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Is the new COVID college grading policy beneficial or harmful?

As a pre med student, I was wondering if the new grading policy (pass/fail versus A,B,C) would be beneficial for me or harmful?

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Yasemin’s Answer

Hi Hanan! This is a great question and one many students are facing. I would advise that you do speak with a premed adviser about this to obtain the most reliable answer. However with current situations many things are out of students' hands and medical schools are aware of this, so I would still try to do your best in the class. It may be difficult for example if you received a passing grade in Chemistry vs. actually being able to see if you received an A. Remember it is also important to know, that if you are just taking these classes and it is P/F this year but then next year as you begin to take heavier course load and there is a letter grade, it may balance it out. If you maybe took a few classes however and want to demonstrate doing better in an upper level course, then receiving a grade is important than a Pass or Fail. The thing with pass and fail is that you just take the credits but they don't really contribute to a GPA especially your science which is very important.
What is your current situation however? Do you think you could go easy this year and then begin to take more heavier course load? It may put you behind plans but you may also be able to then take the letter grades which may be deemed more important for medical school. Also some universities have that option but they may also convert it to a letter grade, right now I would recommend to check with your advisor to obtain the most accurate information as well as the university's policy too. Below I am attaching a link that will also give more information. I know times are tough and I really hope everything works out!
Feel free to ask more questions if needed!
I wish you the best!

Yasemin recommends the following next steps:

https://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/medical-school-admissions-doctor/articles/how-to-navigate-pass-fail-grading-for-medical-school-admissions-success
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Dr. Thomas’s Answer

Another important idea to keep in mind, especially these days, is that your pathway to a future career is not a race but a journey. A number of my students are reassessing their pathway through a recalibration of their timeline. Two of my college students are taking a gap year and volunteering with agencies and organizations that are assisting people hit hard by the effects of the pandemic. This work will be added to their resume as they return to school.
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Maya’s Answer

Hi Hanan! As a current pre med student my pre med advisor said that most medical schools are not accepting pass/fail grades and so the best thing to do is keep your grades as letter grades when possible, especially for your science courses. This is because medical schools would have no way of comparing gpa's for students who apply if everyone starts doing pass/ fail grades. In general, it would be safer to keep letter grades if you can for your college courses and of course speak to a pre health advisor at your school for their take.
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