Biochem grade vs mcat score

[Youngm2194]

How would an adcom view receiving a B- in biochem with lab, yet getting a 131 (99%) on biochem section on the MCAT? At my school biochem was known to be very hard with no curve etc. and I took it the spring before I took the MCAT in August. I'm just curious how that is perceived because the B- in a 4 credit class lowered lowered my GPA a bit since it counts as a 2.7 but will it be viewed differently coupled with a 131?

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[redsox93]

Like you put in time to better learn the material? I doubt they'll even give it a second look

 

[JustAPhD]

The 131 will alleviate any doubts of your ability to grasp biochem.

 

[Luka75]

The 131 will alleviate any doubts of your ability to grasp biochem.

B- was not that bad of a grade to begin with.

 

[ciestar]

It really, really doesn't matter. Nobody is going to be that hypercritical.

 

[lifeauthor]

I got a B- in biochem and scored 130 on the section. I've had 4 interview invites this season.

 

[RunawayGrape]

.

 

[Youngm2194]

Thanks for the replies. I probably should've mentioned that my first 2 years were not good (3.0 gpa) and my last two were around 3.65 with all As and A- in upper level science classes as a neurobio major (including orgo 2 and lab, other physics classes etc.) except this B- in biochem. I know B- isn't bad but it was my lowest grade by far of this "upward trend" of the last two years. I guess that just gives it a little more context

 

[MareNostrummm]

C in Bio 1, B- in Bio 2, 129 on B/B MCAT lol. Some schools use the biology series as a weed out class while others just hand out A's.

 

[MareNostrummm]

B- was not that bad of a grade to begin with.

Eh... that's pretty close to a C+ and biochem is typically easier than organic

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

This is one of the reasons so much weight is put on the MCAT. It's a standardized test that (theoretically) shows your understanding and ability to apply the material needed.
The impact of any single B- is simply a ding to your GPA.

 

[Turkishking]

Doesn't matter.

 

[787593]

How would an adcom view receiving a B- in biochem with lab, yet getting a 131 (99%) on biochem section on the MCAT? At my school biochem was known to be very hard with no curve etc. and I took it the spring before I took the MCAT in August. I'm just curious how that is perceived because the B- in a 4 credit class lowered lowered my GPA a bit since it counts as a 2.7 but will it be viewed differently coupled with a 131?

Might as well purchase a ticket for the Caribbean . You're fine. Nice work on the mcat.

 

[aldol16]

Your grade in a course represents whether you've mastered the material at a level the instructor demands. Most of the time, us academics hold students to a higher standard than what med schools want (for me, it's the requisite knowledge for you to not be behind your peers should you decide to go to grad school). So you can get a B in a class because you don't understand the material at that level and yet still get a high MCAT score in that subject because MCAT standards are quite low, relatively speaking. And it's a good thing for you, because the MCAT is testing the material at the level med schools want.

 

[787593]

C in Bio 1, B- in Bio 2, 129 on B/B MCAT lol. Some schools use the biology series as a weed out class while others just hand out A's.

It was the weed out class at my university...

 

[Lucca]

Highly doubt anyone looks at transcripts this closely. As long as your overall numbers are good, probably won't make a difference.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Thanks for the replies. I probably should've mentioned that my first 2 years were not good (3.0 gpa) and my last two were around 3.65 with all As and A- in upper level science classes as a neurobio major (including orgo 2 and lab, other physics classes etc.) except this B- in biochem. I know B- isn't bad but it was my lowest grade by far of this "upward trend" of the last two years. I guess that just gives it a little more context

So what are your overall GPA and MCAT?

 

[Youngm2194]

So what are your overall GPA and MCAT?

3.3 gpa with high upward trend and 515 MCAT (128/128/131/128). Average amount of shadowing and volunteering, although some of the shadowing I did was not so average in my opinion. Also first author pub, will have second author pub soon from top 5 hospital/med school combo (as a research tech), 250 hrs unpaid research, 300hrs paid (summer) almost 1000 post grad research hours with my job