Medical school application services calculate a separate science GPA — often called BCPM GPA — covering just your Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Math coursework. It’s reviewed alongside your overall GPA, and for many programs it matters just as much or more. This page covers how BCPM GPA works and how it differs across AMCAS, AACOMAS, and TMDSAS.
Calculate a Standard GPAWhat Counts as BCPM
BCPM stands for Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Math — the four subject areas that make up your science GPA on AMCAS. Classification is based on course content, not department name or course prefix: if 50% or more of a course’s content is biology, chemistry, physics, or math, it’s generally classified as BCPM. Courses in adjacent fields — biomedical engineering, biostatistics, biophysics — often fall into BCPM depending on their actual content, so check the course description and syllabus rather than assuming based on the title alone.
Everything outside BCPM is grouped into a separate “All Other” (AO) GPA. Application services report BCPM GPA, AO GPA, and your overall (total) GPA separately, and medical schools generally look at all three.
No Grade Forgiveness
Just like CASPA and LSAC, medical school application services generally don’t recognize your school’s grade replacement or academic forgiveness policy. If you failed and retook a BCPM course, both attempts typically show as separate grades and both count toward your BCPM GPA.
Retake: Organic Chemistry, 4 credits, A (4.0) → 16.0 quality points
Both attempts count: 0.0 + 16.0 = 16.0 quality points ÷ 8 credits = 2.00
Your school’s transcript might show only the A for this course. Your BCPM GPA reflects both grades averaged together — a significantly lower number for that course than your own transcript shows. This is exactly why science GPA often comes as a surprise to applicants who retook a difficult prerequisite.
AMCAS vs. AACOMAS vs. TMDSAS
If you’re applying to multiple types of programs, it’s worth knowing these services don’t all calculate science GPA the same way:
| Service | Applies To | Science GPA Includes Math? | Plus/Minus Grades? |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMCAS | Allopathic (MD) medical schools | Yes (BCPM) | Yes |
| AACOMAS | Osteopathic (DO) medical schools | No (BCP only) | Yes |
| TMDSAS | Texas medical & dental schools | Yes (BCPM, broader definition) | No — stripped to base letter |
All three services count both attempts of a repeated course with no grade forgiveness, and all convert quarter-hour credits to semester hours using the same 0.667 ratio.
Other Rules Worth Knowing
- Withdrawals (W) are generally treated as neutral — they don’t earn credit or grade points and don’t affect your science GPA, though withdrawing from several courses may still be noted as a pattern in your application.
- No adjustment for grading difficulty. These services generally don’t account for how strictly a school grades — a B is a B regardless of whether it came from an easier or harder grading curve. You can address unusually rigorous grading in your application’s additional information section, but it won’t change the calculated GPA.
- All institutions count, including community college and transfer credit, not just your degree-granting school.
Related Calculators
Frequently Asked Questions
What does BCPM stand for?
Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Math. These are the four subject areas that make up your science GPA on AMCAS, the application service for allopathic (MD) medical schools.
Does AACOMAS include Math in science GPA?
No. AACOMAS, the application service for osteopathic (DO) medical schools, calculates a BCP GPA that excludes Math, unlike AMCAS and TMDSAS which include it in BCPM.
Does retaking a class hurt my science GPA?
It can. Medical school application services generally count both the original and retake grade for a repeated course, with no grade forgiveness, even if your school’s own transcript only reflects the newer grade.
What is a good BCPM GPA for medical school?
Many medical schools use science GPA cutoffs in the 3.0 to 3.2 range for initial screening, though competitive programs generally expect higher. A science GPA above 3.5 is generally considered strong. Requirements vary by school, so check specific program requirements.
Does a withdrawal affect my science GPA?
Generally no. A W is typically treated as neutral, earning no credit and no grade points, so it doesn’t directly affect your science GPA. Withdrawing from several courses may still be noted as a pattern in your broader application review.
Estimate Your Standard GPA
For a general credit-weighted GPA using the standard scale, this calculator uses the same underlying quality-points method.
Go to GPA Calculator