I’ve gome questions about GPA/Grade calulations.
I believe, that the AMCAS (MD) application GPA calulation takes in “the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” That is ALL courses no matter how old, ALL grades no matter how low, and ALL classes no matter how many times you may have taken them. However I seem to recall, rather vaguely, that the AACOM (DO) GPA calculation takes in the highest grade if you took a course more than once. Is this correct?
Assuming that the above is true, would it make sense to repeat a course that I did horrible in 20 years ago to clean up the grade for the AACOM’s application. This would have implications for what level of post-bac courses I would take (cleaning up Calculus and Calc-Based Physics)
How do both appliction services present graduate school grades/classes and post-bac? I believe that there is an overall GPA for all undergrad (both original and post-bac). But do they show up as separate “line items” on the application anyplace? That is, in my case, would the Adcoms see something like this:
Original BA GPA
Graduate MA GPA
Post-Bacc GPA
Enquiring minds want to know
I can’t answer to the grad level GPA, but it is true that your last grade received for the course is the one that is added into your DO GPA. I have confirmed this with several others.
Hope this helps in some small way.
Andrea
Thanks Andrea…
It helps alot. If I take Calculus now again, and Calc-based Physics, it could potentially wipe out previously lower grades in the same courses from 20 years ago.
It is most definitely worth retaking for your DO GPA. Let’s just say that my AMCAS GPA is .39 lower…ugh, gives you nightmares doesn’t it?
What really pisses me off about the MD schools is a course may be too old and you have to repeat it BUT the old grade counts anyway! It you count the grade, you should count the course!
about the MD schools . umm what if the grade that appears on your schools official transcript is the highest one , what happens then? do y ou have to inform them about all the grades or just those that appear in the transcript
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about the MD schools . umm what if the grade that appears on your schools official transcript is the highest one , what happens then? do y ou have to inform them about all the grades or just those that appear in the transcript
Hi there,
You HAVE to inform AMCAS of EVERY course that you have taken since secondary school. If a course doesn’t show up on a later transcript, it might show up on a previous transcript sent by another school. Don’t take a chance on having your application delayed because didn’t include a course. Include everything, check and recheck everything.
Natalie
ok i was just asking , because it’s school policy to only include the highest grade on the official transcript and also that’s the only school i have attended. i was just curious
So this means if I took a music class at a local college after undergrad when I wasn’t thinking I’d ever try to go to med school but never finished it I need to send the grade to AMCAS? Does this mean I should go and try to redo it now in order to get an A on the transcript?
I’m not sure I’m even going to apply to any MD programs.
