"Grade Replacement"

[Spec20]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I'm aware that M.D. schools do not allow grade replacements, and factor everything from your transcript into your evaluated GPAs. However do adcoms take class retakes into account when evaluating your application? For example, I have a D and an F in two calculus classes and there is no excuse for my poor performance. It was a low point in my college experience and I can only work around it. After attempting damage control, and retaking these courses I received A's in both. Since my college allows grade replacement my cGPA is technically a 3.7, but after filling out AMCAS GPA Calculator my overall GPA and BCPM GPA are both around 3.48-3.50 due to the D and F factoring in. So I guess what I'm really trying to ask is will they look at my 3.48-3.50 GPAs when I apply next year any different after seeing that I retook those two classes and did well? Hopefully LizzyM or someone else who has experience with this could chime in. Thanks.

** The rest of my transcript consists of A's and B's and one C+, and a very strong upward trend from my "bad year".

 

[SnoopyMD]

From what I understand, your cGPA is what it is, and the details of your coursework are secondary to that. However, I too would like to see what LizzyM has to say about this topic.

 

[LizzyM]

The first thing that someone looking at their computer screen populated with information from your application is going to see is your gpa and BCPM gpa (BCPM = biology, chemistry, physics, math). Next, at least at my school, they'll see the gpa by year. Clearly you have a strong upward trend due to the C and D early in your academic career followed by A's later. "Hmmm, wonder what that was all about", a reader might say and then click to your AMCAS application and the listing of courses. The D and F in calculus are going to be obvious and it may or may not register that you retook those and they are listed further down. With that, a reviewer may note that you did well seeing the material for a second time and wonder what the he11 was wrong with you the first time. Some readers will go in search of an explanation either in your committee letter or your essays to why that was such a bad year. You might get a adcom reader who feels that the rest of your application is so good that you should be forgiven the bad year and others will decide that applicants without similar blemishes on their record are better choices for interview. It all depends on the pool of applicants and I have to say, my school receives thousands of very strong applicants, YMMV at other schools.

 

[Spec20]

Thanks.