Failed comlex pe twice

[effie effie]

OOOOOOKAAAAAAAY.

I clearly am the biggest jackass in the world and the only one to fail COMLEX PE twice. You heard it people, TWICE. I don't know what happened at all. I really don't. I guess I just have to take it again. First time it was humanistic - great scores on the others. Second time it was DATA COLLECTION?! - great scores on the other sections. Seemed to have flipped on me. Now, where does this leave me?

I sent my app out as an anesthesia applicant for MD. I applied pretty broadly, sent out to 58 programs all over. I have pretty average scores for USMLE Step 1 and COMLEX I and II. I have all honors in my third year and a mix of A's and B's in my first two years. I have some poster presentations and what not as well. Other this giant stain of of the PE on my app, I'd say I'm pretty okay. I'm really friendly and know my stuff, maybe nerves got me? I just don't know.

Since I just got my score back, according to ERAS all they see is my one failure. So I guess I can hold off somewhat.

Should I send out some IM and FM apps now? What should I do? Any help would be super appreciated. I'm just looking for some advice. Looking to stay midwest, but at this point. I'll go anywhere you want me too.

Thanks in advance.

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[effie effie]

someone please help

 

[NotAProgDirector]

someone please help

So, first, rebumping your thread less than an hour after you first post it isn't really needed.

Anyway, here's my assessment:

As a osteopathic candidate who failed the PE exam once, your chances of getting an allo anesthesia spot were not good. Anesthesia has become much more competitive over the last several years. Perhaps if something else in your application stood out, but by your own description everything else is pretty average.

Without a passing score on the PE, I doubt you're going to get many interviews. Even if you do, they will likely demand a passing score on the PE prior to ranking. Assuming you re-apply for PE, take it, and pass it before rank lists are due, you'll need to send them that passing score and they'll see the second fail -- so there's no hiding that. I worry that any program that does offer you an interview might consider not ranking you once they see the second fail.

So, I think you might need to regroup. At this point, your only option is to plan to take PE again ASAP. You need to practice first. You'll see what happens with your current applications. If you get few/no interviews and/or fail to match, then you'll need to decide whether you'll take something else in SOAP or in the DO scramble, or whether you want to plan on sitting out a year and applying again next year.

"Sitting out" is a poor term -- I mean that you'll do anything and everything you can to make your anesthesia application better. That would include possible research, and multiple anesthesia Sub-I's later this year. In addition, you could consider extending your graduation by a year (some medical schools allow this without collecting additional tuition).

Last, you'd best consider applying to DO anesthesia programs next year, if it comes to that.

Good luck!

 

[effie effie]

I already completed one interview at an MD place. I was told they would rank me first since I had rotated there, but who knows how well that will hold up. The PD also saw the failure of the first one. I also have 1 DO anesthesia interview and 3 other TRI interviews. I plan on going on these. If I can get a TRI do you think I should take that and hope for the best this year? At least I would of completed something if I need to apply again the following year.

Do you think I should send out some apps to Psych, FM, and IM?

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Only send out apps to Psych, FM, and/or IM if that's what you want to do. You will be in big trouble if you match to FM and are miserable.

Doing a TY is reasonable. A TY would count as a PGY-1 for either an AOA or an ACGME program. The only problem is that you'll be stuck trying to interview for anesthesia programs while enrolled in your TY, which can be a real challenge.

If some place is willing to rank you high despite your PE exam, take the spot and run.

 

[thecampuslegend]

someone please help

I wonder how you prepared for the COMLEX PE. Did you do any practice sessions before hand? Did you read any books? Did you go through cases over and over in your head? How much time did you put into getting ready?

You've got to realize that as a DO, every little mistake you make is amplified in the MD match. IMHO any failure on the record of a DO is a death sentence and with your two failures, I think an honest perspective is that you will not be getting into an MD Anesthesia residency. I would put all your eggs into the DO basket.

You are in an unfortunate circumstance, but I don't know if that means you need to start applying for fields that you don't want to do. There is no reason you can't do a transitional year and then match into anesthesia later. But hey if it's coming down to it and you aren't hearing back from very many programs and I were in your shoes, I would probably apply to a couple IM programs just to ease my nerves.

 

[effie effie]

I wonder how you prepared for the COMLEX PE. Did you do any practice sessions before hand? Did you read any books? Did you go through cases over and over in your head? How much time did you put into getting ready?

You've got to realize that as a DO, every little mistake you make is amplified in the MD match. IMHO any failure on the record of a DO is a death sentence and with your two failures, I think an honest perspective is that you will not be getting into an MD Anesthesia residency. I would put all your eggs into the DO basket.

You are in an unfortunate circumstance, but I don't know if that means you need to start applying for fields that you don't want to do. There is no reason you can't do a transitional year and then match into anesthesia later. But hey if it's coming down to it and you aren't hearing back from very many programs and I were in your shoes, I would probably apply to a couple IM programs just to ease my nerves.

Thanks for the help guys. I really appreciate it. I have some connections at some DO transitional years. So hopefully those work out. By the grace of god, I hope anesthesia works out. I'm really bankin' on that one interview I had if you can imagine. Freakin' pre-match, where are you now?! I'll probably shoot a couple IM ones around just to see what happens, maybe psych.

Do you think I'll be in a same situation if I do a transitional year and then don't have anesthesia then? Is it more difficult this way? Also, will that mean I have a year of nothing to do in between since I would be applying for an advanced position?

I actually really prepared for the PE. I'm very friendly and easy going. I really don't know what went wrong. The score report they give is so bland and doesn't specify what you need to work on. It really negates the learning process. I failed humanistic and did great on everything else. So I went back and did the exact same thing I did before just with extra humanism. Then I get my report back. I failed data gathering, BY DOING THE EXACT SAME THING I DID LAST TIME. Makes no sense, and as you can see it's super subjective. I know people who smirked at the patient when they said they we're a lesbian. Or people who who forgot to drape or do a physical exam. PASSSED. I think i just got the raw end on this one. TWICE.

Conshohocken should be burned to the ground.

 

[st2205]

I'm somewhat confused. So because you may not be competitive for allopathic anesthesia you'd just shoot for allopathic FM or psych? I think you missed a step in between there and that step is called AOA anesthesia.

 

[chiz2kul]

Conshohocken should be burned to the ground.

Didnt know that was an actual place lol

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conshohocken,_Pennsylvania#Riverwalk_Fire

 

[slash75]

If you do not want to feel alone read my thread or whatever its called. I am also wondering_" what the hell"

 

[referee3]

If you do not want to feel alone read my thread or whatever its called. I am also wondering_" what the hell"

Nice necrobumb bro