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[Pebbles]

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Does anyone know:

When you summit your transcripts to the organization that summits it to the medical school, do they:
1. Calculate a science GPA based on your prereq. for that medical school, and calculate a total GPA.

OR

2. Calculate a GPA with all science course you have taken that would be relavent to Medical school, and a total GPA.

 

[Paul's Boutique]

Should be crystal clear, Pebbles. If you're talking about AMCAS, it should be stated clearly in the instruction booklet exactly how they calculate your Overall GPA and your Science GPA. They probably list how every course should be coded and tell you how it all breaks down. Same thing with AACOMAS for the DO Schools.

 

[Sheon]

For AAMCAS the science GPA is calculated using classes that are math, biology, chemistry, and physics. Evertything else is counted in the non-science GPA. When you forward it to AAMCAS they calculate four GPAs: Biology, Chemistrry, Physics, and Math BCPM GPA, non-science GPA, overall GPA (which is all undergrad courses), and graduate GPA (which may be further broken down into science and non-science if necessary).

For AACOMAS the science GPA uses all science courses and all math courses to include statistics courses (which may be taught under different disciplines)and geology, astronomy and other science courses (which are not in the BCPM GPA).

If you went to multiple schools, all the courses you took at every school you attended are included in the overall, BCPM, and non-science GPAs. Hope this helps.

 

[Boomer]

Actually,

The AACOMAS science GPA includes Bio., Inorganic Chem, Org. Chem., Biochem., Other Sci., and Physics. Math is not included in the AACOMAS sci. GPA.

 

[gp]

Just for clarification - For AMCAS, you are the one who designates whether a class is a math or science course because only you know - it's not always apparent from the name of the course on you transcript. For example, I took Epidemiology somewhere along the way - the 10 week course was a mix of research methodology and stats. I probably could have counted it as a "math" course - I do not remember whether I did.

You'll see when you get the electronic application - it gives you screens to enter every class (and AP course) you've ever taken, and it asks you for information about each class, like date taken and credit the class was worth. You will also let them know whether the class was a B,C,P,M or other (I forget the letter that designates the "non-science" coursework). It's one of the more tedious and time consuming parts of the application, especially if you work from multiple transcripts like I was.

The course does not have to be specifically relevant to medical school to count, as long as it fit one of the categories - for example, the school I took my sciences at offers a third semester of physics to cover all of the cool stuff that there isn't time for in the first two, like quantum theory. It's not "directly" relevant to medical school, but it's certainly a physics course.

AMCAS reserves the right to change your designations.

Hope this helps.

 

[Pebbles]

Thanks for your input, it was helpful