Failing first year and depressed

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Well if you want to be historically accurate "newb" came first and was quickly replaced. So.... I supposed hawk was timely if we are doing a retro AIM thing...


Also, on my phone it's hard to see who is who so I thought u were being a pain in the ass lol.


You're still a nüb 🙂
 
md1scared said:
i'm trying bro. I've been memorizing but i guess i just blank at exam time. i'm going to start reading page by page of BRS and stuff and ace these classes. I'm not a stupid person, i guess i let stress get the better of me and i just needed some advice or something cuz these deans don't waste any time in trying to help u. If i can get great scores in USMLE and start aceing my classes, do u think i can get into a cardio residency even though i'm not even a us citizen? honest answer
Click to expand...

A cardio residency doesn't exist.

You mean IM residency.

Dude, get on some meds for your stress if it's affecting you as much as you think it is.

I'm extremely skeptical that you will be able to pull this off.
 
Shnurek said:
Sadly a lot of IMGs and FMGs end up in NYC. Also I know 2 Caribbean MDs that work for clinics here that never got accepted to an American residency program. They work basically as PAs with a s***load of debt. Sometimes your ego has to come in line with your abilities. Otherwise you end up like these 2 Caribbean MDs.
Click to expand...

You can work as a PA with an MD degree? Do you have to pass all Step exams?
 
KeratinPearls said:
You can work as a PA with an MD degree? Do you have to pass all Step exams?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure of their Step 1-3 status but they graduated from their Caribbean school and they either work under the license of the supervising Doctors or they did indeed pass Step 1-3 but for some reason did not get a residency and practice under their own license. Maybe they just passed intern year? But most states require at least a few years of post-graduate training to get your medical license if you are a FMG or IMG so I'd assume residency would have had to be done. They probably did not pass Step 1-3 and work as "Doctors" getting paid slightly more than a P.A.
 
To the original poster. You should not have gone to any other medical school in the Carribean other than SGU or Ross. Seriously, there are a lot of crooked schools in the Carribean who look to take your money. The only legitimate schools in the Carribean again are Ross and SGU.

To those who are in the Carribean going to medical school, if you arent in one of these schools, I feel bad for you. Why would you go to any other school? Seriously, you are already in the pits going to the Carribean in the first place. You might as well go to the most legitimate school.

I question the teaching at your school (to the OP). Program directors would also question your school too in addition to you failing the boards. I would not continue on with your training. Seriously failing your boards and coming from an unknown school in the Carribean is a serious red flag.
 
Shnurek said:
I'm not sure of their Step 1-3 status but they graduated from their Caribbean school and they either work under the license of the supervising Doctors or they did indeed pass Step 1-3 but for some reason did not get a residency and practice under their own license. Maybe they just passed intern year? But most states require at least a few years of post-graduate training to get your medical license if you are a FMG or IMG so I'd assume residency would have had to be done. They probably did not pass Step 1-3 and work as "Doctors" getting paid slightly more than a P.A.
Click to expand...

My primary care preceptor had an MD working under him who had failed the steps. The guy was functioning at a level between PA and RN. Not a great job, but it is something.
 
md1scared said:
i owe it to myself and my family to give it a proper try. i think i'll let my usmle step 1 score decide my future. good idea or not?
Click to expand...

Some more questions:

1) You said you repeated twice, had to beg for a third chance, and failed Histology again. Do you have options at this point? Is your administration definitely willing to let you remediate for a fourth time?

2) Have you tried pharmacotherapy? Antidepressants? ADHD meds? It might be time to move beyond tutors.

3) How much are you missing the mark? Were you failing with scores in the 60s? The 30s?

4) What school are you at? Or if you're not willing to say, what percentage of your schools graduates match into a catagorical residency?

5) How much debt are you accumulating each year? How deep in the hole are you now?
I'm not sure of their Step 1-3 status but they graduated from their Caribbean
school and they either work under the license of the supervising Doctors or they
did indeed pass Step 1-3 but for some reason did not get a residency and
practice under their own license. Maybe they just passed intern year? But most
states require at least a few years of post-graduate training to get your
medical license if you are a FMG or IMG so I'd assume residency would have had
to be done. They probably did not pass Step 1-3 and work as "Doctors" getting
paid slightly more than a P.A.
Click to expand...

Medical licensing is an all or nothing deal. If you don't finish all three steps and an accredited intern you you have no certification at all. You can't work as a PA, an RN, an CNA, nothing. With the situation you described I can imagien three possibilities, though maybe someone can think of another.

1) The guy had some kind of midlevel degree you didn't know about. He WAS a PA

2) The guy was, as you said, a doctor who finished Intern year (licensed) but not residency (not board certified). There is a limited job market for that: prison medicine, methadone clinics, really rural family practice, and PA level work are all on the differential.

3) The guy was working for free as a 'volunteer' to build up his clinical experience in the desperate hope of landing another residency. The doctor was (unethically/illegally) signing his name to the charts that guy saw.
 
TAWS said:
Histo and biochem are the more easier subjects that are covered in med school. I would strongly consider whether you still want to do med school before you commit. Its much better to quit first year than later on.
Click to expand...

Why do you get on to troll? Don't you have to study? Biochem is one of the harder subjects for most people. Like someone else said, get a tutor. Wish the best for you
 
DocHawk117 said:
In all seriousness, how did you do it "wrong" the first three times? Or, with a more positive spin, how do you plan on doing it "right" during this fresh go around? I am not doubting that you can, I am honestly just curious. In order to get into med school, you have to have some intelligence and work ethic. Now, I know med school is a much harder endeavor than undergrad, but failing basic science courses MORE than one time? And histo is straight up visual learning, pattern recognition, and practice. So, what did you do (or not do) the first three go arounds?
Click to expand...
well i've decided to stop going back home on vacation and just urilize my time better. I've stopped hanging with friends, I just try to stay focused in the library after school and i make multiple notes after each class because it helps me remember the material better.
 
thepoopologist said:
Jesus. I've had my share of struggles and have made it to 4th year without repeating but you have to draw the line somewhere. Mine was bailing if I had to repeat a year of preclinical. Yours should be giving it one last push, but if you fail any of those courses again you need to leave before any more debt accumulates. There's a line between practicality and pursuing your goals. And despite this forums amazing group of Step scores, in reality your scores will most likely fall in line with your preclinical performance, as it has with my class.

I realize there are people that are ridiculously harsh on here but it's more in line with reality than when I was a premed reading SDN. Back then the forums made med school sound like chocolate rivers and gum drop forests. And then I matriculated and found out how demanding it was and how often people failed and were held back, or dismissed altogether. Trust me, it only gets harder, even for the ones who consistently get through each hoop. You DO NOT want to be that person with a two year island education and multiple Step 1 attempts, or an island MD and no residency. You may as well move to another country under an alias at that point Bottom line, draw a line in the sand and make one last push. If it works, great, if you fail again BAIL before you get into more debt.
Click to expand...

Yes that's my general plan now. I've been so depressed and i've already paid tuition so i'm giving it one more push and if i don't improve my scores and keep borderline passing, then I'll have to rethink my career choice. thank you so much for the advice 🙂
 
Perrotfish said:
Some more questions:

1) You said you repeated twice, had to beg for a third chance, and failed Histology again. Do you have options at this point? Is your administration definitely willing to let you remediate for a fourth time?

2) Have you tried pharmacotherapy? Antidepressants? ADHD meds? It might be time to move beyond tutors.

3) How much are you missing the mark? Were you failing with scores in the 60s? The 30s?

4) What school are you at? Or if you're not willing to say, what percentage of your schools graduates match into a catagorical residency?

5) How much debt are you accumulating each year? How deep in the hole are you now?

.
Click to expand...

1) They were reluctant in giving me the 4th chance because if u fail 3 times, ur out but i really had to beg plus my physiology, anatomy, neuro and embryo scores were 90's so yea i'm not a complete idiot. It's just Histo and Biochem that i'm having problems with.

2) I have a bit of an attention problem, i keep wandering off, i can't stay focused.

3) I keep missing the mark within 10 points,its always either 66,65,64,67 etc.

4) they never release the info about students, just say that a couple students got into certain residencies.

5) My failed semesters have put me behind by US$10,000
 
1) I find it hard to believe you did well on physiology (meaning you can probably understand material) and anatomy (meaning you can memorize well) but can't put them together for biochem. I don't know what else to tell you to actually help you.

2) Get Ritalin/Adderall. I wouldn't recommend it to 99% of people, but if you're struggling to pass 2 courses in the 1st year for the 3rd/4th time, get some. It'll help you focus and all that.

3) Better than getting 50s I suppose. That's probably one of the reasons (besides taking your money) they let you stay.

4) That is a RED FLAG. Every reputable school will say how many students went to what residencies (if not including WHERE those residencies were) EVERY year. I wouldn't trust a school that wouldn't tell me (at the very least) how many people matched in each specialty.

5) Only $10,000 for 3 semesters? What medical school is that cheap?
 
Now you're beginning to understand my dilemma much better. Physio and Anat were arguably the easiest subjects i've done thus far. I hate Biochemistry and Histology but the only reason i know i have to pass them is because they contribute to the USMLE.
 
I would agree that evaluation for both depression and ADHD is a good first step. 'trying harder' is sometimes a good strategy the second time around, but rarely for the 4th. You need a drastic change, medical management of academic issues could play a role

I also agree that you need to look at your school and decide if you really have a chance at matching with three failed years on your record. Only you can find out what the odds of matching really are at your school. Is it just for the top 10%? Or do most people who make it through have at least a shot at a license?
 
md1scared said:
Now you're beginning to understand my dilemma much better. Physio and Anat were arguably the easiest subjects i've done thus far. I hate Biochemistry and Histology but the only reason i know i have to pass them is because they contribute to the USMLE.
Click to expand...

The reason you have to pass them is so you can get an MD after your name. Make that the reason. Worry about USMLE after you successfully pass the first year...
 
yes 4 times is alot but i have decided that if i fail anything again in med school, i'll definitely take a look at alternatives. so my determination is alot stronger this time around. i must say though, i was so depressed especially when i kept failing and i had noone to talk to about it but this forum has truly helped me meet people to give me reality checks and advice that i would have never gotten from anyone at my school. thank u all and for those who don't think i can make it, i'll definitely post my results at the end of this semester! 🙂
 
md1scared said:
yes 4 times is alot but i have decided that if i fail anything again in med school, i'll definitely take a look at alternatives. so my determination is alot stronger this time around. i must say though, i was so depressed especially when i kept failing and i had noone to talk to about it but this forum has truly helped me meet people to give me reality checks and advice that i would have never gotten from anyone at my school. thank u all and for those who don't think i can make it, i'll definitely post my results at the end of this semester! 🙂
Click to expand...

How has repeating first year three (now 4) times only cost $10,000? Did you forget a zero somewhere? Just curious.
 
I don't want to be mean, but I just can not fathom how you can not be making this all up. How can you ace all those other courses like embryo, neuro, and anatomy and fail histo three times and biochem twice? You had to know most of the biochem foundations just to do well enough on the MCAT.

Three times man. And you're coming to this forum for advice... Failing once is a big deal in itself. Failing twice is like holy ****. Failing three times is like omfgwtfbbq.
 
Akali said:
I don't want to be mean, but I just can not fathom how you can not be making this all up. How can you ace all those other courses like embryo, neuro, and anatomy and fail histo three times and biochem twice? You had to know most of the biochem foundations just to do well enough on the MCAT.

Three times man. And you're coming to this forum for advice... Failing once is a big deal in itself. Failing twice is like holy ****. Failing three times is like omfgwtfbbq.
Click to expand...

Theoretically you need to know biochem for the MCAT, but I remember mine had like 2 biochem questions total. Even if I had neglected biochem, it would have made no real difference in my score.

Like you, I'm skeptical that a school would give this many tries (I know mine wouldn't), but I can't speak for how things are done elsewhere.
 
DrSnips said:
Theoretically you need to know biochem for the MCAT, but I remember mine had like 2 biochem questions total. Even if I had neglected biochem, it would have made no real difference in my score.

Like you, I'm skeptical that a school would give this many tries (I know mine wouldn't), but I can't speak for how things are done elsewhere.
Click to expand...

also, if your school teaches MCAT level biochem they are doing something wrong. There is a spectrum of experience. At my school, biochem is a huge beast basically just because of one crazy prof who likes to twist all the pathways in a knot and ask test questions about obscure results of various deficiencies. You could memorize every pathway cold and still fail the test. It all depends on how they want to teach the course.
 
md1scared said:
oh my bad... $20,000
Click to expand...

.....

Not aware of too many people who can confuse $10k and 100% of debt accumulated. I thought the carib schools were still pretty pricey. 3 failures has set you back less than 1 semester was for me.
 
I know 3 semesters is alot, that's why if you read through the thread..u would see that i'm giving it one more try. i also didn't do MCAT, i said it multiple times. I'm a foreigner, i did my degree and then came to med school
 
I guess what I was getting at is either 1) you are making this up or 2) your situation is different enough from what we would experience (no mcat, different organization of curriculum) that we would be unable to offer any real advice. Histo kinda sucked, but it wasn't really that bad. I don't really understand any mechanism that makes it unattainable over 18 months.
 
if i was making this up, i must be one hell of a dedicated troll. yea that's what most people here are not understanding...i've never been exposed to the American curriculum and standards before this. but Histo is the worst thing i've ever come across. Come exam time, i can't remember which one is desmosome whether it's zonula occudens or adherens or if its macula. the simplest stuff just becomes tough all of a sudden :/
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

L
Failing first year. Need advice on things to help in the repeat year.
Replies
5
Views
697
pazzer2
P
S
How common is failing the first year?
Replies
11
Views
3K
lacrossegirl420
L
D
First Year is Intense!
Replies
35
Views
3K
Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight
S
Failed first year. Should I keep going?
Replies
22
Views
9K
GoSpursGo
GoSpursGo
D
SDN Article: 5 Tips to Survive Your First Year of Medical School
Replies
0
Views
857
Dr. David Lenihan, Ph.D., J.D., FRSM
D
Top