Average??? ARGH!

[Gerg]

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None of you know me, but I want to share my story.

I got my 1st anatomy grade today. I got a 70. Class average is 72, medain grade was 74. Some poor sap got a 30.

I don't know how many of you are in my situation, of shock that you could get below average. I heard it wears off after a few tests. I just can't wrap my head around the fact that I can study my ass off for weeks, I didn't put off one damn bit of studying, and I got a BELOW AVERAGE grade.

Hey, it's a pass! I wish my school didn't give out honors, then I could just be happy with my P. *sigh* I suppose it will be enough to earn me the tittle of "Doctor".

Gerg

 

[Blade28]

You know what they say, "P = MD." 🙂

Don't worry about the grade...it's always overwhelming at first, once you start med school...you'll soon learn, as you progress through the weeks, what type of studying techniques suit you best. For some, becoming an "active learner/reader" is key; for others, study groups work best.

And hey, getting the class average is nothing to sniff at! It shows you're right there in the thick of things, getting along in school, not struggling with anatomy (unlike the person with a score of 30). It IS tough, though, because most of us were used to performing much higher during our undergraduate years (otherwise how would we have gotten accepted to med school?).

 

[Sage880]

Dude, I totally emphathize. I was so happy being a big fish in a small pond! Now, out here in the ocean you have to swim fast to even stay up with the pack.

Not too worried about it but sometimes I miss the good ol' days.

 

[doc05]

you did fine. if you're disappointed, however, maybe you should try studying harder.

 

[SaltySqueegee]

you did fine. if you're disappointed, however, maybe you should try studying harder.

I do relate to the original poster. I get my first grade back tomorrow from my biochem/histology test. 😱

I'll just have to wait and see what it turns out to be... 🙄

 

[MNgrrl]

I'm right there with you! We got our first biochem exams back today and I got a 73%. The avg was a 71%, and passing is a 70%. I should feel good that I even passed (even though below a 75% is a 'Marginal Pass') seeing as how almost half the class didn't, but I am scared! It's not like I want honors, but I want to pass by more than the skin of my teeth!

 

[efex101]

Guys we have to understand (and I know it is hard...) that not everyone in medical school will get really really good grades. We are all used to being at the top of the academic food chain and now we are all from the top and some of us will now fall in other areas aside from the top 10%. I am totally convinced that passing in medical school be it with a 70 or whatever the pass score is for the class *is* a huge accomplishment in itself.

 

[DrMom]

We are all used to being at the top of the academic food chain and now we are all from the top and some of us will now fall in other areas aside from the top 10%.

This is exactly what's going on. Hard adjustment, though.

 

[Sage880]

Guys we have to understand (and I know it is hard...) that not everyone in medical school will get really really good grades. We are all used to being at the top of the academic food chain and now we are all from the top and some of us will now fall in other areas aside from the top 10%. I am totally convinced that passing in medical school be it with a 70 or whatever the pass score is for the class *is* a huge accomplishment in itself.

We understand, we just like lamenting about the good ol' days for a while.

 

[Blade28]

What did our dean tell us at the beginning of orientation? 50% of us will end up in the bottom half of the class...or 75% of us will NOT be in the top 25% of the class.

For many med students, that's a real shocker. Of course, at first, no one thinks it's going to be them that's affected. 🙂

 

[gibna]

I am a first year too, in a non top 50 state school, but unlike you guys I am a couple of points below average, the class average was 81% for anatomy thats just crazy, and I am starting to worry about getting in a competitive residency program, it seems like class rank is more important then I thought. Although I did hear from some second years that your board scores and clinical year grades are much more important. At this point I don't know what to believe. I hate the stress, it's killing me.

 

[DarksideAllstar]

Dont sweat it. The exact same thing happened to me...I ended up scoring a 71 on our first exam (anatomy), which was the lowest grade in the class. You learn what works/doesnt work for you and go with it.

Good luck.

PS- dont think this will foreshadow how you perform the next couple of years. I ended up honoring all of my second year classes and did well on Step 1, so keep your head up!

 

[SoulRFlare]

I am a first year too, in a non top 50 state school, but unlike you guys I am a couple of points below average, the class average was 81% for anatomy thats just crazy, and I am starting to worry about getting in a competitive residency program, it seems like class rank is more important then I thought. Although I did hear from some second years that your board scores and clinical year grades are much more important. At this point I don't know what to believe. I hate the stress, it's killing me.

I apologize if this adds to the stress (i have a biochem exam next week, so i'll get zapped then), but as the board scores are "scaled" in reference to med students across the country, doing well above average is not going to be any easier than doing above averge on a med school exam. In fact, it may be more difficult because you are competing with people from places like hopkins as well. also, its a very long test, so there's the endurance factor that is not as prominent in a med school exam (although i don't know about your school, but we have 4-4.5 hour exams 🙁 )

I feel your pain though. as i said, i have a biochem exam next week, and i'm really not expecting much, even though i spend all day every day immersed in it.

 

[SaltySqueegee]

We understand, we just like lamenting about the good ol' days for a while.

Yep. 👍

 

[SaltySqueegee]

... i don't know about your school, but we have 4-4.5 hour exams 🙁 )
...

Yep... 👎

 

[lattimer13]

None of you know me, but I want to share my story.

I got my 1st anatomy grade today. I got a 70. Class average is 72, medain grade was 74. Some poor sap got a 30.

I don't know how many of you are in my situation, of shock that you could get below average. I heard it wears off after a few tests. I just can't wrap my head around the fact that I can study my ass off for weeks, I didn't put off one damn bit of studying, and I got a BELOW AVERAGE grade.

Hey, it's a pass! I wish my school didn't give out honors, then I could just be happy with my P. *sigh* I suppose it will be enough to earn me the tittle of "Doctor".

Gerg

be happy with being average...then when you're put on the spot, people won't expect much out of you and life will be easier. 😉

seriously though, it was your first test right? you've probalbly already started to figure out the whole med school thing, and you're gonna do better from here on in because you'll have learned how to do it and you'll be used to all this.

and do you really want to kill yourself trying to be the best? maybe try talking to some of the people your school's educational development department and see what they suggest as far as studying.

 

[anamarylee]

Keep in mind that some of those people who do very well in the basic sciences have a hard time when clerckships come around.

I may not be the brightest in my class, but I sure love how I feel when we are with patients and the class "geniouses" can figure out how to do a history properly. Case in point, last year I had a formative exam, basically doing a complete H&P and then doing the SOAP for it and presenting the case to the attending. The attending that I had was also working with 2 other students (people who do very well in basic sciences courses). They both told me the attending was horrible, that she was making them do it over twice because she was simply a pain. I went in scared out of my mind thinking "That's it, this is the begining of the end for me". Turns out the attending was a joy to work with, very nice person and a very knowledgeable physician. I presented it once without problems (got something like a 97 on it, vs my usual barely scrapping basic courses grades)... The moral of the very long story (sorry for the length) is that yes, it may suck to not get the grade we want, but we'll more than make up for it down the road.

And as always P = MD 🙂