Dropping a Class for Health Reasons

[passerine]

Hi all,

I would really love some advice. I have had heart problems for the last year, and have now had bronchitis for three weeks... I'm exhausted and finding it hard to keep my school work on track. I'm taking the minimum number of hours currently because I came in with a year of credit already... I'm a junior, currently taking physics + lab, organic chem + lab, and an honors seminar. My GPA is high (3.89) and I've already taken the MCAT, but I'm sick and burnt out, and worried that if I don't take some time to get a handle on my health, I'll wreck my GPA and make my situation even worse. I want to drop physics and the lab, which would put me at 8 hours and give me two Ws on my transcript for the semester. Is this a horrible idea? It won't affect the time I have left to graduate, and I can retake it this summer at home, where I know I'll do well. I'm planning to apply to medical school in my home state this summer... will it look bad that I'm dropping a class because I'm sick?

I would really appreciate any input y'all can give me.

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[seafood92]

Go ahead and drop the class. If you are not healthy enough to handle the class there is no point in continuing it.

 

[cmwhite11]

Your health is more important. I think your schools will understand, especially if you retake physics this summer and do well.

 

[plumhill]

Drop the class and focus on getting better. If you even need to withdraw for the remainder of the semester, do that too. Any school that would hold this against you in the future isn't worth going to 🙂 adcoms'll understand.

 

[Starlightembers]

If you feel it would be best, absolutely go ahead and drop the class. Your health is, by far, the most important thing. Medical schools will not hold this against you.

 

[passerine]

God bless SDN and the quick response times. Thank you all so much! Y'all definitely made me feel better about a decision I thought would be life-ruining!

 

[tryp]

I got sick my third year of university and ended up taking 3 Ws and 2 incompletes/deferred courseworks. Got into med just fine - nobody even brought it up during interviews or anything.

 

[wholeheartedly]

Been there, done that. Drop the class. Your body will thank you and you've got a perfectly reasonable explanation.

 

[lotusflowers]

I'm sort of in the same boat, although my health complications are from an eating disorder. I really want to take a semester off to go into inpatient treatment as my health is at stake, but am worried about having to explain withdrawing for a whole semester when applying. Does anybody know how much we have to disclose? I aced all of my classes the first semester, but relapsed into a severe level of my eating disorder and depression this semester and have fallen way behind in classes. I'm a first year undergrad by the way.

 

[Cinclus]

I'm sort of in the same boat, although my health complications are from an eating disorder. I really want to take a semester off to go into inpatient treatment as my health is at stake, but am worried about having to explain withdrawing for a whole semester when applying. Does anybody know how much we have to disclose? I aced all of my classes the first semester, but relapsed into a severe level of my eating disorder and depression this semester and have fallen way behind in classes. I'm a first year undergrad by the way.

Do what's best for your health. Come back to school when you're ready. As long as you continue to do well upon returning, you should be fine for med school. If anyone asks about missing a semester, say you were very ill; you don't need to provide details.

 

[Starlightembers]

God bless SDN and the quick response times. Thank you all so much! Y'all definitely made me feel better about a decision I thought would be life-ruining!

It is definitely not life-ruining. Rest, seek treatment and take care of yourself. I hope you find the answers and healing you need. Good luck!

I'm sort of in the same boat, although my health complications are from an eating disorder. I really want to take a semester off to go into inpatient treatment as my health is at stake, but am worried about having to explain withdrawing for a whole semester when applying. Does anybody know how much we have to disclose? I aced all of my classes the first semester, but relapsed into a severe level of my eating disorder and depression this semester and have fallen way behind in classes. I'm a first year undergrad by the way.

The bolded should absolutely be your first concern. You need to do what is best for your health. If taking the semester and seeking treatment would be best, you need to do that.

As for how much you have to disclose in the application process, you can disclose as much or as little as you want to. When it comes time to apply, "I had to withdraw for health reasons" is all that you have to say.

 

[kduck]

I'm sort of in the same boat, although my health complications are from an eating disorder. I really want to take a semester off to go into inpatient treatment as my health is at stake, but am worried about having to explain withdrawing for a whole semester when applying. Does anybody know how much we have to disclose? I aced all of my classes the first semester, but relapsed into a severe level of my eating disorder and depression this semester and have fallen way behind in classes. I'm a first year undergrad by the way.

You can explain Ws... Fs or other poor grades are much harder. Absolutely withdraw and do not go back to class until you are 100% better!

Plus, college should be a great experience. If you're sick, you won't get everything out of it that you should. Take the time you need to get better and give it your all - you'll never regret it.

 

[tryp]

My time off was due to severe depression and I just said I had "an illness". The AdComs are generally speaking not going to be nosy about it and it's not hard to keep it general.