Yes, some universities do accept retakes for medicine, but it may vary depending on the specific institution and their admissions policies.
Detailed answer to your inquiry
Retaking exams is a common practice among students who want to improve their grades and increase their chances of getting accepted into their desired universities. The same applies to those who want to pursue medicine.
To answer the question, yes, some universities do accept retakes for medicine, but the specific policies and guidelines vary from institution to institution. Some may allow an applicant to retake a particular subject or module within the medicine program, while others may require the student to retake the entire entrance exam.
According to Kaplan Test Prep, a leading test preparation company, “most medical schools allow applicants to retake the MCAT exam…If you do retake the MCAT, your most recent score will be the one medical schools see.”
However, retaking exams should not be considered a guaranteed path to acceptance. Admissions committees take a holistic approach when evaluating applicants, considering factors such as academic achievements, extracurricular activities, personal statements, and interviews.
Here is a table summarizing the retake policies of some top medical schools in the United States:
Medical School
Retake Policy
Harvard Medical School
No limit on retakes, but only the most recent MCAT score will be considered
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
No limit on retakes, but only scores from exams taken within the past three years will be considered
Stanford Medicine
Applicants may take the MCAT a maximum of three times, with the most recent score being the primary one considered
Yale School of Medicine
No limit on retakes, but only scores from exams taken within the past three years will be considered
In the words of author and motivational speaker Brian Tracy, “Decisiveness is a characteristic of high-performing men and women. Almost any decision is better than no decision at all.” If retaking exams is something that could improve your chances of getting accepted into medical school, it may be worth considering. However, it’s important to research your desired institution’s policies and guidelines beforehand and to speak with an academic advisor to weigh the pros and cons.
Yes. It’s all about demonstrating improvement. The most important thing you can do is to learn from the experience and improve. Many students have been accepted into medical school after failing and retaking a course or two early in their college education.
Yes. It’s all about demonstrating improvement. The most important thing you can do is to learn from the experience and improve. Many students have been accepted into medical school after failing and retaking a course or two early in their college education. Three or more F’s may be considered a deal-breaker.
Answer to your inquiry in video form
In this Ask Dr. Gray episode, the speaker reassures viewers that having some Cs on their transcript is not necessarily concerning for medical school admission, especially if they have an upward trend in their GPA and have done well in upper division courses. They emphasize the importance of showing resilience and overcoming struggles, rather than having a perfect GPA. The speaker advises against pursuing a master’s program unless an applicant has a very low GPA, and notes that admission committees prioritize an applicant’s trajectory over their static GPA. Ultimately, a low GPA in early college years will not significantly impact an applicant’s chances of getting into medical school, as long as the rest of their application is strong.
Also, people ask
What happens if you fail a course in medical school?
The answer is: Students who fail to pass a required course in medical school may be dismissed. Some schools will pursue dismissal after two failing grades or two grades below a C. Dismissal is typically decided after an academic review meeting.
Does Cambridge medicine accept resits?
Answer will be: At Cambridge, students are regularly assessed by examination and there’s no opportunity to resit any exams (with the exception of professional qualifying examinations in Medicine and Veterinary Medicine).
Can I get into med school with 2 C's?
Response: In general, pre-med students are advised to retake courses in which they have earned a ‘C. ‘ In reality, one or two ‘C’s will not rule out medical school for anyone, especially for otherwise high-achieving students.
Does amcas average retakes?
How GPA is calculated for AMCAS applications. Historically for the AMCAS application, if you repeated a course, all grades would be counted. (All credit hours earned will be counted and averaged for your final GPA.) They have always taken into account all of the courses you’ve taken, regardless of repeating courses.
Can you retake a course if you fail medical school?
As an answer to this: Many students have been accepted into medical school after failing and retaking a course or two early in their college education. Three or more F’s may be considered a deal-breaker. If you decide to repeat a class, whether you passed or failed it, only those courses taken on the same campus can be labeled a repeat course.
Should I retake an upper division medical school course?
As an answer to this: Upper-division courses are more similar to the level of course you will take in medical school. The only situation in which students are advised to retake a course that they have already passed is if they have been out of school for years, need the foundational knowledge, and plan on taking more courses in that subject.
Should I reapply for medical school with a prior acceptance?
Response: Avoid the situation if possible. Having to reapply to medical school with a prior acceptance can be messy. Medical schools may question if the accepted reapplicant is truly committed to medicine and may wonder whether he or she will turn down an acceptance again. These can work to the reapplicant’s disadvantage.
Can you get rejected from a medical school?
It’s not uncommon to be rejected from every medical school you apply to. In fact, in 2018, only 41% of all applicants were accepted into any medical school at all, so it’s actually the majority of students who are turned down! And medical schools are only getting more selective.
Can you retake a course if you fail medical school?
Response to this: Many students have been accepted into medical school after failing and retaking a course or two early in their college education. Three or more F’s may be considered a deal-breaker. If you decide to repeat a class, whether you passed or failed it, only those courses taken on the same campus can be labeled a repeat course.
Should I retake an upper division medical school course?
Upper-division courses are more similar to the level of course you will take in medical school. The only situation in which students are advised to retake a course that they have already passed is if they have been out of school for years, need the foundational knowledge, and plan on taking more courses in that subject.
Should I reapply for medical school with a prior acceptance?
Avoid the situation if possible. Having to reapply to medical school with a prior acceptance can be messy. Medical schools may question if the accepted reapplicant is truly committed to medicine and may wonder whether he or she will turn down an acceptance again. These can work to the reapplicant’s disadvantage.
Can you get rejected from a medical school?
As a response to this: It’s not uncommon to be rejected from every medical school you apply to. In fact, in 2018, only 41% of all applicants were accepted into any medical school at all, so it’s actually the majority of students who are turned down! And medical schools are only getting more selective.
