should i do a post bac

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This is my situation, I have A LOT of withdrawels on my transcript like 20 or so. I have been getting withdrawels practically every semester because I cant seem to handle the heavy course load. I think its because of my current living situation, I have a lot of stress at home. And im working a lot too. If I were to move and stop working I would probaly do a lot better . Anyways, I do ace the courses that I stick with. I have a 3.8 gpa. Im thinking that even though I have a high gpa im going to get rejected by all the schools because of the W's on my transcript. So should i sign up for a post bac or try applying and hopefully get in sowewhere.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Med school admissions committees are not going to want to hear that you can't handle a heavy course load, because med school is the ultimate heavy course load. They will want you to explain why you have thousands of drops on your transcript, and they are going to want to hear pretty much anything other than that.

You'll probably get some schools to look at you though, with a 3.8. I really have no idea how much love you'll get, to be honest. Maybe nobody will notice.

 

[hanky1982]

Med school admissions committees are not going to want to hear that you can't handle a heavy course load, because med school is the ultimate heavy course load. They will want you to explain why you have thousands of drops on your transcript, and they are going to want to hear pretty much anything other than that.

You'll probably get some schools to look at you though, with a 3.8. I really have no idea how much love you'll get, to be honest. Maybe nobody will notice.

Yea totally agree, kinda sticky situation. I would call a couple of schools and see what their response is, I think may be the only way to actually "know" how they will look upon your file. Also, if you have a lot of withdrawls and are not taking a full sumester/quarter this could also be detrimental.

 

[littlealex]

So basically you dropped every class you weren't going to get an A in?
Considering they are W's, you probably dropped them pretty deep into the semesters.

That just screams GPA-whoring-premed... blah it gives me a bad taste in my mouth.

Anyway, my personal feelings aside, I would apply simultaneously to PostBacs and regular cycle. With your high GPA, if you can pair it with great MCAT scores and a great excuse for all the W's, I think you will do just fine applying. Don't tell them about how you can't handle heavy course loads. Harp on the thing about how you have the work to support yourself and the immense stress at home that distracts you from being able to focus on school.

 

[t-funk]

This is my situation, I have A LOT of withdrawels on my transcript like 20 or so. I have been getting withdrawels practically every semester because I cant seem to handle the heavy course load. I think its because of my current living situation, I have a lot of stress at home. And im working a lot too. If I were to move and stop working I would probaly do a lot better . Anyways, I do ace the courses that I stick with. I have a 3.8 gpa. Im thinking that even though I have a high gpa im going to get rejected by all the schools because of the W's on my transcript. So should i sign up for a post bac or try applying and hopefully get in sowewhere.

I don't know if you mean 20 classes or 20 hours. I have about 18 hours of Ws on my transcripts but I also had several semesters of full-time coursework ranging up to 22 hours in one semester and about 250 total hours. I tended to drop bc I was just taking the class for fun and the professor wanted to work us to death or when I decided I was no longer going to be an engineer. It was never bc I was doing poorly but I know that's what the adcoms think every time they see a W. I would think your relative level of success will have to do with the reasoning behind the Ws and their placements in your schedule. If they are every semester that is probably not good and I would suggest comleting additional semesters of a full course load in upper level courses where you do not drop a course to prove you can handle it. It is true that med school want to see that you can handle a heavy load.

 

[D-Bone]

20 W's is rough one to swallow. I agree with the above poster regarding your excellent preservation of that 3.8gpa. However, I would think most schools will pick up on the false perseption it gives of you as a student. Simply put, you can't handle pressure(or at least you have not proven it in an academic setting). Medical school is all about pressure and applying yourself.

Specifically, what courses were the W's in? Were they pre-med/science courses? Did you by chance drop the same course more than once? How many years have you been or were you in undergrad? Were you at a tough university or a community college?

OK...enough with the criticism (I'm far from perfect myself!) Personally, I would consider a post-bac program at a good school. Consider one with a thesis requirement too. If you can handle the typical 16-20 credits/semester in the prescribed timeframe for the program, along with completing a thesis and graduating with honors, you'll be all set for medical school.

Don't mean to harp on you. I dug myself a huge hole as an undergrad in a different way. Just don't make excuses for yourself. You know your weakness(es) so work on it. You just need to prove you can handle the pressure of medical school.

Good luck!

 

[HyperSpace]

Most of my W's are in science courses. I made the mistake of taking nothing but basics for the first two years of college while working and I really didnt get any W's during that time. Maybe like two. When I started to take sciences thats when I started to withdraw from courses. It will have taken me a total of 5.5 years to graduate with a bio degree, but I did change my major and I had to take a lot of math remedial courses when I started. Another qeustion I have is what if I where to get a second bachelors in like psychology instead of the post bac. Would that help me? It would only take me an additional year if I were to take 15 credit hours per semester and save me a lot of money.

 

[D-Bone]

Most of my W's are in science courses. I made the mistake of taking nothing but basics for the first two years of college while working and I really didnt get any W's during that time. Maybe like two. When I started to take sciences thats when I started to withdraw from courses. It will have taken me a total of 5.5 years to graduate with a bio degree, but I did change my major and I had to take a lot of math remedial courses when I started. Another qeustion I have is what if I where to get a second bachelors in like psychology instead of the post bac. Would that help me? It would only take me an additional year if I were to take 15 credit hours per semester and save me a lot of money.

A post-bac will more closely resemble the level of difficulty you will experience in medical school. I don't think a second bachelors degree will do you much good.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

You've already graduated, and you have a 3.8. Spend your time and money on an MCAT prep course and get a good score.

Apply broadly, and throw in a couple SMP programs, just in case.

If your goal is to get into medical school, do not waste time getting a freaking useless psychology degree.

 

[slim78]

If your goal is to get into medical school, do not waste time getting a freaking useless psychology degree.

Ha ha I have one of those!