MCAT and gpa....which weighted

[dvdrv31]

If there is a discrepancy between your MCAT and gpa, i know that allopathic schools tend to give the MCAT more weight. even tough i know osteopathic schools look at the overall picture, how do they look at your gpa and MCAT scores....the same way?

I have a low gpa right now at 3.0. I only have 2 more semesters to bring that up. But i am really concentrating on the MCAT. Thanks a lot for any info guys.

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[drdrtoledo]

The reason some schools look at the MCAT more is because it is STANDARDIZED. It is too easy to inflate grades at certain schools. This way every one has an equal shot and is weighted against eachother. Now, is that a fair way of doing it? Depends on who you ask. Some people are poor standardized test takers and so much better in classroom work. The feeling I have gotten from DO schools is that they are willing to look into your file deep enough to see your intentions and motivation. I think they are equally taken into account with grades and the rest of your application. Again... this is just my interpretation.

 

[Atlas]

It is really difficult to lump all schools together and say "this is how they all do it." The fact of the matter is that each school is unique in their philosophy and approach toward admissions. This seems to go for both MD and DO schools. Some schools claim they look at the whole picture when in fact they may slightly weigh the GPA or MCAT more than the next. It's just too hard to distinguish because the process seems so random...your application will be totally up to whomever reviews it whether that one person or a group of people! That's just one element to being selected. Some schools may use a computer to crunch numbers using some wicked formula or whatever. Basically, you go into this whole thing blindly about how each school will initially review your app anyway! It is true that DO schools have historically looked past numbers, but as you can see they aren't far off from MD school averages (and even better than some lower-tier ones). I agree that they initially look deeper into the heart of your application to find out if you into their "scheme" and possess the proper motivation. I'm a huge proponent of osteopathic medicine and how the schools conduct their admissions selections. My advice to you is to study, study, study because although your GPA is not fatal, you want to get it as high as possible. Try to finish around a 3.2 if you can. That's a lowball figure but with many schools averaging around a 3.4, you should be within striking distance. In addition to studying for your classes, study for the MCAT. I TRY to study my course work as if I'm studying for the MCAT, so that helps. It makes me feel better about studying for the MCAT even if I don't touch a review book.

Good luck