How do med schools look at a "W" ????

[the Undergrad]

I already have two Ws on my transcript- one on Intro Bio and one from Gen. Chem. 1.

And guess what, Im dropping my Stats class this sem becuz im not getting the "A" I want. Ill take it next sem. and ace it cuz its a freakin easy class.

That means Ill have three (consecutively too)

How do med schools look at em or do they just care for the beautiful "A" on the transcript?

Please lemme know. Drop date is this Friday.

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[Chronotropic]

What are you doing? If you have a family problem or something of the sort then all this should be fine but if not you are definately messing up your transcript.

Yes Med schools do care about GPAs but adcoms are not dumb. They know when people take W's to preserve their GPAs.
And having a 4.00 GPA along with a horde of Ws is not going to impress. Think about it, you if you sit through a class twice an A is not only unimpressive but is expected.

If you have a B or even C in your stats class take that. Either is better then a W and A. Often times a W is viewed as a D or F. If you have such a grade then dropping may be a good idea.

Don't worry about the other classes you've already dropped. A bumby start will not seriously hurt your med school chances. But you need to stop withdrawing from classes.

 

[dakotaman]

Yeah, I'd say that two Ws is enough. Unless you're failing a class or have a low D, I wouldn't recommend any more. Better a C than a W.

AND, if you can retake classes, that's even more of a reason not to. Better to get a C and then retake and get an A. That averages out to a B in your AMCAS GPA...which is okay.

 

[HitokiriX]

So if you got a C in a class and retook it, AMCAS does count that C into its gpa?

 

[Fenrezz]

Originally posted by HitokiriX
So if you got a C in a class and retook it, AMCAS does count that C into its gpa?

Yes, the C and the grade you replaced it with will both be added into your total GPA.

 

[closertofine]

I took a W in one class that is very irrelevant to my major... intro painting...because i just wanted a fun class and it ended up being a lot of work and wasn't looking like a good grade either (everyone else had had pre-req courses in art, and I hadn't)... would med schools think anything of this, if that's the only one I've dropped?

 

[moviefreak]

i don't think so. i have 1 W from a GE class, econ4, and was never asked about it.

 

[spumoni620]

i dropped my calculus III class 1 day after the official drop date. so i have a stupid w when i just sat in for a week and a day of the class (the prof was terrible; i was taking 18 hours, just predicted i couldn't handle it that semester). i retook it next semester and made an a. but i DIDN't drop it just to keep a good gpa...well, i sort of did...i mean, i can understand the op's predicament...when you can get an a, why settle for something less...

i knew the w wasn't good news, but i didn't know it was "considered as a d or f". otherwise, i have a pretty good gpa. that class is my ONLY w.

o wise sdners, is this going to hurt me???

 

[steve007]

Originally posted by karen44
I took a W in one class that is very irrelevant to my major... intro painting...because i just wanted a fun class and it ended up being a lot of work and wasn't looking like a good grade either (everyone else had had pre-req courses in art, and I hadn't)... would med schools think anything of this, if that's the only one I've dropped?

i hope not, i dropped an intro to guitar class b/c you needed to know how to read music. i never went and shoulda just dropped it right away, but it was my first semester and i hadn't learned the meaning of "drop date" so i got my only "w".

 

[deleted9493]

I ended up taking a W in my first semester of organic chemistry. Between my home life and the course load I was taking that semester (physics, microbiology, physiology and a writing course)...I felt pretty maxed out...so I got rid of the one that I thought would require the most of my time. Anyway, I ended up with A's in organic I and II the following year. I think everybody has flaws in their application...however, you need to do your best to limit those flaws (assuming you want your best shot at an acceptance). I agree with previous posters, taking W's willie nillie makes it look as though you're just covering the good old gpa.

 

[Neuronix]

I will try to make a sweeping general statement. We all know what happens when sweeping general statements are made: exceptions are found. Keep that in mind.

One or two Ws are not bad. More will look worse and worse the more you have. You may be asked about them, prepare to have a good explaination, even if it is BS. A good explanation is NOT "I wasn't getting an A". A good explanation may be "Inexperience led me to a point where I just couldn't handle the load, so I had to cut back." An even better one is "x y or z happened." Family member died, etc.

 

[carrigallen]

I respectfully disagree with the posters who state that a "W" is worse than a "C" or "D".

I had one "W" (advanced lit class) in undergrad. I don't think having 1 or 2 W's is not as bad as having a C, because C's will affect your gpa...med schools will accept a few W's if they are reasonably spaced, in unrelated classes. I think that several C-'s may decimate your gpa...one of the primary evaluation criteria for med school admissions. AMCAS does not calculate W's, although you must include them. If one school happens to notice your w/w's, I don't think it will be a concern, unless they reveal a pattern or you have several. Another option is pass/no pass...I'm not sure how this works though.

It's true that undergraduate professors hate W's, for good reason - student leave class in the middle of the semester. But I don't think you should believe everything they claim - a few W's may be acceptable, whereas a 2.0 gpa may be far less acceptable.

 

[Chronotropic]

Originally posted by carrigallen
I respectfully disagree with the posters who state that a "W" is worse than a "C" or "D".

I had one "W" (advanced lit class) in undergrad. I don't think having 1 or 2 W's is not as bad as having a C, because C's will affect your gpa...med schools will accept a few W's if they are reasonably spaced, in unrelated classes. I think that several C-'s may decimate your gpa...one of the primary evaluation criteria for med school admissions. AMCAS does not calculate W's, although you must include them. If one school happens to notice your w/w's, I don't think it will be a concern, unless they reveal a pattern or you have several. Another option is pass/no pass...I'm not sure how this works though.

It's true that undergraduate professors hate W's, for good reason - student leave class in the middle of the semester. But I don't think you should believe everything they claim - a few W's may be acceptable, whereas a 2.0 gpa may be far less acceptable.

Yes but a 4.00 with alot of W's will not get you in either. Yes as far as raw numbers go taking a W is better. But adcoms know that alot of W's probably translates into an inflated GPA.

 

[VienneseWaltz]

While I don't condone dropping a course because you won't get an A, I don't think med schools see a W as the equivalent of a D or F. I had three W's on my transcript, and it didn't cause me a problem. My school has a very short drop/add period (less than a week), and all were dropped right after the deadline, for "good" reasons. One of them I dropped b/c the *professor* told me I should drop and take a higher level the following semester (I was told the W would not "stick" in that case, which turned out not to be true). Anyway, I went to 12 interviews, and not one of them mentioned the Ws. (There is a possibility, though, that one of my recommenders mentioned my reasons for dropping, to head off any suspicions). I had sort of hoped someone WOULD mention them so that I could explain, but they didn't seem to care.

If drop dates appear on your transcript, it will be obvious that you dropped because you didn't get the grade you wanted.

 

[woolie]

This is an interesting thread, I have a huge ugrad course load with a few packed semesters of 18 (difficult) credits, and paid my own way thru school, etc and not one W and a pretty decent gpa. Wow, considering it was a ivy and I was just a wee babe of 18, etc. I feel this shows I can work hard, buckle down and really do difficult work.

But I do have a couple of W's from later years when I was trying to work full-time and take classes, and granted one of them is Latin Prose Composition from over 10 years ago (what was I really thinking ... ??). My premed advisor asked about them and I said my heart wanted to take these courses but my workload and courseload was too much. He wasn't too fazed by them, he just noted them. So I think maybe my overall profile balances out or at least that is my hope. I'll just have to see.

 

[T-bruin]

I have a "w" for an econ class I took when I was toying with the idea of being a biz major. I had 8 interviews and I didn't get a single question about it.

 

[Sonya]

If you're going to get a C, i would drop it (especially if you have a high GPA, and have time to retake). A "B", it's more questionable. My reasoning: A C will really pull your GPA down. And, most schools take an initial scan at the GPA, and make a lot of descisions. Detailed analysis of the transcripts comes much later and is less important in the admissions process.

yes, they will call attention and you will need to explain the Ws. (And saying to get an A grade may look bad, especially if you're otherwise getting a B). But, you could rephrase it that you wanted to learn well, because these are fundamental courses...

Sonya

 

[neofight]

I agree that a W should be taken whenever you're getting anything lower than a B. I know that the most prestigious schools look at it as an F but it's not too bad two have two or 3 Ws for most medical schools.