Failing an elective

[vascsurgeon]

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Guys, Im freaking out!! Heres the issue:

Im currently a 4th year and doing my electives. I started a cardiology elective the beginning of this month but missed several days due to interviews and traveling. Thus, the preceptor has just told me he will be giving me a F!!! He was initially okay with me missing days but seemed to change his mind. If he gives me this F, my gpa will drop but still much more than enough to meet the minimum to graduate. Also, I have time to make up another 4 week elective.

My question is, how bad does it look on my transcript when time come down to matching? Obviously, residency applications will not have this grade on their table but will see it when they get my final transcript. My USMLE stats: 222/226/CS first attempt/US citizen/ Caribbean img.

anY INSIGHT would be greatly appreciated!! any tips on how to handle this situation?

-freaked-out-and-cornered!

 

[DrMaximus]

I feel like I would contact someone at your school about this. If he initially understood that you'd be traveling and/or interviewing, he shouldn't be able to just change his mind.

 

[hallowmann]

You can't make up the days with weekends or back to back shifts? I'd talk to him and see if its possible to work anything out, and if not talk to your school and see if they can do anything (drop it? I don't know). I imagine it would be a red flag, and you want your app to be pretty clean.

 

[inmyslumber]

... He was initially okay with me missing days but seemed to change his mind....

This does not make sense. Are you sure he was okay with your missing days in the first place? Did he change his mind or just seemed to change his mind? Did something happen to make him change his mind?

Hopefully this will not be too late for the OP - and for future students in this situation (i.e. needing more days off for interviews than "allowed") - when you are actually on rotation, you have to shine on the days you are there so that your rotation director will want to help you out. This means be engaged in the rotation, do not let yourself be seen constantly checking your phone or mobile device, show up early, stay later than expected, ask if there is anything you can do to help the team, etc.

 

[Jlaw]

If what you are saying is true you need to contact your school and have them get behind you, it is highly unreasonable for an attending to fail a 4th year for taking time off to interview as long as they communicated the need for days off and made an effort to make up any missed learning opportunities. Any preceptor who takes 4th years knows about interview season and should realize that getting the rest of your career in order trumps a few missed hours on an elective, if they aren't they shouldn't take 4th years or should be clear about their expectations up front. You're paying for the opportunity to be there, not the other way round, so if I were you and there was no other factor that caused him to fail me I would fight it.

 

[WingedOx]

Having him do this is pretty much violation of LCME rules unless he has written documentation that you were danger of failure earlier in the rotation.

 

[jakeislove]

Our school doesn't allow more than 2 days off during an elective. Most preceptors are flexible but anything more than two days and you're at their mercy.

 

[jakeislove]

This does not make sense. Are you sure he was okay with your missing days in the first place? Did he change his mind or just seemed to change his mind? Did something happen to make him change his mind?

Hopefully this will not be too late for the OP - and for future students in this situation (i.e. needing more days off for interviews than "allowed") - when you are actually on rotation, you have to shine on the days you are there so that your rotation director will want to help you out. This means be engaged in the rotation, do not let yourself be seen constantly checking your phone or mobile device, show up early, stay later than expected, ask if there is anything you can do to help the team, etc.

Sound advice. Being fully engaged shows that you're a professional and care about doing a good job.

I do think most of us would agree that there's a big difference between missing a day or two and most of a rotation for interviews, including travel time.