Class averages 89%?!?

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ScotchWhiskey

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Hey its me again just trying to figure out what the heck to do...so my class is apparently nuts and most class averages are in the 88-89% range. There are some that drop down to 85 (gasp) but they're always up there.
I personally score at the average +/- 1 question. This still puts me way down in the class ranks (~40th percentile ish). My school only ranks years 1-2 purely based on grades. We had an exam today I felt I did well on and of course again the average is way up there.

Is there anything I can do here?I've gone to the study specialists, switched up styles, and I feel like I know the material. I can't do the quick memorization for an exam every 2 days...it just isn't in my nature. I really don't want to pull all-nighters and stuff people in my class do. I have a family and don't want to completely abandon them. I mean my GPA is still gonna be 3.5-3.7 but I'll be lower 3rd quartile. I know none of this matters immensely in the long run but I would really like to be able to not be pigeonholed in terms of residencies.

I just wanna do IM with a possibility of fellowship in the middle competitive stuff, or neuro. I don't wanna leave the midwest. I know aim for a step close to 240 and I'll be okay is what I see on here. Theoretically it shouldn't be an issue but man its frustrating to bust your butt, get a high B+/A-, and be average or below average. Any advice would be much appreciated. Trying not to be neurotic but idk what else I can do
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The general consensus is that pre-clinical grades and class ranking is not going to make or break you for residency placing. Doing well on boards and your rotations is much more important. As long as you're comfortably passing, I wouldn't stress too much.
 
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AnatomyGrey12 said:
Bro you’re almost getting As on everything. Chill.
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haha I know I need to...just sucks I'm gonna be lower 3rd quartile and if I mess up I'm bottom. Just frustrated and burnt out I guess. How the hell do I make up ground if everyone gets As haha thanks
 
AnatomyGrey12 said:
Bro you’re almost getting As on everything. Chill.

I would also be a little worried that your curriculum is a little easy if your averages are consistently a borderline A.
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Yeah I mean our board averages are still pretty high. Essentially its just that with an exam every two days everyone can memorize stuff. I dont necessarily think its too easy its just people are effective memorize & regurgitators and I am not hah
 
ScotchWhiskey said:
Hey its me again just trying to figure out what the heck to do...so my class is apparently nuts and most class averages are in the 88-89% range. There are some that drop down to 85 (gasp) but they're always up there.
I personally score at the average +/- 1 question. This still puts me way down in the class ranks (~40th percentile ish). My school only ranks years 1-2 purely based on grades. We had an exam today I felt I did well on and of course again the average is way up there.

Is there anything I can do here?I've gone to the study specialists, switched up styles, and I feel like I know the material. I can't do the quick memorization for an exam every 2 days...it just isn't in my nature. I really don't want to pull all-nighters and stuff people in my class do. I have a family and don't want to completely abandon them. I mean my GPA is still gonna be 3.5-3.7 but I'll be lower 3rd quartile. I know none of this matters immensely in the long run but I would really like to be able to not be pigeonholed in terms of residencies.

I just wanna do IM with a possibility of fellowship in the middle competitive stuff, or neuro. I don't wanna leave the midwest. I know aim for a step close to 240 and I'll be okay is what I see on here. Theoretically it shouldn't be an issue but man its frustrating to bust your butt, get a high B+/A-, and be average or below average. Any advice would be much appreciated. Trying not to be neurotic but idk what else I can do
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You are fine.

Repeat after: "I am fine".

Repeat as necessary.

Seriously, I know that "3rd quartile" sounds scary bad...but you're fine! If your GPA were 2-2.75, then you're NOT fine.
 
Goro said:
You are fine.

Repeat after: "I am fine".

Repeat as necessary.

Seriously, I know that "3rd quartile" sounds scary bad...but you're fine! If your GPA were 2-2.75, then you're NOT fine.
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I know it will be its just hard to not worry about it at times. Especially thinking fellowship as a DO, you kinda gotta be a bit better. I have research done and all that it's just a nervewracking thing when you bust your butt for average/below, even if that mark you're hitting is relatively high. And GPA would probably be closer to 3.5 ish (although I know it doesn't matter). Bust it for boards, try to hit 240, and kill clinicals is what the advice is on here I guess.

I appreciate it
 
Just don't look at the averages and chill
 
Drrrrrr. Celty said:
I really don't get how class averages on tests can be that high unless they literally ask first order questions.
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Eh ours are usually up there too. Honestly I might go to the same school as OP. Ours have a chunk of first order, but also enough second/third to separate the people who didn't study enough. If you study decently, you'll pass, know the stuff well will get you to ~90, then knowing some major connections will get you all the way up. My class is apparently one of the higher averages in terms of classes that we've had and I feel the frustration he/she's got
 
It doesn’t matter if you go to a top 10 MD program or a DO school, a class average in the high 80’s is concerning. Either students are getting access to reused questions, or the tests are simply not hard enough. Both scenarios are problematic, IMO. I actually like how hard my schools tests are, because it pushes me to learn the material better. For reference, my schools averages over the course of two years probably falls around 80% - give or take a few percentages. I know MD students at tippy top programs with similar averages.
 
IsWhat said:
It doesn’t matter if you go to a top 10 MD program or a DO school, a class average in the high 80’s is concerning. Either students are getting access to reused questions, or the tests are simply not hard enough. Both scenarios are problematic, IMO. I actually like how hard my schools tests are, because it pushes me to learn the material better. For reference, my schools averages over the course of two years probably falls around 80% - give or take a few percentages. I know MD students at tippy top programs with similar averages.
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Eh I don't buy into that honestly...yeah they're high but based on the past performance of classes and average board scores and everything it prepares you okay. Idk I'm a lot less 'the sky is falling' then most of SDN. I don't believe in making tests harder just because averages are high. I had a chem professor that did that in undergrad and the averages went down the 50s and they had to curve it. From what we've been told this is an anomaly with my class, the averages haven't been that high in the past. Maybe that's just hearsay who knows. But the past grads have done pretty well on boards so I don't think its the end of the world. I personally don't think they've overtly easy (besides the classic first order questions). I'm as average as it gets but I still bust my ass
 
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Chibucks15 said:
Eh I don't buy into that honestly...yeah they're high but based on the past performance of classes and average board scores and everything it prepares you okay. Idk I'm a lot less 'the sky is falling' then most of SDN. I don't believe in making tests harder just because averages are high. I had a chem professor that did that in undergrad and the averages went down the 50s and they had to curve it. From what we've been told this is an anomaly with my class, the averages haven't been that high in the past. Maybe that's just hearsay who knows. But the past grads have done pretty well on boards so I don't think its the end of the world. I personally don't think they've overtly easy (besides the classic first order questions). I'm as average as it gets but I still bust my ass
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I’m not saying it’s the end of the world - only that it is concerning. There are inevitably a subset of students who think they are doing “okay” when really they aren’t and there is no way for them to know. When the tests are so easy that basically everyone passes then the point of the test is wasted, IMO.
 
IsWhat said:
I’m not saying it’s the end of the world - only that it is concerning. There are inevitably a subset of students who think they are doing “okay” when really they aren’t and there is no way for them to know. When the tests are so easy that basically everyone passes then the point of the test is wasted, IMO.
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I get that for sure...but at least for me, there isn’t a point in making it hard enough so people don’t pass...that seems counter intuitive. At least for us, our distribution has a good amount of lower scores, some failing, but the middle of the curve is skewed way high.

If you don’t study enough, you will fail, which makes sense. If you work hard then you’ll pass, and they kinda make people flirting with the fail line go get help and it seems to work. Idk I feel challenged with ours but not overwhelmed. To each their own
 
Chibucks15 said:
Eh I don't buy into that honestly...yeah they're high but based on the past performance of classes and average board scores and everything it prepares you okay. Idk I'm a lot less 'the sky is falling' then most of SDN. I don't believe in making tests harder just because averages are high. I had a chem professor that did that in undergrad and the averages went down the 50s and they had to curve it. From what we've been told this is an anomaly with my class, the averages haven't been that high in the past. Maybe that's just hearsay who knows. But the past grads have done pretty well on boards so I don't think its the end of the world. I personally don't think they've overtly easy (besides the classic first order questions). I'm as average as it gets but I still bust my ass
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Dude you are so right, its incredible how crazy people are on this site. I just don't understand, maybe these people are just super doom and gloom (must be a joy to be around ). From my experience an easy test that focuses on the basics is perfect for med school (I though our school preclinical exams were fairly easy-- 83-85 avg with some in the high 80s). These tests are perfect because in the 2 weeks you have to study the material it make sure you have the baseline knowledge.

You don't need hard test questions, just use the school stuff to make sure you have the basics, and focus on UWORLD and what other question bank to get better at harder concepts. I think your school is doing you a favor by decreasing the pressure.
 
Tbh I felt like KCU's hard nightmare mode tests made me feel a lot more confident with UWORLD.
 
IsWhat said:
It doesn’t matter if you go to a top 10 MD program or a DO school, a class average in the high 80’s is concerning. Either students are getting access to reused questions, or the tests are simply not hard enough. Both scenarios are problematic, IMO. I actually like how hard my schools tests are, because it pushes me to learn the material better. For reference, my schools averages over the course of two years probably falls around 80% - give or take a few percentages. I know MD students at tippy top programs with similar averages.
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Maybe they no longer do board style questions? I agree with your other two possibilities as well.

But as someone who pulled all nighters somewhat routinely to make sure I would get by, it had very little to do with 'getting A's' for me. If I could average a 3.5 at my school without all nighters, I would take that any day of the week. Heck, as long as I was over the 3.0, so people don't think I'm a mental midget, I would board study all the way.

The only reason to stay up all night is if you are worried about passing. Sometimes that fear is irrational, but its the only reason I did what I felt I needed to. 28 hour call is coming, time to get ready.
 
I think that the exams at my DO school got "easier" as we moved along. First year averages were around 75-80%, and then by second year we were probably at 80-85%, and now, 2 months away from boards, I'm seeing 85-90%. They are mostly first order, and don't at all prepare me for boards.
 
ScotchWhiskey said:
Hey its me again just trying to figure out what the heck to do...so my class is apparently nuts and most class averages are in the 88-89% range. There are some that drop down to 85 (gasp) but they're always up there.
I personally score at the average +/- 1 question. This still puts me way down in the class ranks (~40th percentile ish). My school only ranks years 1-2 purely based on grades. We had an exam today I felt I did well on and of course again the average is way up there.

Is there anything I can do here?I've gone to the study specialists, switched up styles, and I feel like I know the material. I can't do the quick memorization for an exam every 2 days...it just isn't in my nature. I really don't want to pull all-nighters and stuff people in my class do. I have a family and don't want to completely abandon them. I mean my GPA is still gonna be 3.5-3.7 but I'll be lower 3rd quartile. I know none of this matters immensely in the long run but I would really like to be able to not be pigeonholed in terms of residencies.

I just wanna do IM with a possibility of fellowship in the middle competitive stuff, or neuro. I don't wanna leave the midwest. I know aim for a step close to 240 and I'll be okay is what I see on here. Theoretically it shouldn't be an issue but man its frustrating to bust your butt, get a high B+/A-, and be average or below average. Any advice would be much appreciated. Trying not to be neurotic but idk what else I can do
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You know what's more important than keeping up with the Joneses? Long term memory and deeper understanding of things that are important for boards. You need to figure out what is superfluous **** being tested (apparently at a 1st order level) and ensure that you are going in depth enough on this other stuff. If you risk chasing the average for the sake of it, you risk getting to dedicated and saying, " I never learned any of this." Guess which one is worse.
 
When a program screens applications, they look at Step scores. They don't compare apples to oranges, they compare apples to apples. So your GPA only matters in terms of your quartile. If you're 3rd quartile, who cares. Because it's all about your Step score (I know, I know, all those programs meticulously comb through the 1000 applications, painting perfect mental images of each applicant, everything from volunteer, to those high school awards you won and that time you volunteered at a 5K for autism awareness). Now if you have a 205 and you're 3rd quartile, then you can come back to us and complain about the 205 and we'll talk you down from the ledge.
 
Mad Jack said:
IM programs generally don't care much about class rank. One published paper is more important than all the honors in the world in preclinical.
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I appreciate it...we had a test today and same thing...I got an 86, average was 87, but more than half the class was above the average. I know it doesn't mean a ton its just hard to shake the inadequacy feeling when a 3.5 is bottom of the class
 
ScotchWhiskey said:
I appreciate it...we had a test today and same thing...I got an 86, average was 87, but more than half the class was above the average. I know it doesn't mean a ton its just hard to shake the inadequacy feeling when a 3.5 is bottom of the class
Click to expand...
Chill, class rank means almost nothing
 
the goal of medical school should be to learn as much as you can you can help your future patients. Not to be in the top of the class. Yes it can be frustrating to try so hard and be in the 3rd quartile. Im in a similar situation. But at the end of the day, you are surrounded by insanely brilliant people who are working hard just like you. Don’t compare yourself to them.
 
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