Having to drop a course due to illness?

[aesvo]

Hi everyone.
I've already contacted Deanna about my situation, but I was hoping I could get some input from everyone here as well while I wait for her to get back to me.
It was my plan to begin my application in the fall to join the class of 2018. But unfortunately, I suffered a pulmonary embolism over reading week. Long story short, I missed two weeks of classes, and had to drop a class to salvage the rest. I was and still am doing OK academically.
I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with a situation like mine. Would OVC consider letting me put this semester forward as a "full time" semester, given my situation? I was carrying a full course load prior to my embolism. Also, I am taking several courses this semester that I had hoped to put forth as prerequisites. Do you think these might still be considered?

Thanks to everyone for any insight or experiences you have to share!

[cbarne01]

I have no experience to back this up but I do have a few thoughts.

1) Its unlikely that you can use the semester as full time since you won't have a full course load on your transcript for this semester. You don't mention if you're in your last year or not. If you have another year, your fall 2013 and fall 2012 semesters will be used, otherwise, fall 2013 and winter 2012.

2) Depending on your year level, you might fit this:
"Applicants with a degree who have a documented commitment, such as work or family responsibility, can present their case to the Admission Committee requesting the option of completing their academic requirements on a part-time basis."
Your situation doesn't fit exactly, but a documented medical reason might be an acceptable reason for the committee to accept pre-reqs from a part-time semester.

All of this depends on Deanna Lundmark and the admissions committee so you're already on the right track.

[aesvo]

I'm actually in my second year. And I have come to terms with the fact that I will most likely have to wait another year to apply. Which I know doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. I will just be very disappointed if I am unable to use at least a couple of my classes as prerequisites because I have worked hard this semester and achieved grades I am really happy with.
Thanks for your input

[cbarne01]

That's really frustrating! Be sure to ask, you never know!

[JDorothy]

Hey,

I can completely relate. I am a third year student now, but in my first year, second semester I had a blood clot in my thoracic vein right smack in the middle of the exam period. I ended up in the hospital for two weeks over the exam period and having my first rib taken out as a result. Turns out not getting up and moving around while you study can cause your ribs to squish your veins, who knew?!

So don't worry you aren't alone with the bad luck. I missed 4 out of my 5 exams because of it and had them deferred to the end of summer, where I proceeded to drop the course for one of them because the deferred exam for the course could only be taken at UBC vancouver where I was currently doing my undergraduate, and I live in ontario. No way was I flying over there just to take one exam so I dropped it, and just like that the entire semester is no longer OVC worthy!

Now I never bothered to try and fight this because that one semester hasn't impacted by application to OVC so I can't give any information on whether there is a chance for exemption or not. Just wanted to share my story so you know I can completely empathize with your situation.

I really hope it works out for you, and glad to hear you are alright. Blood blockages are not fun and mine was only in my chest not my lung! I really hope there is an exemption for such a situation.
On another note did you have to have tPA? What an awful feeling drug.
Best of luck!

[dreizehn]

I personally know a student whose appeal for an exception to the full-time course load requirement was accepted. It was an instance of doing the prerequisite courses while also being employed full-time, so the relevant semesters had under 5 courses and, thus, would not have met the full-time course load requirement without an exception.

They DO sincerely consider all appeals, and there definitely ARE instances of successful appeals.

As the DVM program admission process is so highly competitive, I'm sure they have to be very stringent about what they can and cannot allow as grounds for a successful appeal/exception in order to be fair to all other applicants. Unfortunately, this does mean that some appeals will be denied.


As for the original question:

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As the others already said: You've contacted Ms. Lundmark and are aware of the option for appeal, so it's just a matter of working your way through the system, then putting forward a case for appeal, if required and so desired.

I assume you're already aware of this but: If you're currently a second year (i.e., starting third year this fall) and already have three acceptable full-time semesters (i.e., first-year and the first half of second year), then if you completed a full-time semester this fall and were able to complete any/all outstanding pre-req requirements in that semester, you would meet the requirements to apply for 2014 entry, and would not have to defer applying for another year (of course, the feasibility of this entirely depends on what you've already completed, as well as course availability, etc.)


Good luck with your future application!

[lowenger]

I am responding here so that others who are considering appealing due to personal circumstance will not be discouraged.

We get a number of appeals every admissions cycle and the committee, made up of many of the most compassionate and fair faculty I have ever met, weigh them carefully. MANY of them are in fact approved.

For all appeals you must make your case, and provide support documents like doctor's notes or a letter of support from an employer or advisor (if possible). Perhaps a denied appeal is the result of a poor application. But each appeal is confidential so that no other applicant will know that you experienced difficulty. Once you are invited to the interview you stand equal to your peers.

[dreizehn]

Just FYI for future reference/context for anyone reading this thread in the future (please tell me the flying cars and hoverboards have arrived...):

The two posts above this ("Reply #5" by dreizehn and "Reply #6" by lowenger), in addition to providing relevant information to the principal topic, were also partially responding to a post from an account that appears to have since been deleted (which, oddly enough, also looks to delete all its posts), in which the poster stated his/her personal opinion/belief that appeals are never approved. Not to rehash what's already written, but hopefully it's clear from the responses above that this is in fact not the case: appeals are sincerely considered and many are approved.