How bad is it if you fail step I?

[bluebirdie]

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Hi everyone,
Just out of curiosity, how bad is it when you apply for residency when you fail step I? Let's say you fail the first time, but then score an above average score the second time. I'm awaiting my step 1 scores and feel that it is quite possible that I failed that sucker. After taking it, I felt there were a few areas that were really weak and could have caused me to fail. Will most residency programs not even consider you if you fail step I?

 

[PassinGas]

Depends on the specialty and the caliber of program.

I know people who matched into their specialty after failing step I, so it happens. At this point, though, I would wait and see what you get first. You probably did better than you think. Good luck.

 

[NinerNiner999]

You could also ask the associate dean at my medical school. He failed twice...

 

[yaah]

It brings up questions but if you pass you pass. You have to pay for it again though, and that is no fun. It will probably be something you have to deal with during interviews, but so long as your second score is decent it should be ok. BTW, there are tons of people who think they failed coming out of the test, so this is far from certain.