More Than a Score: Evaluating Military Veterans' Success When Applying to Medical School.

Abstract

Due to the inherent nature of service in both military and medical careers, some veterans are drawn to medicine after completing military service. However, there are significant financial and academic barriers for veterans applying into medical fields. Average grade point average (GPA) and Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) score are two heavily weighted metrics in the medical school application process. Veterans often have less rigorous academic backgrounds and more limited preparation for the MCAT in comparison to traditional medical school applicants. As a result, veterans may be less competitive than traditional applicants through direct comparisons of GPAs and MCAT scor s. The authors' analysis focuses on whether this limitation affected veterans' success in applying to medical school. Using aggregated data from the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC), the authors analyzed the average GPAs and MCAT scores of applicants with any military experience (defined as "military applicants") compared to the pool of all applicants from 2018 to 2024. During this period, military applicants to U.S. MD programs had an average GPA that was 0.16 points lower and average MCAT score 3.4 points below the average of all applicants. Despite lower academic metrics, the military applicant acceptance rate to MD programs was 41.7% compared to 40.7% for all applicants. Veterans should not be deterred from seeking a path of service in medicine by below average GPAs or MCAT scores. Medical school admissions over the past 6 years show that medical school admission committees value the perspective, life experience, and skills military veterans bring to medicine despite their lower GPAs and MCAT scores.