How often did this come up in interviews for you?

[SleepyInsomniac1]

I consider myself non-trad because it has taken me about 10 years to complete my undergrad degree since I have been in and out of school. Just had a question for anyone that has applied and gotten accepted or anyone who has received interviews. I have about 12 Ws and multiple Fs (8 to be exact. Fortunately, I've gotten my act together since I first started undergrad and it shows on my transcript). I was just wondering if anyone who had/has similar stats, about how often Ws and Fs came up in the interviews?

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[Crayola227]

I consider myself non-trad because it has taken me about 10 years to complete my undergrad degree since I have been in and out of school. Just had a question for anyone that has applied and gotten accepted or anyone who has received interviews. I have about 12 Ws and multiple Fs (8 to be exact. Fortunately, I've gotten my act together since I first started undergrad and it shows on my transcript). I was just wondering if anyone who had/has similar stats, about how often Ws and Fs came up in the interviews?

I only had 1 F out of close to 270 credits and it was asked about in 1/3 interviews. In my case it seemed like a box checking thing that they asked about it.

If I were you I would certainly expect it to come up and be prepared to answer questions about it.

 

[Nugester]

Only one person asked, but he made a joke about it..."looks like you had a lot of fun during undergrad, no?" Anyway, your recent/current workload speaks for itself. Make sure you have a memorized answer do that question down.

Oh yeah, I think I had like 5 Fs.

 

[MaxCycle42]

It's a red flag but not a huge red flag that will make or break your interviews. Like the above mentioned, make sure you have a reason why and SHOW how you matured and how this won't happen when you're in med school (with ECs and your recent transcript!) Best of Luck!

 

[SleepyInsomniac1]

I only had 1 F out of close to 270 credits and it was asked about in 1/3 interviews. In my case it seemed like a box checking thing that they asked about it.

If I were you I would certainly expect it to come up and be prepared to answer questions about it.

I see. I can only imagine how often I may get asked about it. I certainly have a reason for them and have played it over and over in my head how I would answer since I started being pre-med. Thanks for your insight!

 

[SleepyInsomniac1]

Only one person asked, but he made a joke about it..."looks like you had a lot of fun during undergrad, no?" Anyway, your recent/current workload speaks for itself. Make sure you have a memorized answer do that question down.

Oh yeah, I think I had like 5 Fs.

Out of curiosity, did you do a post-bacc or apply straight out of undergrad?

 

[GreenDuck12]

I see. I can only imagine how often I may get asked about it. I certainly have a reason for them and have played it over and over in my head how I would answer since I started being pre-med. Thanks for your insight!

One thing to keep in mind is that at some programs interviewers will have access to limited information from your application to prevent bias. At my program, interviewers do not have access to grades, transcripts, or mcat scores. If asked, be prepared to answer but I would not bring it up preemptively. Best of luck to you.

 

[Nugester]

Out of curiosity, did you do a post-bacc or apply straight out of undergrad?

Informal post-bacc and masters, close to a decade after I graduated from undergrad.

 

[gramnegative]

I think that I had about 2 or 3 Fs and Ds on my transcript and maybe 4-5 Ws, though those were earned about 200 credit hours before I applied to med school. It only came up on a few out of the dozen or so interviews that I went on, and the interviewers were just interested in what changed in the interim.

 

[MedScat]

I had no Fs but lots of Ws and it took me 9 years to graduate undergrad (most of my relevant coursework was within the last 4 years though) Not one person asked me about the Ws or why it took me so long to graduate. I applied right out of undergrad. Just come up with a good explanation for these things. Also, if your grade got better toward the end that speaks volumes in it self.

 

[stinkycheeseperson]

When we say "an answer," it means a short, concise, non-whiny answer. Medical issues; wasn't prepared; family needs. Got treated, learned math, everyone took on different responsibilities. It needs to be done and dusted.

 

[Nugester]

^To piggy back on this, you need to:

1. Show ownership
2. Spin it in a positive light (what you learned etc).