sgpa and mgpa importance

[bumblebee20]

So my sgpa and mgpa are kind of low right now. I'm in my sophomore year. I'm planning to take a few classes during the summer to bring up my mgpa to a 3.5. My junior year classes are going to be less stressful because I'm taking core classes and nutrition classes.
What is a good science gpa? How much importance do med schools give to sgpa compared to mgpa?
Also I took all the pre-req except for biochem so I don't know how to bring up my sgpa... any ideas?

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[esob]

median MD GPA is 3.7, if you're not URM, expect to need higher than that.

 

[Goro]

So my sgpa and mgpa are kind of low right now. I'm in my sophomore year. I'm planning to take a few classes during the summer to bring up my mgpa to a 3.5. My junior year classes are going to be less stressful because I'm taking core classes and nutrition classes.
What is a good science gpa? How much importance do med schools give to sgpa compared to mgpa?
Also I took all the pre-req except for biochem so I don't know how to bring up my sgpa... any ideas?

mGPA? Do you mean cGPA???

The median GPAs for MD school applicants is 3.7. At many schools, though, it's 3.6 (thanks to Orgo). For DO, it's ~3.4.

Thus, a 3.5 GPA is in striking distance for many med schools.

Just ace your science classes and that is what people will see.

 

[bumblebee20]

yes I meant cgpa
I didn't do so well in my freshman year due to family issues. I got a C+ in chem 2... its the only C I have on my transcript. Do you think I should retake it?

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

A 3.5+ with an upward trend won't be what keeps you out of med school if you don't get in.

 

[Goro]

No need to retake

yes I meant cgpa
I didn't do so well in my freshman year due to family issues. I got a C+ in chem 2... its the only C I have on my transcript. Do you think I should retake it?

 

[bumblebee20]

mGPA? Do you mean cGPA???

The median GPAs for MD school applicants is 3.7. At many schools, though, it's 3.6 (thanks to Orgo). For DO, it's ~3.4.

Thus, a 3.5 GPA is in striking distance for many med schools.

Just ace your science classes and that is what people will see.

Is the median GPA of 3.7 for sgpa or cgpa?

 

[efle]

Is the median GPA of 3.7 for sgpa or cgpa?

mean accepted is 3.70 cGPA, sGPA 3.64

however the numbers you need to be competitive can vary a lot on other demographic factors, like what state you are a resident of/how high the numbers are at your public schools

 

[cactusman]

median MD GPA is 3.7, if you're not URM, expect to need higher than that.

Only about 15% of matriculants this year were URM. Even if, hypothetically, ALL of them had GPAs below the median, that would still mean 35% of matriculants were non-URM with GPA at or below the median.

Obviously everyone should aim as high as possible for GPA, and URM provides a boost, but I don't see why you had to bring it up. A non-URM won't kept out of med school because of their 3.7.

 

[efle]

Only about 15% of matriculants this year were URM. Even if, hypothetically, ALL of them had GPAs below the median, that would still mean 35% of matriculants were non-URM with GPA at or below the median.

Obviously everyone should aim as high as possible for GPA, and URM provides a boost, but I don't see why you had to bring it up. A non-URM won't kept out of med school because of their 3.7.

I think he meant a lot higher than a 3.5 (unless OP is URM)

 

[jcorpsmanMD]

thank you for that wisdom.

Only about 15% of matriculants this year were URM. Even if, hypothetically, ALL of them had GPAs below the median, that would still mean 35% of matriculants were non-URM with GPA at or below the median.

Obviously everyone should aim as high as possible for GPA, and URM provides a boost, but I don't see why you had to bring it up. A non-URM won't kept out of med school because of their 3.7.

 

[Goro]

Is the median GPA of 3.7 for sgpa or cgpa?

Yes.

EDIT. I didn't see efle's post. I'm surprised that it took sGPA declined. I was going off numbers from MSAR, which gives numbers for acceptees, not matriculants.

 

[esob]

Only about 15% of matriculants this year were URM. Even if, hypothetically, ALL of them had GPAs below the median, that would still mean 35% of matriculants were non-URM with GPA at or below the median.

Obviously everyone should aim as high as possible for GPA, and URM provides a boost, but I don't see why you had to bring it up. A non-URM won't kept out of med school because of their 3.7.

Well I don't have the chart handy atm but you can look at for yourself and correct me if I'm wrong but we had this discussion in another thread and it was demonstrated that a URM could have a 3.1 compared to that medial 3.7 and stand the same chance of matriculating. So yeah, that makes it relevant if the median gpa for URM's is lower and an applicant is not a URM, then its a pretty simple extension to extrapolate that said applicant would need a higher GPA than the reported median. This of course doesn't mean he won't get in, it just means that if you want to have statistically favorable numbers then > 3.7 should be the goal. I never said he won't get into school with lower, I simply noted he should be shooting for higher than the average (as should everyone, as opposed to the last time we got into this URM thread where everyone was trying to convince someone with a 3.1 that because they were a URM they didn't need to worry about their grades).

 

[bumblebee20]

mean accepted is 3.70 cGPA, sGPA 3.64

however the numbers you need to be competitive can vary a lot on other demographic factors, like what state you are a resident of/how high the numbers are at your public schools

I live in Texas and plan to apply to Texas med schools

 

[efle]

I live in Texas and plan to apply to Texas med schools

well, Texas is a great state to be a medical applicant but they do tend to place a lot of emphasis on GPA. A 3.5 is worrisome unless you are URM or have a very strong MCAT