23 w's on my transcript

[cleverusername]

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that's right - 23! can anybody top that?!

i have spent the last five years out of high school battling horrible depression and consequently enrolling and subsequently dropping out of school countless times. i even dropped all of my classes this semester, after being out of school all of this past year, and thinking i was well enough to go back this year. i have only finished 2 classes so far, both several years ago. i know that i am sick and am doing everything i can to help myself now.

now believe it or not, i still believe that i can overcome this and complete an undergrad strongly, i was always a straight-A student in high school, so i don't feel like the academics are the problem. it's just this depression monster that keeps rearing it's head. the part i need advice on though is all the W's.

just to be completely hypothetical, and because i wouldn't be able to fully explain my situation in this forum, let's say that i am able to start again this spring and not drop anymore classes. if i can maintain a full course load and come out with a high gpa, do i still have a shot at med school? and if i do have a shot, how should i explain all the W's to an adcom? i have seen people post similar stories about overcoming depression and just explaining to an adcom something along the lines of "i was sick, got the treatment i needed, and moved on", but i have not seen anyone post anything even near 23 W's, maybe 15 tops. am i too far gone into looneyville to be considered anymore?

 

[premediate]

Well, that is alot of W's. I only knew one person with that many W's. He actually had 22 W's but it was due to laziness. He later on went to Ross University in the Caribbeans. Since your is due to depression, just do well from now on. Med school want consistency! There is always hope.

 

[efex101]

Stop taking classes until you get your depression under control. Medical school are forgiving but there is a limit. Patterns of W's are not good because at some point you need to prioritize. Good luck.

 

[jvencius]

Med school want consistency! There is always hope.

The OP has been consistent--there is quite a regular pattern of "W's" 😉

 

[helpfuldoc2b]

that's right - 23! can anybody top that?!

i have spent the last five years out of high school battling horrible depression and consequently enrolling and subsequently dropping out of school countless times. i even dropped all of my classes this semester, after being out of school all of this past year, and thinking i was well enough to go back this year. i have only finished 2 classes so far, both several years ago. i know that i am sick and am doing everything i can to help myself now.

now believe it or not, i still believe that i can overcome this and complete an undergrad strongly, i was always a straight-A student in high school, so i don't feel like the academics are the problem. it's just this depression monster that keeps rearing it's head. the part i need advice on though is all the W's.

just to be completely hypothetical, and because i wouldn't be able to fully explain my situation in this forum, let's say that i am able to start again this spring and not drop anymore classes. if i can maintain a full course load and come out with a high gpa, do i still have a shot at med school? and if i do have a shot, how should i explain all the W's to an adcom? i have seen people post similar stories about overcoming depression and just explaining to an adcom something along the lines of "i was sick, got the treatment i needed, and moved on", but i have not seen anyone post anything even near 23 W's, maybe 15 tops. am i too far gone into looneyville to be considered anymore?

To the OP, tell us more about your stats, like age, major, etc... When did you start having depression? Are you sure its depression and not another mental illness like bipolar, GAD, etc...? What are you taking to address yoir problem? Did you try both Cognative Therapy and Meds? Did you discuss going back to school with your physician? What makes you drop the classes and what makes you think you can complete them when you first sign up for them? What does your university think and how does it tolerate your withdrawls? Also aint you losing loads of money having all these Ws and no credits are completed?

 

[UMP]

jesus christ... that's almost a whole degree you paid for...

 

[MiesVanDerMom]

hmm, i hope you get some useful replies or PMs. I had a bad bad year in grad school and dropped out due to post-partum depression. i put down the health problems/am recovered now bit on my application and it didn't really work out for me. The advice I've been given is to explain it in much more detail and contact each school individually etc. So, I'd talk to as many people as possible about this before formulating strategy. the firs torder of business, however, is to recover and have several successful semesters. If you applied broadly, I think med school is a possibility. I would definately aplpy DO as they are the only schools who've given me any consideration. If you're able to achieve a high GPA and MCAT I think you'd be in a good spot. there was someone over on the non-trads aplpying right now thread who had a lot of W's who was doing quite well with her apps. she had a 3.96/31. best of luck to you. ina ll honesty, if you can overcome depression that in itself is quite an accomplishment, so imagine the med school thing would be the easy part. both can be done though. I'l be able to testify to that completely ina few weeks hopefully! 😍

 

[relentless11]

Clearly the W's will raise some kind of colorful flag, and how you explain it will decide on how far you get in the application process. Although I have never seen that many W's before, I'm sure it is still explainable.

However...the real question is your ability to handle med school given your history of depression. High school does not equal undergrad, and undergrad does not equal medical school. Although good study habits do carry over, in the end it is a multi-factorial effort to do well and survive med school. I've had friends who had 4.0's during high school who were booted out of UC Berkeley due to grades. Conversely, I've known those who were complete boneheads in high school who now do quite well in college.

Sure people get depressed, but those that survive have learned how to deal with it and move on. Depending on how you look at it, it can just get worse or more fun down the road. You are the only one that can gauge your ability to succeed. All I know is that med school is more demanding than undergrad in terms of physical, and mental stress. Just like any other professional program. Good luck!

 

[rgerwin]

Someone very close to me had a similar pattern. It really turned around when he found a program that suited him, not the other way around. You may find a distance education program a better fit for awhile, just to get back in the game. Definitely keep working on your depression.

 

[oxeye]

Yeah, that is a lot of W's. I don't think it completely puts you out of the running, though. I have 6 W's (no, not nearly as many as you) - but I barely addressed it in the application because, honestly, I didn't have a good excuse for them other than I dropped classes when I didn't need them and didn't like them. The school didn't care at all about the W's from what I can tell.

Assuming you can start fresh - don't withdraw from anymore classes, maintaing a high GPA, and do well on the MCAT - I think you still have a shot. You can *really* address those W's in your personal statement (hey - maybe even talk about how the depression made you interested in pursuing medicine if that is the case). Fortunately in your case, W's don't count in your GPA so the schools who screen by GPA/MCAT won't throw your application away based on that and won't see the W's until they look at your course list or read your personal statement if you address it there.

Best of luck to you. I hope you find a successful treatment and do well in the rest of your studies.

 

[relentless11]

Someone very close to me had a similar pattern. It really turned around when he found a program that suited him, not the other way around. You may find a distance education program a better fit for awhile, just to get back in the game. Definitely keep working on your depression.

Careful with distance education programs. Some schools may not accept them, specially those that are taken online. UC Davis for example said they do not accept online courses. It would be wise to (1) call and check the schools first, and (2) identify the classes you need to take to get on the pre-med track.

I have been told by some adcoms from our school that due to the lack of excessive competition in normal academic programs, distance learning may seem inferior (analogous to the whole community college stigma). Regardless if this is true or not I would favor taking normal classes, more specifically normal classes at a 4-year university...if at all possible.

 

[cfdavid]

dude, that's a lot of W's (not that i'm telling you anything you don't already know). that being said, NEVER say never (i should follow my own advice...lol). and never sell yourself out.

you're gonna have to explain that one, for sure. you'll also have to put in some serious effort to get things straightened out. this may mean taking far above the "typical" number of credits (16-20 i'd say) that most adcoms are willing to accept as a "recent academic track record".

i'd approach this one with kid gloves, since i'm simply not sure how this will be perceieved. not sure what their take on being sick etc., and having that negatively impact your track record, will be like. BUT, the bottom line is that you need to establish a track record. and this may take you some extra time (actually, it will for sure). so, only you can decide if you're up to it. but, if so, don't listen to any naysayers. because, there are some on these forums that would be more apt to lend a second chance to a pedophile than to someone in your boat..... so, take all advice (including this) with a grain of salt.

 

[cfdavid]

hmm, i hope you get some useful replies or PMs. I had a bad bad year in grad school and dropped out due to post-partum depression. i put down the health problems/am recovered now bit on my application and it didn't really work out for me. The advice I've been given is to explain it in much more detail and contact each school individually etc. So, I'd talk to as many people as possible about this before formulating strategy. the firs torder of business, however, is to recover and have several successful semesters. If you applied broadly, I think med school is a possibility. I would definately aplpy DO as they are the only schools who've given me any consideration. If you're able to achieve a high GPA and MCAT I think you'd be in a good spot. there was someone over on the non-trads aplpying right now thread who had a lot of W's who was doing quite well with her apps. she had a 3.96/31. best of luck to you. ina ll honesty, if you can overcome depression that in itself is quite an accomplishment, so imagine the med school thing would be the easy part. both can be done though. I'l be able to testify to that completely ina few weeks hopefully! 😍

very good advice, in my opinion.

 

[scpod]

i even dropped all of my classes this semester, after being out of school all of this past year, and thinking i was well enough to go back this year. i have only finished 2 classes so far, both several years ago....am i too far gone into looneyville to be considered anymore?

Possibly, you might just not be ready for college yet. You might not be ready in five years either. Remember that a lot of people aren't going to med school until their 30's or 40's now. Maybe you should just get a job and support yourself for a couple of years, meanwhile, finding a way to control the depression. If you are doing well in two years, take ONE class at a time for a couple of semesters to see if you can handle it. Increase your coarseload if things are going well after another year. If you can spend your last couple of years in undergrad full-time, making excellent grades, then all those W's won't really matter that much. You need to slooooooow down. Your future may be in medicine; unfortunately, your present is not.

 

[CCEMTP2DOC]

I feel your pain. I, too, have a lot of W's, 19, i believe. I 'll explain mine a bit.
I have 7.i think, from 1984-85, due to being 18 and stupid. I had 2-3 in 1999, when we adopted our kids from Russia. I was accepted in to a RRT program in 2001 and did very well for the first year. However due to several surgeries for my daughter at Shriner's Hospital in Erie, PA., I dropped from my first semester of second year. I went back the following year and dropped the first month or so, due to some major surgery on my part, and the final 2 surgeries for my daughter. I foolishly and, against my better judgement, went back the third year and immediately knew this is not where I belong. I then took the next year or so, got things straightened around and hit school running. I had zero W's the last 75 -80 credits. My GPA is 3.70 and 3.60 science. Gpa for first 46 credits was 3.3, with an "E" for a class I didn't drop in 1985. Gpa for last 75-80 credits was 3.8, with an A in the class i didn't drop. That put my CC Gpa at 3.62 for my associates. I then will have finished my last 2 years at a 4 year college, with all my pre req's being at the 4 year college. I will graduate in 2007 and apply in 2008 for 2009. Still have O-chem 2 and Biochem to take, plus a couple of my major cllases to take. I have no problem explaining why I have so many W's, I just want the chance. That is why I am trying so hard to keep my GPA as high as possible. I will have been a paramedic for 15 years when I apply/matriculate. I have worked 60+ hours throughout my entire bachelor's. That is why, when my daughter started having her surgeries, I couldn't work, travel back and forth to Erie, from Detroit area, and do school. Med school is a huge undertaking. The timing has to be right. For some, that may be when their 21 and fresh out of college. For others, it may be when your 30 and have been out in the work force for close to a decade. For me, and I would think some others, it is right, right now. I have busted my hump for the last 2-3 years to get to where I need to be. I am very proud for what I have done and the grades I have achieved. I have continued to be a good father and husband. I am not ashamed of my past educational snafu's. There defintely could have been a better route, but this is the route I took;I was not ready to be a doctor when I was 20 or 30, but I am ready now. When I apply my most recent W will have been 6-7 years prior. Well I have ranted enough. I understand that my chances for Harvard are probably not good, but my chances to become a doctor are good. MD or DO, I don't care. They both take care of patients.



Rob

 

[helpfuldoc2b]

What ever happened to the OP, did he withdrawl from his post as well 🙄

 

[iwilldlvr]

What ever happened to the OP, did he withdrawl from his post as well 🙄

👍

 

[cleverusername]

nope, didn't withdraw from the post 🙂 very cute. just soaking up all the advice. i expected the wide variety of opinions and i appreciate everyone's candor.

i'd rather not share many details about my specific situation, as a few people requested, because i think it just might spark more of a debate on how to deal with the depression rather than how to address the w's with an adcom. i know the two are intertwined, but basically i wanted everyone's opinion on how important it might be to "convince" them that i have dealt with the depression or how much they will just want to look at a strong academic record as the proof thereof. i think the replies i received have given me a pretty good mix of ideas.

please feel free to post any more thoughts if they come to you. thanks again everyone.

 

[MedSchoolFool]

I have 19 W's on my transcript. This reflects the years 1994 - 1999. 120 hours of course work.

I took some time off, came back to school in 2003. Took another 118 hours of course work w/o W's. Graduated in May 2006.

I applied to 12 schools. (Actually more than that, but only paid for the secondary to 12.

Of these 12, I have been invited to 6 interviews. Only 2 of these are DO schools.

I went to 4 of the interviews. Results:

Accepted to 1 (PCOM), waitlisted at 2 (Jefferson & EVMS), and will hear from the other 1 in February (UT San Antonio).

I'd say that for a guy with 19 W's, I did pretty good.🙄

Don't give up, but realize it will take time to compensate for the mistakes of the past. You can do it, though.

 

[helpfuldoc2b]

I have 19 W's on my transcript. This reflects the years 1994 - 1999. 120 hours of course work.

I took some time off, came back to school in 2003. Took another 118 hours of course work w/o W's. Graduated in May 2006.

I applied to 12 schools. (Actually more than that, but only paid for the secondary to 12.

Of these 12, I have been invited to 6 interviews. Only 2 of these are DO schools.

I went to 4 of the interviews. Results:

Accepted to 1 (PCOM), waitlisted at 2 (Jefferson & EVMS), and will hear from the other 1 in February (UT San Antonio).

I'd say that for a guy with 19 W's, I did pretty good.🙄

Don't give up, but realize it will take time to compensate for the mistakes of the past. You can do it, though.

What were your stats with those 19Ws. Example GPA, Major, MCAT scores, what did you do with your life/work from your graduation in the 1990s until now?

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

cleverusername - I think you've gotten some good advice here. I agree strongly with scpod - you probably need to slow things down a bit - once a few years have passed since you had problems staying enrolled in classes, the easier the issue will be to deal with on an application.

I would counsel you to go slow because, in my opinion and based only on my experience as an MS-1 this year, you MUST be in fairly good psychological shape when you go to medical school (for you, your depression would need to be under good control). I thought I knew what to expect - but the adjustment was much harder than what I expected. I came closer than I'd like to admit to a small nervous breakdown a couple of months ago - I was finally able to pull myself together and to do quite well this semester - but, trust me, the medical school workload will push you to your limits, physically and psychologically. I don't mean to sound discouraging to anyone - but medical school is a big challenge and a person who matriculated in a fragile state would probably have a very difficult time.

 

[MedSchoolFool]

What were your stats with those 19Ws. Example GPA, Major, MCAT scores, what did you do with your life/work from your graduation in the 1990s until now?

I started my undergrad in 1993. Although I have 238 hours of undergrad classes, I just graduated in May of this year, 2006. So I took the 120 hours without graduating. I came back and took another 118 hours to graduate with a double major in English and Communication.

My overall GPA allopathic: 3.2 osteopathic: 3.4

For the last 118 hours I had a 3.821 GPA, so I had a serious upward trend in my grades, which I needed to do in order to show med schools I had matured and have what it takes to do well over the long haul.

MCAT: 30R

During the years between 2000 and 2003, when I was out of school, I was enlisted in the Army. It sucked, but helped me to realize that the only way to reach my dreams was to commit myself to working hard. Harder than I ever have before.

 

[DoctorMom78]

that's right - 23! can anybody top that?!

i have spent the last five years out of high school battling horrible depression and consequently enrolling and subsequently dropping out of school countless times. i even dropped all of my classes this semester, after being out of school all of this past year, and thinking i was well enough to go back this year. i have only finished 2 classes so far, both several years ago. i know that i am sick and am doing everything i can to help myself now.

now believe it or not, i still believe that i can overcome this and complete an undergrad strongly, i was always a straight-A student in high school, so i don't feel like the academics are the problem. it's just this depression monster that keeps rearing it's head. the part i need advice on though is all the W's.

just to be completely hypothetical, and because i wouldn't be able to fully explain my situation in this forum, let's say that i am able to start again this spring and not drop anymore classes. if i can maintain a full course load and come out with a high gpa, do i still have a shot at med school? and if i do have a shot, how should i explain all the W's to an adcom? i have seen people post similar stories about overcoming depression and just explaining to an adcom something along the lines of "i was sick, got the treatment i needed, and moved on", but i have not seen anyone post anything even near 23 W's, maybe 15 tops. am i too far gone into looneyville to be considered anymore?

LOL! You made me curious about how many I had, so I went and counted them....and.....28. I guess I did top your number. Anyway, most of them are from several years ago when I was not sure what I wanted to do with my life. To answer your question, yes it can be done. I have been accepted to two osteopathic schools and am waiting to hear from a third. Feel free to PM if you want. Good luck! 😀