What GPA Do Medical Schools Accept?

Find out what GPA is required for admission into medical school and learn about 15 medical schools that traditionally accept students with lower GPAs.

What GPA Do Medical Schools Accept?

A GPA of 3.0 or higher is generally considered to be the minimum requirement for medical schools. Some schools may have a lower minimum requirement, such as 2.5 or 2.75, but these are less common. Medical school acceptance rates demonstrate that most medical schools accept less than 10% of their applicants, and some of the most competitive have less than 5%. A minimum requirement is usually the lowest average that will be considered for that particular school when applying. For instance, if the minimum requirement is 3.4, it is likely that anyone who is below that level will not be immediately accepted.

The median number of accepted grades means that 50% of a specific first-year cohort accepted to a program is above that level, while 50% is below. This number gives prospective students an idea of the emphasis the school places on academic scores, but this is not reliable and can change from year to year. No, there are more than 30 osteopathic medical schools in the United States, but none in Canada. However, many DO schools accept Canadian applicants. You can still practice the DO profession in Canada, but your studies must be completed in another country. Often, the factor that limits whether or not you should apply to medical school is your GPA.

If you don't have a high GPA but want to go to an allopathic medical school, you should consider these 15 medical schools that traditionally accept students with a lower GPA. Wait a moment and try again. You can also brush up on your interview skills with a medical school mock interview to help you practice before the actual interview. You'll likely have to work overtime to perfect the other aspects of your application and exceed the MCAT score expectations of the school you choose.

Although a 3.5 GPA isn't particularly competitive for medical school, you still have a chance of getting into a good medical school

, as long as you pay close attention to the rest of your medical school application. Edward Hebert Medical School (Bethesda, Maryland) is essentially the military medical school. Remember to choose carefully who you will ask when you receive these letters, and make sure they know you well enough to talk about your potential, dedication, and ability to excel in medical school.

Since many schools have ongoing admissions processes, applying early could make all the difference. In addition, knowing which schools you have the best chance of being accepted to is always a great advantage. They view medicine through a slightly different philosophy, which also permeates their admissions process. Morehouse Medical School (Atlanta, Georgia) places a strong emphasis on its social mission, which is to serve people of color and underserved urban and rural populations in Georgia, the nation, and the world. Schools want to see more than just your grades, so starting to gain those clinical experiences and extracurricular activities for medical school at an early age will immediately make applying for medical school more interesting. While your extracurricular activities can be anything from sports, art clubs, or volunteering, there are some activities that seem especially attractive to medical schools. With a lower GPA, it's hard to deny that it may be harder for you to make that first impression on your application; however, if you do everything possible to avoid this impression, admissions committees will show that you are fully dedicated to achieving a future in medicine. According to the AAMC, the average GPA of medical school applicants is 3.62 and the average GPA of those enrolled in medical schools is 3.75. The lowest acceptable GPA for medical school varies depending on the school's individual requirements. Talk to the people who recommended you in advance about the reasons they want to attend medical school and give them plenty of time.