Dropping all class... skipping the semester?

[Wee1]

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Hello Everyone! I have an (ostensibly) big decision to make before the end of next week: potentially dropping all my classes.

BACKGROUND STORY:
I just finished my 2nd year at U of T up in Ontario. I did a full summer semester (thus now I'm in 3rd year). My current cGPA is 3.90/4. This semester has been extremely overwhelming for me for reasons currently unknown to myself. Maybe it was pilling on too many extracurriculars to properly focus... BUT

So with my cGPA of 3.90/4 (OMSAS scale) in mind, my midterm marks this semester ranged from 79-86 and term assignments in the 60s... not med-worthy marks! (I still have some marks to get back).

I figured that if I drop all my classes, I can 'get away with it' because this semester is technically my summer of 2nd year. This summer (next semester) I am doing an NSERC research intership. I'd then come back in Fall to start my 3rd year as normal.

Thank-you all very much in advance!

PS: I'm interested in Ontario med schools.

 

[DNM]

I don't know how big of a deal schools would make of that, but you could definitely be asked about it at some point. Make sure you really want to drop before you do it. Is there any way you could drop the EC's instead and try to come out of the classes with good grades?

 

[Stixman28]

I don't know how big of a deal schools would make of that, but you could definitely be asked about it at some point. Make sure you really want to drop before you do it. Is there any way you could drop the EC's instead and try to come out of the classes with good grades?

you won't just be asked about it in person. On virtually every application you fill out, (I dont remember if it was on amcas or not) it will ask, has your education had any breaks in it, other than the usual summer and winter breaks. if so, why? etc. ec's isnt a great reason to explain that away. but personal reasons will do the trick. just get ready to be specific.

 

[Wee1]

I'm a co-op student. Also, I complete 4 semsters (2 years) of school straight in a row.

So does this potential break not count as my summer? What I'm doing would be no different than any other student taking summer off. My school is co-op heavy, trimestered (full summer semester) school.

Sorry if that sounded defensive. I'm just curious as to what schools will make of that (probably varies by school).

One more thing: Would it be better to drop all my courses than to tag along with 3 of my best ones?

 

[ImNotBritish]

I don't personally have experience with that type of semester system, but as they said above, med schools think of "summer" and "winter" as break times. What would the wording look like on your transcript? You have to enter grades into AMCAS as Summer 2009, Fall 2010, etc, so that alone may draw their attention to it. And either way, if you're going straight through 2 years worth of classes, this would still be a stand-out break between schooling, and I think you'd have to explain it.