General Admissions & OTCAS Withdrawing from A&P

[Chanandler Bong]

So, the grading in my A&P class is set up so that if you don't pass the lab, you automatically fail the lecture (even if your lecture grade would have balanced it out to a C). And I am not feeling good about this past practical.

Since returning to take pre-reqs as a post-bac, I've scored a W in general physics I (many OT programs don't require it, so I have not reattempted the class) and a C in calculus I (not required in any OT programs that I know of, and I got a B in calc II). I am wondering--
a) how bad is it to have two Ws and a C on my transcript, and
b) if I do withdraw from A&P I will have no option but to retake it, but should I retake physics as well? To show I'm not a quitter, and can hack it?

My undergrad GPA was nearly a 4.0 but in a liberal arts discipline... science is just harder! My extra-curriculars are strong, including research and nearly 300 hours of hospital/rehab volunteering. As for other science/math, I am mostly in the B+/A- area; I am also a general chemistry tutor. So... am I totally screwed if A&P doesn't work out this term...? I am freaking out at this point...

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[mgeagle]

So, the grading in my A&P class is set up so that if you don't pass the lab, you automatically fail the lecture (even if your lecture grade would have balanced it out to a C). And I am not feeling good about this past practical.

Since returning to take pre-reqs as a post-bac, I've scored a W in general physics I (many OT programs don't require it, so I have not reattempted the class) and a C in calculus I (not required in any OT programs that I know of, and I got a B in calc II). I am wondering--
a) how bad is it to have two Ws and a C on my transcript, and
b) if I do withdraw from A&P I will have no option but to retake it, but should I retake physics as well? To show I'm not a quitter, and can hack it?

My undergrad GPA was nearly a 4.0 but in a liberal arts discipline... science is just harder! My extra-curriculars are strong, including research and nearly 300 hours of hospital/rehab volunteering. As for other science/math, I am mostly in the B+/A- area; I am also a general chemistry tutor. So... am I totally screwed if A&P doesn't work out this term...? I am freaking out at this point...

Stay calm lol, how are you on the other prereqs most OT schools require?

 

[Chanandler Bong]

Well I've had As in the social science courses, B in stats I and A in stats II, A-/B+ in gen chem... haven't taken abnormal psych or med terminology yet.

 

[ExceptionalSea]

we all have blemishes on our transcripts. i have a few pretty big ones and was able to get accepted to a program! you will be fine. your cumulative GPA will really help you here.

i don't think any W's will be looked upon negatively, especially if you take the class again and get a good grade. most programs understand that W's can occur due to outside circumstances - maybe you had family problems that semester, maybe your work and class schedule were too overwhelming, etc. i wouldn't worry about your W's. and i wouldn't worry about taking physics again unless you want to apply to a program that requires physics. i don't know for certain, but i don't think this would necessarily hurt you since you are not applying to any programs that require it. if asked, you can simply explain it by saying you realized that the physics class didn't align with your current goals and you thought it important to focus on the classes/work that did.

i would, however, really focus on getting as high of a grade in anatomy and physio as possible. this is the main hard science pre-req and the information that will be really important to you as you move forward through OT. quite accordingly, i think programs place a lot of importance on the grades in anatomy and physio. personally, if i thought i was going to end up with a C or less in anatomy and physio i would highly consider withdrawing and taking it again so i could get much higher than a C, but that's just me. some programs also request that you complete all pre-reqs with a B or higher anyway...something to think about.

i'm curious, why did you take calculus post-bac if no OT program requires it? in any case, i bet a lot of us have those lower grades in unrelated classes and were still able to get accepted to a program.

focus on doing what you can right now. it's hard not to worry about what's already on your transcript but what's done is done. focus on what you can do NOW to ameliorate it! you can do it!

 

[Chanandler Bong]

i'm curious, why did you take calculus post-bac if no OT program requires it? in any case, i bet a lot of us have those lower grades in unrelated classes and were still able to get accepted to a program.

It was before I'd decided on OT, and I just kind of wanted to take it for the heck of it... also I'd been told that physics makes more sense if you know calc, so I wanted the option of taking calc-based physics. I ended up taking the algebra-based version instead, but it was the actual physics part that did me in, as well as maybe the fact that it was your typical pre-med washout class. (This was all about two years ago when I was in denial of how different the hard-science mindset is from liberal arts... reading, analyzing, writing, and doing it well isn't a walk in the park, but it's different, and I had to re-program my habits. Just a word of advice to anyone else that might be considering a similar switch...)

 

[ExceptionalSea]

(This was all about two years ago when I was in denial of how different the hard-science mindset is from liberal arts... reading, analyzing, writing, and doing it well isn't a walk in the park, but it's different, and I had to re-program my habits. Just a word of advice to anyone else that might be considering a similar switch...)

right?!?! i was a heavy liberal arts major myself. going back to take anatomy and physio i found was just so much rote memorization.

 

[ExceptionalSea]

@MOT4ME i got in to university of puget sound. probably a fluke