Flunking out of med school

[Failingmedschool]

I am an MS1 at a US MD school and I am not doing well ... at all. I am at risk of having to repeat first year, and I know this will significantly lower my chances at matching for residency.

I am currently taking anatomy and cell biology. I was well below the cutoff for failing for my first two exams. I got a 40% in exam 1 and 2 for both courses. Today I calculated what score I would have to get on the remaining tests in order to have a chance at passing the overall courses. It looks like I would need about an 80-85% on all the remaining tests in order to have a fighting chance.

Prior to failing this second exam today, I would have been optimistic that this is something that I can achieve. Now I’m just starting to think that belief is just naive optimism. It believe would be entirely unrealistic and wishful thinking to believe I can pull this off with how low my first two exam scores are.

Additional info: The beginning of the semester I fell behind. I was not able to get my ADHD medications until matriculating as I had no insurance. Once I got insurance (pretty much the day school started), I was not able to find any psychiatrists in town who had availability. I moved from across the country. I got really depressed and unmotivated, and it was hard for me to concentrate in the beginning. Now this issue is all settled and I have my meds (for the past 6 weeks or so), but I think that getting behind early on in the semester and failing the first test made me feel overwhelmed, and I didn’t even know how to begin to catch up. I didn’t think I was going to fail the second exam this bad, though.

Considering that the final is cumulative, it is going to be hard to make up all that knowledge that I obviously did not accumulate during the first two blocks. Also, I’m starting to wonder if I’m just dumb. I keep reading how low the attrition rate is, yet that person is somehow going to be me. The average is literally double what I am scoring. If it is an issue with my intelligence, I don’t want to waste another year and accumulate more debt if I am not going to be able to graduate anyways.

I don’t even know what I’m asking, to be honest. Does anyone have any thoughts or advice?

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[solitarius]

Yeah, it only gets harder.

So... if you don't think you have it in you to persevere, get out. If you think you have more to give and will give it all and then some, continue. I guess option 3 is to find a way to study smarter and more efficiently, but that sounds easier than it really is.

 

[sinombre]

How long until the final? Just buckle down. You’re going to have to learn the info if you re take the course anyway, so you might as well study as hard as you can now and hopefully pass.

 

[libertyyne]

OP, sorry you are struggling.

A few things.

1. How are you studying? are you putting in enough time? Have you reached out to the learning office ?

2. Did you institute any changes to your studying after the first result?

3. What have the class averages been ? Are there traditionally curves or modification of the pass line?

4. Do you go to a US MD school?

5. If you cant match ortho or what ever competitive thing you have in your mind would you rather not be a physician?


That being said all is not lost, some people are able to successfully re mediate over the summer to go on and do well on boards and such. I would look into what options will be available to you if you do end up failing.

Lastly, have you met :

 

[sovereign0]

So it sounds like you don't actually want to quit, but rather that some life stuff came up and was an additional difficulty during an already challenging time of adapting to life as a med student.

I'd say give it a good shot. You've only had your meds for the past 6 weeks and you were behind for quite a while after that.

First, talk to administration and let them know you're struggling. Next, you need to work with them and take one step at a time. Try your best to get caught up, but if you have to repeat a year all hope isn't lost. Yeah, you probably won't match into a competitive specialty but most doctors didn't either. You can be one too. It's going to be tough to get caught up but if this is what you want to do I don't think it's time to drop out yet.

 

[Goro]

I am an MS1 at a US MD school and I am not doing well ... at all. I am at risk of having to repeat first year, and I know this will significantly lower my chances at matching for residency.

I am currently taking anatomy and cell biology. I was well below the cutoff for failing for my first two exams. I got a 40% in exam 1 and 2 for both courses. Today I calculated what score I would have to get on the remaining tests in order to have a chance at passing the overall courses. It looks like I would need about an 80-85% on all the remaining tests in order to have a fighting chance.

Prior to failing this second exam today, I would have been optimistic that this is something that I can achieve. Now I’m just starting to think that belief is just naive optimism. It believe would be entirely unrealistic and wishful thinking to believe I can pull this off with how low my first two exam scores are.

Additional info: The beginning of the semester I fell behind. I was not able to get my ADHD medications until matriculating as I had no insurance. Once I got insurance (pretty much the day school started), I was not able to find any psychiatrists in town who had availability. I moved from across the country. I got really depressed and unmotivated, and it was hard for me to concentrate in the beginning. Now this issue is all settled and I have my meds (for the past 6 weeks or so), but I think that getting behind early on in the semester and failing the first test made me feel overwhelmed, and I didn’t even know how to begin to catch up. I didn’t think I was going to fail the second exam this bad, though.

Considering that the final is cumulative, it is going to be hard to make up all that knowledge that I obviously did not accumulate during the first two blocks. Also, I’m starting to wonder if I’m just dumb. I keep reading how low the attrition rate is, yet that person is somehow going to be me. The average is literally double what I am scoring. If it is an issue with my intelligence, I don’t want to waste another year and accumulate more debt if I am not going to be able to graduate anyways.

I don’t even know what I’m asking, to be honest. Does anyone have any thoughts or advice?

Very sorry to hear of al this, OP.

First off, get to your school's counseling center. The depression will hurt you far more than being behind.

Go talk to faculty and seek their advice on how best to catch up. Get tutoring if needed.

Consider taking an LOA. That will be better than having to fail and repeat a year.

 

[ciestar]

Ive felt this way. In fact, it was the same feeling all of MS1 and 2 and immediately after i got my step 1 score. You’re overwhelmed and depressed so that is affecting your mindset and you’re likely not in the best position to live up to your potential.

Look, you wouldn’t be in med school if you were dumb. You have the ability to turn it around you just need to find the right path to do it. A LOA might be the best option for you, honestly. It gives you a chance to get everything in order and then resume when you’re at your best in a year. Much better option than failing and having to repeat. Do NOT try to barrel through if you don’t feel up to it.

Definitely talk to student affairs and see what they think. In the meantime, just keep going.

 

[naway]

As someone who had a VERY rough introduction to medical school and early on found myself in several faculty members' offices discussing whether I should just exit the program, I relate and feel for you. Medical school demands all but perfection out of you from the beginning. If you're coming in with ongoing health issues (or basically any type of personal issue that you're still trying to sort out), medical school will not have any mercy on you. I had the same issue of not being able to get in to see a doctor for a long time, both because of lack of availability and because mandatory scheduled sessions at my school make scheduling things like doctor's visits extremely difficult. It completely overwhelmed me. It felt like my fight or flight was constantly activated and telling me to run away from the threat to my well-being that was medical school and to do so fast. There were nights I was in such a panic that I considered going to the emergency room. Even now that I'm doing better-ish (certainly not top of my class lol, but I'm passing, which is all I want to do), I worry about getting to the end of the semester only to massively fail the cumulative final because of all of the gaps in my learning from the first block that I struggled through. If someone would just give me a couple of weeks to go learn all of that material, I'd be fine, but no such breaks exist in medical school.

I agree with the others who suggested a LOA if one is possible for you. Sounds like an opportunity for a fresh start now that you've got your medication is really the most ideal situation for you, and a LOA allows you to have exactly that.

 

[LebronManning]

Out of curiosity, what was your MCAT score?

 

[IMGASMD]

Talk to your dean. Find out your school policy. you may be able to make it up by doing summer school... failed more than one, you may have to repeat the year.
It’s not end of the world for your quest to become a physician. It would certainly make a great come back story if you can make it happen this year. Moreover, you’re definitely not the only one feeling overwhelmed in med school.

Learn to study better.
Is it the material? Are you just not sure what to focus on? Should you not go to lectures? Watch lecture on line? Study from the old exams for the exams? Are all valid questions. Most of materials during the first two years, you just have to get through.......

Good luck.

 

[physicsnerd42]

I wanted to offer a word of encouragement. I was a physics major in college and got by without much studying before med school (I much prefer understanding to memorizing and I had a good enough memory to do well on bio/chem tests without much studying). My first block of med school was a rude awakening because I just wasn’t used to how much I needed to study. I still remember being so close to failing our first term histology course that the professor graded my final first and found me soon after the test to tell me that I had done well enough to (barely) pass. I also remember neuro anatomy being another close call.

Anyway, I learned how to study properly for med school and got used to memorizing AND understanding. I did very well in my second year, honored almost everything in my clinical years, and I ended up graduating med school AOA and with honors. I’m about to finish my top choice residency and I just matched into the fellowship I wanted.

Med school is hard. It can be a rude awakening for many people, myself included. It’s also very rare for people to fail out. If you were smart and dedicated enough to get in, you’re also almost certainly smart and dedicated enough to finish. Your school probably has academic resources to help you and now that you’ve got your adhd meds squared away hopefully you’ll be better able to concentrate.

Good luck!


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[MityMo66]

Of course you can pull things up. A: You have to believe in yourself. B: Don't post you are on ADHD meds or any other meds as it sounds like an excuse. You don't need excuses, you need results. You can do this. It won't be easy but you can. There are plenty of tutoring materials and resources all around you. C: You will have to completely cut out your entire social life except for three (3) hours Sunday. Better if it is in the AM. Every other waking moment you need to study, take practice tests, quizes and such. D: You have to WANT this. Bottom line. If you are doing this to please someone else, stop, get out. Try law school or biz school. Law school is three (3) years Biz school is two (2). You're in, you're out and you're off making bank.

Now, if that sounds attractive to you, alluring, enticing even arousing then med school is not for you and get out while you can. No shame.

 

[THEBACKANDFORTH]

Of course you can pull things up. A: You have to believe in yourself. B: Don't post you are on ADHD meds or any other meds as it sounds like an excuse. You don't need excuses, you need results. You can do this. It won't be easy but you can. There are plenty of tutoring materials and resources all around you. C: You will have to completely cut out your entire social life except for three (3) hours Sunday. Better if it is in the AM. Every other waking moment you need to study, take practice tests, quizes and such. D: You have to WANT this. Bottom line. If you are doing this to please someone else, stop, get out. Try law school or biz school. Law school is three (3) years Biz school is two (2). You're in, you're out and you're off making bank.

Now, if that sounds attractive to you, alluring, enticing even arousing then med school is not for you and get out while you can. No shame.

This is a dumb answer.

OP, best of luck to you. I Doubt it's an intelligence issue and i hope you figure it out

 

[deleted707454]

looks like I would need about an 80-85% on all the remaining tests in order to have a fighting chance.

Been there before. It can be done. It sucks, but it can be done.

 

[Planes2Doc]

MS-1 was the worst time of my life, only second to my ex- of 6 years, and is completely blocked out. Medical school is awful.

If you feel like it is psychiatric issues holding you back. See a counselor at your school. Take a leave of absence if needed. It will give you time to take a step back from this fast-paced process, gather your thoughts, and come back refreshed plus stronger than before. If you end up having to remediate, then so be it. Take it is a learning opportunity and go forward. As a physician, you have to learn to leave what happened in the past, in the past. You can't change what has happened. But you can start fresh and give it your best going forward. When it comes time for residency applications, take ownership of the issue, make no excuses, and tell the programs how you've grown and come out stronger as a person.

Also, do you know what they call the person ranked last in the medical school class? A doctor.