Question regarding cumulative gpa and job

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Specializes in Hematology/Oncology.

They look at your overall gpa for college right? Not just upper division courses?

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

In most cases, it means the overall GPA, unless they specifically ask for something else. Hope this helps.

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Specializes in telemetry, ICU.

I have seen some resumes list both the cumulative and nursing GPA's, but I was told to just list cumulative. I have been asked in phone interviews what my cumulative GPA is.

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Specializes in Hematology/Oncology.

Yea the thing is my nursing GPA is about a 2.7.The c's

Pharm was hard,

Psych was last semester- my dad committed suicide from depression. Happened right before my suicide and depression exam.

you can imagine why it was hard for me to study it.

this semester i am getting a c in family and maternal nursing. My little cousin entered palliatve care right before my 1st exam and i ran over there to see him. I blindly took my first exam and got a 68. 2nd exam he died so i didnt have time to study properly.

3rd exam was over end of life care and childhood illness with cancer.

so that kind of **** on me too.

I am not trying to look for sympathy. I am wondering if it does come around, should I tell them why my nursing gpa was lower than it should be? I know many people given my situation would drop out of school. The clinical instructors told me that for me to even hold on, shows that even if i have problems in my life I can function under stress and put the patient first.

I think I can also get a recommendation from the dean.

so question is

1. should I bring up why my gpa is lower?

and

2. Do you think that a dean recommendation could mean much in a job application?

I want to apply to MD anderson and volunteering at that hospital is the main reason I even got my life together for nursing school.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

Is your overall/cumulative GPA 2.7, or just the nursing?

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I have been on a few interviews for nursing positions and interviews for non-nursing positions (prior to nursing school after I got my first degree). Not one employer asked for my GPA ever. Not when I graduated with my first undergrad degree and not when I graduated from nursing school. Unless your GPA is stellar like greater than a 3.75 I would advise leaving it off all together.

The only thing is if you are applying to nurse residency programs that require a minimum GPA. You could ask for a recommendation from the dean but is it a letter or is it a reference? Because again, unless you're applying to residencies you won't be asked for a letter of recommendation either.

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Specializes in Hematology/Oncology.
I have been on a few interviews for nursing positions and interviews for non-nursing positions (prior to nursing school after I got my first degree). Not one employer asked for my GPA ever. Not when I graduated with my first undergrad degree and not when I graduated from nursing school. Unless your GPA is stellar like greater than a 3.75 I would advise leaving it off all together.

The only thing is if you are applying to nurse residency programs that require a minimum GPA. You could ask for a recommendation from the dean but is it a letter or is it a reference? Because again, unless you're applying to residencies you won't be asked for a letter of recommendation either.

ahhh I always wondered about that. I want to work at MD Anderson. Apparently they dont, but if I dont get it I am willing to move to start oncology training

Is your overall/cumulative GPA 2.7, or just the nursing?

its a 3.1

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

Nowadays, the GPA question is common, especially for new grads. You can use 3.1 as your answer unless they specify they want something else. I agree with the other poster: leave it off of the resume and don't bring it up unless asked.

I'm sorry for your losses. What follows is in no way meant to belittle or trivialize what you went through and how you felt. But it's a reality you should keep in mind for your job hunt.

IMO, if you are asked about why your GPA is so low, keep the answer simple, such as "I was dealing with illness(es)/death(s) in my family at the time" and leave it at that. If they inquire further you could elaborate...but even then I'd be cautious in what you say and not get too detailed. Employers are not interested in sob stories because a lot of people have one--or are quick to adopt one--to explain away subpar performances and try to attract sympathy in hiring. Employers are also not fans of TMI. So be honest but not too elaborate. You did endure a lot and didn't give up school through it all, which says a lot about your character and determination...however trying to parlay that alone into a job will more than likely fail. You need to show employers there is a lot more to you than just that.

About the recommendation from the dean...it definitely couldn't hurt. And I think employers expect that most of a new grad's recommendations/references for that first job are going to be from CI or nursing instructors.

Best of luck with the rest of nursing school and the job hunt!

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Specializes in Ambulatory care.

GPA is irrelevant when it comes to job search at best they use it as a tool to cut down on the ammount of applications to go through. YEs it limits you as the most desirable hospitals only want creme of the crop top 5% of class but once you get a year or two experience gpa is moot point. So apply all and everywhere.

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Specializes in Hematology/Oncology.
GPA is irrelevant when it comes to job search at best they use it as a tool to cut down on the ammount of applications to go through. YEs it limits you as the most desirable hospitals only want creme of the crop top 5% of class but once you get a year or two experience gpa is moot point. So apply all and everywhere.

I guess I will apply everywhere for an oncology position.

I dont want to spend my first year doing residency for medsurge and then waiting for that to finish and trying to apply for oncology and do training all over again.

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I guess I will apply everywhere for an oncology position.

I dont want to spend my first year doing residency for medsurge and then waiting for that to finish and trying to apply for oncology and do training all over again.

There's nothing wrong with medsurg. In fact, it's a good basis on which to build your assessment skills and you won't have to do "training all over again" when you decide to go to Onc. Med/surg encompasses the fundamentals of nursing. When you switch to Onc, you'll expand your knowledge and your practice based on factors that are unique to the onc population, but you'll still need those skills you learned in med/surg.

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Specializes in Hematology/Oncology.

I know that medsurge is the basis of nursing. You see everything.

Oncology was my trigger that got my heart set on nursing 4 years ago when I actually got seriously with school and where I literally rebuilt my entire college transcript

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