I will now have 9 W's on my transcript

[coryspry]

I am going into my third year and will have 9 W's.

One was an accidental W (schools fault for making me take a course that wasn't required then saying I should drop it). This was during first year.

Six more W's came when I withdrew from my first University due to my seeing of how they were not good for me, the teachers were not helping me and my advisor was not for me.

Now this semester, I am dropping anatomy and its lab because my teacher is being discriminatory against me. Getting mad at me for missing lab, saying I am wasting her time, she makes 200 terms per test to memorize which is impossible. I already told her I work at a hospital and cannot always make it to class. I could not take the attitude and the unnecessarily long assignments which should have been split into two semesters.

How will this hurt me? Almost all of this was beyond my control such as bad teachers, work and other things. I feel like I am drowning and this will kill my medical school chances, even though I am human and have my own struggles.

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[brockhamptonfanacct]

If 200 terms per test in undergrad is impossible...I've got some news about med school

 

[Goro]

One was an accidental W (schools fault for making me take a course that wasn't required then saying I should drop it). This was during first year.
Harmless

Six more W's came when I withdrew from my first University due to my seeing of how they were not good for me, the teachers were not helping me and my advisor was not for me.

That's what Ws are are for. To get out of bad semesters, usually due to illness or life events. Being at the wrong school can fall into that category.

Now this semester, I am dropping anatomy and its lab because my teacher is being discriminatory against me. Getting mad at me for missing lab, saying I am wasting her time, she makes 200 terms per test to memorize which is impossible. I already told her I work at a hospital and cannot always make it to class. I could not take the attitude and the unnecessarily long assignments which should have been split into two semesters.

Better to take a W than bulldoze your way through when you're not at your best.

BUT, I can't sugar coat this: red flag time. You're supposed to go to lab, for starters, unless your syllabus states that attendance is optional. If your work work was overwhelming you, you should have signed up for this course.

200 terms/exam? Is that all? I give my students a lot more. Do you know how many terms and drugs you're going to have to learn in medical school? And in a single semester??

How will this hurt me? Almost all of this was beyond my control such as bad teachers, work and other things. I feel like I am drowning and this will kill my medical school chances, even though I am human and have my own struggles.

Start accepting responsibility for your actions, and stop blaming everyone else for problems of your making. Suggest taking a few years off and keep working. Once you're back in school, no more Ws.

 

[DNAJB6]

Now this semester, I am dropping anatomy and its lab because my teacher is being discriminatory against me. Getting mad at me for missing lab, saying I am wasting her time, she makes 200 terms per test to memorize which is impossible. I already told her I work at a hospital and cannot always make it to class. I could not take the attitude and the unnecessarily long assignments which should have been split into two semesters.

You're not ready for medical school academically. It also sounds like you lack the requisite maturity. She isn't being discriminatory, and THIS IS YOUR FAULT. Stop blaming others for your own inadequacies. Learn from them, overcome, and grow. And please don't write an adversity essay with your app about your bad ass anatomy lab instructor when the time comes. 😉

 

[m1redsox]

If 200 terms per test in undergrad is impossible...I've got some news about med school

I was literally thinking the exact same thing.. like dude.. not only will med school be busier, but you can’t take a W and blame everyone else everytime something gets hard—say 2000+ terms per exam.

Your 9 Ws will NOT look good to med schools, it WILL be hard to explain why you have them, and they probably were YOUR fault to begin with—even if you don’t believe that, med schools will not put up with a “everyone is mean to me” attitude when you explain your transcript in secondaries and/or interviews.

I wish you luck. This doesn’t necessarily kill your chances, but it’s an uphill battle, and you better have stellar stats.

 

[coryspry]

One was an accidental W (schools fault for making me take a course that wasn't required then saying I should drop it). This was during first year.
Harmless

Six more W's came when I withdrew from my first University due to my seeing of how they were not good for me, the teachers were not helping me and my advisor was not for me.

That's what Ws are are for. To get out of bad semesters, usually due to illness or life events. Being at the wrong school can fall into that category.

Now this semester, I am dropping anatomy and its lab because my teacher is being discriminatory against me. Getting mad at me for missing lab, saying I am wasting her time, she makes 200 terms per test to memorize which is impossible. I already told her I work at a hospital and cannot always make it to class. I could not take the attitude and the unnecessarily long assignments which should have been split into two semesters.

Better to take a W than bulldoze your way through when you're not at your best.

BUT, I can't sugar coat this: red flag time. You're supposed to go to lab, for starters, unless your syllabus states that attendance is optional. If your work work was overwhelming you, you should have signed up for this course.

200 terms/exam? Is that all? I give my students a lot more. Do you know how many terms and drugs you're going to have to learn in medical school? And in a single semester??

How will this hurt me? Almost all of this was beyond my control such as bad teachers, work and other things. I feel like I am drowning and this will kill my medical school chances, even though I am human and have my own struggles.

Start accepting responsibility for your actions, and stop blaming everyone else for problems of your making. Suggest taking a few years off and keep working. Once you're back in school, no more Ws.

Lab attendance is optional.

 

[lacrossegirl420]

1 or 2 W's is still okay (though 0 is ideal by far), 9 is way too many and will significantly hurt your chances unless you have a really good reason

 

[coryspry]

If 200 terms per test in undergrad is impossible...I've got some news about med school

Let me be clearer like I said in my post, 200 terms per test while working full time. I don't have the nice availability to not work. And to those saying medical school is more terms, sure, but you don't work while in medical school.

 

[DNAJB6]

Let me be clearer like I said in my post, 200 terms per test while working full time. I don't have the nice availability to not work. And to those saying medical school is more terms, sure, but you don't work while in medical school.

How many credit hours did you enroll in?

 

[brockhamptonfanacct]

Let me be clearer like I said in my post, 200 terms per test while working full time. I don't have the nice availability to not work. And to those saying medical school is more terms, sure, but you don't work while in medical school.

The rat race never ends. You might not work in med school, but you’re not learning 200 words per exam. You’re learning a lot more. Med school is a full time job. And some students research and volunteer on top of that!

Secondly — part of the process of getting admitted into med school is showing you can successfully handle multiple things at once. I work full time between my four jobs and I have never, ever missed a deadline or blamed a professor for assigning a reasonable amount of work. You’re not a pedagogical expert; they are, and their class design has had a lot of effort, time, and strategy put into it. To be frank, I would consider changing your attitude and focusing on what you can change, instead of thinking others are out to get you.

 

[coryspry]

How many credit hours did you enroll in?

6 classes, two of which are labs and they apparently count for 0 credits, so 12 credits only. Feels like 16 though because of everything being online except labs. I also have autism, I learn visually, and what is going on is not helping me.

 

[Goro]

6 classes, two of which are labs and they apparently count for 0 credits, so 12 credits only. Feels like 16 though because of everything being online except labs. I also have autism, I learn visually, and what is going on is not helping me.

Contact your school's learning or education center for help/accommodations.

Learning time mgt is a required skillset for a medical student and doctor.

 

[coryspry]

The rat race never ends. You might not work in med school, but you’re not learning 200 words per exam. You’re learning a lot more. Med school is a full time job. And some students research and volunteer on top of that!

Secondly — part of the process of getting admitted into med school is showing you can successfully handle multiple things at once. I work full time between my four jobs and I have never, ever missed a deadline or blamed a professor for assigning a reasonable amount of work. You’re not a pedagogical expert; they are, and their class design has had a lot of effort, time, and strategy put into it. To be frank, I would consider changing your attitude and focusing on what you can change, instead of thinking others are out to get you.

I don't think others are out to get me. I know the difference between good teachers and bad teachers. All of high school I had teachers who knew how to teach visually and be able to explain. I have had good teachers in college too, but many, many bad ones. This current one, anatomy, if you were there in person you would know what I am talking about but I can't show over text. I was very very stellar when it came to good teachers because they knew how to spread their knowledge. For example, I took organic chem at my old university and got a D. I took it at my new one with a good professor and got an A. Goes to show how that makes an impact. What I see people doing here though is denying that any single person could simply take a W because a professor is actually making it impossible to pass a class. And yes, I did not attend SOME labs, but I did not miss all of them. I studied as much as I could, but having to work fulltime to pay for bills and college only gives me like 3 hours per day to study and that is not adequite.

 

[deleted1040417]

Flashcard your life away on those terms every second of downtime you can find. Which I doubt there's a lot of downtime depending on what exactly you do at the hospital. Telemetry Techs must be living the life.

 

[DNAJB6]

6 classes, two of which are labs and they apparently count for 0 credits, so 12 credits only. Feels like 16 though because of everything being online except labs. I also have autism, I learn visually, and what is going on is not helping me.

I'm sorry if I came off as overly abrasive. I didn't realize there were extenuating circumstances. Twelve credit hours isn't a lot even when working full time. This means figuring out your ideal learning style while addressing time management is imperative. Go to your school's learning center and seek their help NOW. It won't be fatal, but you've got to get this figured out before medical school. Also be prepared for a post bacc or at least two full time semesters (15+ credit hours) before applying to prove you can handle it. Under the circumstances, I do think adcoms would give you leeway and overcoming hurdles from finances while having autism could make for an interesting adversity or diversity essay.

 

[coryspry]

Flashcard your life away on those terms every second of downtime you can find. Which I doubt there's a lot of downtime depending on what exactly you do at the hospital. Telemetry Techs must be living the life.

I am a transporter, only two of us on for 8+ hours of work in a hospital of 10 levels, so running around pretty much the whole time.

 

[brockhamptonfanacct]

I don't think others are out to get me. I know the difference between good teachers and bad teachers. All of high school I had teachers who knew how to teach visually and be able to explain. I have had good teachers in college too, but many, many bad ones. This current one, anatomy, if you were there in person you would know what I am talking about but I can't show over text. I was very very stellar when it came to good teachers because they knew how to spread their knowledge. For example, I took organic chem at my old university and got a D. I took it at my new one with a good professor and got an A. Goes to show how that makes an impact. What I see people doing here though is denying that any single person could simply take a W because a professor is actually making it impossible to pass a class. And yes, I did not attend SOME labs, but I did not miss all of them. I studied as much as I could, but having to work fulltime to pay for bills and college only gives me like 3 hours per day to study and that is not adequite.

I understand what you’re saying, and I hear you — but the larger point I’m making is that these things aren’t things you can control. You might have what you consider a horrible med school prof. Or you get poor evaluations on a clerkship because of an attending’s personal problems. What next, other than picking yourself back up, dusting yourself off, and doing what you can control and change?

 

[coryspry]

I'm sorry if I came off as overly abrasive. I didn't realize there were extenuating circumstances. Twelve credit hours isn't a lot even when working full time. This means figuring out your ideal learning style while addressing time management is imperative. Go to your school's learning center and seek their help NOW. It won't be fatal, but you've got to get this figured out before medical school. Also be prepared for a post bacc or at least two full time semesters (15+ credit hours) before applying to prove you can handle it. Under the circumstances, I do think adcoms would give you leeway and overcoming hurdles from finances while having autism could make for an interesting adversity or diversity essay.

I know 12 isn't much, my first year of college I took 18 credits a semester and came out with a 3.82 GPA. That was the year I didn't have to work...

 

[coryspry]

I understand what you’re saying, and I hear you — but the larger point I’m making is that these things aren’t things you can control. You might have what you consider a horrible med school prof. Or you get poor evaluations on a clerkship because of an attending’s personal problems. What next, other than picking yourself back up, dusting yourself off, and doing what you can control and change?

Right but I am having trouble figuring out what is messing me up. Like I said just now, my first year of college I did great, what is making me do bad now with lessor credits and what not?

 

[DNAJB6]

I know 12 isn't much, my first year of college I took 18 credits a semester and came out with a 3.82 GPA. That was the year I didn't have to work...

Make sure to keep documentation of hours and get your IRS transcripts. That may come in handy later.

What does your AMCAS GPA grid with credit hours look like?

 

[coryspry]

Make sure to keep documentation of hours and get your IRS transcripts. That may come in handy later.

What does your AMCAS GPA grid with credit hours look like?

That I don't know cause I am still only going into third year this Spring. I think if I ace my current classes I will be at a 3.6 overall GPA (over two years of school) with 9 W's and 3 bad grades total. Is there a chance if I do not withdraw from here on out (last two years) and try to get A's and B's, maybe lighten my job down to lower hours?

 

[DNAJB6]

That I don't know cause I am still only going into third year this Spring. I think if I ace my current classes I will be at a 3.6 overall GPA (over two years of school) with 9 W's and 3 bad grades total. Is there a chance if I do not withdraw from here on out (last two years) and try to get A's and B's, maybe lighten my job down to lower hours?

Do what you need to do to get your grades up. What were the three bad grades?

 

[DNAJB6]

That I don't know cause I am still only going into third year this Spring. I think if I ace my current classes I will be at a 3.6 overall GPA (over two years of school) with 9 W's and 3 bad grades total. Is there a chance if I do not withdraw from here on out (last two years) and try to get A's and B's, maybe lighten my job down to lower hours?

Also have you thought about MCAT prep and how you're going to do that while working? It's something to keep in the back of your mind.

 

[brockhamptonfanacct]

Right but I am having trouble figuring out what is messing me up. Like I said just now, my first year of college I did great, what is making me do bad now with lessor credits and what not?

First step to solving a problem is thinking about it, so good on you. I would echo everyone else’s advice and visit your school’s success center. Also, I completely relate to how much more difficult and draining this semester has been. Doing timed sessions of work with timed breaks has helped me (and my motivation) a lot. After failures of some sort, we tend to find challenges insurmountable and scary...so if that’s where you’re at, make sure to fix your mindset, too. You are more than capable as proven by your freshman year intensive courseload and grades.

As corny as it sounds, make sure you’re taking care of yourself first, and the rest follows somewhat intuitively. The best decision I made this pandemic was to vow to eat healthier, get the correct amount of sleep if possible (though I know that’s hard with full time jobs), and break up my studying sessions with jumping jacks and walks. You mentioned that you feel like you’re drowning in schoolwork — and I know exactly what you mean — so make a few small changes in your daily life to reap big rewards in every aspect of life later. For you, the first step might be trying to negotiate lower hours, as you mentioned above.

Lastly, if you’re ever just feeling down for the count with all that’s happening and would like some commiseration, you’re welcome to PM me.

 

[coryspry]

If I end this semester:

16 A's (42 credits)
2 B's (7 credits)
2 C's (6 credits) -- will retake
1 D (0 credits?) -- retook for an A
9 W's

 

[Goro]

If I end this semester:

16 A's (42 credits)
2 B's (7 credits)
2 C's (6 credits) -- will retake
1 D (0 credits?) -- retook for an A
9 W's

Long stretches of academic excellence will allay any concerns about the Ws.

 

[coryspry]

Long stretches of academic excellence will allay any concerns about the Ws.

So basically, just here on out no more withdraws for the next two years and keep trying to get A's and B's?

 

[DNAJB6]

So basically, just here on out no more withdraws for the next two years and keep trying to get A's and B's?

Yep and aim for mostly As.

 

[Goro]

So basically, just here on out no more withdraws for the next two years and keep trying to get A's and B's?

Yes, exactly. And As > Bs.

 

[supastudier2000]

1 W is good, It adds a little spice. But 9? It's a tough boat to be in... Im sorry you're going through this. To answer your question, Med schools will NOT like this. They will likely reject you. But keep fighting if this is truely something you want! Figure it out! I'm rooting for your comeback. As other's have mentioned, it might be good to learn how to deal with these rude professors, there's rude people in every turn in life. We deal with them

 

[deleted1040417]

1 W is good, It adds a little spice. But 9? It's a tough boat to be in... Im sorry you're going through this. To answer your question, Med schools will NOT like this. They will likely reject you. But keep fighting if this is truely something you want! Figure it out! I'm rooting for your comeback. As other's have mentioned, it might be good to learn how to deal with these rude professors, there's rude people in every turn in life. We deal with them

If you read OP's message to its entirety they had a mishap and were forced to withdraw once. I did the same over summer and didn't hear that the research internship I was supposed to get credit for was canceled until the withdrawal date passed myself. That stuff happens.

One semester OP just had a horrible time with professors and academics so they dropped the semester and decided to pursue a university they thought would be better for their own education which is understandable. At least to me as a naive pre-med.

These recent ones are slightly bumpy but as long there is a better explanation than "It was too hard -- too much with work" or etc they'll be fine or maybe not depending on which people specifically are reviewing their application that day and the rest of their academic trend. That doesn't mean this W is any good to take.

EDIT: OP don't forget yes you're human but unfortunately in the pre-med->physician life you're required to be a student first to survive these rigors.

 

[Goro]

1 W is good, It adds a little spice. But 9? It's a tough boat to be in... Im sorry you're going through this. To answer your question, Med schools will NOT like this. They will likely reject you. But keep fighting if this is truely something you want! Figure it out! I'm rooting for your comeback. As other's have mentioned, it might be good to learn how to deal with these rude professors, there's rude people in every turn in life. We deal with them

The OP is in a nuanced situation. Ordinarily, a semester's worth of Ws telegraphs that one was sick, or had to deal with outside life issues. That's what Ws are for.

SDNers are reminded that occasional Ws are not Fs. It's only seeing a sea of them scattered through a transcript that telegraphs that the student was A) biting off more than they could chew, and B) trying to salvage the GPA.