How is a larger cGPA than sGPA viewed?

[cryhavoc]

For example, my science GPA is around a 3.53, can go up or down slightly based on this semester. Nevertheless, this is considered low for most allopathic schools.

My cumulative GPA is a 3.8.

What I'm getting at is my sGPA is lower but my cGPA is about at or over many of the schools I want to apply to. How is this viewed/how will it effect me?

I really feel my school grades science classes harder than other schools.

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[darkjedi]

Your science GPA is usually more important for the exact reason that hard science courses tend to be tougher than other humanities courses at almost every school. That said a sGPA of 3.53 is about average for MD matriculants.

Unfortunately the LizzyM score kind of breaks down when people have significantly disparate sGPA and cGPA scores. The truth is that your stats will be viewed as somewhere in between those two GPAs, though some schools will emphasize sGPA more than others.

 

[cryhavoc]

Your science GPA is usually more important for the exact reason that hard science courses tend to be tougher than other humanities courses at almost every school. That said a sGPA of 3.53 is about average for MD matriculants.

So, define average. Like "75% of people who get into allopathic schools have this science GPA" average or more like, "hey, you might get an interview if you are lucky, punk and if Venus is in the house of Saturn" average?

Trying to decide how many MD/DO schools I want to apply to. If I don't have a shot, I don't want to waste too much money on MD apps.

 

[TheRhymenocerous]

Yeah, I've been wondering about this too. Mine are only .06 apart, but I don't know which to use when I'm looking at schools' stats, or whether I should average them. Or whether I'm just being neurotic...

 

[Goro]

This is common, and so quit fussing about it.

For example, my science GPA is around a 3.53, can go up or down slightly based on this semester. Nevertheless, this is considered low for most allopathic schools.

My cumulative GPA is a 3.8.

What I'm getting at is my sGPA is lower but my cGPA is about at or over many of the schools I want to apply to. How is this viewed/how will it effect me?

I really feel my school grades science classes harder than other schools.

 

[efle]

The mean matriculant sGPA last year was a 3.63 with standard dev .31

On a normal curve that would mean ~33% of the people heading off to medical school had a 3.5 or lower. You'd be in the minority, but not by too much

 

[darkjedi]

So, define average. Like "75% of people who get into allopathic schools have this science GPA" average or more like, "hey, you might get an interview if you are lucky, punk and if Venus is in the house of Saturn" average?

Trying to decide how many MD/DO schools I want to apply to. If I don't have a shot, I don't want to waste too much money on MD apps.

What I meant was what efle referred to in the median sGPA for an accepted applicant is ~3.6.

I had the opposite problem when I applied in that my cGPA was significantly lower than my sGPA, which made the application process a little harder than normal I think. If you apply broadly there will no doubt at least be several schools who will be able to contextualize your sGPA.

 

[efle]

I should add, though:

The lower end of the acceptee/matriculant range contains a large proportion of URMs and people matriculating to schools with missions aimed towards the underserved.

If you are something like an Asian male and not planning on general practitioner/accessing the underserved, a 3.5 could start to be problematic.

 

[cryhavoc]

I should add, though:

The lower end of the acceptee/matriculant range contains a large proportion of URMs and people matriculating to schools with missions aimed towards the underserved.

If you are something like an Asian male and not planning on general practitioner/accessing the underserved, a 3.5 could start to be problematic.

How exactly does "having a mission toward the underserved" work? (thanks for your advice so far, very informative!) I mean I volunteer a ton. I work with low-income children through one of the several places I volunteer at on a weekly basis. But I also volunteer with the sick, old (really run-down nursing home), the environment and animals. I have a ton of volunteer work under my belt. Is there a way to see what schools take that into account as well?

Once I become a doctor, I don't plan to work in Beverly Hills or anything. I plan to use my career to help those in need, not get rich. Not sure how to express that though.

 

[Doug Underhill]

Has anyone ever heard of a medical school pre-screening applicants by sGPA? I've heard of lots of cGPA screens and MCAT screens, but not sGPA.

 

[intangible]

Has anyone ever heard of a medical school pre-screening applicants by sGPA? I've heard of lots of cGPA screens and MCAT screens, but not sGPA.

I've never heard of an sGPA screen, either. I think it would be redundant—if your cGPA is a 3.8, then your sGPA is not going to be low enough to screen you out, because your sGPA is a part of your cGPA—arguably a pretty huge one for most students who've decided to major in a science.

What I'm trying to say is, what's the point of screening for <3.0 sGPA, for instance, if it's mathematically impossible to have a 4.0 cGPA with a 2.8 sGPA? The disparity can only go so far.