The answer is – it depends! While it is easy to exclaim grades are very important, the fact is the answer to this question has a high degree of variability. The reality is that during your basic sciences and clinical rotations, you should always do your very best to earn the highest grades possible while simultaneously spending a portion of your time every day doing practice questions. However, based on data from the National Resident Matching Program, grades might not be as important as you think. That being said, if grades had zero value, would you not study hard? The reality is that those that try the hardest and learn the most, in general, achieve the greatest success.
Medical schools typically use a grading system to stratify students by rank and quartile. Many also use a pass-fail system which makes it difficult for program directors to value your “grade” when determining if you should be interviewed. Studies of program directors have shown that grades in basic science and clerkships, and class rank, are low in the top 10 considerations for most program directors.
