Failed OMM practical badly, can't afford to fail class

[Smiths11]

I'm a 2nd year, repeating the year due to poor grades. The administration gave me a chance to repeat the year, but I am not allowed to fail a single course this year.

I was doing well in all of the courses, until we had our first OMM practical last week and I got a terrible grade, like below 50%.

I am feeling stressed, depressed, scared, and angry. This one practical grade will weigh over my head for the rest of the semester because I know I am in serious danger territory. I'm angry because I feel the grading is so damn subjective in practical. I had prepared, and knew I performed poorly, but didn't think it was this bad. During my practical, the proctor had such an angry face and attitude towards me, it really tripped me up. I know everyone says this, but I feel like she gave me a lower grade than I deserved. She even kept telling me "you better not complain about your grade".

Of course, nothing can be done about it. Professor's word over student's, no matter what.

I didn't need this right now, I'm just so stressed and upset, and I hate that there is nothing I can do about it now.

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[costales]

Did you fail multiple classes previously?

 

[Smiths11]

Did you fail multiple classes previously?

Yes, hence I am repeating the year. I can't fail any more or else I'm out.

 

[costales]

You can't afford to wait for a Hail Mary this time around. Be proactive. I'd suggest you meet with the course director ASAP to explain your predicament and ask for suggestions on a salvage plan.

BTW You can't be unnerved by someone with a bad attitude or having a bad day. You're going to have to deal with a lot of unpleasant people in medicine.

 

[Jlaw]

Don't look at the preceptor in the future, just get up there and do your thing. At my school the preceptors purposely looked disinterested or angry to keep them from giving the student an idea of how they were doing so I would not read into it.

 

[Smiths11]

You can't afford to wait for a Hail Mary this time around. Be proactive. I'd suggest you meet with the course director ASAP to explain your predicament and ask for suggestions on a salvage plan.

Already did this. But it's just frustrating dealing with this stress. I worked hard, but I don't know what they're looking for in these practicals. And there is just so much BS with this class, that it doesn't help.

 

[Smiths11]

About the preceptor, it wasn't just her face. She kept sighing too at everything I did. At one point I had the patient lay down on the table for some palpatory techniques, and then had him stand up for something else (at which point the preceptor moved her grading sheet to the table). Then I needed the patient to lay down again (so obviously she had to move away from the table), which annoyed her; so she slammed her hand on the table in anger. It was so distracting. I even apologized to her (for moving back to the table), even though I didn't do anything wrong. I was nervous, and she made me even more nervous.

 

[seminoma]

Already did this. But it's just frustrating dealing with this stress. I worked hard, but I don't know what they're looking for in these practicals. And there is just so much BS with this class, that it doesn't help.

About the preceptor, it wasn't just her face. She kept sighing too at everything I did. At one point I had the patient lay down on the table for some palpatory techniques, and then had him stand up for something else (at which point the preceptor moved her grading sheet to the table). Then I needed the patient to lay down again (so obviously she had to move away from the table), which annoyed her; so she slammed her hand on the table in anger. It was so distracting. I even apologized to her (for moving back to the table), even though I didn't do anything wrong. I was nervous, and she made me even more nervous.

None of your classmates know what they're looking for in practicals. All the same BS applies to your classmates who are passing or better. Grading may be subjective, but the only way you fail due to subjective grading is if you would have been near-failing (or failing) with objective grading as well.

Sounds like you're blaming the preceptor instead of taking responsibility for being underprepared. Working hard and/or studying a lot does not mean you are prepared for an exam.

 

[Mehd School]

About the preceptor, it wasn't just her face. She kept sighing too at everything I did. At one point I had the patient lay down on the table for some palpatory techniques, and then had him stand up for something else (at which point the preceptor moved her grading sheet to the table). Then I needed the patient to lay down again (so obviously she had to move away from the table), which annoyed her; so she slammed her hand on the table in anger. It was so distracting. I even apologized to her (for moving back to the table), even though I didn't do anything wrong. I was nervous, and she made me even more nervous.

Are your practicals recorded by chance? They are at my school, and if a proctor had acted in this manner I would have spoken with the course director immediately following the practical.

 

[Goro]

Does your school have a counseling service? If so, make use of them, you're already under the gun...the added stress isn't helping.

And definitely go chat up your OMM faculty for help.

Already did this. But it's just frustrating dealing with this stress. I worked hard, but I don't know what they're looking for in these practicals. And there is just so much BS with this class, that it doesn't help.

 

[Smiths11]

Are your practicals recorded by chance? They are at my school, and if a proctor had acted in this manner I would have spoken with the course director immediately following the practical.

I think they are recorded. The reason I'm not sure is because there are cameras in the room but I don't know if they use them or not.

The problem with complaining though, is the politics of it. The preceptor is also part of the faculty. So the person I would be complaining to (head of the dept) is friends with her. In fact, when I went to talk to the head, I saw the preceptor outside his office, and she said (in a half sarcastic tone) "he's here to complain about me!" I had to laugh it off. Though if push comes to shove, I might have to do just that. Don't know if it'll help.

The preceptor is an older women whom you'd think is like an aunt in every day life. But she's particularly angry when it comes to OMM. I've noticed that no matter what you're doing in lab, when she comes up to you, she yells at you and corrects it. I'm not sure if anyone knows the type of person I am talking about. It's almost as if she has an inferiority complex because her profession (osteopathy) is so irrelevant.

 

[Smiths11]

Does your school have a counseling service? If so, make use of them, you're already under the gun...the added stress isn't helping.

And definitely go chat up your OMM faculty for help.

Yes there is a service, and I have been visiting it.

I'm just going to have to kick ass on the written exams, which I don't have a problem with, and hope for the best on the second practical.

It sucks nevertheless, really kicks the mood out of my studying. And I've been doing much better this year in my classes too, so this is particularly discouraging.

 

[JRO38]

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[JRO38]

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[Smiths11]

If I were you I'd look at the course syllabus. For some OMM courses, you have to get at least a passing grade (70%+) in both the practicals AND written exam to pass the course. Just a heads up.

Thanks for the heads up.

I did check, and luckily for me that's not the case.

 

[Smiths11]

You are right, the OMM practical grades are extremely subjective. There was wide variation among OMM faculty graders at my school. However, use that to your advantage because the faculty are human and they may take more pity on you if you appear genuinely interested and are trying. That being said, you're still going to get downgraded if you reverse the formula on an indirect technique so figure out where you got downgraded for next time (if you never learn the fundamentals, you will suffer for EVERY practical).

Thanks, yes I will be going to regular meetings with the faculty for at least the rest of the semester.

 

[Smiths11]

Guys, I need some encouragement. The more I think about this, the angrier I feel. And we have a big module exam on Monday that I can't even focus on. I feel really strongly that there was some bias with my super low grade - the proctor was angry with me the entire time for no real damn reason. I have received low practical grades in the past but have never complained like this. I feel so powerless because we are not even allowed to look at our grade sheet. The practicals are recorded but we are not allowed to review them either. And it's the proctor's word over mine.

Just some sort of encouragement, or feel good story, or confidence booster, right now would be amazing. There is no one else I can go to because no one else would understand. And unfortunately I don't have any close friends in the class yet because I am repeating the year. And so I posted here in the community.

Thanks for reading.

 

[costales]

I hope you're not going to blame anything on the lack of support from random people on the net. But, here's to your getting over that woman and passing the damn class! Go get 'em, dude!

 

[235009]

I guess this advice is a bit late for whatever it is u have on monday but have u even made an effort to sit down with this preceptor and ask how u could improve? I hope u at least tried to do that before she saw u going to the head of the department.

Other than that it just sucks that u have such a subjective class where a member of the faculty can just make stuff up as she goes along and fail u (possibly she knows u failed and are repeating and she wants to sink u). At least with physical exam practicala there is a standardized patient there who at least has some say in your score who won't carry in any biases.

 

[katiemaude]

Some advice from a first year, so take it for what it's worth:
One of the biggest obstacles I've seen my classmates have to overcome (me too) is the psychological/emotional hurdle of exams and the fallout. You just CANNOT let it get to you, whether it's a really horrible grade or a professor's rude comments or what you feel is unfair treatment. I personally feel like at my school the majority of professors are helpful and supportive, but for those who aren't, it's tough noogies. Complaining about a testing situation, an unfair question, a professor to another professor - if you are the only one doing it, it just makes you a target. We have student leadership who challenge questions on exams with some success, but we don't do it on an individual basis. We take complaints as a class to the higher ups.

So what I'd suggest is getting a tutor. Maybe it's just a classmate (another M2) who is really awesome at OMM. My school has fellows who take a year off between M2 and M3. Stop treating OMM like it's BS and treat it like what it really is: the thing potentially stopping you from passing. Give it some credit. Stop being so mad. Work on it like you work on any other subject you struggled in before. Trust me, your attitude is going to show through. Proctors are human. They want to see you trying. So care more, get help, and stop beating yourself up over one bad grade. There's nothing you can do about it now. Move full steam ahead.