I was in college from August 2017 - December 2021.
I withdrew from school in Fall 2018 because I felt really lost and really overwhelmed.
During the Spring 2019 semester, I took 5 classes at a local CC, earned all A’s (no science classes though, just humanities) and worked ~20 hours a week tutoring K-12 students in variety of subjects.
After I went back to my 4-year college in Summer 2019, my lowest grade was a B+ and the rest were all A’s and A-'s. Granted, I P/NP-ed 6 classes for my major but I was a non-science major (I have a BA in economics).
Final sGPA - 3.56, final cGPA - 3.80.
I know that medical school is really intense and causes mental health issues among even the most mentally healthy / resilient of people, so I’d imagine that me withdrawing from college would look bad because it could signal that I’m prone to MH issues?
Like, I definitely did struggle with MH issues in HS and college, but now, I think I’m much more resilient and better at handling anxiety/stress.
If I do end up applying to medical school, I’d be applying in 2026 or 2027, if that helps / makes a difference at all? I also have a bunch of science classes (Orgo 2 and Lab, Biology, Physics, Biochem, upper div bio) and psychology left to take and maybe I could show an upward trend there as well.
Just want to know how big of a black mark this is / what I should do to explain it / show I’m different at 23+ years old vs. 19 years old.
Have you seen this story? It’s never too late and no I don’t think a withdrawal will be looked at as a permanent black mark. Good luck in following your dream!
Penguin, based on the intense anger and sarcasm you displayed on your last post (hint-- when you ask for advice, it’s not cool to lash out at the folks who give you advice you don’t like) I’d say you have a skootch more work to do on your serenity/resilience.
I thought a semester withdrawal would look worse than patterns (like withdrawing from a few specific classes) because a semester withdrawal means that you just could not handle that semester mentally and had to drop out when med school is high stress.
That being said, as you were one of the people who told me to pursue an MHA/MBA/MS in economics, I wish you’d understand that being a doctor is very different from working in the business side of healthcare. And that there’s a reason why I want to be a physician over just any nilly willy job in that industry.
It felt very much like you were saying, “Oh, medical school isn’t even worth it for you and/or you can’t do it, so just settle for something better” or just thinking “Oh well a job in healthcare supply chain is just as good so why even bother attending med school?”
My parents said I’d never get into med school, so family trauma.
And I never said that I was the most resilient or serene person. I said that I was BETTER than when I was 19.
You are not required to explain why you took a semester withdrawal. If you are asked to explain (in a secondary or interview, for example), you can simply say what you said here: that you struggled with the adjustment to college and took some time off to regroup. Many people have trouble adjusting to college. It’s not uncommon and no one is going to hold it against you. In fact, some would say it’s a mark of maturity to know that you’re not doing well and taking steps to fix the problem.
Let me give some free advice that will help you in life (and in applying for med school).
Stop blaming your parents for things that have happened in the past. If your parents actually said that you’ll never get into med school (and maybe they did, but maybe they didn’t. You appear to take many things said to you and interpret them in negative ways that the writer never intended.), then use that as motivation to do better and be better. Don’t keep perservating on the remark over and over. Each time you do you give the remark more power over you and you become more defensive and reactive and less proactive.
You’re an adult now. Take control of your life (and mental health). Let the past be in the past.
If you do become a physician, you’re going to get tons of negative comments directed at you. Med students and residents get PIMPed. (Put In My Place–which is when an instructor will deliberately ask a student a question the instructor knows the student can’t answer. This is done both as teaching method, but also to humiliate an individual in front of their peers. It’s bad pedagogy, but still pretty common.) Residents routinely get screamed at and told that they’re too stupid to ever be trusted near a patient. Patients think that anyone with 2 thumbs and a smart phone knows more than the doctor does, and they will loudly proclaim to everyone–including their family member and your supervisor–just how ignorant and uncaring/awful you are. You will get blamed by patients for stuff that is completely out of your control–like dirty bathrooms, hospital cafeterias that close as 2pm or not eough parking places.
Take the time now to work on your self esteem. It will benefit you in the long run.
I can appreciate that it’s important to develop thick skin. I have heard how abusive medical training can be and how important it is to not let people get to you, but I don’t think it’s super healthy to be like, “Oh well you should show your parents up then instead of letting it keep you down.”
Like, I do understand that it’s easier for outsiders (strangers, acquaintances, professors, whatever) to be all platitude-y and say, “Of course you can get into med school, sweetie; when there’s a will, there’s a way,” and that my parents have the responsibility of being harsher and more truthful because they’re a larger stakeholder in my life.
I also understand why my parents would be skeptical of me getting in because my science grades are poor. But still, lmao.
Your sarcasm is showing and it’s not endearing to you anyone who would be interested I helping you. (Including me and I can be supernaturally patient.)
And, no, not everyone can get into med school. (Nor should most people get into med school.)
I was just saying that other people can be pleasantly nice and overly optimistic about me getting into med school because to them, it doesn’t matter whether I get in or not.
But my parents are obligated to be more realistic because they are affected by my decision, so I understand if they had to be harsh and say, “You won’t get in.”
THIS is sarcasm. Do you honestly believe that I don’t know the difference between being an MD and running a group of dialysis clinics? Do you think that I’m so stupid that I don’t know why developing vaccine strategies for the World Health Organization (for which you don’t need an MD) is different from GIVING vaccines to thousands of kids?
I know the difference. I was merely pointing out that your stated reasons- so far- for applying to med school is because you want to “help people”. And there are hundreds of ways to “help people” in the health care field that don’t require med school.
Namaste. I wish you luck. I have a thick skin (and no, I wasn’t a medical resident, but every profession has its version of “You are too dumb to live” during your early training!
Might I suggest that the OP review comments in the assisting spirit in which they were made. Might I also suggest that humor/irony/sarcasm does not translate well on the written page
If the OP is open to suggestions, great. If the conversation goes around in circles, the thread will be locked