I searched the forum for an answer to my question, but there didn’t seem to be any clear answers to my situation. I just have to be different, right?
Anyways, I had to withdraw from an entire semester of class. I correctly withdrew and received W’s for all my classes. I don’t want to bore you all with too much information, but short story, motor vehicle accident and close family member passed. Classes were simply a low priority with broken leg and then the shock of the death in my immediate family.
I feel I made the right decision to withdraw rather than receive terrible marks for the semester. Here is the rub though. That semester I was taking a couple of my pre-reqs. I have since recovered, physically, emotionally, and academically, but those 4 W’s still remain. After that rough patch, I changed the focus of my education. I attended graduate school and excelled in that environment, but always wondered why I let a few bad memories stand in my way. I decided life is too short to regret anything and I made the decision to pursue my dream, costly as it maybe.
I’m finishing up the last of the pre-reqs at the local uni, including those classes that I dropped. Do you think the W’s will raise a “red flag” to the adcoms? How should I handle this situation when applying, mention it in my personal statement or wait till an interview? I don’t want to call attention or make unnecessary excuses as to why I took a hiatus from pre-med. Anything else that I should concern myself with regarding “damage control”?
Thanks and feel free to offer any additional advice,
Zach
DUDE, you from LG, Texas?
Small world, really small. I wrecked, messed my leg up and had a semester of all W’s. Sucks but if they can’t see passed that, why would you want to go there anyway.
Keep at it, as always.
Deep from the Gulf of Mexico
RIG 82
This is what you should address in your personal statement. The adcoms will see a whole semester of Ws and will want to look for an explanation. Yours is truly reasonable, Life happens. As long as you re-did the pre-requisites and did well in them, I do not think that there would be a problem.
Ensure that you address this in your personal statement.
The Ws and the events that led to them are an important part of the story that has led you to where you are now. According to an AdCom member who gave me excellent advice when I was applying, “Your personal statement should tell the story of how you got to be where you are, the journey you have taken that leads to your applying to medical school now.”
So tell your story, don’t dwell on it or present apologies. More of a just-the-facts, and if those experiences changed your direction for an appreciable period of time, you will want to say something about how your thinking has changed over time. Good luck!
Mary
Thanks for the advice and support. Its easy to succumb to self-doubt.
RIG 82, No I’m not from LG, but when I lived in TX i got asked that all the time. Loved it down there though. Small world, you from TX?
Zach
I got pregnant while taking a chemistry course and landed on bed rest. Can’t really go to labs while on bed rest. They’ll have to understand it…especially being I nailed an “A” the second go round.
“Withdraw from an entire semester of class.” Probably portends an “uphill battle” for you
“I have since recovered, physically, emotionally, and academically, but those 4 W’s still remain.”
Practice your schtick to explain them… because even if 20 years from now… they will ask.
Do you think the W’s will raise a “red flag” to the adcoms? (In short YES, the outcome depends entirely on what you have done “lately” if you are submitting with just this… forget it, don’t waste your time)
How should I handle this situation when applying, mention it in my personal statement or wait till an interview (might as well start with the personal statement, but don’t forget your talking points… it WILL come up in the interview… should you get one