two questions:

how much does basic science grades weigh in, in getting residencies? can one with a lowwww gpa (3.0 or less) still get a competitive residency if one has a high board score 95%...

does better GPAs get us better rotations during our 3rd and 4th year??

Board Score is a must.. remember some schools in the US have NO GRADES they go by Pass/ Fail. So your STEP is important. You are aiming as high as you can!!!! 240!!! but i guess if you get anything 85 plus in the 2 digits that is a good score

ok but what about grades or GPA?? do they matter much or not at all...obviously u dont fail anything...but C's? i know step 1 is a must..

Your basic science grades might not matter much for residency, but it will matter when you start studying for the Step. Bust your butt during your basic sciences because studying for the Step will be a lot easier with a good foundation. I know of a few people who got by with C's and either failed on their first attempt or just barely passed step 1.

Grades can probably hurt you more than help

If you got all As they probably would be happy but not impressed

but if you are getting C's its a red flag as to your academic performance

Obviously, the answer will vary according to who you ask the question to. If you ask a 4.0 student, they will say that grades do matter. If a person has a 3.0, they will say its not the end-all and be-all as its their way of rationalizing that their B is as good as another person's A.

You are already going to Ross. Shoot for the A. Why get yourself even more behind? In the end, the A is a by-product of you acquiring a good knowledge base for the Step and for your future practice.

Step scores most imp. for the residency.

But remember ross gpa....helps with your dean's letter and better rotations. Both of which will help you gain a better residency.

In the end....shoot for the 4.0 if you can. (plus your honor status is designated on your final MD diploma)

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M.D. (Resident Physician)

how hard is it to get an A in classes in general? I have a biomedical engineering degree from Case Western, in cleveland, oh. I did pretty well, and it was an extremely reconized program. I feel I'm ready to take on the challenge of med school, but just wondring if you guys could give a general assesment on how "hard" it is to get an A in classes at Ross. thanks!

H A R D

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Good luck.

I found getting A's incredibly difficult. But I also consider myself a B student. I was all through undergrad and appear to be continuing to do so in med school.

The reason it's so difficult to get A's has alot less to do with the difficulty of the material and alot more to do with just the shear volume of material. If you stay on top of things, you can get A's.

The best metaphor I've read for Med school is on the link below. It's so true, I didn't know wether to laugh or cry as I was reading it.

Med School Metaphor: Pancakes Every Morning « the rumors were true