Does your school factor clinical grades into GPA?

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QuackaDO

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As the title says... does your school use the grades you earn in your 3rd/4th yr clinical rotations to calculate your overall GPA? I'm not sure if it's the standard or not, but ours doesn't... what your GPA is at the end of year 2 is EXACTLY what it will be at the end of year 4 because your clinical grades do not influence your GPA at all. In fact, our school only uses H/P/F for clinicals which makes it better for some, worse for others when trying to justify a "P" versus a HP (which we don't have) to program directors.
I wasn't sure if all schools did the same but was a little bummed to learn that all my great grades in the clinical years won't help make up for my average preclinical years as far as GPA is concerned...

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Ours does. We still get a number grade for our clinical rotations.
 
My school doesn't. only H/P/F in clinical years
 
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My school doesn't. only H/P/F in clinical years

NYCOM/NYIT-COM does. Though students receive H/P/F, there's always a number score. Years 1-3 has weight on class rank/GPA. Boards scores are also taken into account.

Our fourth year grades = P/F only.
 
Wow... I really just kinda assumed everyone did it like my school does so that everything was standardized and there was no improvement after 2nd year but now I'm learning that t least some (if not most) schools allow clinical grades to influence GPA. In a way I feel cheated... someone who did average (like I did) can actually improve on their "averageness" by getting good clinical grades but my honors across the board in 3rd year won't change a thing and I will now be considered "inferior" to this aforementioned person when PDs look at my GPA vs theirs. I sure wish this wasn't the case but another hurdle to jump I guess...

NYCOM/NYIT-COM does. Though students receive H/P/F, there's always a number score. Years 1-3 has weight on class rank/GPA. Boards scores are also taken into account.

Our fourth year grades = P/F only.
 
Our school never calculates a GPA, and we have no class rank either. I wouldn't obsess over this. PDs will be taking a much closer look at your actual 3rd year grades than any 'GPA' your school comes up with.
 
Wow... I really just kinda assumed everyone did it like my school does so that everything was standardized and there was no improvement after 2nd year but now I'm learning that t least some (if not most) schools allow clinical grades to influence GPA. In a way I feel cheated... someone who did average (like I did) can actually improve on their "averageness" by getting good clinical grades but my honors across the board in 3rd year won't change a thing and I will now be considered "inferior" to this aforementioned person when PDs look at my GPA vs theirs. I sure wish this wasn't the case but another hurdle to jump I guess...

i don't think most PDs will look at you being "inferior" if you had across the board honors on your rotations. most PDs don't care that much about your preclinical grades/GPA anyway. those clinical years and LORs are way more important. stand tall!
 
Well, I'm essentially banking on what you're saying is true... at least I hope, lol! It's just a little frustrating personally that there isn't a standard really so everyone can be compared on the same level but maybe what gets to me is that I don't think my school does all (or even most) it can to paint their students in a competitive light (this is just one example BTW). By my own doing I didn't achieve as highly as I wanted in preclinical and I wish the opportunity was there to show improvement (reflected in GPA) now that we are in a phase that is truly more "my style" and where I excel. Oh well, guess it would have been good to know before I started but not sure it would have made any difference... just venting.
i don't think most PDs will look at you being "inferior" if you had across the board honors on your rotations. most PDs don't care that much about your preclinical grades/GPA anyway. those clinical years and LORs are way more important. stand tall!
 
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