To Drop or Not to Drop...

[Newguy1980]

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I am a regular poster but today I am posting under a pseudonym to retain a little anonymity 🙄

I have a question about dropping a class and wanted to get everyone's opinion.
I am retaking O-Chem this semester after getting a C+ last semester. BUT, right before classes started I was diagnosed with an illness that has really taken its toll. I am not out of the woods on this illness and I am also working 30 hours a week and taking 3 other science courses. I got a C on the first exam (the easiest of the semester) and feel woefully unprepared for the 2nd exam next week despite working my tail off.

My GPA cannot handle another C in a class and I feel that if I didn't show some improvement after retaking, the adcoms will think I'm a *****. Do I drop it, retain my GPA and avoid the risk of getting the same (or worse) grade that I got last time? Or do I press onward and just deal with whatever I end up with?

Oh and I already sent my application in, luckily with a little blurb in the explanation statement about this illness, so it's possible they would chalk the W up to that, but I'm not sure.

Help me SDN, you're my only hope!

 

[Lissarae06]

I am a regular poster but today I am posting under a pseudonym to retain a little anonymity 🙄

I have a question about dropping a class and wanted to get everyone's opinion.
I am retaking O-Chem this semester after getting a C+ last semester. BUT, right before classes started I was diagnosed with an illness that has really taken its toll. I am not out of the woods on this illness and I am also working 30 hours a week and taking 3 other science courses. I got a C on the first exam (the easiest of the semester) and feel woefully unprepared for the 2nd exam next week despite working my tail off.

My GPA cannot handle another C in a class and I feel that if I didn't show some improvement after retaking, the adcoms will think I'm a *****. Do I drop it, retain my GPA and avoid the risk of getting the same (or worse) grade that I got last time? Or do I press onward and just deal with whatever I end up with?

Oh and I already sent my application in, luckily with a little blurb in the explanation statement about this illness, so it's possible they would chalk the W up to that, but I'm not sure.

Help me SDN, you're my only hope!

I got into vet school with a C in both orgo I and orgo II. If it causes you a ton of stress and might be making your illness worse, I say drop it.

 

[orca2011]

I'm going to second Liss.

I had a a B- and C in Organic and got in. Only one school told me to consider retaking it when I did a file review, but he didn't push for it since he felt it didn't directly correlate to how one does in vet school.

Your health is definitely important so if it is making things worse, and focusing on it is drawing your attention from other classes you need to do well in, I would drop it. One C is not going to be the end of your application.

 

[Camelidcrazy]

Health comes first. What's the point of getting into vet school if you've become so sick that you have to defer your admission?

Most people have at least one C. I wouldn't worry about it and focus on getting healthy before you start this completely draining adventure we call vet school.

 

[twelvetigers]

I got a C in chem I, chem II, orgo I, orgo II...

Just do the best you can on the next exams - aim hard for a B - but if you get a C, meh.

And yeah, drop if if it's taking that much of a toll on your health... gotta prioritize.

 

[irrelephant23]

I agree with all of the above! Health (and sanity!) first!

I've heard that some schools will only consider repeat courses if they're under their required grades (C or C- for some places). I got a C in orgo, C+ in anatomy (with Dr. Devil an evil professor), and a C- then A in orgo 2. I've contacted multiple schools about whether I should retake both orgo and orgo 2 and only the schools requiring pre req's above C- suggested I retake orgo 2. None suggested I retake the other two courses! I mention this because from the sound of it, you are retaking it more for peace of mind in the competition than necessity! I don't think its worth it! Especially if it will cause a waste of stress and energy that could be put toward getting better!

 

[Newguy1980]

You guys have made me feel a lot better. I kept going back and forth and I'm still worried about having a W on my transcript, but hopefully that W will be flanked by 3 A's.

Seriously, thanks for the input. 🙂

 

[Emiloo4]

You guys have made me feel a lot better. I kept going back and forth and I'm still worried about having a W on my transcript, but hopefully that W will be flanked by 3 A's.

Seriously, thanks for the input. 🙂

I had a W on my transcript. I was asked about it in one interview, but it was easily explained. 👍

 

[orca2011]

I have two Ws and was never asked about them. One or two won't of those won't kill your application either.

 

[irrelephant23]

W for WIN!

 

[Jamr0ckin]

I had a W on my transcript. I was asked about it in one interview, but it was easily explained. 👍

I had like 7 Ws.... 5 of them were WI (withdraw - illness) and were for one semester. My undergrad was specific on the transcripts.

I also had several Cs and even a D. If I can do it, so can you!

Sent from my DROID RAZR using SDN Mobile

 

[DVMDream]

I had one W my senior year of undergrad and that actually dropped me below full-time student status for the last semester of undergrad which probably looked horrible since they look for upward trends; I was asked about it at one interview, it was easily explained and they did not seem to care. A W will not kill your chances. 🙂

 

[kakurubird]

My W in physics was one of my best decisions. When I spoke to my professor because I had to get his clearance to withdraw, he really tried to advise me against it because I was still passing at that point, but the amount of stress was just not worth it. I felt amazing after withdrawing, my stress level decreased significantly, I did much better in my other classes than I would have otherwise, and was a much happier person the rest of the semester. (And freed up 4 hours a week more to spend at the barn!)

 

[anotherbusybee]

If I could hug you all, I would. Thank you all for being so open and showing that we're all just HUMAN beings!

Hell, if being a vet required me to do retrosynthesis reactions on the daily, I wouldn't try to apply to vet school. But, fortunately, that's not what it's about 🙂