How important are grades during interview season?

[PreMed015]

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Over the past few weeks, I've received swarms of interview invitations that are looking to conflict pretty heavily with my schedule this semester. Currently, I'm scheduled for 5 interviews in October -- all of which require flights/overnight stays. Looking at my interview dates, I'll probably miss upwards of 14 days of lecture in the next month, and that's assuming I don't receive anymore invites. I've talked to my professors, and most were completely understanding. One particular professor, however, pretty much gave me the middle finger and advised I declined several of my invitations to attend his class -- since he doesn't have a textbook and has exams written directly from his lectures. He was almost offended that I would even ask him such a thing. I kind of chuckled on the inside; the entire reason I am in college is to go to medical school. I'm not going to turn down interview invitations because of your ego complex.

To the question: Will medical schools penalize me if my GPA drops (say I get one C)? It seems pretty unreasonable to expect me to miss so many days of class and still maintain 'A' averages in all of my coursework.

 

[Lord Osis]

If it is an F, you are in trouble. Otherwise, nobody will care unless it's a prereq.
However, if you don't get in this cycle, which I hope will not happen, lowering your GPA toward the end of your college education is unwise.

 

[Dr. Retractor]

You should drop that class if you can.

 

[itsthat1guy]

If you know someone in the class, have them record the lecture for you/copy their notes

 

[Osteoth]

What a douche

 

[AspiringERMD]

I'm in the same situation. I have two zeros on quizzes because my professor won't let me make them up.

 

[soccerusa]

I share your concerns. My grades are really struggling due to my interview schedule. I wish there was more definitive knowledge on this because I am really stressing about some of my upper division engineering classes. They are hard on their own but damn near impossible when I miss so much class and study so infrequently. Ahh … frustration!!!

 

[godawg300]

I'm scheduled to miss 1.5 months of class due to interviews. I self study and my classes are just based on exams and I get notes from friends. I can probably get As but I think a B-B+ grade average is fine.

 

[Low Flow]

Definitely in the same boat. Just had my first round of midterms and needless to say, they were not up to par with my usual performance. I'm thinking that getting Bs wouldn't be the end of the world as long as you get in this round.

Also, I can't imagine a professor being that big of an egomaniac to not work around a student with an interview to a graduate program. I must just go to a really friendly school because all of my professors have been beyond cooperative.

 

[Earl Simmons]

My biggest concern about this is a couple of my top choices release decisions mainly in the Spring, so I really hope those schools don't care much about Fall. Working a part time job and taking 18+ hours and interviewing is definitely lowering my GPA..

 

[singergirl18]

I have the same concerns.

 

[acquiescing]

I share your concerns. My grades are really struggling due to my interview schedule. I wish there was more definitive knowledge on this because I am really stressing about some of my upper division engineering classes. They are hard on their own but damn near impossible when I miss so much class and study so infrequently. Ahh … frustration!!!

I'm right there with you. Senior design and lab are not easy when you miss every other class. And when you're not missing class, you're preparing for interviews, booking flights and hotels, finishing screened secondaries... The struggle is real.