got kicked out of uni,..circumstance

[thelastguyin]

THIS IS A SERIOUS QUESTION,

 

Hi guys,

 

I did my first year at Mac and got kicked out because of low marks, I applied to reinstate. Now I am a really hard working person, its just that the May of last year I was diagnosed with cancer, and that basically turned my life, goals and dreams all upside down. Imagine having that mental picture of a future in your head and working so hard for it, when all of the sudden you are thinking of dying. I lost motivation to live, just kept silent all the time, slept in depression all first year round. I ended with a 58% GPA, but needed a 60% to stay at Mac in science. I basically was depressed the whole year, got into a really bad weed habit too. Its sad how life makes you do things you would never even see yourself thinking about.

 

So now this summer, recovering from the cancer YAY! I quit all the bad habits, got my head straight, just recovered overall and the reality of my horrible situation really hit me hard.

 

What would you guys recomend I do.? Now if I get denied reinstatement, its safe to say that the 2nd time around if I do some classes in my year off I will be reinstated (into level 2 science). Do you think theres hope for me? Don;t some schools only look at your last/best 2 years?

 

all the help is appreciated guys

[ameltingbanana]

There's always hope, one bad year won't break your application. And as far as I know, UWO takes your best 2 years (provided you meet their MCAT VR requirement of 11), Queens' takes your last 2 years, Ottawa applies a weighting formula which favours subsequent years and Dalhousie also takes your best 2 years.

 

I'm not too sure about reinstatement at Mac, maybe someone who's had experience with something like that at Macmaster can shed some light. But though you have some work to do, things aren't hopeless.

[future_doc]

Yes, there is hope. And you have an explanation for last year. Just don't let it happen again. Let events unfold.

[xkittens]

Yes, there is hope. And you have an explanation for last year. Just don't let it happen again. Let events unfold.

 

?????????????????????

For your OMSAS application I know you can try to get your first year marks dropped because of your extreme circumstances, you'll have to explain the situation to them.

Hope you're feeling better bud

[future_doc]

?????????????????????

 

The OP cannot allow things to go, to be depressed and unmotivated again. Either the OP takes time off from undegrad studies or works hard. Perhaps a decision should be made in consultation with the physician and the OP should find out what is rerquired to get back to undergrad studies when ready.

 

If taking off a year, this is a perfect opportunity to volunteer with cancer patients, having the requisite experience, compassion, understanding.

[xkittens]

compassion, understanding.

 

Maybe you need to learn these things

[future_doc]

Maybe you need to learn these things

 

Maybe I do and maybe I don't. For sure none of us are perfect. Maybe you see a problem that does not exist.

 

PEACE

[pika]

THIS IS A SERIOUS QUESTION,

 

Hi guys,

 

I did my first year at Mac and got kicked out because of low marks, I applied to reinstate. Now I am a really hard working person, its just that the May of last year I was diagnosed with cancer, and that basically turned my life, goals and dreams all upside down. Imagine having that mental picture of a future in your head and working so hard for it, when all of the sudden you are thinking of dying. I lost motivation to live, just kept silent all the time, slept in depression all first year round. I ended with a 58% GPA, but needed a 60% to stay at Mac in science. I basically was depressed the whole year, got into a really bad weed habit too. Its sad how life makes you do things you would never even see yourself thinking about.

 

So now this summer, recovering from the cancer YAY! I quit all the bad habits, got my head straight, just recovered overall and the reality of my horrible situation really hit me hard.

 

What would you guys recomend I do.? Now if I get denied reinstatement, its safe to say that the 2nd time around if I do some classes in my year off I will be reinstated (into level 2 science). Do you think theres hope for me? Don;t some schools only look at your last/best 2 years?

 

all the help is appreciated guys

 

The admissions people at Mac would have to be pretty cruel to deny reinstatement for someone who was dealing with cancer...

[Clever]

Maybe I do and maybe I don't. For sure none of us are perfect. Maybe you see a problem that does not exist.

 

PEACE

 

Maybe this is a situation where compassion will be of value more so than bluntness?

[1234]

The OP cannot allow things to go, to be depressed and unmotivated again.

 

 

I didn't know that was a conscious decision. I guess all those depressed individuals are to blame for their depression. Allowance implies fault - either you need to work on your English, or you are quite ignorant.

[Outlaw]

The OP cannot allow things to go, to be depressed and unmotivated again. Either the OP takes time off from undegrad studies or works hard. Perhaps a decision should be made in consultation with the physician and the OP should find out what is rerquired to get back to undergrad studies when ready.

 

If taking off a year, this is a perfect opportunity to volunteer with cancer patients, having the requisite experience, compassion, understanding.

 

Being diagnosed with cancer is pretty much as bad as it gets. I'm amazed the OP was even able to pull off a 58% average while going through that. I think for many people depression, among other things, is inevitable following a life changing event like that. To simply say "don't let it happen again" is a pretty narrow minded view and, in my opinion, is flat out disrespectful. Nobody knows what the OP is/was going through so to infer that they even have a choice of controlling an ensuing period of depression doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I agree that the OP should really consider taking some extra time off before jumping back into things but I think that message could have been conveyed in a much better way.

[Robin Hood]

The admissions people at Mac would have to be pretty cruel to deny reinstatement for someone who was dealing with cancer...

 

The worst is that some med school will not forgive his bad year, even with cancer (like the med school of my univ).

 

To the OP: If you get reinstatement, see if your first year marks can be flagged out of your transcript.

[future_doc]

I didn't know that was a conscious decision. I guess all those depressed individuals are to blame for their depression. Allowance implies fault - either you need to work on your English, or you are quite ignorant.

 

There is absolutely no fault. And yes, the OP has a grip and depression is behind the OP. I knew well an individual who is no longer with us, she continues to be my motivation and inspiration. She had many life threatening conditions and for her, she chose as a conscious decision for the glass to be overflowing and not half full nor empty. She was a joy to be around and lived life to the full.

 

So, I am neither ignorant nor do I need to work on my English.

[lost__in__space]

Hello OP,

 

I'm sure McMaster will reinstate you as you had VERY good reason to not perform to the best of your abilities. Please call your student affairs office and talk to them about it. A friend of mine was booted out of Western for having bad marks but it was due to depression and he was reinstated the next year. You might have to talk to the dean of your faculty but I am sure they will be understanding.

 

As for having one bad year, don't worry too much about that. If you can get stellar marks for the rest of your degree (although I know it's easier said than done), you have a fighting chance at UofT (yes because they will drop lowest courses based on taking a full course load and they have a spot that you can write an essay about extenuating circumstances regarding marks) and at UWO and anywhere else that focuses on your best two years or latter marks (like UoO).

 

Congratulations for being in remission!!! I am very happy for you! The Big C is terrible (my brother had cancer) and it takes a true fighting spirit to come out of that. I'm so sorry this had to happen to you at the worst time possible. But you did it and you should be so proud of yourself for having endured a really sucky situation and come out of it ready to continue your life! I feel that those who have experienced illness first hand, make the best doctors.

 

Please join support groups / go to counselling if you feel you need to talk to someone. I can't even imagine how scary that entire situation was and sometimes it's nice to have someone who doesn't judge you (or is in the same situation) to talk to.

 

Good luck!

[thelastguyin]

Hi guys, Thank you so much for the replies. I was wondering, just incase this year's reinstatement doesn't work for me...I will be taking 2nd year courses online vi Athabasca or Ryerson, and when Im back the following year Mac will accept those credits since they are equivalents. This way I don't lose a year of undergrad either way.

 

How would this affect my med-school app? Do med school NEED full course load every year, or how does it work?

[peace2012]

From what I have researched, a year with full course load are required for most med school. Full course load means 8 half courses or 24 units at MAC. However, for med school like U of T, in order to have your lowest courses dropped, you have to take 30 units or equivalent every year(without summer courses). Good luck on being reinstated and I hope you will make it through the hardships

[future_doc]

Will med schools accept one yr of undergrad at online university? Check it out.

[ldnk]

I didn't know that was a conscious decision. I guess all those depressed individuals are to blame for their depression. Allowance implies fault - either you need to work on your English, or you are quite ignorant.

 

Seriously? The holier than thou approach? How exactly is that any better. It is equally as ignorant to be so dismissive. While futuredoc's approach isn't the way I would take it, there isn't anything that isn't true about the situation.

 

Getting cancer is horrible. I feel really bad for the OP, I genuinely do. I also can completely understand what a devastating depression can do to your ability to deal with life. I suffer from depression. I have close family members who struggle with it worse than I do.

 

But it doesn't really change the situation of life. It doesn't stop for me. Most people I walk by on the street couldn't care less. The employer who tried relentlessly to get me to quit when I could barely get myself out of bed, let alone do my job couldn't care less about how bad my mental health was at the time.

 

The OP needs to get their depression under control. No, you can't just will it away. But falling back to marijuana (or other drugs) and not having the proper social supports in place to help deal with depression if it rears it's head again are a recipe to fall back down the same dark path.

 

You don't choose to be depressed. But you do have a choice in the decisions that you make when you aren't depressed. Making sure you make good choices to help you avoid the pitfalls that can lead to a depressed mood is precisely something that you can do to help avoid having a total collapse if the depression turns out to be recurrent.

 

As for medical school. I would suggest starting one year at a time back at University. It's a difficult transition period for a lot of individuals and that can take time to get a good balance. Your chances aren't destroyed by a single horrific year. There are several schools who weight year 1-4 on an increasing scale. There are schools that drop some of your worst courses. There are schools that only look at your top 2 years. There are other schools that may take into account your life circumstances and make accommodations for that difficult first year.

 

But again, I would suggest making sure you have good social supports around you heading into the year. Tackle Year 1 (Part II) and then look to the future beyond that. Taking smaller steps rather than leaping to the finish line might make it more manageable in the short term, even if life becomes overwhelming again.

[thelastguyin]

What if I do a full time in the summer at Mac? would that count. Man I hate this pressure.

[jt23]

10char......

[jt23]

10 Char>>>>>>

[thelastguyin]

When I stage I mean in respect to the medication you're currently taking and if they have any cognitive-physical side effects.

 

I am not taking any medication currently, the cancer in remission. I do have diagnosis records, etc for the cancer if it comes to proof. I just can't believe i havent heard from Mac about reinstatement yet. I am REALLLY hoping this work out!!

[Robin Hood]

It's precisely scenarios such as these where I realize the magnitude of change required in the current admission processes for medical schools. I personally believe schools like western and queens have nailed it in respect to their two year GPA requirement and high MCAT (non-swomen for uwo.) 4 years is a lot of time for something to go wrong in your personal life and the fact that you pulled out a 58 average, while diagnosed with cancer is astonishing if it was me I'd probably would have dropped out right when I found out. I think you're priorities would be to talk to your physician and figure out what stage your condition is at and if something as challenging as undergrad is a viable option currently. Secondly I would find out if there is any possibility you can scrap this past year from your transcript you should have a legitimate case, I'm almost certain. Take care and best of luck.

 

My university's med school explicitally state on their website that they don't care about extenuing circumpstances, including health problem, because looking at them "will be unfair". Same thing for Sherbrooke and Laval (but Laval forgives a course if you repeat it).

 

As for flagging out marks from the transcript, I got this last semester for something much less worse than cancer.

[Legion]

From what I have researched, a year with full course load are required for most med school. Full course load means 8 half courses or 24 units at MAC.

 

Mac does NOT require a full course load if that's what you are referring to.

 

OP, you should be fine As for course load, it's best to take a full course load every year to be able to apply broadly.

 

Good Luck

[thelastguyin]

Mac does NOT require a full course load if that's what you are referring to.

 

OP, you should be fine As for course load, it's best to take a full course load every year to be able to apply broadly.

 

Good Luck

So Mac med doesnt require full course load? ??!!!