Course-based Master's Withdrawal

[confuzzle]

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Hey guys,

Long time lurker here and now I need your help.
I was recently enrolled in a course-based Master's program and am considering withdrawing. I am not only unhappy in it (turned out to be different than I thought) but also see it as an impediment. Due to the workload of the program I haven't had a chance to study for my MCAT which I badly/seriously need to do.

My only concern right now is how this program withdrawal will be looked upon by Med Schools since it will show up on my transcript.
Anybody have any experience with this or similar situations?
What do you guys think; suck it up for 2 years and then dedicate to applying or quit now and dedicate to applying/studying for med school?

 

[MexicanDr]

Welcome aboard.

From what I understand, dropping ANY type of program shows commitment issues, which is something you don't want ADCOMS to see. If you end up getting an interview, they will ask you why did you drop the program?

Also, why did you enroll in this program if you preferred to apply/focus on med school now as you state in your post?

What is this Masters program about/field of study?

I would say suck it up and finish it since you are already there, unless you have severe and legitimate reasons to drop it.

 

[confuzzle]

Thank you for your response MexicanDr.

Initially, I started the Master's as a way to improve my med school application while also studying for the MCAT. From speaking with students in the program, this summer was supposed to be not busy ... I guess that is pretty subjective. What ended up happening is that I have had to spend many many 12 hour days at school to finish up projects ... and from what I hear it will only get worse. Needless to say, I haven't had time to continue my MCAT prep. If I stick around, I won't be able to take the MCAT until I am done, which means I won't be able to apply for another 2 cycles.

In addition, I have realized I am really unhappy there (Master of Science in Biotechnology). It was almost as though my misery made me realize that I should stop doing things that I don't like and go for what I have wanted to do in a long time but I guess been too afraid of rejection to go after.

I would hope that the fact that I would be dropping the program pretty early on, wouldn't be looked upon so unfavourably and if they actually see that I will indeed take my MCAT and do more health related activities such as shadowing which I have not done so far, will make Adcoms see this more as my "aha" moment than quitting.
Maybe I am delusional to hope for this ... but please guys, be frank in your opinions. The last thing that I need right now is a second mistake!

Thank you all for reading the long post! Appreciate your contribution.

 

[QofQuimica]

How far along are you with the degree? If you've just started this summer, then you should go ahead and drop it. It's a program you don't like, and as you've already discovered, getting this MS won't make you more competitive for med school much, if at all. On the other hand, if you're halfway finished already, I recommend seeing it through since you've already put in so much work at this point.

As for how adcoms will react, it's tough to say. Never mind predicting how the entire adcom might react; I can't even tell you how flighty you'd seem just to me without seeing your entire app. Regardless, you should be prepared to address this issue at your interviews, as you will be required to submit your MS transcripts to AMCAS.

Hope this helps, and best of luck. 🙂

 

[confuzzle]

Thanks QofQuimica for your input. I am only about a couple of months into the program and finished only one course so, I haven't put in that much into it yet (other than the tuition lost of course 🙁).
Having said that, I have no doubt that I CAN complete the degree. I can suck it up and continue, and who knows it might get better. The thing that worries me most of all right now though, is the wasted time and the fact that although it's nice to have in my application to have finished a graduate program, I think I might benefit more by putting more time to study for my MCAT and maybe take some UG distance courses to improve my GPA of 3.5.

Should I have made the right choice before enrolling? Definitely!
Did I have the full picture of the program before enrolling? No, although I did my best, I guess experiences are just that, a very subjective opinion.

Completely unsure though if the Adcom will agree with the approach.

 

[confuzzle]

Any more opinions?

Anybody who has had to drop out of their Master's program? What was the feedback from the interviewers? I really need to make a decision pretty soon about this.