Acronyms and Abbreviations in the Health Sciences
For doctor degree "post titles" (MD, DO, etc.), see Types of Doctorates.
For acronyms relating to minority programs, see Minority Programs.
| Acronym | Definition |
|---|---|
| ACGME | Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education |
| AACOM | American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine |
| AACOMAS | American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service |
| AAMC | Association of American Medical Colleges |
| AMA | American Medical Association |
| AMCAS-E | American Medical College Application Service - Electronic |
| AMSA | American Medical Student Association |
| AP | Advanced Placement credit |
| BCPM | Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics (used to calculate science GPA) |
| COMLEX-US | Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (comparable to the three-part USMLE with similar schedules, but for students in osteopathic schools) |
| CBT MCAT | Computer-based Medical College Admissions Test that is replacing the paper MCAT |
| ED | Early Decision |
| EDP | Early Decision Program |
| EFC | Expected Family (financial) Contribution |
| FAQ | Frequently Asked Questions |
| GPA | Grade Point Average (assumes a 4.0 scale) |
| GMAT | Graduate Management Aptitude Test |
| GRE | Graduate Record Examination |
| Green Card | Immigration form for non-US citizen who is a permanent resident |
| HMO | Health Maintenance Organization |
| INS | Immigration and Naturalization Service |
| JAMA | Journal of the American Medical Association |
| J.D. | Juris doctor (law degree) |
| MBA | Master of Business Administration |
| MCAT | Medical College Admissions Test |
| M.P.H. | Master of Public Health |
| MSAR | AAMC Medical School Admission Requirements |
| MSTP | Medical Scientist Training Program |
| NBOME | National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners |
| NIH | National Institutes of Health |
| NRMP | U.S. National Resident Matching Program |
| OMCI | Osteopathic Medical College Information |
| PBL | Problem-based learning |
| PRIMO | Primary Care Resource Initiative - forgivable loan for MO residents into primary care |
| PS | Physical Sciences Section of the MCAT |
| Sallie Mae | Student Loan Marketing Association |
| SAT | Scholastic Aptitude Test |
| TOEFL | Test of English as a Foreign Language |
| USMLE - Step 1 | U.S. Medical Licensing Examination - Step 1 Test of Biomedical Sciences at end of year two (score important in residency acceptance) |
| USMLE - Step 2 | U.S. Medical Licensing Examination - Step 2 Test of Clinical Sciences |
| USMLE - Step 3 | USMLE - Step 3 Application of Medical Knowledge and Patient Management |
| VR | Verbal Reasoning Section of the MCAT |
| WS | Writing Sample Section of the MCAT |
Last additions: June 2006.
For more information
Contact one of the following pre-medical advisors:
Dr. Colette Witkowski* 417-836-5603, Kampeter Health Sciences Hall, Room 404
Dr. Scott Zimmerman* 417-836-6123, Kampeter Health Sciences Hall, Room 353
Dr. Jianjie Wang 417-836-6140, Kampeter Health Sciences Hall, Room 339
* indicates current member of the Pre-medical Committee
Biomedical Sciences Programs
Missouri State University
901 South National Avenue
Springfield, Missouri 65897
417-836-5603