what is the lowest GPA acceptable for MD?

[MyNameIsAlex]

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GPA wise, what is an ok GPA to be considered even to the ****tiest schools?

 

[ihindash]

GPA wise, what is an ok GPA to be considered even to the ****tiest schools?

To an MD school I would say the lowest is probabely 3.5 along with a good MCAT score, I would say at least a 28 or 27. But ofcourse there are many other contributing factors like your experiences, LOR's, and most importantly, your personality, and how good you sell your self to the interviewers. Good Luck.

 

[KevinZ]

That's a fairly loaded question because it depends on a multitude of factors including:

1) MCAT score

2) In-State Residency

3) URM status, if applicable

4) Extenuating circumstances like death in the family, personal crisis, etc. that might excuse a lower GPA for a semester or so.

5) Improvement and good trends in GPA also help. A downward spiral is never good, even for those with high GPAs.

6) IMO, Science GPA probably means more than non-science GPA, so there's probably less leeway for your science GPA to go down the tube.

7) Undergrad institution. Some schools are just harder and/or have less grade inflation.

8) Assuming there isn't a GPA "cutoff" for the school, everything else on your application. Even if you don't have a good GPA, stuff like a research publication, starting a nonprofit, leading a major student organization, exceptional clinical exposure, publishing a book, etc etc can look very nice (especially since you're talking about lower-tiered schools).

In short, to answer your question, there's no possible answer without knowing almost everything about you and the circumstances you're under.

However, in my experience, I haven't seen a US Medical School with an average class below a 3.3 GPA. I could be wrong, but as someone said above, you really want to stay at a 3.5 or above to stay competitive at even the middle to lower-tiered schools.

 

[crazy_cavalier]

GPA wise, what is an ok GPA to be considered even to the ****tiest schools?

wow, what a question

 

[pguin]

To an MD school I would say the lowest is probabely 3.5 along with a good MCAT score, I would say at least a 28 or 27. But ofcourse there are many other contributing factors like your experiences, LOR's, and most importantly, your personality, and how good you sell your self to the interviewers. Good Luck.

There are med school which have an average acceptance gpa of 3.5 so theres no way that 3.5 would be the lowest possible gpa you could get accepted with. I'm sure some people have made it in the lower schools with sub 3.0's before. But maybe it just wishful thinking on my part since I only have a 3.47!

 

[Sanctuary]

GPA wise, what is an ok GPA to be considered even to the ****tiest schools?

1.32 -- Class of 1968.

 

[McGillGrad]

Caribbean MD = 3.0

 

[bon_vivant]

If I'm not mistaken, the US's (numerically) least competitive allopathic school is Howard, with an average science GPA of like 2.97 and an average MCAT of around 24.

 

[NapeSpikes]

If I'm not mistaken, the US's (numerically) least competitive allopathic school is Howard, with an average science GPA of like 2.97 and an average MCAT of around 28.

28?? It's more like 24.

 

[bon_vivant]

28?? It's more like 24.

Sorry. I'm not sure why I said 28...I was just flipping through MSAR a couple days ago and I totally saw it was 24. Regardless, the post has been edited 🙂

 

[jon stewart]

but doesnt that school favor african americans?

 

[Jbienven]

I just got accepted w/ a 3.29, a 34 on the MCAT (which made up for I assume). I'm caucasian and was accepted at an in-state university.

 

[Will Ferrell]

check out mdapplicants.com. there are people with sub-3.0s getting. you just need to tear up the MCATs. Also, check out the post-bac forum since there may be people who were in a similar situation as yourself (if the thread is about you)

 

[sscooterguy]

check out mdapplicants.com. there are people with sub-3.0s getting. you just need to tear up the MCATs. Also, check out the post-bac forum since there may be people who were in a similar situation as yourself (if the thread is about you)

Altough "you just need to tear up the MCATs" is true (as it was in my case), it is harder than it sounds. One test cannot make up for a horrendous GPA, maybe a so so and even not so so GPA, but not a horrendous one. If you still have time, work on your GPA as much as you can. At least show an upward trend. Then of course, ace the mcat, but don't worry about it until you get to that point. Concentrate on grades now, MCAT later, and admissions and beyond afterwards.

sscooterguy

 

[SailCrazy]

Altough "you just need to tear up the MCATs" is true (as it was in my case), it is harder than it sounds. One test cannot make up for a horrendous GPA, maybe a so so and even not so so GPA, but not a horrendous one. If you still have time, work on your GPA as much as you can. At least show an upward trend. Then of course, ace the mcat, but don't worry about it until you get to that point. Concentrate on grades now, MCAT later, and admissions and beyond afterwards.

I definitely agree. I'm a nontrad, & finished undergrad with a GPA < 3. I was a non-science major so returning for more classes pre-MCAT was a must. I'm definitely glad that I had to. Not only did packing in a ton of science classes in the 15 months before the MCAT (while studying my @ss off and really understanding all of the material) help to prepare me for the MCAT, but it showed a dramatic "upward trend" in GPA that helped my application a lot(and resultant GPA as well!)

I ended up with a GPA just under 3.3, but with a science GPA ~3.7. Combine that with an upper-30s MCAT and a lot of other unique experiences, and I have a pretty decent application. I've had my share of rejections, but also some good acceptances as well.

 

[tacrum43]

To an MD school I would say the lowest is probabely 3.5 along with a good MCAT score, I would say at least a 28 or 27. But ofcourse there are many other contributing factors like your experiences, LOR's, and most importantly, your personality, and how good you sell your self to the interviewers. Good Luck.

3.5 might be the lowest for a top 10 school, but if you have at least a 3.0 overall and science GPA, that probably won't keep you out if everything else is outstanding. A significant number get into a U.S. allopathic school with less than 3.0 as well. You have been spending too much time on SDN if you think 3.5 is the lowest a school would accept.

 

[silas2642]

GPA wise, what is an ok GPA to be considered even to the ****tiest schools?

2.0, but you have to have a pulse.