CHM Admissions Update: CHM Extending Acceptance of Pass/Fail Grading for Coursework Through Spring 2021

The College of Human Medicine recognizes that the COVID-19 crisis is life-disrupting for everyone. Colleges and universities are navigating this crisis in varying ways. One way is to institute a Pass/Fail grading system. As the pandemic continues, we must consider how students and applicants will be affected moving forward into the latter half of the 2020-2021 academic calendar. 

Grades Through Spring 2021 

Many colleges and universities have decided to continue instituting a Pass/Fail system for coursework through the spring of 2021. For those of you in which a Pass/Fail or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grade is rendered for any courses from winter/spring 2020 through spring 2021, CHM will accept that course grade without bias. This includes coursework that is traditionally considered prerequisite or recommended for many medical school admissions processes.

The challenge for medical school admissions committees is that accurate and specific information is always preferred. When committees are faced with ambiguity, their bias may factor a “Pass” grade on par with a “C/D” or “2.0/1.0” rather than a higher grade. So, if you have an option to proceed with a letter grade for prerequisite coursework, many schools would prefer this option.

We would be remiss if we didn’t recognize that there may be several advantages and disadvantages when considering your grading options. We also recognize that every applicant has his/her/their own set of strengths and areas for growth. Maintaining a healthy mentoring/coaching relationship with your prehealth adviser will be key as you proceed with decisions about your coursework. If you do not have access to a prehealth adviser, please contact the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions.

2021 MCAT 

Please review the official AAMC MCAT webpage, which includes up-to-date information on if and how the MCAT registration/testing process is currently being affected. We understand and empathize with those who’s scheduling of the exam have been disrupted. Rest assured that CHM Admissions remains in close contact with the AAMC MCAT team and are impressed with their responsiveness and commitment to making sure that everyone who wants to take an MCAT exam will be able to do so. Please monitor MCAT and coronavirus updates and additional test-taking times/dates.

If MCAT testing dates are interrupted, CHM Admissions will accept scores from any exam date that was subsequently added.

Activities 

The College of Human Medicine has a long history of approaching admissions decisions holistically and in a way that balances our focus well beyond academic metrics. We understand that the pandemic may have also interrupted various activities that would have helped you provide additional support to your application. CHM Admissions would encourage you to convey these disruptions in your application for our committee to consider—activities section, personal statement, secondary application—wherever best for you.

We would also encourage you to be prepared to update the committee about any disrupted activities throughout the 2020-21 AMCAS cycle as long as your application is still being considered for an interview. Please submit any activity updates in a PDF document following AMCAS activities section format guidelines along with your name and AMCAS ID by email to: chm.mdadmissions@msu.edu. 

Tours and Programming 

Due to public health concerns, CHM has suspended onsite programing and campus tours. Please feel free to review our virtual tours, highlighting both our East Lansing and Grand Rapids campuses. Should a window of time open in which your personal and public health and safety can be maximally assured, we will re-implement these opportunities for our active applicant pool.

Interviews

CHM Admissions is implementing online programming and interviews for the entire AMCAS 2020-21 application cycle given the unpredictable behavior of the novel coronavirus. CHM Admissions is confident that our programming and interviews will remain helpful and informational to and for everyone. 

Final Comments 

Medical school admissions processes strive hard to create assessment strategies that are fair and equitable for everyone. The novel coronavirus ignores fairness and equity. For some of you, this might affect your ability to put forth the best application possible. Medical school admissions offices (including ours) are working hard to create flexibility and understanding as they develop admissions policies and processes for application cycles. For most medical schools, the applicant pool will remain highly competitive even with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please maintain healthy relationships with your prehealth advisers. Keep an open mind. Be receptive to feedback. Apply to medical school if you believe your application is competitive. If not, please wait to apply when you’re standing on more solid ground. The application process is expensive. And understand that there is nothing fair about our current public health crisis. A robust and healthy dialogue with your prehealth adviser will help you determine if you are ready to apply. Best of luck!

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