Competitive GPA
What is a competitive GPA for medical school?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions by undergraduate students but also the most difficult to answer. A medical school application is composed of many factors. Therefore, a competitive GPA really depends on the other parts of your application. You can have an exceptional GPA but if you are weaker in another area, a high GPA probably might not be enough. Likewise, an applicant can have an exceptional application in all areas. However, if the GPA is very low, an applicant is unlikely to be successful. According to the latest data provided by the AAMC, matriculants to U.S. medical schools in 2015 had an average total GPA of 3.70 and an average science GPA of 3.64.
This is one of the most frequently asked questions by undergraduate students but also the most difficult to answer. A medical school application is composed of many factors. Therefore, a competitive GPA really depends on the other parts of your application. You can have an exceptional GPA but if you are weaker in another area, a high GPA probably might not be enough. Likewise, an applicant can have an exceptional application in all areas. However, if the GPA is very low, an applicant is unlikely to be successful. According to the latest data provided by the AAMC, matriculants to U.S. medical schools in 2015 had an average total GPA of 3.70 and an average science GPA of 3.64.
Coursework
Some schools require applicants to complete a certain list of premedical course requirements while others have moved to a competency-based admissions. At a minimum, students will likely complete the following types of courses:
- One year of biology
- One year of physics
- One year of English
- Two years of chemistry (through organic chemistry)