dismissed DO student

[hopeful maybe naive]

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At my school and others, we find that the #1 reason we lose students to withdrawal, dismissal or LOA is to unresolved mental health issues. This can include a lack of coping skills to outside life events.

I'd say the second most common reason is what you refer to, and that's probably due to their not wanting to be in med school in the first place. Never underestimate the damage that Tiger Parents (who come in all sizes, shapes and colors) can do to people's careers.

Very few people fail med school because they lack the metal firepower...although I suspect this might be an issue at newer DO schools.

I don't mean to argue with your statement but I'm just curious. Are these mental health issues mostly anxiety and depression? My thinking is that doing very poorly in medical school can result in anxiety +/- depression throughout the semester that may go unresolved. How do you know that these issues are the cause of one's failure to do well vs. the effect?

 

[Scrubs101]

I don't mean to argue with your statement but I'm just curious. Are these mental health issues mostly anxiety and depression? My thinking is that doing very poorly in medical school can result in anxiety +/- depression throughout the semester that may go unresolved. How do you know that these issues are the cause of one's failure to do well vs. the effect?

Anecdotally, im currently doing well in class and definitely suffered from some near debilitating anxiety first semester that i definitely did not have prior to med school. I have a better hold on it now, but still not mentally the same as i was prior to med school. Med school is like a furnace for your psyche, it takes a toll on both those doing well and doing poorly

 

[Goro]

I don't mean to argue with your statement but I'm just curious. Are these mental health issues mostly anxiety and depression? My thinking is that doing very poorly in medical school can result in anxiety +/- depression throughout the semester that may go unresolved. How do you know that these issues are the cause of one's failure to do well vs. the effect?

Ahhh...Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Well, I'm not privy to actual diagnoses due to privacy issues. But we know two things:

Med school does exacerbate pre-existing mental health issues. It's a furnace, after all.

It also brings on mental health issues in previously healthy person, especially those with poor coping skills.

When you have very accomplished, bright people who, for the first time in their lives face failure, it's a blow not merely to their self-esteem, but to their entire sense of self-worth. I've lived this myself, and had it happen to me in grad school. And it wasn't academic, it's experiments that used to work suddenly stop working.

I would wager that depression is the most common illness.

 

[BorntobeDO?]

Ahhh...Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Well, I'm not privy to actual diagnoses due to privacy issues. But we know two things:

Med school does exacerbate pre-existing mental health issues. It's a furnace, after all.

It also brings on mental health issues in previously healthy person, especially those with poor coping skills.

When you have very accomplished, bright people who, for the first time in their lives face failure, it's a blow not merely to their self-esteem, but to their entire sense of self-worth. I've lived this myself, and had it happen to me in grad school. And it wasn't academic, it's experiments that used to work suddenly stop working.

I would wager that depression is the most common illness.

Its pretty tough to go from nearly straight A's to struggling to get C's in some classes, or even worse having to remediate or fail. I can definitely see how this can cause issues if your self worth is tied up in your grades/accomplishments.

Its easy to say your self worth shouldn't/doesn't come from a grade when they are all good anyway. Its much harder to do when the grades have always been there for you, and suddenly they aren't. That's when you figure out the crutch you didn't know you were leaning on is gone.

People all react differently, but the good news is most can make it. I don't believe you are really in the med school mindset till you fail a test, and realize that you can fail out. That's when it gets real.

 

[Jinxapotato]

As I ask everyone who does poorly, do you find yourself actually interested in the material? Are you the type who looks at the material is says, well this isn't important for being a doctor? Also how much time are you really dedicating to studying for your tests?

Lets face it. Medical science is give or take science for non-majors except you're being assaulted at it with like a textbook's worth of material in a week. If you're not putting in the time, then you're going to fail. This means no weekends. It means no off week nights. It means no going out and partying. It's you and your new boy/girl/gender neutral whatever friend, microsoft powerpoint and their polyamorous agreeable friend textbook.

And honestly, a big part of it is whether you want it enough. A lot of people don't really want to be doctors or just aren't even remotely interested in it. If this is the case, then it's ok to bail. Hell it's imperative that you honestly bail. This **** is hard and if you don't love it then you're going to regret it. It's absolutely not worth it if you don't love it.

gee thanks...now I can never look at my textbook the same way....

 

[Jinxapotato]

I think the OP should take an SMP (as said in my previous posts) because I believe it will help them do well in a med. school curriculum and also help for re-admissions.

Now I came from Anatomy & Cell Biology background, with SMP on top. Yes, it helped tremendously in first year, the entire first semester was a review to me. However once we venture into 2nd year, the advantage starts to taper off. Believe it or not, you don't NEED that deep of a grasp in organic chemistry to understand why a drug works, and surprise surprise, the board is much more interested in seeing if you know the drug's use/side effect, not how many tetrahedral shape does the molecule have.
So while having some form of science background helps in the beginning, it does not help you past 2nd year. Most people who got in are adaptive individuals who will pick up whatever they don't know during the first 2 semesters or so. After that, everyone is more or less equal in term of foundation.

PS: also are you really a premed? Just curious.

 

[hopeful maybe naive]

Hello everyone, it's been a while but I wanted to post a quick update. I was reinstated into my medical school in May. I basically just told them why I believed I failed courses and shared my plan of how to prevent that for the next two years. They responded very well to my statement and I did not receive any questioning or criticism by the committee. That was probably due to my very in depth appeal along with the grades I received during my time off.

I repeated the semester successfully and I can finally reflect on this past semester. I realized that med school is still hard, even the second time around! My study methods now are no where near last year, and as I went through the semester I realized how much time I wasted last year making notes, charts, etc. I won't go into detail because everyone is different, but I finally found out how I best learn and recall tons of information that we need to learn just days before the exam. I also basically stalked my advisor, professors, and the learning specialist. Most of the time I actually learned a ton from them, and if not, they provided support and encouragement. I learned that they are humans too with many flaws, and more often than not they won't judge or criticize for asking plenty of questions even the second time through the semester.

Thank you to all the supportive people on this thread, I appreciate it!!! My advice to those going through a similar process is to just stay humble and give yourself time to self reflect and experiment new study methods before diving back into medical school!

 

[wkabenga]

Thank you for your input. Would you consider psych or pm&r as competitive though? I have worked in a psych clinic for two years so I came into med school with an interest in that. I am not against FM at all, but I am wondering if other doors are closed.

If I were you, I would strongly consider careers in medicine other than being a DO. I was in a position very similar to yours in med school but I chose to resign from med school this spring knowing this wasn't for me.

I med school was on the brink of failing out several times but I managed to dig deep to pass years 1 and 2 at the bottom of my class. I had a lot of hope and belief at the time that things would improve in third year but the bottom line was that it didn't, I still struggled in school and realized I didn't find the clinical practice of medicine fun or rewarding to me at all. I knew based on my academic situation that my only realistic options were FM or IM, but after doing third year I knew I would hate working in those fields, so I quit med school knowing that it wasn't a good career choice for me.

You're in a good spot right now where you can evaluate your options thoroughly without getting too far in debt. I assume your a first year student? I actually need to repeat my first year and tried to come back and do it again. Medicine doesn't get any easier as years go by, and I didn't understand that at the time. Knowing what I know now about med school, I wouldn't have gone back and repeated 1st year.

I'm not trying to persuade you to go one way or the other, but definitely take the time to look at other fields or even other fields in medicine like PT, PA, chiropracty, etc if medicine is what you're dead set on. Best of luck though! DM me if you need anything or want to chat

 

[Black Coffee 24/7]

If I were you, I would strongly consider careers in medicine other than being a DO. I was in a position very similar to yours in med school but I chose to resign from med school this spring knowing this wasn't for me.

I med school was on the brink of failing out several times but I managed to dig deep to pass years 1 and 2 at the bottom of my class. I had a lot of hope and belief at the time that things would improve in third year but the bottom line was that it didn't, I still struggled in school and realized I didn't find the clinical practice of medicine fun or rewarding to me at all. I knew based on my academic situation that my only realistic options were FM or IM, but after doing third year I knew I would hate working in those fields, so I quit med school knowing that it wasn't a good career choice for me.

You're in a good spot right now where you can evaluate your options thoroughly without getting too far in debt. I assume your a first year student? I actually need to repeat my first year and tried to come back and do it again. Medicine doesn't get any easier as years go by, and I didn't understand that at the time. Knowing what I know now about med school, I wouldn't have gone back and repeated 1st year.

I'm not trying to persuade you to go one way or the other, but definitely take the time to look at other fields or even other fields in medicine like PT, PA, chiropracty, etc if medicine is what you're dead set on. Best of luck though! DM me if you need anything or want to chat

LOL terrible advice bc you're asking OP to take on another 150-180K in debt in order just to make 80-100K with worse job prospects.

 

[libertyyne]

If I were you, I would strongly consider careers in medicine other than being a DO. I was in a position very similar to yours in med school but I chose to resign from med school this spring knowing this wasn't for me.

I med school was on the brink of failing out several times but I managed to dig deep to pass years 1 and 2 at the bottom of my class. I had a lot of hope and belief at the time that things would improve in third year but the bottom line was that it didn't, I still struggled in school and realized I didn't find the clinical practice of medicine fun or rewarding to me at all. I knew based on my academic situation that my only realistic options were FM or IM, but after doing third year I knew I would hate working in those fields, so I quit med school knowing that it wasn't a good career choice for me.

You're in a good spot right now where you can evaluate your options thoroughly without getting too far in debt. I assume your a first year student? I actually need to repeat my first year and tried to come back and do it again. Medicine doesn't get any easier as years go by, and I didn't understand that at the time. Knowing what I know now about med school, I wouldn't have gone back and repeated 1st year.

I'm not trying to persuade you to go one way or the other, but definitely take the time to look at other fields or even other fields in medicine like PT, PA, chiropracty, etc if medicine is what you're dead set on. Best of luck though! DM me if you need anything or want to chat

Chiropracty? Might as well tell them to go study homeopathy while you are at it.

 

[alprazoslam]

Go be a plumber or electrician those are better trades than a chiro. At least you perform highly meaningful work and get taken serious. Chiros are the butt of every joke and should be because they are shams

 

[BorntobeDO?]

Go be a plumber or electrician those are better trades than a chiro. At least you perform highly meaningful work and get taken serious. Chiros are the butt of every joke and should be because they are shams

In my book chiros are still above the naturopaths tho. At least I get cracks from them, where as naturopaths will straight up kill you with illegal chemo and alkaline therapy if you let them.

 

[wkabenga]

LOL terrible advice bc you're asking OP to take on another 150-180K in debt in order just to make 80-100K with worse job prospects.

Partially my fault on this advice cause I didn't see he was re-instated.., but IF dismissed from school and medicine is still the primary focus I think it's reasonable to consider those other fields if the primary goal is to work in medicine as a provider. With dismissal from med school or poor grades in med school and withdrawing, there aren't really a lot of options to get back into a DO or MD program, so other health professions aren't bad choices depending on what you're looking for