Hi all,
In advance I would like to thank you for your input and advice. I am currently a college sophomore (please disregard my username) and a couple of months ago my father was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. This has been devastating and completely heartbreaking for my family and I. I am in an accelerated pre-med program and took several upper level science classes this semester. To stay in the program these classes were required this semester. About a month ago my dad took a turn for the worse and my grades took a direct hit. I struggled with my finals (Cs and Ds) and am concerned about being kicked out of the program. Does a parent’s diagnosis serve as an acceptable excuse? I am extremely nervous since transfer applications have already passed and this is my dream. My freshman year I received decent grades. Any advice would be great!
I don’t know but I want to say how sorry I am for you having this nightmare scenario. The only thing I can think of is to talk to your advisor and your dean. Perhaps some classes could be retaken at a community college near your home this summer.
Thank you for your kind message. I spoke to the dean when he was first diagnosed and she was completely unsympathetic. I am going to schedule another meeting with her and ask about the possibility of retaking the classes.
I was going to suggest talking to the dean…but the bottom line is that you have to be able to pass these classes if you are going to med school. How are you paying for the classes? if it is a scholarship, then they may not pay for an extra semester.
I am so sorry to hear about your father’s cancer diagnosis. I too struggled with having a parent battling cancer while I was in undergrad (my mom), who unfortunately passed away my senior year. Short of talking to the dean, I’m not sure what else you can do in this situation. It may be possible though to talk to each individual professor and see if they would be willing to allow you to make up some of the points you lost in another way.
Please feel free to reach out to me if you need support from someone who has gone through something similar. One last thing - spend as much time with your dad as you can. Get his voice on tape. Wishing you strength and peace.
That is sad and I am very sorry for you and your family. If he is terminal in the next six months or year, perhaps it might be best to take a break from college so you can focus your energy on your family for now. Hugs to you, best of luck.