Multiple pre-clinical failures and now COMLEX LEVEL 1 failure.

[Needhelpplease1]

Hello everyone.
I started school in the midst of the pandemic and since the beginning started off on the wrong foot. I am not justifying my failures I am just mentioning what happened.
I failed preclin courses in first and second years because I was having family issues (medical and immigration). After my first year I really thought I had figured out a solid plan but again was hit with similar medical/immigration issues in the second year. After I failed in my second year I took some time off for medical reasons.
I have now failed comlex level 1.
I want to take a year off and really study for level 1/step 1 and prep for level 2/step2 because I really don't want to ruin my chances any more than I already have.

I was wondering with my current predicament, if I take a year off and when I pass level1/step 1 and level2/step 2. Will I be able to land neurology/IM/FM?

Thank you!

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[EthylMethylMan]

You probably could match, assuming your other board scores are good and you get good clinical grades. You'll of course need to apply broadly. Like, really broadly. Like, every DO-friendly program you can find, irrespective of location. But I think perhaps an even bigger issue here is your stress management skills. I don't need to know the specifics of your personal dilemmas, I don't doubt that they were very trying. But what I can tell you is that life happens, even in clinical rotations, residency, and beyond. I agree that you should probably take some more time off, but in addition to studying, you should consider mental health counseling. You gotta be sure you can at least stay afloat academically/professionally the next time life throws you a curveball. Also, if you haven't already, you should meet with your advisor and/or dean and discuss how much LOA time is allowed since you've already taken leave.

 

[Rapsidy]

What is your schools response to this? That is going to be the single biggest factor. Do you have a meeting with them coming up? What is their student handbook policy to repeat years and failed boards? I would look into that thoroughly as they may not even give you a chance to take more time off and you may be looking at dismissal.

How much time have you taken off already? I’m fairly certain you must obtain the degree within 6 years so again your school may restrict the amount of time you take off.

I wouldn’t even worry about step 1/2 with a failed COMLEX 1 right now.

I am sorry for the struggles you have been going through, and hope that you can take some time to figure out what you need to succeed.

 

[Needhelpplease1]

The policy is 8 weeks LOA/removal from rotations for failed Level 1 on the first attempt and 4-12 weeks LOA for second failure on level 1. (I never had to repeat any years thankfully)
I have a meeting coming up. I took 2 months off for medical reasons.

 

[Tranquility_DO]

you can probably still match if you knock everything else out in 1 shot. your best bet is in FM and IM, more likely to be community programs.

How did you prepare for level 1?

 

[Rapsidy]

Time can be either a hindrance or beneficial, it’ll be up to you what you think is going to be the most productive. The longer you take to study the higher likelihood you’re going to have decay of information, and it also depends on when you study during that year break.

But studying is also meaningless if you don’t have the mental health/medical/immigration issues under control and are trying to study with those factors at play.

I don’t know your immigration issues, but also keep that in mind if you decide to take off a year how that can affect your status. I’ve heard stories of people here from other countries who were threatened with/actually deported for delaying step 1 for too long and not being considered full time status.

 

[Needhelpplease1]

Immigration wasn't mine but it was my dads. He was facing deportation while being bedbound and getting ready for surgery. I was working with him with figuring out what was going on while also helping out with medical issues. I know it is nothing compared to people who personally have immigration issues but this really did impact me.

 

[Needhelpplease1]

I did UW practice questions, Pathoma, sketchy (micro + pharm) and school's OMM review.

 

[Angus Avagadro]

You have multiple red flags. Pre clinical failures and Board failures. Meet with your school, advisors, and student learning center about your learning issues. Passing boards will help your cause. Develop a strategy to pass boards with them and determine if their are any correctable medical issues that can be mediated in the process. Good luck and best wishes!

 

[Needhelpplease1]

thank you. really appreciate the advice

 

[GoSpursGo]

I agree, it's difficult to advise without knowing your school's response.

I also think that unfortunately, you need to consider what the long-term trajectory of your own medical issues, your father's medical issues, and your father's immigration issues is going to be. Are they, for real, resolved and no longer going to hinder your ability to perform in medical school? Or are these problems going to continue cropping up repeatedly throughout your training? If it is the latter, how do you anticipate that you are going to meet these ongoing challenges in a way that is different from previous? These are difficult questions, but you need to come up with an answer not only for yourself, but because I would anticipate that your school will ask you these questions when you meet with them.

Bottom line, I think you can match in a noncompetitive field to a noncompetitive location if everything goes right from here. But you really need to consider whether it is realistic to expect that "everything is going to go right from here" given how your first two years of school have gone.

Good luck.

 

[Needhelpplease1]

I understand. The issues have been resolved. I resolved them in 2nd year and took some time off at the end.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Your school is being rather forgiving with all of this, which is a real positive for you.

I'll add to what someone posted above -- you should not even consider taking the steps at all. You're having problems passing COMLEX. Focus on that and pass it. On average, people who take both exams do worse on USMLE. It's not really going to help you.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

It's not the end of the line. But it's getting there. The only thing that can save your application is an upward trajectory. If you score well on Level 2 some programs will be more forgiving of your pre-clinical performance.

My recommendation is leverage any connection you can possibly make. Find FM programs that accept only DOs, make good friends with the people who will be picking out residents. And make it clear you've grown. Have amazing letters. Stay late. Make sure docs and residents like and appreciate you. Etc.

 

[NontradICUdoc]

you should also take into consideration that you will need to do a prelim or transitional year. That way you can prove that your medical knowledge has improved and you are teachable as a resident.

 

[calvinhobbes]

One word: COMBANK
Two words. REPEAT COMBANK!
Two and a half words: Repeat COMBANK x3
Three words: Apply Family Medicine
Four words: Apply to EVERY program

 

[Niwrad]

Prelim and TY IMO can be much more accessible than FM. There were literally hundreds of unfilled categorical IM programs and I’d imagine that if you wanted prelim IM you’ll probably get it

 

[Ho0v-man]

This isn’t great. You really need to make the case that medicine didn’t click until clinical rotations started. In other words, you need to start walking on water on rotations and be the very excited super star med student for third and fourth year who honors everything. FM in particular really seems to eat that kind of redemption story up.

Apply extremely broadly to community FM/IM and be prepared to soap anyway.

 

[vkarp]

Add EM in case you don’t like FM/IM. It’s the least competitive specialty now from what I’ve heard

 

[Needhelpplease1]

will keep this in mind. Thank you evryone.

 

[xffan624]

Add EM in case you don’t like FM/IM. It’s the least competitive specialty now from what I’ve heard

Read the various threads in the EM before applying. At least with non-competitive FM/IM residencies you'll have the ability to get a job when you're done.

 

[Nevergiveupok]

This sounds like NYITCOM. OP, the school in the past has recommended a course in Illinois (I'm forgetting the name) and all the NYIT people I know that went there (delayed boards or had a failed COMLEX 1) ended up passing. I would actually recommend that. Didn't do it myself but have a close friend who went there after failing COMLEX 1. Now that person is either a 2nd / 3rd year IM resident.

Know someone at NYITCOM (not my class) who had multiple board failures across COMLEX 1/ 2 and still matched but he was a US citizen. Matched into some random FM residency in middle of nowhere essentially (one of those programs where almost every incoming student is a FMG). I forget if he took 5 or 6 years to graduate. Either way, he ended up okay. I personally am not aware of any of the international students in our class that had failed attempts.

 

[Needhelpplease1]

I am not international student and sorry for the confusion caused by my statement. Yes I am taking that program [PASS program] b/c I do not want to fail ever again.

Thank you so much for your reply

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

You're in a world of pain. If these problems persist, a PD will think you'll be a liability that may drop from the program or not pass boards. I would focus on applying FM or pathology

I don't think it's impossible to match IM, but I'd sincerely put my efforts into FM as the likelihood of matching is higher. At this point you can't afford applying to 3 specialties half-assed. You need to be full in on one

 

[Xavieous]

@Needhelpplease1 You're in the trenches, but you can do this. You've had alot of really good advice up above, and I think at this point you've heard the gambit of options, so I'll just voice my personal experience and how I got thru. Without too much details I decided to get married 36 hours after my level 1 and didn't end up passing. I had also had a course or two that I had to redo in year 1-2. It can become very difficult and discouraging to put in so much time and effort and be given failures for your effort. easy to lose hope, feel you're inadequate. But, you can do it. you just need to make sure you aren't doing the same thing and expecting better results. for my part my program required 1 month off when you have a level 1 failure. it took alot of convincing from our full time study coordinator that school has to have me change my study techniques to optamize your learning, but you need to. Here is a few things I would recomend to anyone that failed one of these tests:

1st. take a breather. give yourself a few days, a week to just get your mind off of it. burnout is so easy in medical school and it won't help you at all to frustratingly dive back into the books.

2nd. talk with your school's study provider. hopefully you have one. if not hire one that is Good. spend multiple meetings, once a week, starting this week. make it a habit for the rest of your medical school journey. you need someone to vent to, to have your back, and to discuss what didn't work that week, what is working. those people who have a good technique don't need this, but alot of people (way more than medical students let on) do need it. When I was doing my 1 month dedicated her and I talked on the phone twice a week for an hour each time.

3rd. This is a big one: practice exams. you need to start taking them, and alot of them. two reaons: 1, it lets you know where your scoring is so when you take it again you will have confidence of getting "x" sore with a standard deviation. 2 it lets you practice timed test taking. you need to practice this often, at least once a week timed. then the next day go over the questions you got wrong and why.

4th. apply new techniqes to learning. I'm not going to tell you how to study, this is very individualized. some people watch the same sketcy video 1000x, others do nothing but practice questions, others read stacks of books. talk with your study coordinator and come up with a good plan to achieve your goals.

I don't think you need to take a year off, I don't think you need 3 months to study. by doing practice tests remember you will know where you are as the day approaches. you can always cancel the exam if you really have to, but don't. study with the thought in mind of achieveing this next time.

You've got this, if you have the ability to dedicate the time and really change your study approach with professional guidance, you will be fine.

 

[samac]

This sounds like NYITCOM. OP, the school in the past has recommended a course in Illinois (I'm forgetting the name) and all the NYIT people I know that went there (delayed boards or had a failed COMLEX 1) ended up passing. I would actually recommend that. Didn't do it myself but have a close friend who went there after failing COMLEX 1. Now that person is either a 2nd / 3rd year IM resident.

Know someone at NYITCOM (not my class) who had multiple board failures across COMLEX 1/ 2 and still matched but he was a US citizen. Matched into some random FM residency in middle of nowhere essentially (one of those programs where almost every incoming student is a FMG). I forget if he took 5 or 6 years to graduate. Either way, he ended up okay. I personally am not aware of any of the international students in our class that had failed attempts.

The Pass Program is the program in Illinois. I did it after my level 1 failure and passed with a score >500.