Understanding the Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Math (BCPM) calculation for AMCAS.
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) uses the BCPM GPA as a primary metric for academic readiness. It includes every course that falls under these four categories:
Yes. This is the biggest difference between Pre-Med and other health tracks. In the AMCAS application, your math grades are just as important to your "Science" total as your Biology grades.
While AACOMAS (DO) does not include Math in the Science GPA, they do include a broader range of applied sciences. For most applicants, the BCPM calculation is the most rigorous standard to track.
Withdrawals (W) do not affect your GPA, but they are visible to committees. Incompletes (I) only affect your GPA once a final grade is assigned. If you retake a class, both grades will be averaged by AMCAS.
| Feature | Pre-Nursing (NursingCAS) | Pre-Med (AMCAS) |
|---|---|---|
| Math Included? | Rarely (Usually a General Prereq) | Yes (Part of BCPM) |
| Retakes? | Averaged | Averaged |
| Primary Focus | Science & Core Prereqs | BCPM (Hard Sciences) |