Applicant GPA is one of the most important factors for medical school admissions, which is why many students worry about medical school GPA requirements. The admissions committee look at your GPA and MCAT score to assess your academic readiness and to judge if you have an aptitude for medical sciences.
So, just how important is your GPA? What should you be aiming for? How does your score compare with the score of others? Fear not, this blog will answer these questions and will go over common medical school GPA requirements to help you determine how your GPA holds up against other applicants and matriculants. We will also provide strategies to help you if you have a low GPA.
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What are Medical School GPA Requirements?
Every medical school in the US and medical schools in Canada have their own GPA requirements. To get an idea of what you’re up against, here’re some stats to indicate what kind of GPA requirements you must aim to meet and exceed:
10 MD Schools with the Lowest GPA Requirements
1. Meharry Medical College, TN
GPA requirements: 3.46
2. University of Houston Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine, TX
GPA requirements: 3.59
3. Howard University College of Medicine, DC
GPA requirements: 3.61
4. Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
GPA requirements: 3.61
5. Washington State University Elson S Floyd College of Medicine, MO
GPA requirements: 3.61
6. University of California, Davis School of Medicine, CA
GPA requirements: 3.63
GPA requirements: 3.63
8. Tulane University School of Medicine, LA
GPA requirements: 3.65
9. Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at TCU, TX
GPA requirements: 3.67
10. University of California, Riverside, School of Medicine, CA
GPA requirements: 3.68
10 MD Schools with Highest GPA Requirements
1. NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NY
GPA requirements: 3.96
2. Perelman School of Medicine, PA
GPA requirements: 3.95
3. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD
GPA requirements: 3.95
4. Harvard Medical School, MA
GPA requirements: 3.95
5. Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, TN
GPA requirements: 3.95
6. University of Virginia School of Medicine, VA
GPA requirements: 3.94
7. Yale School of Medicine, CT
GPA requirements: 3.93
8. Washington University at Saint Louis School of Medicine, MO
GPA requirements: 3.93
9. University of Chicago Division of the Biological Sciences in the Pritzker School of Medicine, IL
GPA requirements: 3.93
10. Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, MN
GPA requirements: 3.93
10 DO Schools with Highest GPA Requirements
1. University of Texas Health Science Center College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNTHSC/TCOM)
GPA requirements: 3.71
2. A.T. Still University of Health Sciences Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (ATSU-KCOM)
GPA requirements: 3.69
3. Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (SHSU-COM)
GPA requirements: 3.69
4. Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (UP-KYCOM)
GPA requirements: 3.65
5. Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-HCOM)
GPA requirements: 3.65
GPA requirements: 3.65
7. Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MU-COM)
GPA requirements: 3.65
8. Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM)
GPA requirements: 3.64
9. Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCU-COM)
GPA requirements: 3.64
10. Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM/MWU)
GPA requirements: 3.63
10 DO Schools with the Lowest GPA Requirements
1. Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM)
GPA requirements: 3.2
2. Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (TouroCOM-NY)
GPA requirements: 3.4
3. DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM)
GPA requirements: 3.4
4. Nova Southeastern University Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine (NSU-KPCOM)
GPA requirements: 3.5
5. California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine (CHSU-COM)
GPA requirements: 3.5
6. Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine (ARCOM)
GPA requirements: 3.5
7. Pacific Northwest University College of Osteopathic Medicine (PNWU-COM)
GPA requirements: 3.5
8. William Carey University, College of Osteopathic Medicine (WCUCOM)
GPA requirements: 3.5
9. Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM)
GPA requirements: 3.5
10. Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (OSU-COM)
GPA requirements: 3.6
Average Medical School GPA Acceptances Rates for Top 10 MD/PhD Programs
Average GPA: 3.92
2. Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Average GPA (both MD and MD/PhD applicants): 3.94
3. Duke University School of Medicine
Average GPA of MSTP matriculants: 3.83
4. Stanford School of Medicine
GPA required to be a competitive applicant: 3.0 or higher
Average GPA (both MD and MD/PhD: 3.85
6. Vanderbilt School of Medicine
Average GPA range: 3.0 to 4.0
Average matriculant GPA: 3.81
8. University of California San Francisco
Average GPA: 3.84
9. David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Average GPA (over the last 3 years): 3.85
10. UNC School of Medicine
Average GPA: 3.8
What Are the Most Common Medical School GPA Requirements?
Your GPA is an important consideration for medical school admissions committees. Each university will have its own set of medical school prerequisites and many set minimum medical school GPA requirements to filter out applicants. Admissions committees have thousands upon thousands of applications to review each year, so setting minimum requirements helps to weed out those they do not feel are best suited to handle the difficulty of medical school. While there are some medical schools that don't require the MCAT, many schools do and also set minimum MCAT scores required for consideration, often along with the minimum GPA requirements.
Do All Schools Have a GPA Requirement?
Some medical schools, however, don't believe in assigning a minimum acceptable GPA because these schools place importance on reviewing applicants holistically and consider every application they receive regardless of GPA and MCAT scores. In line with these views, some schools send out medical school secondary essays to every single applicant, whereas others may screen using GPA and MCAT scores before sending out secondaries. It's important to note that just because a school doesn't set minimum GPA or MCAT requirements, it's not necessarily easier to get into and most accepted students still have very competitive scores.
So, What is the Most Common GPA Requirement?
In general, setting the minimum GPA requirement at 3.0 seems to be a common practice among medical schools that assign these standards. It's also common to see different GPA standards in place for in-state vs out of state applicants. For example, the University of Calgary sets different GPA requirements for in province vs out of province applicants, requiring a higher GPA for the non-resident group. There are also medical schools that set much higher minimum GPAs, like Virginia Commonwealth University, which sets their medical school GPA requirements at 3.3.
The following table shows the average accepted GPA for last year’s applicants, according to AAMC data (for medical schools in the US) and AFMC data (for medical schools in Canada).
Keep in mind that these numbers represent mean statistics, meaning that there were accepted students with both lower and higher scores than these. Also, matriculant data is always higher than applicant data – for example, the mean science and cumulative GPA of last year's applicants to US medical schools was 3.45 and 3.56 respectively. This shows how competitive medical school admissions are!
Also, calculating Canadian medical schools’ “average” GPA is a little difficult, as they tend to have different GPA requirements for out-of-province students and some schools have their own GPA scales. They re-calibrate student GPAs based on this scale, so it's difficult to calculate a precise average that takes all schools into account. The given figures are a rough estimate.
Do Medical Schools Look at Graduate or Postbacc GPAs?
Many schools will consider your graduate or postbacc GPAs, depending on a variety of factors. However, most medical schools will only consider undergraduate GPA in their MD application. On the other hand, some schools will give applicants with graduate degrees additional ranking points in their application, which can help their chances of getting accepted.
List of Medical Schools that Consider Graduate/Postbacc and Minimum Requirements
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine - 30 hours required for consideration
- Boston University Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine
- Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina
- California Northstate University College of Medicine -- 12 hours; 2.8 undergrad GPA required for consideration
- California University of Science and Medicine School of Medicine -- 15 hours; 3.0 undergrad GPA required
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
- Central Michigan University College of Medicine -- 12 hours, 2.0 GPA required
- Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University -- 3.3 undergrad GPA required
- Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science College of Medicine
- Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
- Creighton University School of Medicine
- Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell -- 32 hours; 3.0 GPA required
- Drexel University College of Medicine
- Duke University School of Medicine -- 30 hours and 2.8 GPA required
- East Tennessee State University James H. Quillen College of Medicine
- East Virginia Medical School -- 24 hours required
- Emory University School of Medicine
- Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
- Florida State University College of Medicine
- Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University
- Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
- Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine -- Uses holistics review
- Harvard School of Medicine -- Uses holistic review
- Howard University College of Medicine -- 2.5 GPA required
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine
- Keck University School of Medicine of the University of Southern California
- Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV – 30 hours required; Junior and senior year cannot replace a low undergraduate GPA
- Loma Linda University School of Medicine
- Louisiana State University School of Medicine – 30 hours required
- Louisiana State University School of Medicine at Shreveport
- Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine -- If an applicant has below a 3.0, a graduate program is suggested
- Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University – 3.0 GPA required
- Medical College of Wisconsin
- Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine – 15 hours; 3.0 GPA required
- Michigan State University College of Medicine -- Most applicants have 24 hours; Most applicants have 3.5 in subjects that need improvement
- Morehouse School of Medicine
- New York Medical College – 20 hours; 3.0 GPA required
- New York University Long Island School of Medicine
- Northeast Ohio Medical University
- Northwestern University The Feinberg School of Medicine
- Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine
- NYU Grossman School of Medicine
- Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine – 24 hours; 3.0 GPA required
- Ohio State University College of Medicine
- Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University
- Rush Medical College of Rush University Medical Center – 24 hours; 2.85 GPA required
- Rutgers New Jersey Medical School – 9 hours minimum
- Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School – 15 hours minimum
- Saint Louis University School of Medicine
- Southern Illinois University School of Medicine – 2.8 GPA minimum
- Stanford University School of Medicine
- State University of New York Upstate Medical University Alan and Marlene Norton College of Medicine – 12 hours; 2.5 GPA minimum
- SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University College of Medicine – 24 hours; 3.0 GPA minimum
- Texas A&M University School of Medicine
- Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine – Advanced coursework is required
- The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences – 2.9 GPA minimum
- Tufts University School of Medicine
- Tulane University School of Medicine
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine – 20 hours, 3.0 GPA minimum
- University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine – 20 hours; 2.0 GPA required
- University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tuscon – 12 hours; 3.0 GPA
- University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine
- University of California, Davis, School of Medicine – 20 hours; 3.7 GPA
- University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine
- University of California, Riverside School of Medicine – 3 hours; 2.5 GPA
- University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
- University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine
- University of Central Florida College of Medicine – 20 hours, 3.0 GPA
- University of Chicago Division of the Biological Sciences The Pritzker School of Medicine
- University of Colorado School of Medicine
- University of Connecticut School of Medicine – Uses holistic review
- University of Florida College of Medicine
- University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine
- University of Illinois College of Medicine -- 24 hours; 2.9 GPA
- University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine – 20 hours; 2.0 GPA
- University of Kansas School of Medicine
- University of Kentucky College of Medicine – 18 hours; 3.0 GPA
- University of Louisville School of Medicine – 24 hours; 3.5 GPA
- University of Maryland School of Medicine – 3 hours; 2.0 GPA
- University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine – 25 hours; 3.2 GPA
- University of Michigan Medical School – 20 hours; 2.0 GPA
- University of Minnesota Medical School
- University of Mississippi School of Medicine – 30 hours minimum
- University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine – 15 hours; 3.0 GPA
- University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine – 3.0 GPA
- University of Nebraska College of Medicine
- University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine – 2.8 GPA
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine – 30 hours minimum
- University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences
- University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine – 2.5 GPA minimum
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia – 6 hours; 3.0 GPA
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville
- University of South Dakota, Sanford School of Medicine
- University of Texas Medical Branch John Sealy School of Medicine
- University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine – 3.2 GPA minimum
- University of Washington School of Medicine – Science GPA 3.0 minimum
- University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health – 12 hours minimum
- Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
- Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine – 27 hours; 2.7 GPA
- Wake Forest University School of Medicine – 15 hours; 3.2 GPA
- Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine – 12 hours; 2.6
- Wayne State University School of Medicine – 20 hours minimum
- West Virginia University School of Medicine – Uses holistic review
- Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine – 30 hours; 2.0 GPA
- Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine – 12 hours; 3.0 undergraduate BCPM, 3.3 Graduate BCPM, 3.3 postbacc BCPM
Canadian Medical Schools that Consider Graduate/Postbacc GPA
- Memorial University of Newfoundland Faculty of Medicine
- University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine
Is it Possible to Get Accepted Below the GPA Average?
So what does this all mean for you? That if you have a low GPA you won't be accepted and that if you have a high GPA you will be accepted? The truth is, yes, your GPA score is a very important factor when considering whether or not you will receive an interview and acceptance letter. However, just because you have a certain GPA, whether it's a 3.5 GPA, 3.9 GPA or 3.0 GPA, it's impossible to determine your exact chances of getting into medical school. That's because numbers are just numbers, and most admissions committees are interested in a variety of factors outside of your academics.
There are students with low GPAs that are accepted and students with near-perfect GPAs that are rejected. Each applicant is unique, both in their academic record and extracurriculars for medical school. There is no exact formula that says x and y will equal admission. Instead, admissions committees focus on admitting applicants with good grades and test scores, strong dedication for helping others and those that can demonstrate suitability for the profession. Below, we discuss in detail how you can use each medical school application component to improve your acceptance chances if you are worried about your GPA.
Why we think GPA and MCAT should be banned from med school admissions:
Is My GPA Competitive?
You may have heard that a 3.5 GPA for med school is competitive, but that's not entirely accurate. What may be competitive for one school is not necessarily competitive for another. Indeed, applicants with GPAs above 3.5 who score well on the MCAT have better chances of acceptance than those with lower GPAs, even if they did exceptionally well on the MCAT. For example, students with GPAs between 3.40-3.59 who scored greater than 517 on the MCAT have a 70% acceptance rate compared with the 49.8% acceptance rate of those who scored the same on the MCAT but had GPAs between 3.00-3.19. While you can still get into medical school with a low GPA, it's a lot more difficult, and all other areas of your application need to really stand out.
If your GPA falls between 3.4-3.6, you can still get accepted, but in these cases, a good MCAT score can improve your chances of acceptance. Some of the easiest medical schools to get into report mean matriculant GPAs between 3.5-3.65 which means that even with a lower GPA, you can still be competitive at these schools. What's important is that you determine what the mean GPA and MCAT scores are at the schools you're considering so you can target your applications appropriately. Review medical school acceptance rates to find this information at all medical schools in the US.
How Does GPA Rank Among Other Characteristics?
GPA is not the only thing that matters when it comes to selection criteria for interviews. In fact, medical schools need to evaluate every applicant’s core competencies to ensure they are prepared for medical school. These competencies cannot be gleaned from GPA. Admissions officer must look at personal statements, letters of recommendation, volunteer/community service experiences, and extracurriculars to find evidence of the traits they deem important.
A study was conduced to find out what characteristics and competencies admissions officer care about the most. At the pre-interview stage, the study reported the following top ranked traits by mean importance to entering students’ success in medical school:
- Ethical responsibility to self and others
- Social skills
- Reliability and dependability
- Capacity for improvement
- Resilience and adaptability
- Service orientation
- Teamwork
- Oral communication
- Cultural competence
Take a look at these competencies and think about if you’ve thoroughly demonstrated them in your application materials. Remember, these were pre-interview characteristics, which means the admissions officers will be looking for them before they get a chance to meet you. For example, in your AMCAS most meaningful experiences, you can discuss areas such as capacity for improvement or cultural competence by describing a volunteer experience in a remote community. Your referees will also have a hand in corroborating evidence that you possess these traits, so make sure you choose them wisely.
What To Do If You Have a Low GPA
If you have a low GPA and are worried about your chances of acceptance at medical school, there are a few different strategies you can try to help your case. The avenues open to you will depend on where you are in the medical school application timeline. If you’re still in your undergrad or completing an alternative postgrad degree, you can focus on strategies for improving your GPA. Remember, schools look at the overall “trend” of your GPA as well, and if you can show a steady improvement, that works in your favor with admissions committees. Here are some strategies to improve your GPA:
#1 Be strategic about your classes
Many students are under the mistaken impression that they need to focus only on challenging, high-level science courses to get accepted into medical school. While science courses do form a large part of common medical school prerequisite courses, there are also a few programs that do not ask for any coursework prerequisites or have a broader, more interdisciplinary coursework requirement.
#2 Build good study habits
If you’re happy with your overall course load, and still find yourself struggling to improve your GPA, consider if you need to put in some work towards revamping your study habits. Remember, you will need good study habits and a disciplined, focused outlook to handle the challenging medical school curriculum.
Want to know how to get into med school with a low GPA? Watch this video!
Keep in mind that the closer you get to the actual medical school application season, the less time you have for improving your GPA. The next few tips are applicable for students who are approaching or already in the medical school application season and don’t have much scope to improve their GPA before the application deadline.
#3 Do well in your MCAT
This is absolutely critical to keep your application competitive despite a low or average GPA. Medical school admissions committees are looking for proof of your academic readiness and ability to handle the tough medical school curriculum. Your GPA and MCAT are the two most important indicators of this ability, so if one is low, the other should be, at the very least, above average.
To get a good MCAT score, make sure you prepare well in advance for this challenging exam. Create an effective MCAT study schedule that helps you not only gain knowledge about required scientific concepts, but also hone the specific critical thinking skills required for this exam. Don’t forget to use question banks and take periodic practice tests in mock exam conditions so you can get used to the grueling MCAT format. You can also consider taking on an MCAT tutor or completing an MCAT prep course. Experts such as these can help you identify effective strategies in the following ways:
#4 Complete advanced research work
Another avenue to help show your academic prowess and ability to handle advanced scientific work is to complete high-level research experience. This could be in the form of work experience on research projects in clinical or academic settings or work towards a research paper or presentation over and above your academic requirements. Develop your own research interests and focus on honing your research skills. The more rigorous and demanding the experience, the better. Here are a few of the reasons why pursuing premed research opportunities will improve your chances of getting accepted:
#5 Gain outstanding healthcare experiences
Remember, with a low or average GPA, your best chance of acceptance is at schools that give more importance to a “holistic” application review. This means your medical school extracurriculars need to be spectacular and make you stand out from the crowd. Don’t just meet the minimum shadowing hours or clinical hours requirement. Take on additional responsibilities and complete more hours than the average premed student and try to cultivate the critical skills related to future success in medicine that admissions committees look for: leadership, empathy, performing under pressure, quick problem solving, and so on.
Make sure your volunteer experiences also help demonstrate these qualities. A robust medical school resume helps to show your interest and aptitude for medicine beyond the statistics and numbers. It can also help you get glowing letters of recommendation for medical school, another important aspect of a successful medical school application.
Once you’re in the “end zone”, the final few weeks before your application is due, you might want to consider the following tips:
#6 Use your written application to communicate your strengths
If you have a low GPA, but plenty of other “strengths” in your application such as a good MCAT score, stellar extracurriculars, impressive research experience, great letters of recommendation, and so on, then make sure your application clearly highlights your greatest strengths. For example, if you started with a low GPA of around 3.2 and then improved your grades over the years to achieve a 3.8 in the final semester, with an overall average of 3.5, make sure your medical school personal statement and medical school secondary essays clearly point towards a journey of growth and learning.
If your GPA took a dip due to some specific personal circumstances, use the accommodations or diversity essay (as applicable) to talk about the extenuating factors. If you have some really impressive extracurriculars, your activity descriptions and personal statement /essays should emphasize the skills, achievements, and qualities related to those experiences.
Remember, your secondary essays are avenue through which you can demonstrate admirable characteristics. While your PS should not focus solely on your GPA setbacks, secondaries may present you with an opportunity to own up to and explain any hurdles. Schools will send prompts that often ask you to address gaps in your academic resume or in your transcripts. Take this opportunity to discuss what you did during a gap year or why your grades were unsatisfactory during a specific time frame indicated in your materials. Take a look at this example a secondary essay prompt in which you can address these things, with a sample answer:
Want help with your med school applications? Here's what our students have to say about us:
#7 Consider if you need a gap year
If your overall application components are strictly average or poor, and your GPA is low as well, and application season is rapidly approaching or already here, it might be time to consider if a gap year before medical school is actually the best option for you. Remember, applying to medical school is a costly and time-consuming process. You want to be sure of at least a reasonable chance of success if you’re applying in the current cycle. You can check the admission statistics in MSAR or use the BeMo medical school chance predictor to identify the schools where you have a competitive chance of acceptance based on your current stats and resume. If you’re not happy with the final list, consider taking a gap year to work on your application and make it more impressive.
For instance, many students opt to complete a post bacc program or complete a special masters program to complete medical school coursework prerequisites and/or to improve their GPA. If you have such a postgrad education with excellent grades, it can help to counter an average GPA record from your undergrad. However, make sure that the schools you plan on applying to will consider graduate school or postbacc GPA. Most of the schools that will require a certain number of course hours or a minimum undergraduate GPA to consider your post-graduate GPA. You can refer to the table above as you do your research.
FAQs
1. How important is my GPA for medical school admissions?
Your GPA is one of the most important criteria for your medical school application. Some schools even use a minimum GPA requirement (often along with minimum MCAT scores) to filter out applicants at the primary application stage. So, with a low GPA you may not even get a secondary application for some schools! At the same time, remember that GPA is not the only thing that matters. Schools consider your MCAT score, extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, CASPer test result, personal statement, secondary essays, and other such application components in conjunction with your GPA. Some schools prioritize “holistic” admissions, considering these other factors as important as your GPA. Once you’re past the primary application stage, most medical schools consider the larger context of your GPA as well as the specific figures. They give importance to your overall GPA trend, as well as the range and difficulty level of your courses.
2. What is the average accepted GPA for US medical schools?
According to the AAMC, the average accepted GPA for medical schools in the US is 3.71.
3. Can I be accepted to medical school with a low GPA?
While there’s no doubt that a high GPA can give you a competitive edge for medical school, it’s still possible to get into medical school with a below average or average GPA if you can prove your academic prowess and suitability for medical school via other application components. This includes your MCAT score, letters of recommendation, research experience, clinical and shadowing experience, medical school extracurriculars, personal statement, secondary essays, interview performance, etc.
4. Is my science GPA more important than my overall GPA?
This depends on the schools you’re applying to. While some schools ask for and emphasize the importance of your science GPA, others only look at your cumulative GPA. Some programs have unique requirements and in fact calculate their own GPAs, after asking you to input your transcript, based on various factors. Check the admissions websites of the schools you’re applying to so you can keep track of what kind of GPA they require.
5. What is considered a competitive GPA for medical school?
A GPA of 3.5 is the “average” for medical school so any GPA of 3.6 or above would be above average and hence, competitive. However, keep in mind that this number is not universally applicable, and the actual expectation can vary widely between schools. The most elite, competitive programs such as the ones at Ivy League medical schools would have higher average accepted GPAs, and to be competitive at such schools, you would need a GPA of 3.7 or above. On the other hand, the easiest medical schools to get into have lower average accepted GPA and a 3.5 GPA could be competitive for such schools, in combination with other impressive application components. You should check MSAR or the admissions websites of the medical schools to know the average accepted or matriculating GPA. This is what you can consider “competitive” for that medical school.
6. What GPA do I need for Canadian medical schools?
The average accepted GPA for medical schools in Canada is 3.62. Keep in mind that many Canadian medical schools have higher GPA requirements for out-of-province students. Also, some schools have their own GPA scales and re-calibrate student GPAs based on this scale, so it's difficult to calculate a precise average that takes all schools into account. The given figure is a rough estimate.
7. Should I take a gap year if I have a low GPA?
It depends on the strength of the rest of your application and the medical schools you’re targeting. If you have an overall weak application, with an average MCAT score, and you are not a competitive candidate for all the schools you’re targeting, then a gap year could provide you the opportunity to work on your application, and especially to improve your overall GPA. In the gap year, you can complete a post-bacc course, or additional postgrad coursework or degrees to boost your overall GPA and academic standing.
8. How can I improve my GPA?
If you want to improve your GPA, focus on building good study habits and pick your courses strategically so you can meet medical school requirements while also achieving and maintaining a high GPA. For example, consider taking courses where you’re familiar with the subject matter or mix in a few “easy A” options. If your GPA is low and it’s too late to improve it, make sure you do well on other med school application components such as the MCAT, extracurriculars, the interview, and so on.
To your success,
Your friends at BeMo
BeMo Academic Consulting
Disclaimer: Although we have made every effort to provide the most accurate information, admissions information changes frequently. Therefore, we encourage you to verify these details with the official university admissions office. You are responsible for your own results. BeMo does not endorse nor affiliate with any official universities, colleges, or test administrators and vice versa. If you see an error here, please notify us with the updated information, and we’ll send you a FREE copy of a BeMo ebook of your choosing! You can receive our Ultimate Guide to Med School Admissions, our Ultimate Guide to MMI Prep, our Ultimate Guide to Medical School Personal Statements & Secondary Essays or our Ultimate Guide to CASPer Prep! Please email us at [email protected] with any corrections, and we’ll arrange to send you your free ebook upon confirming the information.
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