GPA For Canadian PA school explained
Maintaining an excellent grade point average (GPA) is a helpful indicator for admissions to demonstrate if the PA applicant would succeed in the PA program.
However keep in mind that GPA is only one part of the equation, and is only part of what is evaluated to determine if you’d be a good fit for the PA program, and would make a great Physician Assistant.
Why is GPA important for PA Admissions?
The study of medicine is not easy, and PA schools want to ensure (in my opinion) that the students that are enrolled in the program have the aptitude and grit to be able to learn and practice medicine.
Learning medicine has been likened to “trying to drink from a firehose”. It is a tremendous amount of information, and in PA school it is in all learned in a relatively short period of time.
GPA is one marker that is “standard” across different universities and provides a quantitative way to compare applicants.
How to calculate GPA for PA Admissions
McMaster University PA School GPA Calculation
GPA is out of 4.0 on the OMSAS Scale
Cumulative GPA – As outlined on the prospective student website, McMaster calculates GPA by looking at cumulative GPA for all undergraduate study. This may include any summer courses you have taken, as well as courses taken that are undergraduate level “if you obtain your degree”. Grades from a Master’s or Certificate program do not count towards the GPA since only undergraduate study is calculated.
GPA Scale – The minimum grade requirement to apply to McMaster is a 3.0 out of 4.0 on the OMSAS GPA Scale. The average of PA students that get in is usually higher than this. Click here to view the infographic for GPA statistics of successful Class of 2019 graduates from McMaster.
Calculating GPA from International Schools – If you obtained your undergraduate degree from a school outside of Canada, you need to have your transcript assessed by Word Education Services (WES). Foreign transcripts are not considered if you also meet minimum undergraduate course requirements through Canadian universities.
If you retake a course – All courses are taken into consideration equally (the grade from the original course AND the new grade of the course you repeated).
Learn more information from McMaster’s PA Education Program “Prospective Student” website
PA Consortium GPA Calculation
GPA is out of the 4.0 on the OMSAS Scale
Cumulative GPA – On the PA Consortium Admission Requirements website, the minimum cumulative GPA is 2.7 out of 4.0. This is calculated from your undergraduate university education. Grades from graduate level courses do not count towards your GPA calculation. You also require at least 10 full year courses (20 half year courses) or 4 semester or FULL time undergraduate study.
GPA Scale – The minimum grade requirement to apply to PA Consortium is a 2.7 out of 4.0 on the OMSAS GPA Scale. The average of PA students that get in is usually higher than this. Click here to view the infographic for GPA statistics of successful Class of 2019 graduates from University of Toronto.
Calculating GPA from International Schools – If you obtained your undergraduate degree from a school outside of Canada, you need to have your transcript assessed by Central Enrolment Services at time of application. PA Consortium does not accept credential evaluations from other agencies (e.g. ICAS, ICES, WES, etc.).
Learn more information at the PA Consortium Admission Requirements
Manitoba Master of PA Studies GPA Calculation
GPA out of the 4.5 Scale
Cumulative GPA – On the Manitoba MPAS website, the minimum cumulative GPA to apply is 3.0 out of 4.5 in the most recent 60 credit hours (whether full-time or part time). Also keep in mind you need a four-year undergraduate degree or equivalent to apply. This is calculated from your undergraduate university education. Grades from graduate-level courses do not count towards your GPA calculation. You also require at least 10 full-year courses (20 half-year courses) or 4 semesters of FULL-time undergraduate study.
GPA Scale – The minimum grade requirement to apply to PA Consortium is a 3.0 out of 4.5 on Manitoba’s GPA Scale as outlined by the Faculty of Graduate Studies. The average of PA students that get in is usually higher than this, MPAS explains a 3.5 out of 4.5 is a competitive GPA. Click here to view the infographic for GPA statistics of successful Class of 2019 graduates from University of Manitoba.
Calculating GPA from International Schools – If you obtained your degree, visit University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Graduate Studies International Degree Equivalency.
Learn more information at the Manitoba MPAS “Apply to MPAS” Page
Is my GPA competitive?
Meeting the minimum GPA requirement ensures that you QUALIFY for PA school admissions, it does not mean that your GPA is competitive.
For instance, PA consortium’s GPA cut off requirement is 3.0 out of 4.0 on the OMSAS scale. If you have a cumulative GPA of 2.7, even if you submit an application through OUAC and complete the supplementary application questions – your application will not be considered.
A competitive GPA to apply to PA school varies year-to-year.
Understand what is considered a competitive GPA in PA school. Canadian PA students from the Class of 2019 have put together infographics outlining the range of GPAs of accepted PA students, and the average GPA of students who got in (access requires joining the Pre-PA Facebook Group). You don’t have to have a 4.0 GPA to get into PA school, however optimizing your GPA can only help your chances of getting in.
How can I calculate my GPA using the OMSAS scale?
To calculate your GPA for Ontario PA schools, use the OMSAS Undergraduate Grade Conversion Table.
Use Table 2 to determine which scale to use for Table 1.
