Importance of GPA and MCAT scores

I touched on this in a different, earlier posting but it warrants its own posting given some of the questions that I have been fielding.

It's difficult to give a specific GPA or MCAT that will result in you being admitted to medical school. On the one hand, GPA and MCAT scores are the bread and butter of admissions. What I mean is that GPA and MCAT are the only standardized ways to compare applicants; however, the medical school admission process takes into account other factors such as the difficulty of major, salience of the personal statement, personal grit/determination, extracurricular activities, etc. Different medical schools weight different things differently and some may place greater emphasis on grades and MCAT's while other schools may take a more holistic view of the applicant. That said, as a rule, the higher your GPA and MCAT numbers, the better off you will be.  A science and overall GPA of 3.5ish or greater is a good number to aim for.  When looking at MCAT scores, these actually are school dependent, but aiming for a 507 or better would put you in a good spot for admissions consideration. When I applied, I spent a lot of time researching the medical schools that I was interested in and finding out their average GPA and MCAT scores for accepted students, so I could gauge myself and determine if it was worth it to spend the money to apply to a particular school(remember, you are paying to apply).

The reality is that your chances of acceptance depend on a lot more than just good MCAT scores. It’s a combination of the following pieces of your med school application :

your GPA

your MCAT scores

your undergraduate coursework

letters of recommendation

experience related to the medical field (such as volunteer work, shadowing, paid work, or research)

extracurricular activities

your personal statement

My undergraduate grades were not stellar; I graduated with a 3.19 science GPA and a 3.36 overall GPA. My hard science masters GPA was a 3.67 and later, I completed 18 credits as a non-degree seeking student in an SMP at Saint Xavier University where I earned a 3.778. My MCAT score was not stellar at a 495 but I had outstanding extracurriculars, had great letters of rec, and showed my grit and determinantion during my interviews. I not only hold three acceptances, I am still getting interviews. Medical schools are looking for a complete package, not just strong scores and a high GPA.

The AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) and AACOM (Association of American College of Osteopathic Medicine) collects and organizes a lot of data on the subject.  Check this out:

AAMC 2020 FACTS: Applicants and Matriculants Data

AACOM Reports on Matriculants

AACOM Entering and Graduating Class Surveys