If you were the adcom

[Conquistador]

how would you decide between two candidates with similar numbers, similar ec's and lor's, but different records. By different records I mean candidate1 achieved a 3.25 GPA by getting B+'s in every class and candidate2 achieved a 3.25 by bombing a few classes with F's and getting A's in everything else?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[mdforme]

Definitely the latter- Fs then all As.

 

[GTea]

I may favor the all B+ candidate b/c it shows a continued solid academic performance. If you have multiple F's, you'll have to have a good explanation.

But, I think in this case, it all comes down to your performance at the interview.

 

[xanthines]

Depends on what the F's were in. If they were in a very difficult subject not related to the biological sciences (advanced particle theory or reconstructing democracy in Post-modern japan) then i'd probably go with the A/F candidate.

If the F's were in advanced biological sciences classes (ie microbiology, biochemistry, cell biology) then i'd reject him/her.

If the F's were in something easy like PE or History101, I'd also reject that person.

 

[mdforme]

I just feel someone who had a rough time adjusting to college/ some life event to explain poor grades, then pulled his/her grades up and did so well (especially in upper level credits) would be FAR more attractive to me than someone who did "fairly well" in all his/her classes.

The first person seems like they have more potential.....

 

[quideam]

One other thing - wouldn't someone who got all B+s have a 3.5? It seems like the person would have to have 50/50 Bs and B+s to have a 3.25. But anyway.

I agree with the above posters - it depends on when the person recieved those Fs and which subjects they were in. It also depends on which classes they earned As in. And there better be some good reasons for the Fs....

 

[Fish3715]

One other thing - wouldn't someone who got all B+s have a 3.5? It seems like the person would have to have 50/50 Bs and B+s to have a 3.25.

B+ is a 3.3 (at my school, anyway)

 

[hakksar]

AMCAS (as well as my undergrad) calculate B+ as a 3.3. . . A- is a 3.6. Thus a student who got all B+ and one B would have something like a 3.25. As for what the Adcomms would like I think that it depends. If all the F's were early in your career or all concentrated around a single event then I think they would look at this more favorably. If the F's were spread out and recent than I think the would look at the B+'s more favorably.

Edit: AMCAS is the GPA that all the allopathic medical schools will use . . . the way your individual school computes GPA does not matter.

 

[drlexygoat]

I'd decide the same way all adcoms decide who to let in: pin the applications to a dart board and fire away.

 

[pekq]

That's the job of the admissions chimpanzee. If i remembered correctly from previous post, the chimpanzee spinning three times and eating cheese means rejection.

 

[phosphorylation]

I think I would take the guy with the B's, because even though I know he's not A quality, I would be possitive he doesn't go up and down and fluncuates a lot. I wouldn't wanna take the A student and have him come back to me in 2 years and tell me he got A in these classes but got F's in these classes for a particular reason if u know what i mean....dunno...

 

[Amy B]

I think I would also chose the person that got all B's. It does show a more steady performance.

But I also favor the throwing darts onto the wall and which ever one gets hit will be the one I choose.