Failed out of DO program, trying to get back in

[PunkmedGirl]

I did it! I hope this gives hope to others in similar situations just work your can off and good things can happen!!

Yes, it does!! Now we can all say we KNOW someone who got back in!!!!

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[MidnightSun32]

Bones -- I've been checking this thread like it was my own acceptance on the line lol. Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!! I'm from CO so if you are not from there, I hope you enjoy it as well as the school. YAYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[lastcall]

..And another "Congrats, Bones DO!" coming your way from lil ol' me
I will drink beer tonight on your behalf So happy for you!

 

[NontradICUdoc]

Congratulations.

I must say that I was quite skeptical that you would be able to get into another program but thank you for proving me wrong. Keep your chin up and work hard.

You have been given something that very, very few people have or will ever be given......a second chance.

Use it wisely and once again congratulations.

 

[rddoms]

You definitely deserve it, Bones. Now kick @$$ and take names.

 

[faith2]

Bones i got love for ya but I can not add you to my vacation list...LOL

 

[JasonUD]

Thanks again to everyone for all the advice and support through this process. As of tonight I am officially accepted to at least one D.O. program (RVU!) for the class of 2014!!! Will find out about Touro in NYC in 2 weeks, think that interview went pretty well also.

Well done buddy, I'm glad things worked out. Now rock it!

 

[Lewist02]

Thanks again to everyone for all the advice and support through this process. As of tonight I am officially accepted to at least one D.O. program (RVU!) for the class of 2014!!! Will find out about Touro in NYC in 2 weeks, think that interview went pretty well also.

HURRAY!!!!! Great job!!!! (and CONGRATULATIONS, Dr. )

 

[Pigg-O-Stat]

Amazing! Congrats!!

 

[Bones DO]

This forum has been very helpful to me in my efforts to be readmitted and I am thankful to all of you for taking the time to post your thoughts and advice. Although I have not officially been accepted yet, the interview at Touro NY went even better than the one at RVU so I am expecting to be accepted there. Mostly because the DO interviewer failed anatomy himself the first time...so I feel like he's pretty sympathetic to my situation.

I'm trying to decide between the two so if anyone has any thoughts on that, I started a thread in the pre-osteo forum or you could post here. My gut is telling me to go with RVU in spite of the for-profit status issue.

Thanks again guys!

 

[Bones DO]

I was thinking that since I'm more or less done with this thread that maybe someone who has recently been dismissed from a D.O. school and is hell-bent on getting back on track might want to take it over? Any takers? I know there are a several on SDN since my PM box is 90% full! Let these guys help support you in your fight for readmission!

 

[stonewall22]

Is really struggling with working cadavers a common problem?

 

[Bones DO]

From my personal experience and interaction with people in similar situations (many of which have NOT posted on this thread) it seems to account for a significant portion of dismissed students but I wouldn't call it common since attrition is itself generally very low.

 

[Strong Medicine]

I was thinking that since I'm more or less done with this thread that maybe someone who has recently been dismissed from a D.O. school and is hell-bent on getting back on track might want to take it over? Any takers? I know there are a several on SDN since my PM box is 90% full! Let these guys help support you in your fight for readmission!

I guess I'll start. I was a first year who was dismissed from a DO program this December for academic reasons. All of you DO applicants, research your school. See what their policy is. Believe it or not, there are a lot of us who find the adjustment to medical school taking a little longer. Some schools seem to work with you in such circumstances. Some schools don't give a damn. Research your school and don't underestimate the importance of this. It should be impossible for a freshman medical student to flunk out within the first semester. It just shouldn't happen. Make sure it doesn't happen to you.

 

[Terpskins99]

Heheh, just checking up on this thread. Looks like somebody got some good news! Congrats Bones!

As usual, I was dead-on with my prediction that you'd get another chance.

Just remember where you came from, man. You got a second lease on life, so don't screw it up. Take NOTHING for granted. Finish top of the class, aim for nothing less. Good luck.

 

[Bones DO]

I guess I'll start. I was a first year who was dismissed from a DO program this December for academic reasons. All of you DO applicants, research your school. See what their policy is. Believe it or not, there are a lot of us who find the adjustment to medical school taking a little longer. Some schools seem to work with you in such circumstances. Some schools don't give a damn. Research your school and don't underestimate the importance of this. It should be impossible for a freshman medical student to flunk out within the first semester. It just shouldn't happen. Make sure it doesn't happen to you.

I'm really sorry that this happened...do you mind if we ask where you were enrolled? I was at first reluctant to tell people on SDN where I had been myself but it was dragged out of me but then I realized it really doesn't matter since this is an anonymous forum! Maybe give us some details of what exactly went wrong? I'm sure together with everyone on here we can formulate a plan for you to make a second run at it.

 

[Bones DO]

Heheh, just checking up on this thread. Looks like somebody got some good news! Congrats Bones!

As usual, I was dead-on with my prediction that you'd get another chance.

Just remember where you came from, man. You got a second lease on life, so don't screw it up. Take NOTHING for granted. Finish top of the class, aim for nothing less. Good luck.

hahaha Since you are always right could you make the prediction that I get over a 235 on the USMLE? Please?

 

[Strong Medicine]

I'm really sorry that this happened...do you mind if we ask where you were enrolled? I was at first reluctant to tell people on SDN where I had been myself but it was dragged out of me but then I realized it really doesn't matter since this is an anonymous forum! Maybe give us some details of what exactly went wrong? I'm sure together with everyone on here we can formulate a plan for you to make a second run at it.

I'm afraid I can't go into anymore detail. Legal stuff and all.

 

[Bones DO]

I'm afraid I can't go into anymore detail. Legal stuff and all.

OK if not the school name, maybe details about what your problem areas were and other issues you may have faced ?

 

[Terpskins99]

I guess I'll start. I was a first year who was dismissed from a DO program this December for academic reasons. All of you DO applicants, research your school. See what their policy is. Believe it or not, there are a lot of us who find the adjustment to medical school taking a little longer. Some schools seem to work with you in such circumstances. Some schools don't give a damn. Research your school and don't underestimate the importance of this. It should be impossible for a freshman medical student to flunk out within the first semester. It just shouldn't happen. Make sure it doesn't happen to you.

I wouldn't count on too many programs taking that many steps to hold your hand. This can happen anywhere, and in the end it falls upon the student's shoulders to assume responsibility for their own academic shortcomings.

Anyhow, I don't think the problem lies as much with students that come into medical school feeling that they are at risk of failing. Usually, those are the ones that take the necessary steps to ensure that failure doesn't occur. The ones that really need help are those students who fail to acknowledge they are struggling until it is too late. So really, the key is to recognize the signs (barely passing or failing any exam), take action (talk with your professors/dean/upper classmen; adjust your studying habits and lifestyle if necessary) and you should be fine.

 

[Just Joshin]

I wouldn't count on too many programs taking that many steps to hold your hand. This can happen anywhere, and in the end it falls upon the student's shoulders to assume responsibility for their own academic shortcomings.

Anyhow, I don't think the problem lies as much with students that come into medical school feeling that they are at risk of failing. Usually, those are the ones that take the necessary steps to ensure that failure doesn't occur. The ones that really need help are those students who fail to acknowledge they are struggling until it is too late. So really, the key is to recognize the signs (barely passing or failing any exam), take action (talk with your professors/dean/upper classmen; adjust your studying habits and lifestyle if necessary) and you should be fine.

Sorry, but I totally disagree with you. I have a friend who was just dismissed from a medical school as well after only one semester. She recognized she was struggling and took multiple steps to rectify the situation. The bottom line is, it's entirely possible to fail out of med school even if you do everything in your power to prevent it from happening. My friend was at a school I was considering as my top choice when I applied. Now unless they're my only chance, I wouldn't even consider going there. One semester isn't long enough to accurately assess someone's academic prowess. Most schools have figured that out.

 

[ChimpanzeeMinky]

Sorry, but I totally disagree with you. I have a friend who was just dismissed from a medical school as well after only one semester. She recognized she was struggling and took multiple steps to rectify the situation. The bottom line is, it's entirely possible to fail out of med school even if you do everything in your power to prevent it from happening. My friend was at a school I was considering as my top choice when I applied. Now unless they're my only chance, I wouldn't even consider going there. One semester isn't long enough to accurately assess someone's academic prowess. Most schools have figured that out.

Why is a semester not long enough to make the necessary changes to succeed if you have the capability? Perhaps this is an issue of people being incapable of success, and the schools determine this more or less quickly depending on the situation. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, someone should be able to make the changes necessary to stay in a school that they worked so hard to gain admission to. The stakes are high, and if you take this seriously enough, and have the intrinsic capacity to succeed, anyone can turn things around in a semester.

 

[Just Joshin]

Why is a semester not long enough to make the necessary changes to succeed if you have the capability? Perhaps this is an issue of people being incapable of success, and the schools determine this more or less quickly depending on the situation. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, someone should be able to make the changes necessary to stay in a school that they worked so hard to gain admission to. The stakes are high, and if you take this seriously enough, and have the intrinsic capacity to succeed, anyone can turn things around in a semester.

If you go to the allo board, you'll find someone with a 3.7 GPA and a 31 MCAT who was dismissed in November. Are you really telling me that he doesn't have the intellectual capability to make it? In the case of my friend, one semester amounts to two sets of finals at her school. Two sets of finals is enough to determine someone who worked for four years to make it to med school and was accepted doesn't have what it takes?

 

[ChimpanzeeMinky]

If you go to the allo board, you'll find someone with a 3.7 GPA and a 31 MCAT who was dismissed in November. Are you really telling me that he doesn't have the intellectual capability to make it? In the case of my friend, one semester amounts to two sets of finals at her school. Two sets of finals is enough to determine someone who worked for four years to make it to med school and was accepted doesn't have what it takes?

Like I said, extenuating circumstances. Were there any? They probably did have the intellectual capacity, which leaves only one other option - they didn't put in the necessary effort to succeed. I find it hard to believe that someone who makes the proper adjustments and has the capacity won't end up succeeding, so why didn't they put in the effort?

 

[Just Joshin]

Like I said, extenuating circumstances. Were there any? They probably did have the intellectual capacity, which leaves only one other option - they didn't put in the necessary effort to succeed. I find it hard to believe that someone who makes the proper adjustments and has the capacity won't end up succeeding, so why didn't they put in the effort?

I can't speak for the guy on allo, but I know first-hand that my friend DID put in the effort. In the end, she studied inefficiently and bombed. She sucks at memorization and hasn't found a way to combat that problem yet although she did do much better on her second set of exams than her first which makes sense since her first set revolved around Gross Anatomy. After Anatomy was over, her grade went up, but not high enough to pass.

The point is, some schools allow you summer remediation. Others allow you to repeat first year. Still others expel you. As an applicant, I think it's important to distinguish which school does which.

 

[Terpskins99]

Sorry, but I totally disagree with you. I have a friend who was just dismissed from a medical school as well after only one semester. She recognized she was struggling and took multiple steps to rectify the situation. The bottom line is, it's entirely possible to fail out of med school even if you do everything in your power to prevent it from happening. My friend was at a school I was considering as my top choice when I applied. Now unless they're my only chance, I wouldn't even consider going there. One semester isn't long enough to accurately assess someone's academic prowess. Most schools have figured that out.

I'm sorry for your friend. Obviously, I don't know her (or what steps she took to prevent her fate), but I would argue that medical school is not the time to assess your academic potential. The school (and yourself) should have already determined that by the time you received an acceptance letter. Whether or not you still have what it takes to stay in, is another matter. All I know is, the students in MY class that were struggling had ample opportunity to turn things around. Most of them were able to make the appropriate adjustments and catch up with their class. Several held private meetings with the dean, and were given an opportunity to remediate the entire year and join the following class. Those few who did not make it left either because of personal reasons unrelated to school, or did not take any steps towards reaching out for help from the faculty/administration (at least not until it was way too late).

The point is, some schools allow you summer remediation. Others allow you to repeat first year. Still others expel you. As an applicant, I think it's important to distinguish which school does which.

Well, I guess we'll just agree to disagree. Personally, I don't think its necessary... but for those of you that want to know this information, the best source would be from students at that particular school. Whenever you interview, you'll probably have a student guide at some point. You can get their email from them and usually they'll provide you with this sort of information without much problem (just be warned... these particular students can have some influence over your admission to that medical school and questions inquiring about remediation/failure could be interpreted as a sign of weakness on your part.)

 

[Bones DO]

I can't speak for the guy on allo, but I know first-hand that my friend DID put in the effort. In the end, she studied inefficiently and bombed. She sucks at memorization and hasn't found a way to combat that problem yet although she did do much better on her second set of exams than her first which makes sense since her first set revolved around Gross Anatomy. After Anatomy was over, her grade went up, but not high enough to pass.

The point is, some schools allow you summer remediation. Others allow you to repeat first year. Still others expel you. As an applicant, I think it's important to distinguish which school does which.

I think it's pretty obvious that I'm going to agree with Just Joshing on this. A school's policy, regardless of what it is, whether they allow remediation, restart or nothing, is just that: a policy. It is rigid and universally enforced and has no ability to be bent or manipulated on a case by case basis (IE extenuating circumstances of any kind). The schools that allow remediation / year repeats just seem to care more about the students they work so hard to admit in the first place than the ones that just kick you to the curb the moment they identify you as someone who's having trouble.

It is absolutely paramount that applicants know this and research the policies of potential schools toughly. I personally did not and kick myself daily for that (and of course the other personally-controlled factors that lead to my own dismissal, don't worry I haven't forgotten about those!)

 

[medhacker]

She sucks at memorization and hasn't found a way to combat that problem

As I was reading down the thread and came across your posts, I kind of suspected this could have been your friend's problem.

Some times students with great academic potential, but poor memorization skills will struggle (sometimes without success) adapting to medical school.

The point is, some schools allow you summer remediation. Others allow you to repeat first year. Still others expel you. As an applicant, I think it's important to distinguish which school does which.

Word! Agree 100%

In my opinion this is more important than what the average comlex score, passing rate of the school is, since this depends more on the individual than the school itself.

 

[NontradICUdoc]

If you go to the allo board, you'll find someone with a 3.7 GPA and a 31 MCAT who was dismissed in November. Are you really telling me that he doesn't have the intellectual capability to make it? In the case of my friend, one semester amounts to two sets of finals at her school. Two sets of finals is enough to determine someone who worked for four years to make it to med school and was accepted doesn't have what it takes?

The guy on the allo board, according to him, never passed an exam. Just because a person does well in UG and gets >30 on the MCAT, does not mean that they have the ability to retain or even apply the vast amount of information that is presented in the first 2 years of medical school.

Each school has their own policy. If you read the student manual, it may tell you the procedure that you can go through in order to appeal a dismissal.

 

[ChimpanzeeMinky]

As I was reading down the thread and came across your posts, I kind of suspected this could have been your friend's problem.

Some times students with great academic potential, but poor memorization skills will struggle (sometimes without success) adapting to medical school.




Word! Agree 100%

In my opinion this is more important than what the average comlex score, passing rate of the school is, since this depends more on the individual than the school itself.

Since greater than 99% of matriculants will not fail out of med school, I'd say that that's far more subject to individuality than the average board scores.

Some people will not be able to adjust to the different demands of med school learning - unfortunately, for them, they may just not be cut out for it. I know everyone here believes that med schools only accept people that undoubtedly have the ability to succeed, but the truth is that med school admissions personnel are not omniscient - they will admit some students who are simply not cut out for the brand of rigor that med school presents.

Even some people with 3.7 gpas and 31 mcats.

 

[MedStudentWanna]

The guy on the allo board, according to him, never passed an exam. Just because a person does well in UG and gets >30 on the MCAT, does not mean that they have the ability to retain or even apply the vast amount of information that is presented in the first 2 years of medical school.

Each school has their own policy. If you read the student manual, it may tell you the procedure that you can go through in order to appeal a dismissal.

Um, the poster wasn't saying he failed out. He was warning pre-meds to find out what a school's policy on failure is before taking an acceptance.

 

[MedStudentWanna]

Since greater than 99% of matriculants will not fail out of med school, I'd say that that's far more subject to individuality than the average board scores.

That number is false, at least when it comes to DO schools. I know of two schools that lost around 7-8% of their freshman class before the end of second year.

 

[NontradICUdoc]

Um, the poster wasn't saying he failed out. He was warning pre-meds to find out what a school's policy on failure is before taking an acceptance.

from his post the other day, he said he was dismissed.

I've been dismissed.

People think that if you're smart enough to make it to med school, you're smart enough to finish. This is not true. I'm living proof....

 

[MedStudentWanna]

from his post the other day, he said he was dismissed.

That guy isn't even on this thread. Your response was to Just Joshin and you said this even though JJ hadn't been dismissed.

Each school has their own policy. If you read the student manual, it may tell you the procedure that you can go through in order to appeal a dismissal.

That's what I was replying to.

 

[NontradICUdoc]

whatever. good luck and god speed.

 

[calbredj]

In the end, she studied inefficiently and bombed. She sucks at memorization and hasn't found a way to combat that problem yet...

I had similar problems my first year. I'm pretty sure there are some study/memorization tip threads around here somewhere. nyone care to post it?

 

[medhacker]

Some people will not be able to adjust to the different demands of med school learning - unfortunately, for them, they may just not be cut out for it. I know everyone here believes that med schools only accept people that undoubtedly have the ability to succeed, but the truth is that med school admissions personnel are not omniscient - they will admit some students who are simply not cut out for the brand of rigor that med school presents.

Even some people with 3.7 gpas and 31 mcats.

Not everyone who struggles/fails in med school does it because they lack "the ability to succeed"...

Even when extenuating personal circumstances are out of the equation.

There's more to success in medical school than "ability to succeed" academically...

Succeeding in med school is a multifactorial endeavor in which "ability to succeed" is but one of the necessary factors.

 

[ChimpanzeeMinky]

Not everyone who struggles/fails in med school does it because they lack "the ability to succeed"...

Even when extenuating personal circumstances are out of the equation.

There's more to success in medical school than "ability to succeed" academically...

Succeeding in med school is a multifactorial endeavor in which "ability to succeed" is but one of the necessary factors.

Nice strawman. I suggested no such thing.

 

[vegetara83]

First of all, congrats to the OP on the acceptance! I wish you the best of luck. (I apologize in advance for the length of this post, but thanks to everyone for reading!)

Secondly, I am grateful I found this thread because I have a similar situation. I graduated UG in 2006 w/ a bio degree. I can't remember my exact stats but they were somewheres around 3.5 gpa overall (due to me being a massive slacker theatre major my first year of college) as well as science and 27S MCAT. So I got accepted to an allo med school for for the class of 2010 and everything was just peachy. I'd wanted to be a Dr. forever, and it's honestly the only thing I can really see myself doing. The only class we had during the first half of the semester was anatomy, and I kicked it's @$$.

Then, about a week after the 2nd half of the semester started (which was cell bio and biochem), my mom called to tell me that my g-ma was dying. She was my last living grandparent and the one I was closest to, so this hit me very hard. So I started sucking hard at life in general. I went to the administration and was blatantly told that "Med school doesn't allow for personal tragedy." (Seriously, exactly quote... it's burned in my memory) So I went to each professor individually and only one (biochem dude) allowed me to postpone my exam until after my g-ma's funeral. But I still ended up failing cell bio by 2 points. So I was on probation and got the whole thing about being dismissed if I failed another, but that I could remediate cell bio the next summer if I did fine with the rest of classes. The school I was at did not allow LoA if you are on probation, so that was out of the question already.

2nd semester starts and it's only neuro for the first half. I was still pretty off balance mentally from not only my g-ma's death, but from failing a class--something I'd never done before and a class I had as an UG no less. So I continue to suck hard at life and fail neuro, just as with cell bio, by like 2 points. I get my dismissal letter and cry a lot, but I did have the option to appeal and do the 5-yr. thing. Of course I appealed and it was accepted and I was on track to start over anew in fall 2007. But the more I thought about it, the less I wanted to be at *that* med school. Although I was allowed to start over, my opinion of the school was already tainted by the fact that I was flat out told the thing about personal tragedy I mentioned above. I ultimately decided to withdraw completely, since as I said above, I didn't have the option of a LoA.

I have since returned to get another UG degree in medical lab science as I was unable to find employment with just a biology degree. But I have never lost my desire to become a physician. I am 100% certain that it was the situation and unforeseen events that led to my failure, and not that I "just couldn't handle medical school" because I have been highly successful in every class or endeavor I've undertaken since then. I currently have a 3.9 gpa for the MLS degree, but I haven't taken the MCAT again. In my time away from med school, I have determined that I'd rather go to a DO school for many reasons (and not just because I am almost certain that I wouldn't get into another allo school). I've already contacted the admissions dept. of the one DO school in my state and was told that I would be eligible for admissions, but that if I got to the interview stage to be prepared to speak confidently and honestly about my performance at the other school.

If all goes well, I'll be retaking the MCAT soon and applying for the class of 2015. The responses here have renewed my confidence that I can get in again and be successful. Thanks!

 

[Bones DO]

First of all, congrats to the OP on the acceptance! I wish you the best of luck. (I apologize in advance for the length of this post, but thanks to everyone for reading!)

Secondly, I am grateful I found this thread because I have a similar situation. I graduated UG in 2006 w/ a bio degree. I can't remember my exact stats but they were somewheres around 3.5 gpa overall (due to me being a massive slacker theatre major my first year of college) as well as science and 27S MCAT. So I got accepted to an allo med school for for the class of 2010 and everything was just peachy. I'd wanted to be a Dr. forever, and it's honestly the only thing I can really see myself doing. The only class we had during the first half of the semester was anatomy, and I kicked it's @$$.

Then, about a week after the 2nd half of the semester started (which was cell bio and biochem), my mom called to tell me that my g-ma was dying. She was my last living grandparent and the one I was closest to, so this hit me very hard. So I started sucking hard at life in general. I went to the administration and was blatantly told that "Med school doesn't allow for personal tragedy." (Seriously, exactly quote... it's burned in my memory) So I went to each professor individually and only one (biochem dude) allowed me to postpone my exam until after my g-ma's funeral. But I still ended up failing cell bio by 2 points. So I was on probation and got the whole thing about being dismissed if I failed another, but that I could remediate cell bio the next summer if I did fine with the rest of classes. The school I was at did not allow LoA if you are on probation, so that was out of the question already.

2nd semester starts and it's only neuro for the first half. I was still pretty off balance mentally from not only my g-ma's death, but from failing a class--something I'd never done before and a class I had as an UG no less. So I continue to suck hard at life and fail neuro, just as with cell bio, by like 2 points. I get my dismissal letter and cry a lot, but I did have the option to appeal and do the 5-yr. thing. Of course I appealed and it was accepted and I was on track to start over anew in fall 2007. But the more I thought about it, the less I wanted to be at *that* med school. Although I was allowed to start over, my opinion of the school was already tainted by the fact that I was flat out told the thing about personal tragedy I mentioned above. I ultimately decided to withdraw completely, since as I said above, I didn't have the option of a LoA.

I have since returned to get another UG degree in medical lab science as I was unable to find employment with just a biology degree. But I have never lost my desire to become a physician. I am 100% certain that it was the situation and unforeseen events that led to my failure, and not that I "just couldn't handle medical school" because I have been highly successful in every class or endeavor I've undertaken since then. I currently have a 3.9 gpa for the MLS degree, but I haven't taken the MCAT again. In my time away from med school, I have determined that I'd rather go to a DO school for many reasons (and not just because I am almost certain that I wouldn't get into another allo school). I've already contacted the admissions dept. of the one DO school in my state and was told that I would be eligible for admissions, but that if I got to the interview stage to be prepared to speak confidently and honestly about my performance at the other school.

If all goes well, I'll be retaking the MCAT soon and applying for the class of 2015. The responses here have renewed my confidence that I can get in again and be successful. Thanks!

Thanks for the positive energy I'm sorry about your grandma and how asinine your first school was about dealing with students' personal tragedy. What complete BS! It's hard enough to lose someone close to you without your school effectively ruining your life and terminating your career before it has the chance to begin.

Some people on here will probably call you foolish for not taking the 5-year option at your first school, but I understand where you're coming from and that's why I didn't bother to reapply to my first school this time around.

I honestly think you're going to be totally and completely fine. I'll PM you the list of DO schools that I applied to, but since your record shows you as a withdraw rather than a dismissal, you will likely be able to apply to more schools. Good luck on the MCAT and with the up-coming admissions cycle!

 

[rwlevin]

I had similar problems my first year. I'm pretty sure there are some study/memorization tip threads around here somewhere. nyone care to post it?

I actually do. I failed anatomy big time but passed in a summer course with a B average. Big difference, I know. So what are the tricks that I learned at this school? Make it fun. Get creative. Build models. My TA made the brachial plexus with pipe cleaners. I redrew it with colour pencils. I built the pterygopallatine fossa with pipe cleaners and foam rubber. I made the maxillary artery with different colours of a rubber band. I colour coded the trigeminal nerve and all its branches. My classmates and I would go into the lab and teach each other where and what the different muscles, blood vessels, etc. were. It's more than just memory then. Then it becomes physical and it's easier than just rote memorization.

 

[NontradICUdoc]

The amount of information that you are given in medical school is obviously an incredible amount. Rote memorization is not only very difficult but when you are in a clinical setting, what you memorized to pass the exam may not be seen and you may miss it.

The easiest thing that I found work was pattern recognition. A recent article in medscape actually said that many of the doctors work on pattern recognition.

The key to this is repition, repition, repition. I used to use the methods that allowed me to succeed in graduate school but they were not working in medical school. What I found worked was to outline the notes that were given during lecture. However, before I started the new set of notes I reviewed all of the notes that I had written up to that day. This allowed me to review and repeat all of my notes. After a while, it becomes second nature. In addition, there were plenty of websites that gave you practice tests. You need to play around with keywords in the search engines and you will find the sites.

Reviewing notes and doing practice questions really helps.

Good luck.

 

[Bones DO]

Hey this is getting really constructive. Thanks rwlevin and EMT2ER-DOC for sharing the strategies that work for you in med school! Anyone else care to share? This is extremely helpful!!

 

[NontradICUdoc]

http://www.med.ucla.edu/wilkes/inex.htm
http://www.lab.anhb.uwa.edu.au/mb140/Big/Big.htm
http://www.humpath.com/
http://www.path.uiowa.edu/virtualslidebox/nlm_histology/index.html
http://www.medicalmnemonics.com
http://medsci.indiana.edu/c602web/602/c602web/toc.htm
http://library.med.utah.edu/WebPath/webpath.html#MENU
http://library.med.utah.edu/WebPath/EXAM/MULTGEN/EXAMIDX.html
http://science.nhmccd.edu/biol/ap2int.htm
http://www.pharmacology2000.com/learning2.htm
http://www.ecglibrary.com/
http://www.skillstat.com/Flash/ECGSim531.html
http://www.medi-smart.com/tut-6.htm
http://quiz.md/

 

[Laryngophed]

http://www.lab.anhb.uwa.edu.au/mb140/default.htm

Here is a pretty good histo site with lots of practical quizzes.

 

[Wiley Coyote]

To be very frank you may get accepted into another medical school however you will have a world of trouble getting a residency position. I have a lot of experience with this topic and I can tell you if you don't get very solid Board scores and have a spotless transcript going forward you will have a heck of a time getting into a decent residency program.

With a solid transcript and Board scores you will get some interest in Primary Care programs (FM. IM. ) however the more competitive specialties won't give your application the time of day.

Your efforts are great and show dedication but the question you need to ask is why would a residency program select you over someone who doesn't come with your baggage? The answer is most often, they won't.

Behind the scenes, Program Directors will shy away from you because they all want their residents to do well on Inservice Exams and they don't want anyone who might score poorly to hurt the reputation of their program.

You need to think this through some more. You are taking a chance of doing four years of medical school with no where to go for specialty training. It does happen.

 

[Bones DO]

To be very frank you may get accepted into another medical school however you will have a world of trouble getting a residency position. I have a lot of experience with this topic and I can tell you if you don't get very solid Board scores and have a spotless transcript going forward you will have a heck of a time getting into a decent residency program.

With a solid transcript and Board scores you will get some interest in Primary Care programs (FM. IM. ) however the more competitive specialties won't give your application the time of day.

Your efforts are great and show dedication but the question you need to ask is why would a residency program select you over someone who doesn't come with your baggage? The answer is most often, they won't.

Behind the scenes, Program Directors will shy away from you because they all want their residents to do well on Inservice Exams and they don't want anyone who might score poorly to hurt the reputation of their program.

You need to think this through some more. You are taking a chance of doing four years of medical school with no where to go for specialty training. It does happen.

Hi Coyote

When you say you have a lot of experience with this, what exactly do you mean?

Do you think that will be the case for both allo and osteo residencies? I have nothing against doing an osteo residency... I was hoping for emergency medicine... do you think that won't be doable?

I have thought this through quite a bit and I have to try either way. What becomes of people that don't match, can they do something else and try to match the following year?

Thanks

 

[Bones DO]

Thanks for the resources EMT and Physio ... They will be useful to me and hopefully several others!

 

[123880]

Bones-congrats on your RVU acceptance. and with the Touro results. You asked but I'm not sure that anyone has responded wrt Touro vs RVU. Given the information that has come through the grapevine, if you are accepted at both programs, I'd go to Touro. Nothing against RVU being for-profit. More against the turbulent start they've had to their program. Given a choice, I would not want to be in a school that has had the administrative turn-around they've had since inception. I don't know facts or specifics to be able to mention. I can only base my opinion on what I've heard from former students who transferred to other schools and from administration who went to other schools after resigning.


EMT-thanks for the resources!!!

First of all, congrats to the OP on the acceptance! I wish you the best of luck. (I apologize in advance for the length of this post, but thanks to everyone for reading!)

Secondly, I am grateful I found this thread because I have a similar situation. I graduated UG in 2006 w/ a bio degree. I can't remember my exact stats but they were somewheres around 3.5 gpa overall (due to me being a massive slacker theatre major my first year of college) as well as science and 27S MCAT. So I got accepted to an allo med school for for the class of 2010 and everything was just peachy. I'd wanted to be a Dr. forever, and it's honestly the only thing I can really see myself doing. The only class we had during the first half of the semester was anatomy, and I kicked it's @$$.

Then, about a week after the 2nd half of the semester started (which was cell bio and biochem), my mom called to tell me that my g-ma was dying. She was my last living grandparent and the one I was closest to, so this hit me very hard. So I started sucking hard at life in general. I went to the administration and was blatantly told that "Med school doesn't allow for personal tragedy." (Seriously, exactly quote... it's burned in my memory) So I went to each professor individually and only one (biochem dude) allowed me to postpone my exam until after my g-ma's funeral. But I still ended up failing cell bio by 2 points. So I was on probation and got the whole thing about being dismissed if I failed another, but that I could remediate cell bio the next summer if I did fine with the rest of classes. The school I was at did not allow LoA if you are on probation, so that was out of the question already.

2nd semester starts and it's only neuro for the first half. I was still pretty off balance mentally from not only my g-ma's death, but from failing a class--something I'd never done before and a class I had as an UG no less. So I continue to suck hard at life and fail neuro, just as with cell bio, by like 2 points. I get my dismissal letter and cry a lot, but I did have the option to appeal and do the 5-yr. thing. Of course I appealed and it was accepted and I was on track to start over anew in fall 2007. But the more I thought about it, the less I wanted to be at *that* med school. Although I was allowed to start over, my opinion of the school was already tainted by the fact that I was flat out told the thing about personal tragedy I mentioned above. I ultimately decided to withdraw completely, since as I said above, I didn't have the option of a LoA.

I have since returned to get another UG degree in medical lab science as I was unable to find employment with just a biology degree. But I have never lost my desire to become a physician. I am 100% certain that it was the situation and unforeseen events that led to my failure, and not that I "just couldn't handle medical school" because I have been highly successful in every class or endeavor I've undertaken since then. I currently have a 3.9 gpa for the MLS degree, but I haven't taken the MCAT again. In my time away from med school, I have determined that I'd rather go to a DO school for many reasons (and not just because I am almost certain that I wouldn't get into another allo school). I've already contacted the admissions dept. of the one DO school in my state and was told that I would be eligible for admissions, but that if I got to the interview stage to be prepared to speak confidently and honestly about my performance at the other school.

If all goes well, I'll be retaking the MCAT soon and applying for the class of 2015. The responses here have renewed my confidence that I can get in again and be successful. Thanks!

Good luck. Your story had me teary-eyed. I wish you all the best and look forward to hearing good news from you next app cycle!

 

[peppy]

I have thought this through quite a bit and I have to try either way. What becomes of people that don't match, can they do something else and try to match the following year?

Yes, you can always try applying again the next year (and the next and the next if you really wanted), though the odds of getting a residency decrease with the longer you spend after graduation not working in a clinical setting.
Emergency Medicine is moderately competitive nowadays and could potentially become more competitive by the time you graduate with the number of graduates overall going up in the upcoming years, so I don't know if you can count on getting it (though it might be possible, since I have heard that osteopathic EM residencies in particular tend to value it if you rotated at the program and got along well with the people there more than they value grades/board scores). However, you might also want to think about if you could be satisfied doing family medicine since that might turn out to be your best bet.
I hope everything goes well for you though.