Marks during med school, course averages

[deadman]

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What kind of gpa's do people normally have during med school. Do most people have a mixture of A's and B's ? What kind of averages do courses normally have. I just started school and anything below a 90 is a B. I was just wondering how most people in med school do.

 

[FSU2013]

If you ain't first, you're last.

 

[boshtrich]

Depends on the school. Some schools are straight Pass/Fail for the first two years (anything over a 70 is a P, under 70 is F). Some schools are Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail, and some other schools have their own grading system. In general, it doesn't really matter for the preclinical years because your grades are essentially normalized by Step 1. Third and fourth year grades are more important and are often Honors/Pass/Fail or Honor/High Pass/Pass/Fail. In general the top 10-15% will honor and the rest will pass.

 

[Rumalum]

average on my first biochem test was like an 87 although one person got a 40. I'm sure the average slowly creeps down as you get to classes like pharmacology. but a pass is 65% so that's all you need

 

[notbobtrustme]

Ps get MDs

 

[citr8]

Ps get MDs

Part of me wishes they never told students their number grade, simply if they passed or if they conditionally pass

Even though my school is pass/fail, they still use numbers to rank (so really pass/fail is a safety net designed to make you feel better about that 74)

 

[VenusinFurs]

average on my first biochem test was like an 87 although one person got a 40. how the hell did that person get past the screening process? I'm sure the average slowly creeps down as you get to classes like pharmacology. but a pass is 65% so that's all you need

Don't be a dick about people failing a test or two. It happens all the time, it could be you some day, and it has like no implication for your ability to be a doctor.

 

[docnotsopc]

Don't be a dick about people failing a test or two. It happens all the time, it could be you some day, and it has like no implication for your ability to be a doctor.

I agree. Its med school, not undergrad. By default the average age is higher and with that comes things like marriage and kids. People you know will start getting married and suddenly you have to travel halfway across the country to attend your best friends wedding the weekend before an exam (a common example in my class when people do poor on an exam)

It just takes one brief personal problem to throw you off for a test. And quite frankly, failing one test has NO implication on whether a student will succeed in the rest of med school

 

[RelicLTD]

The raw talent and work ethic that is distilled into a med school class is staggering. For many of us, we were the big fish in the pond in undergrad. There will always be someone smarter/willing to work harder than you now. Experience swimming with the sharks. Or you can try to be one if you feel so inclined.

You'll find your priorities, be it grades or otherwise.

Also I find that depth of understanding between grades to really be splitting hairs, minutia that will probably be forgotten, but is tested for the sole purpose of separating the field.

 

[Alvarez13]

For every question I miss, I tell myself that's a future patient that just died. You'll start to shape up real fast after you get that mentality 😀