Different medical schools have different GPA goals for applicants, but anything below 3 or 7 is generally considered low. A GPA of 3.3 won't ruin your dreams of studying medicine, but it can make it a little more difficult. The best thing to do, based on accepted student data, is to have a high MCAT score. In addition to grades, your extracurricular activities will definitely help you gain an advantage.
If you're an aspiring medical student with a lower GPA, you may be wondering if it's possible to get into medical school with a 3.3 GPA. The answer is yes! It may take some extra effort and dedication on your part to make up for the lower GPA score, but it is possible. While some medical schools have no minimum GPA requirements or are low, their incoming student profiles will show you what they're looking for. In fact, for DO applicants, the odds of being accepted with a GPA of 3.3 are about the same as if they had a higher GPA (up to 4.0). Other sections of the medical school application include research experience, extracurricular activities, clinical experience, letters of recommendation, and other things. 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 admission application.
My recommendation would be to do your best and, if you can, spend a fifth year taking more advanced classes in biology, neurobiology, chemistry, biochemistry and some medical humanities courses, and continue your excellent clinical and volunteer work. Writing (or performing duties in a clinical setting) is a popular activity during the sabbatical year, because of all the medical-related experience you can gain during your time there. While you don't necessarily have to aim for a perfect MCAT score, aiming for a higher score and following a good program of study can exponentially increase your chances of entering medical school with a low GPA. Now that we've discussed medical schools that accept lower averages, let's take a look at some frequently asked questions so you don't have any more burning questions. For example: would there be any chance that I could get into one of the best medical schools like Stanford? After completing 90 quarterly units, I managed to maintain a 4.0 grade point average after four years of taking science and mathematics courses in the lower and upper divisions. So if you're wondering if it's possible to get into medical school with a 3.3 GPA - the answer is yes! It may take some extra effort and dedication on your part to make up for the lower GPA score but it is possible.
