ATLS fiasco

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brocephalic

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Hi guys,
just wanted to run something by you guys, didn't want to come as douche or whiny but I failed my ATLS today. I am wondering what do you guys think about this.
I passed my written just fine. My first practical went shaky but I think I did alright. At the end, I asked the evalutor how I did, he said I passed and good job. I was instructed to sit in the classroom with other candidates. I wait for about 10 mins and a proctor comes and yells my name and says its my turn for the practical. I am confused now, as I walk to the guy who's running the course, I ask him what's going on, I just took the practical, he say's yeah take one more and rushes me into another room with another grader. Doesn't tell me I failed the previous practical. I was confused so didn't really ask him any questions. I proceed to take the second practical, of course I was way more shaky on the second one because I didn't know WTF was going on.
Walk out, of the room, back to the classroom. Guy who runs the course now comes and tells me I failed the practical and the remediation....... I am visibly upset now, I tell him that the other guy told me I had passed and good job and whether it was a cruel joke, after sitting in that class for two full days. He tells me that he marked me fail, and so did the second grader. He then says he will have to call the first grader and speak with him in person to confirm and will have talk it over with them. Told me they will decide on monday whether I passed or not. I really took this as him trying to get rid of me and not prolonging the conversation any further as it's friday evening. Anyway my assumption is that I will get an email on monday that I failed.
Now, my question is... should they not have told me the first time if I failed the practical, that I failed and needed a remediation? Should they not have shared the eval with me so I could see what I was doing wrong so I could remediate them. Should they have at least told me that I was going for a remediation before hurrying me into the second practical? I know I should have asked questions and now I feel like a *******. There were numerous people that failed the written portion, and they were given detailed feedback as to what questions they missed and why, in fact he passed at least 2 people that had failed on the written.
I am sorry for the long message guys, just feel really awful, I am ortho so if I am running trauma, there is something really wrong, and it felt like a real painful joke to be told that I passed, and then failing me on the actual eval. On top of it, no feedback was provided at all, wasn't even told I failed the thing the first time. Anyway, not sure what to do and how to approach it, I am just gonna look like a ******* in front of my whole program now for failing this. Just wondering what your guys' thoughts are.

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If you're ortho, who gives a crap? Or are you an intern? I never had to take ATLS as an ENT, at my house the second year and up residents ran traumas, not interns. I would just make it up and move on, no big worry.
 
Yeah, intern.... Already done with my trauma rotstion so will never use it. Just sucks.
 
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They way ATLS is supposed to run you are supposed to have three separate practical rooms. The first one you (or the other person) does a practice exam and while the other person (or you) watches. The instructor has the watcher give feedback then gives their own feedback, specifically addressing any of the major criteria that was messed up. The second is basically another practice except the two students switch roles. Then the third time is the real deal, with the possibility of a retake for anyone that fails. You wouldn't really get another chance to practice if you failed, but you should have at least been told what you messed up. Seems weird how things went down.
 
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They way ATLS is supposed to run you are supposed to have three separate practical rooms. The first one you (or the other person) does a practice exam and while the other person (or you) watches. The instructor has the watcher give feedback then gives their own feedback, specifically addressing any of the major criteria that was messed up. The second is basically another practice except the two students switch roles. Then the third time is the real deal, with the possibility of a retake for anyone that fails. You wouldn't really get another chance to practice if you failed, but you should have at least been told what you messed up. Seems weird how things went down.

Yeah I was paired with another person for two practices, one where he was the performer and I was the observer, and next we switched roles.

Things that bothered me:
1- Was told that I passed the first time, then was marked failed
2- Was not told that I failed the first practical and was rushed to take another practical with another grader
3- Was not told that the second practical was a retake
4- Was not given any feedback at all as to why I failed the first practical so I could remediate them
5- When I brought it up to the main guy that examiner told me I had passed, he almost questioned me as a liar

Still not official word, but I am certain I will get an email saying I failed.
 
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