AMCAS question

[DrNicholas]

Ok people, I'm new to this board, and to applying to med school (sophomore in college) so sorry if my questions might seem stupid. Could someone please explain how AMCAS calculates GPAs? From what I understand, medical schools don?t get transcripts directly from colleges, but through AMCAS. If this is the case, do they even recalculate GPAs? At my school A=4.0, A-=3.7, etc. Are these the numbers AMCAS also uses? Also, when people talk about science GPA is it just for required science courses, or does it include any science course taken in college. Thanks.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[siempre595]

Science gpa comes from any math, bio, chem, physics. some places call it bcpm(biochemphysmath). heehee. amcas uses a=4 and a-=3.7 just like your school. you're probably going to end up with the same gpa at your school as on your amcas from what your grade system sounds like. you send your transcript directly to amcas, they match it with what you typed into your amcas app. if you apply to schools that don't use amcas, you send your transcript directly to the school. any science classes you take go into the science gpa (i'm sure there are some exceptions, but generally, they all go in).

 

[DrNicholas]

Thanks, I feel a lot less confused already. What happens when a course is retaken. I got a single C in my freshman year and am thinking of retaking the course during the summer. Will AMCAS use both grades to calculate the GPA or just the second?

 

[siempre595]

That's something I'm actually confused about. I didn't have any re-takes, but I remembered seeing on the amcas app that it asked for you to check if it was re-taken, and I feel like someone told me you put the original grade? But somehow that seems to defeat the purpose of the re-take to me. Anybody else wanna field this one?

 

[unicorn1]

it uses both grades to calculate the gpa...so unless its pertinent class and you really want to show improvement...I wouldn't recommend taking it again.
I got a C+ in one othe higher level science classes and wanted to take it again...but my advisor told me not to cause since both grades get calculated its like taking any other extra class...so why not take something easier...hope it helps