Just wanted to chime in again, it sounds like the school failed YOU, not the other way around. They made an investment in you to help you succeed when they accepted you, and it seems like they haven’t really given you a fair chance, compared to other DO or def US MD schools.
At my DO school, for example, there was a policy that if you failed one course (system aka block), you had to remediate it over the summer. Typically everyone would pass the summer remediation (easier). If you failed that remediation, then you could go in front of a committee and appeal, and then come back with the following class and repeat the year.
Or, if you failed two courses (let’s say one in the beginning and then at the very end of the year—happened often), you could not remediate because two course failures = a dismissal, but, you could go in front of a committee and appeal, and also repeat the year with the next incoming class.
Either way, the following year if you came back, you would be on academic probation, which meant that, if you had one more subsequent course failure, even if it was at the end of that repeated year (which would suck), you would be dismissed, no chance to appeal, no buts about it.
My school also gave the option of withdrawing after failing one course the first time, and then coming back next year to repeat the year with the new class, and you would be on academic probation, too.
In terms of repeating a year, I knew many people that had to repeat the year at my school, and so many are now successful post-residency, in fellowship, etc. I also know one person who had to repeat the year, then failed a course during that repeated year, and my med school kicked him out...BUT helped him get into their nursing program, and he is now an NP and making the same salary as a primary care physician (same salary as his wife who graduated from the DO school and is in primary care!)
Just FYI, I know someone who failed an anatomy test at an MD school as a 1st year. Failing that test meant she would fail the course. The professor took her aside and asked what went wrong. She unfortunately had a death in the family and couldn’t study for it. What did the anatomy professor do? He let her re-take the exam. Most US MD schools *want* to keep their students and help them, and don’t fail the mail student right away. This kind scenario would have never happened at my DO school, by the way.
So, OP, just know that it’s not over for you! You unfortunately go to a ****ty school who is not that lenient. I would not do the masters program. I would either reapply to other DO schools, or go the NP route. Many NPs are now practicing independently, make very similar salary if the not same, as a PCP doc, and their admissions standards are much, much lower and years of training is significantly less (that’s another topic altogether), but, just letting you know, if I were you, I would say FU to your school, and reapply elsewhere, or go NP.
Good luck to you and please don’t give up. This is a career but in the end of the day you also have a life to live, and don’t waste time (or money!) on a school that doesn’t care to at least give you the chance to repeat the year, when so many other DO schools do.
