Dropping out of med school before failing out?

[craymon]

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It has been 3 months since I started med school and I'm at a point whether I should consider leaving medical school after this semester. First few weeks were doable but now I am just failing tests after tests (even non-science classes). I think I failed about 6 tests in a row now... No matter how hard I study (using quizlet, Anki, study in a group), there are just too much information and I don't seem to grasp concepts as quickly as others. It would literally take 3 hours for me to go over a 1 hour lecture. Other students are helping me but now they are starting to avoiding me because they need to spend so much time with me to go over each lecture. I met with my advisors and learning specialists and the academic dean numerous times and adopted their suggestions with little success. Honestly, I don't know what to do at this point. My family seems to be supportive of whatever decision that I make but doesn't seem to understand how hard med school is or what I am going through. It is only going to get harder from here and I am only going to get older. Honestly, we have few more tests before the semester ends, but I feel like I probably won't do well on those either. I plan to finish this semester but not sure what to do after.

 

[Rekt]

It has been 3 months since I started med school and I'm at a point whether I should consider leaving medical school after this semester. First few weeks were doable but now I am just failing tests after tests (even non-science classes). I think I failed about 6 tests in a row now... No matter how hard I study (using quizlet, Anki, study in a group), there are just too much information and I don't seem to grasp concepts as quickly as others. It would literally take 3 hours for me to go over a 1 hour lecture. Other students are helping me but now they are starting to avoiding me because they need to spend so much time with me to go over each lecture. I met with my advisors and learning specialists and the academic dean numerous times and adopted their suggestions with little success. Honestly, I don't know what to do at this point. My family seems to be supportive of whatever decision that I make but doesn't seem to understand how hard med school is or what I am going through. It is only going to get harder from here and I am only going to get older. Honestly, we have few more tests before the semester ends, but I feel like I probably won't do well on those either. I plan to finish this semester but not sure what to do after.

There has to be something that is being missed if you have truly met with the dean, course directors, and learning specialists and are truly heading their advice. You need to be honest with yourself. Are you really doing what they suggested? The most important thing is not depth of knowledge of the material, it's seeing it superficially multiple times, then hammering out the details a few days before the exam, then doing practice questions Sunday/the day before the exam.

With that being said, right now would be the best time to exit. Your debt is minimal in comparison to being in second half of second year and failing or failing the COMLEX.

I'll be honest, it doesn't get easier, at all. I don't know what school you go to, but I doubt it's an exception to that rule. And the way it gets harder? More material.

 

[Azete]

I remember last year I studied 4 days straight for an anatomy practical, 12+ hours each day, and got a 58. It was honestly one of the lowest points in my life because it was probably the first time I ever put forth maximum effort and failed at something. The next practical I got a 96, but it required so much of my time that I ended up with mostly C's in everything else.

I never failed a class or had to remediate, but I seriously considered dropping out because I didn't feel like I was cut out for it. We all go through rough patches and doubt our abilities, and lack of confidence can make you perform even worse. At one point you were passing all your tests, is the only difference between then and now the test difficulty?

If you genuinely feel like you are giving maximum effort (without sacrificing your health), and have tried numerous study methods, then perhaps the best option is to move on. Just make sure you're looking at the situation objectively and not getting caught up in the emotions after failing some tests.

 

[Goro]

This is perplexing. Sorry to hear of your woes.

1) Do really want to be a doctor? Are you in med school to please your parents?
2) Something else in life that's going on that we don't know about? SO stepping out? Parents getting divorced? Mom is sick?
3) Has test taking anxiety been discussed?
4) UG GPA? MCAT? I ask this because if your stats were borderline, then you might be one of those people we'd predict would struggle in med school.
5) How's YOUR health? Depression/anxiety an issue? ADHD/ADD???

If something is broken, best to ask for a LOA, take time off too heal or fix what's broken.

In the worst case scenario, better to withdraw than be dismissed.

It has been 3 months since I started med school and I'm at a point whether I should consider leaving medical school after this semester. First few weeks were doable but now I am just failing tests after tests (even non-science classes). I think I failed about 6 tests in a row now... No matter how hard I study (using quizlet, Anki, study in a group), there are just too much information and I don't seem to grasp concepts as quickly as others. It would literally take 3 hours for me to go over a 1 hour lecture. Other students are helping me but now they are starting to avoiding me because they need to spend so much time with me to go over each lecture. I met with my advisors and learning specialists and the academic dean numerous times and adopted their suggestions with little success. Honestly, I don't know what to do at this point. My family seems to be supportive of whatever decision that I make but doesn't seem to understand how hard med school is or what I am going through. It is only going to get harder from here and I am only going to get older. Honestly, we have few more tests before the semester ends, but I feel like I probably won't do well on those either. I plan to finish this semester but not sure what to do after.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

If you got into school with close to average scores, it means you can complete medical school. If you want to be a doctor, you don't do that by quitting. Your problem is efficiency. It was my problem when I started med school. The trick to medical school is to study the high yield points of each lecture. Some things will be stressed by the professors. The rest is just garbage. For now, if something is said in class and is on FA, study that. If the professor hints at something's importance, study that.

 

[MetalloBetalactamase]

Three hours to one hour lecture is just about right.

Repetition is right. Ignore study sources don't read the text, focus on powerpoints first. That is what is tested. Go to test reviews ask yourself why you missed the question. Get with your profs for point by point analysis. Read the question. Twice.

MS1and 2 for me was 8-10hrs daily in the library plus 28 - 32 hours on the weekend or 75+ hours a week. That was par for the course at my school. Learn actively. Write stuff down. Do BRS questions. I did this and I am still in the bottom quartile, but nationally that's the bottom of the talented top 10%.

The other thing that helped, besides cloistering in the library, was noise cancelling headphones. Buy a pair of good ones. I got 300$ BEATS. If noise cancelling isn't enough find white noise apps like RainRain to play quietly though those pricey headphones.

3x through lecture slides. If I did three passes I got 90s if I did 2 passes I'd barely pass.

There's always my chemical romance ( 😉 😉 <#\<#\ say no more govner)to thank for guidance too.

 

[68PGunner]

It has been 3 months since I started med school and I'm at a point whether I should consider leaving medical school after this semester. First few weeks were doable but now I am just failing tests after tests (even non-science classes). I think I failed about 6 tests in a row now... No matter how hard I study (using quizlet, Anki, study in a group), there are just too much information and I don't seem to grasp concepts as quickly as others. It would literally take 3 hours for me to go over a 1 hour lecture. Other students are helping me but now they are starting to avoiding me because they need to spend so much time with me to go over each lecture. I met with my advisors and learning specialists and the academic dean numerous times and adopted their suggestions with little success. Honestly, I don't know what to do at this point. My family seems to be supportive of whatever decision that I make but doesn't seem to understand how hard med school is or what I am going through. It is only going to get harder from here and I am only going to get older. Honestly, we have few more tests before the semester ends, but I feel like I probably won't do well on those either. I plan to finish this semester but not sure what to do after.

Every lecture has a list of objectives. Make a study group of 4-5 people where you divide out the tasks. 2-3 days before the exam, read your objective note 2-3x and hit some Qs. Medical school is straight up pushing your limits everyday. I literally don't know jack before the exam. However, everything seems to come together on test day. I'm doing fine so far.

 

[chizledfrmstone]

When you study a 1 hr lecture for 3 hours do you try to memorize everything? Are you able to cover all the material before the exam? Are you actually studying to spending time on Facebook and social media?

Try to do 3 passes instead. 1 superficial pass to make an outline in your head of what the material covers. A 2nd pass to memorize the main points. A 3rd pass to nail in those details.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

When you study a 1 hr lecture for 3 hours do you try to memorize everything? Are you able to cover all the material before the exam? Are you actually studying to spending time on Facebook and social media?

Try to do 3 passes instead. 1 superficial pass to make an outline in your head of what the material covers. A 2nd pass to memorize the main points. A 3rd pass to nail in those details.

This is pretty much the best way to study. Never try to get information into your head by force or cramming it's bad.

 

[DocWinter]

Your 3/1 study to lecture ratio is pretty normal. I agree with chizled regarding multiple passes. Myself and most of my classmates would do no less than 3 and ideally 5-7 passes through the material. You have to be alright with going through something at 1.7 or 2x speed and then repeating the next day and the day after, never really feeling competent with your info.

However, you're on a pretty straight track to fail this thing in its entirety. You will (probably) have to repeat the semester if you are failing 2 or more classes.

Goro has some pretty good self-assessing Qs. If this isn't "your" thing (i.e parents pushing you into it), you're better off cutting losses and moving on. If this is your lifelong goal and dream, learn to study smarter, not harder, and be prepared to repeat this year.

 

[073116]

I think 3 hours per 1 hour lecture is doable IF your school has no mandatory attendance. If it does - then you are done. It's impossible to study all material AND get enough sleep after 8-5 mandatory schedule (given your pace).
Also, all those advisers and counselors are a joke, they always say same things which we already know and it doesn't help at all. I think their job is only there becuase schools are supposed to have them like a bylaw or something, because I never saw a single student that benefited from them. The worst thing is how school and faculty love to refer you to them in almost every case. Hypocrisy

 

[Giovanotto]

I do two passes. 2.5 hours/lecture. Doing average. Three passes? Do you even have time to poop?