Looking for some advice from residents or those practicing. My lips and hands are tingling, I cant breathe. I feel like an utter failure. Location is very important to me for residency and all I've ever heard is that if you don't pass part 1 on the first try, to kiss even a decent residency goodbye. I don't have a stellar gpa. I was told by my school that if we got higher than a 55% on this practice exam they used for the last 20 years, I'd have a "97% chance of passing". I did pass it, and apparently i'm the 3%. I feel like my entire world is crashing down on me and I have no support system here and desperately want to go home for residency and now im trying to swallow the idea of being away from my family for 7 years instead of 4. i studied for 2 months. i did the boardvitals questions twice. i made my own notes. i used adipods anki deck. i used first aid. i was told everyone walks out of there feeling like they failed and that most people pass anyways. for the last few weeks i convinced myself that i passed and was excited to film my reaction and send it to my parents so they couldve felt the joy with me. ive been numb for an hour.
failed part 1
- Thread starter asadpod
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2016
- Messages
- 3,280
- Reaction score
- 4,882
Take a chill pill. Add some time to recoup. Sounding like a hyperchondriac with how much you hyped up these results.
Yes its important, no it will not throttle your career if you take it again and pass.
If you end up in a different place for residency- so what?
Are you going to be living at home forever?
You can and will grow and overcome that stuff- if it happens.
Put the big boy pants on and focus.
Look back objectively.
Were there subjects you didn't feel confident in? Any weak spots?
Were you nitpicking or overthinking all the questions?
Were you able to get a feel for the test and answer questions in how they want it answered, not how YOU would typically answer them?
Was it not the content but the test itself or a nerves thing?
There are extremely smart residents who can't find their way around a cereal box
There are bottom tier gpa residents who work hard and make up for it by pure work hours
Is this the norm? No. But its not impossible or unheard of.
Stop freaking out
Its gonna suck for a bit, but use that anger to a light a fire under your butt
If you've got some close or smart friends, reach out and ask them how they prepared- everyone will know who didn't pass- why not just clear the air so you can move forward?
Get a grip on your emotions and expectations
Your job right now is to analyze what you didn't do the first time, what you could've done better, and study better
Take it again and pass.
Yes its important, no it will not throttle your career if you take it again and pass.
If you end up in a different place for residency- so what?
Are you going to be living at home forever?
You can and will grow and overcome that stuff- if it happens.
Put the big boy pants on and focus.
Look back objectively.
Were there subjects you didn't feel confident in? Any weak spots?
Were you nitpicking or overthinking all the questions?
Were you able to get a feel for the test and answer questions in how they want it answered, not how YOU would typically answer them?
Was it not the content but the test itself or a nerves thing?
There are extremely smart residents who can't find their way around a cereal box
There are bottom tier gpa residents who work hard and make up for it by pure work hours
Is this the norm? No. But its not impossible or unheard of.
Stop freaking out
Its gonna suck for a bit, but use that anger to a light a fire under your butt
If you've got some close or smart friends, reach out and ask them how they prepared- everyone will know who didn't pass- why not just clear the air so you can move forward?
Get a grip on your emotions and expectations
Your job right now is to analyze what you didn't do the first time, what you could've done better, and study better
Take it again and pass.
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2016
- Messages
- 3,280
- Reaction score
- 4,882
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2016
- Messages
- 63
- Reaction score
- 142
Put all of your effort in to passing the re-take and let go of the location ball and chain
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2018
- Messages
- 1,030
- Reaction score
- 1,947
Despite what people chant here, a "good" residency nor a fellowship, nor being a 4.0 podiatry student is going to hinder how you do in your career, if you are measuring success with financial compensation.
Just calm down and focus for the next time.
Just calm down and focus for the next time.
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2011
- Messages
- 3,512
- Reaction score
- 8,148
You can still be a successful podiatrist someday if you get up and keep moving.
This may not be the last time you get punched in the face. Remember that when you meet other people in life who give up.
You are not be the only person who doesn't get to go home for residency or doesn't get to go where they want.
This may not be the last time you get punched in the face. Remember that when you meet other people in life who give up.
You are not be the only person who doesn't get to go home for residency or doesn't get to go where they want.
Last edited:
hey man. I am sorry to hear that. That exam was hard and I perosnally talked to the NBPME people and they said this years questions were not easy questions. Just take a deep breath, figure out your weakness an try again. You will be just fine. I am also a third year and I passed. If you need any help with studying DM me. I can help as much as I can
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2008
- Messages
- 1,571
- Reaction score
- 3,250
"It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get back up." --Vince Lombardi
It's up to you to decide how much you want this. If you want to throw yourself a pity party, fine. See how far it gets you. But in a profession whose loyalty to you begins and ends with the cashing of your next tuition check, you have to get used to failure.
If the worst thing to happen in my career was flunking part 1, that's a pretty charmed life. There's all sorts of inhumanity ahead of you, between clerkships, residency interviews, and oh yeah, the job market.
You'll do fusions that go to non-union. TMA pts will walk on them and they'll dehisce. You'll do hammertoe corrections that come out *immaculate* and the pt is mad at you because it looks too short. Will you cry about it on the internet? Or will you figure out what to do and do whats necessary to deliver the results you set out to attain?
If you want someone to tell you it will all be ok...sorry, it won't. But look in the mirror, no one will care about you as much as the person you see there.
Best wishes to you for the road ahead.
It's up to you to decide how much you want this. If you want to throw yourself a pity party, fine. See how far it gets you. But in a profession whose loyalty to you begins and ends with the cashing of your next tuition check, you have to get used to failure.
If the worst thing to happen in my career was flunking part 1, that's a pretty charmed life. There's all sorts of inhumanity ahead of you, between clerkships, residency interviews, and oh yeah, the job market.
You'll do fusions that go to non-union. TMA pts will walk on them and they'll dehisce. You'll do hammertoe corrections that come out *immaculate* and the pt is mad at you because it looks too short. Will you cry about it on the internet? Or will you figure out what to do and do whats necessary to deliver the results you set out to attain?
If you want someone to tell you it will all be ok...sorry, it won't. But look in the mirror, no one will care about you as much as the person you see there.
Best wishes to you for the road ahead.
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2007
- Messages
- 5,165
- Reaction score
- 6,479
This is a manufactured crisis if there ever was one.
There will always be frustration when expectations (often unrealistic) don't meet reality. See fellowship fail to match thread.
Similarly, I was disappointed when denied for bank loans to start an office a year or two out of training... but it was mostly expected.
If you have below average grades, failure for a test about what you learned first couple of years is reasonably likely.
You shouldn't every try or plan to fail, but it shouldn't be shocking if it happens. It happened.
It will be the same in match: with a below average app, going to the scramble or low end residency is likely.
Fellowship match (if you go that route)... same story.
ABFAS boards... yet again.
Part 1 is very passable... it's a minimum competency test. Study hard and try again.
Most growth comes from inspiration - or desperation. You have to pass this one; all DPMs do.
You'll have an advantage on retake as you now know the format. GL
...If location is truly paramount to you, consider changing profession now... beyond residency or fellowship, the podiatry job market is thin, underpaid, or eve non-existent in many areas/cities. Most people who are successful in podiatry, in terms of money and/or interesting cases/scope, are NOT living in their top choice location... or even close (I am not).
Last edited:
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2023
- Messages
- 148
- Reaction score
- 328
Study and study harder for the retake. And pass it. Use the APMLE outline/guideline and see what you are unsure about, basically your weaknesses. If a topic on there seems fuzzy or if you can't explain it yourself, that literally means you don't know it well enough. Review it in detail. Check off items you are confident with so you know what to focus on. Passing this exam is what's required right now for you and your survival and to move on in this game. I've had a few classmates that struggled through Part 1 and they had to go through the retake and passed it the second try. One didn't and had to be dismissed from the school and reapply for the next class in a year.
This test is basic and tests minimal competency. It's not hard or trying to trick you or anything. Remember you're going to have to pass Part 2 and 3 of the APMLE in order to practice (some residency requires passing Part 3 before starting) someday. If you didn't pass part 1 and grades are low, more likely you will not pass Part 2 on first try (statistically). Maybe you will. But your main focus right now is getting through Part 1. Don't even think about the preferred location (close to home/family) for residency at this point. That ship has sailed even before you thought of that. Even the best students scramble in the match so there's no guarantees anywhere. If you really want this DPM degree so bad, you will have to do whatever it takes right now. Or else time to move on to something else. Best to jump ship early than go through more potential miserable mishaps in the future. Best of luck to you.
This test is basic and tests minimal competency. It's not hard or trying to trick you or anything. Remember you're going to have to pass Part 2 and 3 of the APMLE in order to practice (some residency requires passing Part 3 before starting) someday. If you didn't pass part 1 and grades are low, more likely you will not pass Part 2 on first try (statistically). Maybe you will. But your main focus right now is getting through Part 1. Don't even think about the preferred location (close to home/family) for residency at this point. That ship has sailed even before you thought of that. Even the best students scramble in the match so there's no guarantees anywhere. If you really want this DPM degree so bad, you will have to do whatever it takes right now. Or else time to move on to something else. Best to jump ship early than go through more potential miserable mishaps in the future. Best of luck to you.
