A low GPA is a problem faced by many people who want to study medicine. Generally, universities will allow everyone who has a GPA of over 5.0 and 5.5 to apply, and then consider their GAMSAT and/or interview scores to come to a decision about whether they are able to enter medicine.
Other universities may use the GPA in the total score for entry into med school, which is when the GPA becomes more crucial. However, you should consider all of your options because even though some med schools might not accept your GPA, others might!
UQ, Flinders, and USyd use only GAMSAT® Exam results to rank applicants for an interview. Generally, these universities then use GPA as a hurdle. USyd and UQ both state a minimum of 5.0 for interview offers. Flinders does not publish a minimum ‘cut-off’, however, students who are accepted generally have exceptional GPAs.
HOW DO UNIVERSITIES LOOK AT GPA?
Most universities use a ‘combination score’ of GAMSAT® Exam results and GPA when considering which applicants to invite for an interview. This includes Macquarie, UWA, UniMelb, Deakin, Griffith, and ANU.
Another thing to keep in mind is that some universities use ‘weighted’ and others ‘unweighted’ GPAs. Weighting of GPAs refers to the calculation in a way that puts more weight on more recent subjects.
The majority of universities use these weighted GPA calculations, except Griffith University & UQ, that currently use unweighted GPAs.
OPTIONS TO STUDY MEDICINE IF YOU HAVE A LOW GPA
One way would be to look at taking on another Undergrad or Bachelor's degree. Your most recent GPA will be the one that is taken into consideration after all. Although it may be hard to study an undergrad for another few years, most med students now are of an older age, and many have completed a few degrees before deciding to study medicine.
Depending on the university, completing a PhD, Masters Degree, Graduate Diploma, or Honours Year may all help you study medicine if you have a GPA by influencing it in a positive way.
Now, you might have to set your sights a bit further if universities nearby have set a higher standard for GPA. Students often decide to move interstate in order to study medicine. This is something you will have to do eventually if you want to pursue this career.
Overall, we’d like to remind you again that most universities use a ‘combination score’ of GAMSAT® Exam results and GPA to consider your application, so all is not lost even if you have a low GPA. The GPA is really actually quite a minor thing in your total med school application, so don’t lose hope!
For more information about your options for studying medicine with a low GPA, check out our full blog article here: https://gradready.com.au/posts/gamsat-preparation-courses/what-are-my-options-for-studying-medicine-if-i-have-a-low-gpa
