D.O. Grade Replacement - True or False?

[QuentinT88]

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I was curious about this because a lot of people on this thread have stated that if you retake a class, the new grade will count over your old class when you apply for D.O. school.

However, I called the admissions departments at the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine - Midwestern Campus earlier, and she stated that this was no the case.

The admission counselor told me that all grades will be taken into account in your AACOMAS file. As in, if you retook OChem 1 at a new school, they would average out with the old grade. Not replace the new with the old.

Does the policy vary from school to school? Can anybody with real experience with this process provide some input?

Thanks

 

[medickdb]

I was curious about this because a lot of people on this thread have stated that if you retake a class, the new grade will count over your old class when you apply for D.O. school.

However, I called the admissions departments at the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine - Midwestern Campus earlier, and she stated that this was no the case.

The admission counselor told me that all grades will be taken into account in your AACOMAS file. As in, if you retook OChem 1 at a new school, they would average out with the old grade. Not replace the new with the old.

Does the policy vary from school to school? Can anybody with real experience with this process provide some input?

Thanks

You have to enter all grades into AACOMAS. If you retake a class, AACOMAS will take the most recent grade for the course as long as the retake is equal in content and credits. All courses are used to calculate cGPA and sGPA, except in the case of retakes whereas the new grade will replace the old grade.

That said, the schools can see the courses you have taken. But, I'm not sure if they can see the individual grades for each course or just the total cGPA and sGPA. If the schools can, they may take the time to look at the old grades for comparison if they have the opportunity to see them. I'm sure with the number of applications each receives this isn't done all too often.

 

[QuentinT88]

Are you sure about that? The admissions counselor was pretty adamant when we spoke that AACOMAS averaged all grades, including the retakes.

Did you recently apply D.O.?

 

[BestDoctorEver]

Are you sure about that? The admissions counselor was pretty adamant when we spoke that AACOMAS averaged all grades, including the retakes.

Did you recently apply D.O.?

medickdb is 100% correct...

 

[NontradCA]

The grade is replaced, not averaged.

 

[NuttyEngDude]

MD schools will average, they use amcas, not aacomas, FYI

 

[QuentinT88]

Ugh, there is so much misinformation on this topic on the internet though, I really don't know what toe believe anymore.

 

[QuentinT88]

MD schools will average, they use amcas, not aacomas, FYI

I understand. I am talking strictly Osteopathic and AACOMAS.

 

[BestDoctorEver]

Ugh, there is so much misinformation on this topic on the internet though, I really don't know what toe believe anymore.

Call AACOMAS then....

 

[DoctorKrieger]

Ugh, there is so much misinformation on this topic on the internet though, I really don't know what toe believe anymore.

If you don't trust the answers you've gotten so far, go to the AACOMAS website and see for yourself.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

You have to enter all grades into AACOMAS. If you retake a class, AACOMAS will take the most recent grade for the course as long as the retake is equal in content and credits. All courses are used to calculate cGPA and sGPA, except in the case of retakes whereas the new grade will replace the old grade.

That said, the schools can see the courses you have taken. But, I'm not sure if they can see the individual grades for each course or just the total cGPA and sGPA. If the schools can, they may take the time to look at the old grades for comparison if they have the opportunity to see them. I'm sure with the number of applications each receives this isn't done all too often.

Are you sure about that? The admissions counselor was pretty adamant when we spoke that AACOMAS averaged all grades, including the retakes.

Did you recently apply D.O.?

They will see all grades for sure but it's true that grade replacement will show on the gpa. I applied this cycle and can 100% say for sure grade replacement is real. If someone at Midwestern gave you that answer, I suggest you e mail the dean and let Him or her know because that counselor isn't doing a good job and could be hurting their applicant base.

 

[Major]

Are you sure about that? The admissions counselor was pretty adamant when we spoke that AACOMAS averaged all grades, including the retakes.

Did you recently apply D.O.?

The only DO school that takes the average of retakes is North Texas, but Texas does have the fresh start program. And North Texas doesn't use AACOMAS.


All other DO schools use AACOMAS and the GPA calculator in the application program will use the most recent grade in your retake--given that it is equal to or greater in credits

 

[QuentinT88]

http://www.aacom.org/Documents/AACOMASInstructions.pdf

Looks like she really didn't know what she was talking about after all. That is a bit disturbing how a counselor can be so clueless.

 

[QuentinT88]

Thanks everyone for the input 😉

 

[WillburCobb]

Perhaps you misunderstood the answer you received or the counselor misunderstood your question. With AACOMAS your grades are replaced, as has been confirmed by everyone who's responded to your question (many of whom have applied via AACOMAS and been accepted). To give you an example, my AMCAS sGPA (which AVERAGES any re-takes) was a 3.35. My AACOMAS sGPA (which REPLACES grades) was a 3.63. And yes, adcoms can see all individual grades, whether or not they do anything with this beyond look for trends in academic performance I don't know.

 

[Mad Jack]

Ugh, there is so much misinformation on this topic on the internet though, I really don't know what toe believe anymore.

Grade replacement is real, but schools can see your past performance. While they can hold it against you, many will forgive prior poor performance if you have a strong upward trend with the classes you have retaken. Or so I hear. Your old courses don't disappear, they are simply not calculated into your AACOMAS GPA.

 

[BestDoctorEver]

http://www.aacom.org/Documents/AACOMASInstructions.pdf

Looks like she really didn't know what she was talking about after all. That is a bit disturbing how a counselor can be so clueless.

A word of advice if you are applying next cycle... Don't put too much stock on what some of these counselors have told you...

 

[DoctorKrieger]

A word of advice if you are applying next cycle... Don't put too much stock on what some of these counselors have told you...

That's good advice about the pre-med advisers in undergrad. What's concerning in the OP's case is that he/she was told this by someone at the DO school.

 

[BestDoctorEver]

That's good advice about the pre-med advisers in undergrad. What's concerning in the OP's case is that he/she was told this by someone at the DO school.

Correct... I was definitely referring to premed advisers in undergrad... My apology if I was not clear.

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

A word of advice if you are applying next cycle... Don't put too much stock on what some of these counselors have told you...

same with pre-med advisers unless you have a particularly wise and seasoned one.

 

[Goro]

NOT true!!!

Are you sure about that? The admissions counselor was pretty adamant when we spoke that AACOMAS averaged all grades, including the retakes.

 

[Dreamstoo]

same with pre-med advisers unless you have a particularly wise and seasoned one.

I remember having a friend telling me that her counselor thought anyone with less than a 3.7 or 30 should not apply to medical school. She applied while her counselor recommended doing a masters. She ended up doing fine and is now in a mid-tier MD. My counselor at my school is helpful but I tend to ask other people who have already gone through the admissions process more.

 

[Ogmora]

It's starting to sound like all pre med advisors and med school counselors are getting outsourced to SDN...Probably a good thing since it seems like a lot of them lead students astray anyway.