Science GPA?

[crunchyleaf]

What science gpa would be a "minimum" for MD/PhD programs? This is probably difficult to answer, but seeing as MD/PhDs are interested in students with strong interest in science, is it not worth applying if your science gpa is below a certain cut off?

Thanks

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[Neuronix]

If I had to put a number on it: probably 3.0 or so. It depends on the rest of your applciation. If you are a URM applying social science with an otherwise very strong application, your 3.0 science GPA from Harvard undergrad might get you in.

If you're a more usual applicant, you probably want to be above 3.6. A 3.4 would be tough, but possible. Less than that and it's pretty dicey.

 

[angrygunner]

if you're an engineering major, you could prob get away with 3.3 or so, especially if you're from a hard place like Stanford or Caltech. Engineering is much harder than biology or chemistry (what most MD/PhD applicatns major in) and program directors should know that.

 

[Josh7]

if you're an engineering major, you could prob get away with 3.3 or so, especially if you're from a hard place like Stanford or Caltech. Engineering is much harder than biology or chemistry (what most MD/PhD applicatns major in) and program directors should know that.

Isn't Stanford known for a bit of grade inflation? The GPAs at Stanford are quite a bit higher than Berkeley and I'd to say they are the same caliber of school.

 

[crunchyleaf]

Also, doesn't bcpm not have to do anything with your engineering classes? Why does being an engineer forgive your science gpa?
Thanks

 

[uniqenam]

Also, doesn't bcpm not have to do anything with your engineering classes? Why does being an engineer forgive your science gpa?
Thanks

This is true, when I submitted AMCAS I think you can specifically designate classes as "Engineering", so all of my biomedical engineering classes that brought down my GPA were not included in my science GPA. Also, I'm not sure that it's true that being an engineer grants forgiveness for a low GPA anyway, or if that's just a hopeful thing for engineers to say.

 

[Watson104]

I had a 3.4 and non-science major that definitely screened my application out of a few places. I had a pretty stellar rest of my application so I still had lots of choices. For me, an interview ultimately meant an acceptance. But for top 10 schools, whether I was offered an interview was really a roll of the dice (except for WashU - that's all numbers and I never had a chance). For top 20 schools, I was fine.