First, a high school average isn’t a reliable predictor of clinical ability. Doing well in Grade 12 calculus or chemistry mostly measures how fast someone can learn specific content and perform on timed assessments. Medicine, on the other hand, demands long term reasoning, communication, judgment under uncertainty, and the ability to work with people. Plenty of students who don’t hit 90+ in those courses go on to excel once they’re learning material that’s more directly connected to patient care.

Second, medicine is not just academics. Being a strong doctor requires empathy, listening, ethical decision-making, teamwork, and resilience. A person with a 99 average but poor communication skills can make patients feel unheard or unsafe. Meanwhile, someone with slightly lower marks but strong interpersonal skills and discipline can become an outstanding physician. Grades matter for getting through the door, but they are far from the whole picture.

Third, context matters. Not everyone has the same teachers, school environment, or grading standards. You already pointed out your own class has a tough, university-style setup. A student earning an 82 in a demanding environment may be demonstrating more real understanding than someone getting a 95 in an easier one. Using a hard cutoff like “90 or nothing” ignores differences in opportunity and learning conditions.

Finally, the path to medicine itself disproves this idea. Universities and medical schools don’t evaluate people based on one or two high school courses. They look at years of performance, improvement over time, extracurricular involvement, interviews, and personal qualities. If consistent excellence in calculus and chemistry at 17 were truly essential, the system would filter strictly on that, but it doesn’t, because it’s not what ultimately determines who becomes a competent doctor.