How much weight do med schools place on graduate record?

[Alfred E Newman]

I've attended a significant amount of grad school and am now applying to med school. Will admissions committees primarily judge my strength as an applicant by looking at my undergraduate record and undergraduate GPA's?

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[MonkeyNuts!]

Undergrad is what they will look at the most, since everyone knows that grad school grades get inflated like no other.

It will help though. Just not a substitute for undergrad record.

Unless you are lucky enough to be applying TMDSAS (Texas Med schools), who actually average in your grad school grades into your cumulative GPA and BCPM

 

[Phoenix.]

They will definitely first and foremost look at your undergrad gpa. If it passes muster, they will look pretty keenly at how you did in your undergrad science pre-reqs. The MCAT is probably equal or slightly lesser weight. Then perhaps ECs, LORs and essays. That's assuming that your grad degree gpa is ok, just not stellar. If it's stellar, and especially in the sciences, then great - it'll definitely be a plus.

Now, if your grad degree gpa is not so hot, and was in the sciences, it may have a bit more impact than if it's in something completely unrelated (law, business, etc.). If you failed out or left the grad program, you're probably going to have to do some explaining (especially if it's in science).

From my own personal experience, it never came into play. My grad gpa (law school) was not so hot due to having a little too much fun my third year after I secured a job already. I think I ended up graduating with a 3.2, but no one every brought it up or questioned why I got mostly As my first two years, and Bs and Cs my last year.

 

[Alfred E Newman]

Undergrad is what they will look at the most, since everyone knows that grad school grades get inflated like no other.

It will help though. Just not a substitute for undergrad record.

Unless you are lucky enough to be applying TMDSAS (Texas Med schools), who actually average in your grad school grades into your cumulative GPA and BCPM

Actually, my grad school grades BRING DOWN my undergrad record. I was in veterinary school and the coursework and volume of it was very challenging (it wasn't some gimme Masters in Public Health program at your local university that would inflate a GPA). I'm a rare case I suppose to be switching professional school programs. Just curious if anybody knew what they would look at most as far as my record goes. I would think they would prefer to compare apples to apples and compare me to other applicants based off of undergraduate GPA and MCAT. But I have no idea--I'm sure they'll look at my vet school record since it's there, and I hope they realize it's rough, which reflects in my graduate GPA.

 

[Alfred E Newman]

They will definitely first and foremost look at your undergrad gpa. If it passes muster, they will look pretty keenly at how you did in your undergrad science pre-reqs. The MCAT is probably equal or slightly lesser weight. Then perhaps ECs, LORs and essays. That's assuming that your grad degree gpa is ok, just not stellar. If it's stellar, and especially in the sciences, then great - it'll definitely be a plus.

Now, if your grad degree gpa is not so hot, and was in the sciences, it may have a bit more impact than if it's in something completely unrelated (law, business, etc.). If you failed out or left the grad program, you're probably going to have to do some explaining (especially if it's in science).

From my own personal experience, it never came into play. My grad gpa (law school) was not so hot due to having a little too much fun my third year after I secured a job already. I think I ended up graduating with a 3.2, but no one every brought it up or questioned why I got mostly As my first two years, and Bs and Cs my last year.

Just curious, were you grilled during any interviews as to why you were switching from law to medicine? Was that a hurdle you felt you had to overcome during the entire process?