Higher level math-->science GPA?

[ComradeDoktor]

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I'm a second year in college right now. My freshman year, I flopped badly in a math class, intro to differential equations. I don't need the course for my major, the only reason I took it was to satisfy medical school requirements for a full year of math. I couldn't take lower math courses because of my AP credit. My overall GPA is still alright, so I wasn't sweating it. Just today, I read that science GPA is weighed heavily, and if that class gets included, my science GPA is pretty abysmal.

My questions are: Does a higher-than-I-needed math course get included in my science GPA? And, could I get any leniency for doing poorly on a class because I didn't HAVE to take it anyway?

 

[jm192]

I'm a second year in college right now. My freshman year, I flopped badly in a math class, intro to differential equations. I don't need the course for my major, the only reason I took it was to satisfy medical school requirements for a full year of math. I couldn't take lower math courses because of my AP credit. My overall GPA is still alright, so I wasn't sweating it. Just today, I read that science GPA is weighed heavily, and if that class gets included, my science GPA is pretty abysmal.

My questions are: Does a higher-than-I-needed math course get included in my science GPA? And, could I get any leniency for doing poorly on a class because I didn't HAVE to take it anyway?

They look at your BMCP, the M=Math. Unfortunately, they'll see it. But they also look at an upward trend in grades. If you do awesome going forward, you can write it off as part of the transition to college.

 

[Barcu]

My questions are: Does a higher-than-I-needed math course get included in my science GPA? And, could I get any leniency for doing poorly on a class because I didn't HAVE to take it anyway?

It does get counted in your science GPA.

And you won't get leniency because it is part of your science GPA. Classes that count for science GPA are still counted, even ones above what you need to take. In fact, med schools like to see that you have taken classes above the prereqs (this is mostly for bio and chem classes, not necessarily harder math classes).

Sorry. But, you got lots of time to fix it. One bad grade won't kill you.

 

[Nymphicus]

Basically every math course, even including a few offered by other departments (possibly economics, psych) can/will count in your science (BCPM) gpa for AAMCAS considerations. AACOMAS uses something slightly different.

 

[circulus vitios]

AACOMAS doesn't count math, right?

 

[pre med 2014]

Does Physical Chemistry count in BCPM? Or is BCPM different from science GPA?

 

[LazyElemental]

Does Physical Chemistry count in BCPM? Or is BCPM different from science GPA?

P chem counts, its chemistry

 

[theseeker4]

Does Physical Chemistry count in BCPM? Or is BCPM different from science GPA?

BCPM is the AMCAS science GPA. It stands for Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math. Any course under those departments would be BCPM by default. Some courses outside those departments would be possible to classify as BCPM if you can demonstrate their subject matter is mostly Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Math.

Based on this, P-Chem would obviously be included under BCPM since it is Chemistry.

 

[pre med 2014]

BCPM is the AMCAS science GPA. It stands for Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math. Any course under those departments would be BCPM by default. Some courses outside those departments would be possible to classify as BCPM if you can demonstrate their subject matter is mostly Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Math.

Based on this, P-Chem would obviously be included under BCPM since it is Chemistry.

I thought there were 3 GPAs, an overall, and overall science and pre-med required courses GPA? Is this not the case?

 

[theseeker4]

It was over 50% quantum, which I would disagree qualifies for Chemistry.

Well quantum mechanics is directly related to chemistry, which is why it is in the Physical Chemistry class, but even if it wasn't chemistry, quantum is physics so would still definitely be in BCPM. Like I said above, by default if it is a course under one of those departments, it is BCPM. If you are hoping it won't be included in your science GPA, sorry, but I doubt you would be successful with that one.

 

[theseeker4]

I thought there were 3 GPAs, an overall, and overall science and pre-med required courses GPA? Is this not the case?

No, there is over all GPA, including all courses, BCPM GPA, which is the science GPA, and All Others, which is the non-BCPM GPA. They don't separate out the pre-med required courses since those aren't the same from school to school.

 

[pre med 2014]

No, there is over all GPA, including all courses, BCPM GPA, which is the science GPA, and All Others, which is the non-BCPM GPA. They don't separate out the pre-med required courses since those aren't the same from school to school.

ok, that doesn't make sense, why would there be an 'all-others' category? Whys isn't all other just place in the overall?

 

[theseeker4]

ok, that doesn't make sense, why would there be an 'all-others' category? Whys isn't all other just place in the overall?

Not sure why they have all three, and not just overall and science, but that is how AMCAS breaks it down. Maybe the point is to be able to quickly compare performance outside science with performance in science courses, without having to account for credit hour differences in determining the average.

 

[Aerus]

My questions are: Does a higher-than-I-needed math course get included in my science GPA? And, could I get any leniency for doing poorly on a class because I didn't HAVE to take it anyway?

You won't get too much leniency. Math is a requirement for medical schools. Just because it's upper division doesn't mean they'll cut you GPA slack. Just show an upward trend. Getting into a top 20 medical school is still possible with a C.

Certainly you still have a chance at least a medical school. If you keep improving and get good grades from now on, this grade won't hurt you too much.