Failed step 1 twice….need advice.

[ryd7854]

Is there any hope of matching after failing step 1 twice? Or should i just look for a new career?

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[SpoiledMilk]

I'm sorry that has happened to you. Were both exams scored or p/f? What were your scores on your practice exams, UW percentages, and UW assessments? Did you seek your school's educational counseling dept for guidance on why you did not pass and how to study and do better? Is it test anxiety, lack of confidence?

Two fails are definite blaring red flags. But it's not a complete death sentence if you pass the 3rd time and do extremely well on Step 2 and your other stats are competitive. You have an very steep hill to climb and your choice of specialties may be limited, but you can still become a doctor.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Are you at a USMD school? If so, you can still match in a non competitive specialty.

 

[mrbreakfast]

Assuming you go to a US MD program, you could probably match into FM if you're able to turn things around - I personally know someone who matched in FM after failing Step 1 twice. If you go on to do well in your clinical years, some programs will overlook a lot.

Of course, that requires passing Step 1. If your program is willing to give you another shot, it'll probably be your last. Not to be discouraging, but you should be planning both how to make this attempt different from your prior two and what your plan will be should you be unsuccessful again.

 

[ryd7854]

Are you at a USMD school? If so, you can still match in a non competitive specialty.

USIMG so i feel like that also brings me down to slim pickings

 

[ryd7854]

I'm sorry that has happened to you. Were both exams scored or p/f? What were your scores on your practice exams, UW percentages, and UW assessments? Did you seek your school's educational counseling dept for guidance on why you did not pass and how to study and do better? Is it test anxiety, lack of confidence?

Two fails are definite blaring red flags. But it's not a complete death sentence if you pass the 3rd time and do extremely well on Step 2 and your other stats are competitive. You have an very steep hill to climb and your choice of specialties may be limited, but you can still become a doctor.

First time 192 (so close). During my first time i was scoring 190s in my nbmes. I didn’t feel good after my test and so i had a hunch i failed. But the second time around i was scoring 214-230 in my nbmes and i felt good during the actual exam and some how scored worse 181 (huge discrepancy) I’m just so confused as what happened the second time around. It genuinely makes no sense to me.

 

[SpoiledMilk]

That is a huge discrepancy of practice vs actual score during the 2nd time you took the exam. During your 2nd studying sessions, were the nbme scores redos or were each nbme the first time you were taking them?

Now that Step 1 is p/f, you have to get some educational counseling from your school and come up with/follow a plan to pass it the 3rd time. You can recover from these 2 non-passing scores to still become a doctor.

 

[Captain_Falcon]

First time 192 (so close). During my first time i was scoring 190s in my nbmes. I didn’t feel good after my test and so i had a hunch i failed. But the second time around i was scoring 214-230 in my nbmes and i felt good during the actual exam and some how scored worse 181 (huge discrepancy) I’m just so confused as what happened the second time around. It genuinely makes no sense to me.

Your scores the 2nd time around were inflated if you retook the same test

 

[Redpancreas]

Even with IMG status, you still have a shot at some FM programs. Just make sure you pass this time. As a US MD, even with 2 Step 1 failures, there’d be a good shot to match something not competitive.

 

[ryd7854]

That is a huge discrepancy of practice vs actual score during the 2nd time you took the exam. During your 2nd studying sessions, were the nbme scores redos or were each nbme the first time you were taking them?

Now that Step 1 is p/f, you have to get some educational counseling from your school and come up with/follow a plan to pass it the 3rd time. You can recover from these 2 non-passing scores to still become a doctor.

Yea i took the nbmes a second time around but there was like a good 5 month period in between. I also had a tutor the second time around and we would go through uworld questions.

 

[Captain_Falcon]

Yea i took the nbmes a second time around but there was like a good 5 month period in between. I also had a tutor the second time around and we would go through uworld questions.

Still will inflate your score. Would you answer them on your own before the tutor helped guide you through the reasoning?

 

[SpoiledMilk]

Yeah. That explains the score discrepancy between the nbmes and the 2nd step score. Although you might have thought you didn't remember the questions and answers, subconsciously, you knew the answer choices the 2nd go-around.

You need all new practice exams for the 3rd studying because redoing the UW assessments and the same nbmes will result in another poor score. Perhaps look into Amboss practice exams? Or go to the SDN Step 1 forum and post asking for advice on what companies have reliable practice exams.

 

[ryd7854]

Still will inflate your score. Would you answer them on your own before the tutor helped guide you through the reasoning?

Yea he would make me answer each question and explain my reasoning behind it before he helped me. Unless i had no idea how to get to the answer he would then explain.

 

[Captain_Falcon]

Yea he would make me answer each question and explain my reasoning behind it before he helped me. Unless i had no idea how to get to the answer he would then explain.

Not saying this happened to you but some tutors are great and others not so much. Really, there are so many excellent board sources that tutors aren't really necessary if the goal is just to pass. But this requires understanding and applying the info after the fact. I don't mean to demean any of your efforts so far but if you are not able to explain a concept in your own words then that's a problem. Also, if you are able to read all of the questions option choices and recognize why all the other choices are wrong (i.e. you know what is missing from the question strm for option c) before you even answer then that is when you are finally putting things together.



You need new questions. I agree with the poster above, try Amboss

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

Quizlet learn mode. There are plenty of public flashcard sets. Retreival based strategies are shown to be the most effective study methods. The best part is, you can do it right from your phone.

 

[mistafab]

I would take a deep breath.

My advice is to consider your options outside of medicine. If you have the work ethic to have made it into med school, you likely also have the brains, but maybe you just aren't that interested in the material.

Going through the process of grinding out a pass in step 1, then hitting your head against step 2ck and having a hard time on all your rotations (inability to show your knowledge), just to eek out a chance to make it at the slim pickings in podunk areas you probably wouldn't be happy in - and not necessarily in the specialty you're most interested in... I just don't think it would be worth it.

Most people do well in things they like (and vice versa). Maybe you liked the idea of medicine, or liked the idea of being a doctor. No shame in that. But in the end it is a job so if another job is a better fit for you then I would go do that. There is no shame in stopping now and shifting gears to another profession.

Best of luck.

 

[Ho0v-man]

Are you content with idea of applying to essentially every FM program in the country, getting <5 interviews and still running a high risk of not matching? That’s what you’re looking at.

That assumes you pass this next time, do well going forward, and don’t continue to struggle.

I’m very sorry this happened and I’m not trying to be a downer. But it sounds like you’ve been studying at least 6 months for a test most people pass with 6 weeks of prep. You should strongly consider another field unless your okay with a chance of going to some of the least desirable FM programs in the country after 2 more years of grinding.

 

[Browns99]

Even with IMG status, you still have a shot at some FM programs. Just make sure you pass this time. As a US MD, even with 2 Step 1 failures, there’d be a good shot to match something not competitive

To the OP, if you are really into becoming a doctor, and only you will know that, give it your best shot on one more attempt and pray for the best, you owe it to yourself to try one more time. However, If you are not that passionate about medicine, maybe start looking at plan B and move on. There is no shame in not continuing in medicine and I think if you hit that point, then move in another direction full steam ahead and don't look back, otherwise, you will have a very long road ahead of you.

Wishing you all the best.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Agree with everyone else--your chances of matching as a USIMG with 2 step 1 failures is low. If you can't imagine ever being anything other than a doctor... then give your next attempt your best shot and commit to crushing step 2. But you're getting very close to the point where you just have to accept that everything up to this point is a sunk cost.

 

[Osteosaur]

I am really sorry you are going through this.

With two failures, and IMG status, its going to be uphill battle even for undesirable FM/IM programs. You may be better off cutting loose now than wracking up 2 more years of debt and stress.

 

[Lawpy]

This is a pretty sobering thread

 

[Goro]

This is a pretty sobering thread

This is why we tell people not to go Carib.