Applying ENT with preclinical remediation

[coolgirl12]

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Hi! For context, I go to a top MD school in TX. I had trouble adjusting my first semester and failed one of my first few courses (a histology class), which I remediated in the summer. My transcript will say "pass," but my MSPE will include a note about me initially having an incomplete. This eliminates me from the AOA running too (although I am not sure I had much of a chance at AOA in the first place). I am interested in a competitive specialty—ENT. How much does this hurt my chances? I hope to compensate with high STEP/quartile ranking since my school has graded clinicals. Has anyone here (especially from the south) had experience with a similar situation?

 

[RockClimberMed]

are u a current applicant? or M2?

 

[coolgirl12]

are u a current applicant? or M2?

Nope! I’m still in my preclinical years

 

[operaman]

If that’s the only blemish and everything else is solid then you should be ok. Doubtful that alone would keep you out of the running if everything else was competitive.

That said, you have a lot of work ahead to get to the “average” level of successful ent applicants. We’re talking about 90+ percentile board scores, preponderance of clinical honors, strong research output, and strong letters from faculty.

For this to work, you should be scoring well above average on your class exams this year. It’s rare to see bottom quartile performers land top tier board scores. People tend to perform roughly the same over time. If you’ve found your stride and are now scoring in the top of the class, you’ve got a good shot. If you’re still struggling to meet the average then you may want to also work on a backup plan for when shelves and step don’t go as planned.

 

[GoSpursGo]

It’s rare to see bottom quartile performers land top tier board scores.

This, OP.

All hope is not lost, but I would reframe your focus on doing your best on your next exam and leave worrying about your eventual match for later.

 

[coolgirl12]

This, OP.

All hope is not lost, but I would reframe your focus on doing your best on your next exam and leave worrying about your eventual match for later.

Thank you, you are right and this is a really grounding perspective. I understand that there is a lot left to do between now and match to be competitive. I only ask because I am now scoring just around the mark of the top quartile of my class, and I believe my failure was an isolated event. I can’t help but have anxiety around how this first semester remediation will hurt me even if I continue my current trajectory.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Thank you, you are right and this is a really grounding perspective. I understand that there is a lot left to do between now and match to be competitive. I only ask because I am now scoring just around the mark of the top quartile of my class, and I believe my failure was an isolated event. I can’t help but have anxiety around how this first semester remediation will hurt me even if I continue my current trajectory.

All roads to success start with doing your best on your next test. Whether the road ends at an ENT fellowship, or whatever your backup plan winds up being, just sprint for the next exam and then you can assess what makes sense going forward