getting what's most important to you (you listed it first). You also create the ideal back-up plan for you should your first choice not be possible. You do not decrease your chances of getting anything you wanted in your ideal schedule.
These steps can seem confusing, but if you just start doing them, they will begin to make a lot of sense all of a sudden.
How likely is it for me to get what I want?
Historically the scheduling lottery for the 4th year provided a much higher percentage, than the 3rd year scheduling lottery, of students getting exactly what they wanted. We expect it will do so again. The most difficult times to get specific courses is usually the first few blocks.
