Beyond Grades

Grades are important and this applies to both pre-med and medical students. However, the burden of making good grades is more on premed students than it is on medical student. As a premed, your grades – and associated GPA – can be a major deciding factor as to whether you get into medical school. There’s also the MCAT score to think about. There are definitely downsides to schools picking applicants to interview and admit based on these numeric metrics and we know that great grades to not always translate to good doctors. However, medical schools continue to use numeric metrics in their admission process so the pressure to perform remains ever present. Given that many medical schools utilize a Pass/Fail grading system, especially for the-preclinical years, there is less pressure on medical students when it comes to grades. In fact, many schools instituted this grading system in order to rid their classes of the competitiveness that is rife in premed classes and promote a collegial and collaborative learning environment. However, the USMLE board scores are major players in the residency application process so medical students still have their battles to fight.

All that said, it is the sentiment of many international students that we cannot afford to be mediocre when it comes to grades; there is the believe that we have to be exceptional and outperform our peers in order to convince medical schools or residency programs that we are worth the hassle (real or imagined) of taking in international persons. I certainly held this sentiment both as a premed and during my time in medical school. In retrospect, maybe being okay with attaining average grades would have worked out. However, I know that I would have kicked myself in the foot if I found myself in a situation where average grades prevented me a getting into the programs I wanted so I don’t regret pushing myself.

Given that the title of this post is “Beyond Grades”, you’re probably wondering why I just spent the last two paragraphs talking about why grades are important, and perhaps more so for international students. Here’s why: because they are important. I’m not going to naively say that they do not matter because they DO. And regardless of whether or not they translate to being a good physician, many of the training institutions rely heavily on them so all wannabe trainees have to play ball. That said, there a two major reasons why we should think beyond grades as aspiring medical professionals. The first is that many medical schools and residency programs now value non-scholastic extracurricular activities almost as much as they value good grades.

By non-scholastic, I mean activities not related to academics such as research and tutoring. They want to know what hobbies you have, what ways you contribute to your community, and how you connect with people. Essentially, they are looking for individuals who are book-smart but also well-rounded and capable of connecting with other humans and forming meaningful relationships. So having great grades but a poor portfolio of other activities will actually be viewed as a deficiency by some programs. Having poor/average grades but a good portfolio otherwise will have programs questioning your ability to succeed in the long run. However, if you you’re solid on the grades and also have a great extracurricular portfolio, you’re an ideal candidate. Essentially, you will be doing your application a favor by thinking beyond grades.

Here’s the second, and perhaps most important reason why you should think beyond grades: To maintain sanity. I know, that sounds rather dramatic but I mean it. As a first year medical student, I vividly remember being told during orientation that med school was going to seem like drinking from a firehose. And boy, was that the truth! I struggled to keep up with all the information being thrown at me. I spent four hours in class every day and spent the rest of my day, apart from meal times, studying until 11pm. Honestly, those days were bleak. And while I was getting good grades, I was not enjoying studying. Here I was, finally building the knowledge base needed for the career I was passionate about but it all felt like a joyless chore and I began wondering how I would survive four years of this.

In my second year, I challenged myself to think beyond grades. I put a cap on the time I spent studying each day. I became intentional about scheduling time with friends outside medical school. I got involved in a service-learning group that allowed me cuddle babies – such fun! I started spending more time writing poetry – something I’d always been passionate about. As you can imagine, things changed drastically for me afterwards. Not only was I able to continue to achieve good grades, I was excited again to be studying medicine. Studying didn’t feel like a chore anymore and I enjoyed the moments in which I was actively learning. I’m so pleased that I made the decision to unbury my head from my books and focus on nourishing various interests and the other aspects of my life. Interestingly enough, some of my most memorable interviews on the residency trail were the ones in which interviewers and I talked at length about my love for baked goods and poetry.

So I encourage you to continue to work hard and make great grades but also think beyond your grades and develop yourself into a well-rounded person because you will be better for it, and so will your application.

In Solidarity,

Tinu