calculating science gpa

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

rogersce

Member
7+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
20+ Year Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2003
Messages
44
Reaction score
0
I've always thought that med schools consider your 'science gpa' as only the premed requirements: G. Chem, O. Chem, physics and bio. However, I recently saw a post saying they actually figure a gpa for ALL science classes (bio, chem, physics, math) you've taken. Which one is true??

Members don't see this ad.
 
The latter. All classes in bio, chem, phys, and I think math too. No computer science and engineering though, go figure.
 
Is there any site where I can find more details? I have a rockin science GPA , but if I factor in my math classes things go WAAYYYY down hill into the 2's (I took a lot of grad level abstract math classes which killed me).
 
Members don't see this ad :)
rogersce said:
I've always thought that med schools consider your 'science gpa' as only the premed requirements: G. Chem, O. Chem, physics and bio. However, I recently saw a post saying they actually figure a gpa for ALL science classes (bio, chem, physics, math) you've taken. Which one is true??

The post you recently saw is true. They do factor in all science classes you have taken (including math). If you retake a class one or more times, the AAMCAS averages the multiple grades for your GPA.

AACOMAS (osteopathic app service) does not include math in the science GPA. If you retake a class 8 times, they take only the most recent grade for your GPA.
 
papermate said:
Is there any site where I can find more details? I have a rockin science GPA , but if I factor in my math classes things go WAAYYYY down hill into the 2's (I took a lot of grad level abstract math classes which killed me).

wow how can that be? a rocking science GPA and throwing math into it, it goes to a 2 something? weither you had a lot of math courses, few science courses or your science GPA isn't high enough to compensate for your low math scores.
 
yposhelley said:
If you retake a class 8 times, they take only the most recent grade for your GPA.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
who in their right mind would retake a course anything close to 8 times?
 
Psycho Doctor said:
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
who in their right mind would retake a course anything close to 8 times?

Those who keep failing it.
 
rogersce said:
I've always thought that med schools consider your 'science gpa' as only the premed requirements: G. Chem, O. Chem, physics and bio. However, I recently saw a post saying they actually figure a gpa for ALL science classes (bio, chem, physics, math) you've taken. Which one is true??

I think even some psychology courses count depending on the content of the course.
 
prettyslick said:
I think even some psychology courses count depending on the content of the course.

Nay, they do not count if it begins with PSYCH. Its a soft science. It all depends on how you register for it. For example, at my school I could sign up for physical anthropology as either a Biology class or an Anthro-I chose anthro cause I needed it for requirements-but I can't use it in my science GPA (even tho it had lots of science in it).
So, if you take a psych course but it has the name Biol something-then it would be considered in the science GPA.
 
yposhelley said:
Those who keep failing it.

anyone who fails a course even twice needs to find out why they can't do the work. perhaps actually do the work, get a tutor, speak to the prof or something. There is a serious problem there.
 
yposhelley said:
Nay, they do not count if it begins with PSYCH. Its a soft science. It all depends on how you register for it. For example, at my school I could sign up for physical anthropology as either a Biology class or an Anthro-I chose anthro cause I needed it for requirements-but I can't use it in my science GPA (even tho it had lots of science in it).
So, if you take a psych course but it has the name Biol something-then it would be considered in the science GPA.

some of my psych courses also falls under neurobio so it depends which course you officially signed up for; it is exactly the same course
 
Psycho Doctor said:
some of my psych courses also falls under neurobio so it depends which course you officially signed up for; it is exactly the same course

Is there an echo in here?
 
the decision should be made based on the course's description, NOT what department taught the class. Read the FAQs in AMCAS; they describe the classification in detail.

Jason
 
So that means that my 2 quarters of Calculus will be incorporated into my BCP gpa?
 
nikefan13 said:
So that means that my 2 quarters of Calculus will be incorporated into my BCP gpa?

yes
 
By the way, I am just curious what would this classify as?

"PSYCH 3728. Physiological Psychology. The structural-functional relationships of the various divisions of neural system, their relationship to the organism as a whole, and their contributions to human behavior."

The course title begins with PSYCH, but the description of the course seems like it is more geared towards biology. So, would this classify as a science course, and thus incorporated in the BCPM gpa?
 
Jason110 said:
the decision should be made based on the course's description, NOT what department taught the class. Read the FAQs in AMCAS; they describe the classification in detail.

Jason

Maybe the decision "should" be made this way, however AMCAS only checks your grades against your transcripts. If a course is listed as Pysch, even if it had a lot of hard science material, it goes under your nonscience GPA. AMCAS does not have your school's catalog in front of them, and they do not investigate the description or content material of each course. This would take way too much time.

If you have a course that is listed as nonscience but which you want included in your science GPA, you need to contact the AMCAS before submitting your application to see if there is anyway you can change it over. After you submit, you cannot change it.
 
yposhelley said:
Maybe the decision "should" be made this way, however AMCAS only checks your grades against your transcripts. If a course is listed as Pysch, even if it had a lot of hard science material, it goes under your nonscience GPA.

This is not true.

Yes, AMCAS checks your grades against your transcripts, and if you list "UBW 101: Intro to Underwater Basket Weaving" as Biology, they'll change it, but if you list "ENGR 225: Thermodynamics" as Chemistry, they will accept that. I know this because that's what I did. If the course title shows that the content of the course is primarily BCPM, even if the department is Psych or Engr or whatever you have a pretty good chance of having it accepted. I believe I also listed a Mech E class as Math, because it was basically abstract algebra, and that was also fine.
 
lorelei said:
This is not true.

Yes, AMCAS checks your grades against your transcripts, and if you list "UBW 101: Intro to Underwater Basket Weaving" as Biology, they'll change it, but if you list "ENGR 225: Thermodynamics" as Chemistry, they will accept that. I know this because that's what I did. If the course title shows that the content of the course is primarily BCPM, even if the department is Psych or Engr or whatever you have a pretty good chance of having it accepted. I believe I also listed a Mech E class as Math, because it was basically abstract algebra, and that was also fine.

So, Psych Stats will be in BCPM?
 
prettyslick said:
So, Psych Stats will be in BCPM?

I don't work for AMCAS, so I can't guarantee anything, but I would think that if it's primarily a statistics course, it would count as Math, since AMCAS describes Math as "Applied Mathematics, Mathematics, Statistics."

From the AMCAS help file:

Each course must be assigned a course classification based entirely on the primary content of the course. See the listing of course classification examples below for guidance in selecting Course Classifications. ... The bulleted items beneath each bolded Course Classification are examples of courses for which you should select that bolded Course Classification. You are responsible for selecting the correct Course Classification. However, AMCAS reserves the right to change Course Classifications if the assigned Course Classification clearly does not apply. AMCAS is not responsible for any processing delays or incorrect GPA calculations resulting from incorrect Course Classifications. In addition, AMCAS will not make corrections to course classifications based on information that becomes available after you submit your application.

Note that the classification is based "entirely on the primary content" and NOT on what department teaches the class.
 
lorelei said:
This is not true.

Yes, AMCAS checks your grades against your transcripts, and if you list "UBW 101: Intro to Underwater Basket Weaving" as Biology, they'll change it, but if you list "ENGR 225: Thermodynamics" as Chemistry, they will accept that. I know this because that's what I did. If the course title shows that the content of the course is primarily BCPM, even if the department is Psych or Engr or whatever you have a pretty good chance of having it accepted. I believe I also listed a Mech E class as Math, because it was basically abstract algebra, and that was also fine.

Oh, perhaps this is true. I forgot you had to enter the "type" of class as well as the name of the class.
Sorry.
 
Top