regarding w's and retake

[polyploidy516]

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hi all,

long story short, I had to withdraw during a semester of postbac( 5 w's due to medical issue) and 1 class after ( medical issue). However, since then ( 1.5 years ago), I have not withdrawn from a class and have roughly a 3.75 total postbac gpa.

I would like to know if I should retake these classes that i withdrew from ( microbiology and immunology) since theyre medically relevant? I was doing fine in those classes but had to withdraw because i physically could not attend the labs that semester due to this medical issue.

other than that, my postbac gpa is a 3.7+ and my overall is in the mid 3.4s with a 40 mcat.
I really just want to establish academic credibility in my coursework and don't want these w's to hurt me/want to maximize my chances at med school and my dream schools ( Columbia/Stanford, etc)

your clarification would be truly appreciated.

@LizzyM, @gyngyn, @Goro, @Catalystik

 

[Goro]

Take the classes ONLY if you're interested in them. Period.

hi all,

long story short, I had to withdraw during a semester of postbac( 5 w's due to medical issue) and 1 class after ( medical issue). However, since then ( 1.5 years ago), I have not withdrawn from a class and have roughly a 3.75 total postbac gpa.

I would like to know if I should retake these classes that i withdrew from ( microbiology and immunology) since theyre medically relevant? I was doing fine in those classes but had to withdraw because i physically could not attend the labs that semester due to this medical issue.

other than that, my postbac gpa is a 3.7+ and my overall is in the mid 3.4s with a 40 mcat.
I really just want to establish academic credibility in my coursework and don't want these w's to hurt me/want to maximize my chances at med school and my dream schools ( Columbia/Stanford, etc)

your clarification would be truly appreciated.

@LizzyM, @gyngyn, @Goro, @Catalystik

 

[LizzyM]

Anyone who sees 5 W in a term is going to say, "there is a story there". Get that story out to the extent you can without going into TMI about your health condition. If you were hospitalized after an accident or had surgery, just say so and move on. Many people would suggest being more circumspect if the issue was mental health but you can find a way that describes it without going into detail such as "flare up of a chronic condition that precluded class attendance on a regular basis". Most adcoms will not hold it against you if you could not attend classes for a semester due to injury or illness, particularly if they are assured that your medical condition is now under control and will not preclude you from timely completion of medical school classes.

I wouldn't advise retaking the classes you dropped unless you are really interested in the material and would take them regardless of whether you had previously attempted them.