Getting a retroactive withdrawal

[grm02121]

Hey guys, as I mentioned earlier on a separate post that I started, I had a really bad two quarters (credits equivalent to one semester) and naively went against my psychiatrist's advice and didn't take a withdrawal.

I took a break from school to save money and assess what I truly want, and how I can separate my personal life from school. I have started to manage my mental illness, and have become proactive with my life. I have aced every semester since I have gone back to school , now that I have a more stable home life and more matured ( I was on the brinks of becoming homeless at one point, plus I was dealing with an abusive father, and mental illnesses and I was financially supporting myself while living states away from my mother)

Including retakes, I have a 3.7 (without retakes it's a 3.1) none of the classes that I had failed prior were pre-regs for medical school. I'm graduating spring 2018 and haven't taken my MCATs yet.

I wanted to get a retroactive withdrawal from my old institution back in WA state, and am wondering if that's even an option at schools there? I have emailed my old counselor and have yet to hear back a reply, and have also looked every where on the site but it was very ambiguous.




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[Oxforbes]

I filed for a retroactive withdrawal twice at two different colleges. IME, having medical documentation will help, but it isn't a guaranteed way to get W's. Earning better grades like you're doing and showing adcoms how you responded to the challenges you mentioned will help your chances too, so don't dwell on your bad grades if your petitions are denied. However, you may need to do a bit extra after graduating to get in since a 3.1 ugpa is hard to overcome. And, an smp isn't the answer IMO due to your grade trends.

Like you, I have a 3.08 ugpa but earned something like a 3.7 over 100+ units after getting a bunch of F's that weren't withdrawn. I had 4 allopathic interviews by doing a medicine-related masters coming from a good undergrad. More personally, I hope your psych condition is being treated; maybe research new drugs for it via a masters and then write about your interests in helping others with similar conditions on your secondaries assuming you aren't diagnosed with something that raises a red flag? I unbeknowningly did that for a non-psych condition I have, and it seems to have helped me.

 

[BeMD13]

I tried to do the same but they wouldn't do it and it was at some ridiculous unaccredited Bible school. It was like 15 years ago but my 1.7 GPA from that semester still factored into my AMCAS. I still averaged out around 3.6 and in 4 interviews, not one person even mentioned what happened with my grades there. It's worth a try to fix it but if they won't, make up for it with other classes and try not to worry about it.

 

[grm02121]

I filed for a retroactive withdrawal twice at two different colleges. IME, having medical documentation will help, but it isn't a guaranteed way to get W's. Earning better grades like you're doing and showing adcoms how you responded to the challenges you mentioned will help your chances too, so don't dwell on your bad grades if your petitions are denied. However, you may need to do a bit extra after graduating to get in since a 3.1 ugpa is hard to overcome. And, an smp isn't the answer IMO due to your grade trends.

Like you, I have a 3.08 ugpa but earned something like a 3.7 over 100+ units after getting a bunch of F's that weren't withdrawn. I had 4 allopathic interviews by doing a medicine-related masters coming from a good undergrad. More personally, I hope your psych condition is being treated; maybe research new drugs for it via a masters and then write about your interests in helping others with similar conditions on your secondaries assuming you aren't diagnosed with something that raises a red flag? I unbeknowningly did that for a non-psych condition I have, and it seems to have helped me.

Thank you so much! I got diagnosed with anxiety and manic depression. Would my grade trend not allow me to do a SMP? I'm confused. You have really solid advice and I feel a lot less discouraged. I was thinking of getting my masters in vision science or do a post bac for pre med.


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[grm02121]

I tried to do the same but they wouldn't do it and it was at some ridiculous unaccredited Bible school. It was like 15 years ago but my 1.7 GPA from that semester still factored into my AMCAS. I still averaged out around 3.6 and in 4 interviews, not one person even mentioned what happened with my grades there. It's worth a try to fix it but if they won't, make up for it with other classes and try not to worry about it.

That's awesome! Did you do a post bac to bring it up to a 3.6?


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[BeMD13]

That's awesome! Did you do a post bac to bring it up to a 3.6?


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That was my first year of school so I finished undergrad, got a masters in psych, worked several years, then went back to do my own informal post bac. If there is enough time and progress between the mistake, even a 1.7 won't kill your app! I thought I could only do DO with my stats but I had two MD interviews and just got my first MD acceptance. Haven't heard from the other yet.

 

[danimal22]

First of all, I'm really sorry for all you have been through. I truly believe your experiences will make you a better doctor in the future. I've been through my own set of setbacks, some similar to a few of yours, and I think it has made me a better person. I think that given your history, and if you can get paperwork from your psychiatrist, you should be able to do a withdrawal. I went to a private jesuit college but in a case-by-case basis they allowed retroactive withdrawals.

 

[grm02121]

First of all, I'm really sorry for all you have been through. I truly believe your experiences will make you a better doctor in the future. I've been through my own set of setbacks, some similar to a few of yours, and I think it has made me a better person. I think that given your history, and if you can get paperwork from your psychiatrist, you should be able to do a withdrawal. I went to a private jesuit college but in a case-by-case basis they allowed retroactive withdrawals.

Thank you so much, that means a lot. I so far see that it has made me a better person too, and I hope it does lead me to becoming a better doctor in the future. Wishing you the best of luck!


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[ld989]

Hi, I too had a rough time during undergrad with my anxiety, so I know how it can feel. With grade replacement for DO schools I was at a 3.7 after doing a year of an informal DIY post-bac, but now that grade replacement is gone, I sit at a 3.1, so I know what it can feel like to feel defeated. I looked into retroactive withdrawal myself and it wasn't even a possibility at my undergrad because it had to be done during the semester of the class, but only after the W deadline, and you had to go through this approval process with the dean and have exact dates of emergencies and medical documentation. Even then, they very rarely approve it.

My advice would be to just keep pushing forward. It's great that you got help and are still on track to your goal. The chances of getting the W's is slim to none, so just forget about the bad grades of the past and keep it moving. Do a informal DIY post-bac of upper sciences, a masters, a SMP, or official post-bac, and do great on your MCAT. You'll make it eventually !