Bad chances of landing residency?

[sharklasers]

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I have a friend who went to the caribbean. He had to remediate part of his second year and transfer to another (and I think less highly regarded) caribbean school. He passed the rest of M2 then started studying for boards. Failed Step 1 and is trying to study for Step 1 again. He does claim that he knows the information but just has a test taking issue.. but I tried to say that the tests will never stop.

This is one of my best friends so I keep trying to hint at maybe considering something else. I don't want to completely push him away from his dreams, bc im sure he is getting that from others. I'm trying to be supportive but real.

However, he keeps saying that he wants to do FM and would literally do residency anywhere and there are some very noncompetitive spots out there and so he still has a chance.

What do you guys think about this situation?

 

[theseeker4]

I have a friend who went to the caribbean. He had to remediate part of his second year and transfer to another (and I think less highly regarded) caribbean school. He passed the rest of M2 then started studying for boards. Failed Step 1 and is trying to study for Step 1 again. He does claim that he knows the information but just has a test taking issue.. but I tried to say that the tests will never stop.

This is one of my best friends so I keep trying to hint at maybe considering something else. I don't want to completely push him away from his dreams, bc im sure he is getting that from others. I'm trying to be supportive but real.

However, he keeps saying that he wants to do FM and would literally do residency anywhere and there are some very noncompetitive spots out there and so he still has a chance.

What do you guys think about this situation?

It is hard enough for people who actually do well on step 1 the first try to match where they want to. If he actually manages to graduate, maybe he will have a chance at some FM program somewhere, but I would not wish his situation on anyone I like.

The other side is, after three years of med school on, I assume, public and private loans, what realistic option does he have other than to press on and hope for the best? Even an MD without the ability to practice would likely have better job opportunities than someone who fails out.... He has to pay the debt off somehow.

 

[Law2Doc]

I have a friend who went to the caribbean. He had to remediate part of his second year and transfer to another (and I think less highly regarded) caribbean school. He passed the rest of M2 then started studying for boards. Failed Step 1 and is trying to study for Step 1 again. He does claim that he knows the information but just has a test taking issue.. but I tried to say that the tests will never stop.

This is one of my best friends so I keep trying to hint at maybe considering something else. I don't want to completely push him away from his dreams, bc im sure he is getting that from others. I'm trying to be supportive but real.

However, he keeps saying that he wants to do FM and would literally do residency anywhere and there are some very noncompetitive spots out there and so he still has a chance.

What do you guys think about this situation?

Odds were already poor going offshore. Offshore grads face high attrition and low match rates to start with, so the odds of all comers before attrition were probably around 25% to start with. Thus going to a worse school and having failures on your application just make it an even longer longshot. at this point that person may as well finish up and take a shot. Might mean they do a couple of dead end prelim years before eking out a living doing GP type stuff. Bailing now is probably more of a resume killer.

 

[MetroPath]

Odds were already poor going offshore. Offshore grads face high attrition and low match rates to start with, so the odds of all comers before attrition were probably around 25% to start with. Thus going to a worse school and having failures on your application just make it an even longer longshot. at this point that person may as well finish up and take a shot. Might mean they do a couple of dead end prelim years before eking out a living doing GP type stuff. Bailing now is probably more of a resume killer.

Match rates are decent at some of the better offshore schools. I am not saying great but there are a large number of students matching each year.

I went to a Carribean school and I would tell your friend to be realistic. It does not get easier. I think it gets harder. If you failed Step 1, you are likely going to fail Step 2 or Step 3. Failing Step 1 is not the end of the world. I think one can comeback from that deoending on the student. If your friend takes Step 1 again and fails, I would say quit right now and do something else. You can become a physician assistant. Pays well and it's primary care.

I say this because I have seen many ppl who kept trying. They failed repeated a semester or an exam and failed again. One guy eventually failed multiple times on Step 2, could not match, took Step 3 and failed. That person quit with I would say 100-200K of debt with no job to pay for it.

If your friend takes Step 1 and fails again, I would say to quit medicine. Before taking the exam again, I would recomm your friend to study in groups of pay for a tutor who will work with you.

 

[link2swim06]

Match rates are decent at some of the better offshore schools. I am not saying great but there are a large number of students matching each year.

I went to a Carribean school and I would tell your friend to be realistic. It does not get easier. I think it gets harder. If you failed Step 1, you are likely going to fail Step 2 or Step 3. Failing Step 1 is not the end of the world. I think one can comeback from that deoending on the student. If your friend takes Step 1 again and fails, I would say quit right now and do something else. You can become a physician assistant. Pays well and it's primary care.

I say this because I have seen many ppl who kept trying. They failed repeated a semester or an exam and failed again. One guy eventually failed multiple times on Step 2, could not match, took Step 3 and failed. That person quit with I would say 100-200K of debt with no job to pay for it.

If your friend takes Step 1 and fails again, I would say to quit medicine. Before taking the exam again, I would recomm your friend to study in groups of pay for a tutor who will work with you.

They get worse each year...who knows what they will be in 2 years from now.

 

[sharklasers]

thanks for the advice.

would dropping out really hurt chances of doing something else, like PA/PT/Pharm or something?

 

[notbobtrustme]

I had a friend who went to the Carib, took 6 years to graduate, retook Step I and Step II twice and managed to find a residency, after 2 failed matches, in a FM community program in Georgia.

It's not impossible, but it's a much longer, much harder road. I mean my friend took 8 years just to get into residency and went into like 400k in debt. He can't even practice in like 20 states because he's passed the time limit for taking the USMLEs.

 

[Law2Doc]

Match rates are decent at some of the better offshore schools....

not when you factor in attrition (and you need to). A 90% match rate isn't 90% if it's really 90% of the 60% who make it that far...