My school is P/F, and I've already passed a class before I need to take this last exam for the course. I've been feeling under the weather recently, so I basically haven't studied for it and will probably get around a 30-40% on it. It doesn't quite sit right with me, and I'll probably regret it come USMLE time, but I rationalize it by thinking that I'm cashing in on the hard work that I've done all semester. Anybody else doing the same thing?
Anybody else on P/F blowing off last unit since you've already passed?
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I'm doing this for anatomy, but our basic sciences course is P/F per block, so you still have to pass each block, meaning that I still have to study pretty hard for that. I'm probably going to end up studying pretty hard for anatomy too, but I'm not going to worry about getting a high score or anything, just that I know the material decently enough that I can fill in any gaps later.
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You're summing up my feelings on a lot of my classes right now. I've passed them all, but I'm still studying for them though because I'm neurotic.
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Do you not get a class rank? I'm in a similar position, but I'm still studying because 1) it can only help for step 1, 2) no sense throwing away a good rank/class grade after working hard for 3 months just to relax for a day or two (especially when you have an entire winter break coming up), 3) I'm paying out the ass for this degree so I might as well make the most of it
No, we don't get ranked for pre-clinical courses.
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But i thought people are self motivated to learn even without grades oh wait
Where are you at, MSU?
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When I started feeling that way I always tried to at least learn the perceived "high-yield" content for that unit.
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seems like a great chance to flip through review books and at least learn the high yield info for boards and shelf exams. must be nice lol
Last year, my school switched from H/HP/P/F to P/F for preclinical grades but my year was grandfathered into the old system. I am so glad it was. I recognize that preclinicals aren't that big of a factor but I busted my ass off that year and I do believe that having that whole year of all honors next to a 250+ step 1 gives a little extra sparkle that I feel I earned.
Also, I don't think I'd have done nearly that well if I had not had grades to strive for along the way.
I'd even argue for a more continuously demarcated grading system than the one I had because you get bull**** incentives like this:
The one class I had that I was just barely above average was gross anatomy. I found it totally boring, full of truly useless minutiae with no functional relevance and it was poorly taught. By the time that the last block exam and final were all that were left in the course, I was at a point where I'd literally have had to get like 98% on the exam, practical and final to earn high pass but I'd have had to get like less than 25% or something to fail. I literally did not study for that exam at all despite it being my worst subject. I spent more time on subjects I was already good at to ensure honors rather than on my weak points. I was effectively in a pass/fail situation for that course and it led to stupid incentives.
I will say that the clinical years should be pass/fail, but that will never happen.
To answer the OP, it depends on what's important to you. Also take into consideration how grades might factor into AOA if you care about that.
