How hard is it to fail a 3rd year clerkship?

[nebuchadnezzarII]

Started my first clerkship (OBGYN) recently and I'm TRYING to do what I can and enjoy it/make the most out of it. However, sometimes I feel a little (a lot) incompetent, stupid, and slow. I have started studying and I will make sure I pass the shelf, as that's something I can partially control. But I am worried about my evaluations and subjective grades.

I am not concerned with honoring everything or anything, I am just worried about passing. A lot of people are saying that if you're not a dick, show up everyday, and do your work as best as you can, you'll pass the clinical aspect. But I've also read some horror stories here where people passed the shelf exam yet failed the clerkship.

Can anyone offer some insight on this? What can you do to pass? Or rather, what must you do to avoid failing? Thank you all.

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[Drrrrrr. Celty]

If you're speaking about the clerskhip, show up early, stay late, be optimistic and engaged.
If you're speaking about the shelf, OME, UWise, Uworld and you'll likely either honor it or score close.

If you're a surgery heavy rotation spend time learning the pelvic anatomy as early as you can.

 

[TypeADissection]

...spend time learning the pelvic anatomy as early as you can.

Go on...

But in all seriousness, it's really hard to fail a clinical rotation. You really just have to show up and give a **** and you'll get a pass. I don't even like OBGYN or Peds, but you know what? As a professional student, the least I can do is give the courtesy of giving a **** for 4 weeks about whatever rotation I am on and maybe learn something. We've had some monumentally dumb med students who didn't even know what a platelet was and they still passed. In reality, if you've had a weak or mediocre pre-clinical years, then showing up and working hard will take you far. This is a chance to show residencies that you're more than just a grade on paper, when people who work with you can vouch for your work ethic in a LOR. Cheers.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Go on...

But in all seriousness, it's really hard to fail a clinical rotation. You really just have to show up and give a **** and you'll get a pass. I don't even like OBGYN or Peds, but you know what? As a professional student, the least I can do is give the courtesy of giving a **** for 4 weeks about whatever rotation I am on and maybe learn something. We've had some monumentally dumb med students who didn't even know what a platelet was and they still passed. In reality, if you've had a weak or mediocre pre-clinical years, then showing up and working hard will take you far. This is a chance to show residencies that you're more than just a grade on paper, when people who work with you can vouch for your work ethic in a LOR. Cheers.

lol.

But yah. 3rd year is really kind of hard to entirely screw up. Just try to grow and develop and what not. Also try to have a bit of fun and learn what isn't miserable for you to do for the rest of your life.

 

[mimelim]

It is really hard to fail a clerkship for lack of medical knowledge or something of that ilk. Professionalism though...

 

[Black Coffee 24/7]

It is really hard to fail a clerkship for lack of medical knowledge or something of that ilk. Professionalism though...

Just curious about this professionalism thing. Can you name like top 5 professionalism issues that you have seen? I'm just trying to get a clue to what you guys mean besides showing up early, staying late, and be engaged.

 

[SpartanWolverine]

Started my first clerkship (OBGYN) recently and I'm TRYING to do what I can and enjoy it/make the most out of it. However, sometimes I feel a little (a lot) incompetent, stupid, and slow. I have started studying and I will make sure I pass the shelf, as that's something I can partially control. But I am worried about my evaluations and subjective grades.
Yeah, you'll feel particularly incompetent, stupid, and slow in subjects you're not interested in. But realize that you potentially have the most to learn in these subjects. Learning a lot in a subject can have the unintended consequence of making you enjoy it, funny enough.

I am not concerned with honoring everything or anything, I am just worried about passing. A lot of people are saying that if you're not a dick, show up everyday, and do your work as best as you can, you'll pass the clinical aspect. But I've also read some horror stories here where people passed the shelf exam yet failed the clerkship.
Showing up, being pleasant, and giving an honest effort are really all that matter. Failing a clerkship is reserved for people who blatantly disrespect preceptors, don't show up, or have social issues that interfere with their treatment of patients.

Can anyone offer some insight on this? What can you do to pass? Or rather, what must you do to avoid failing? Thank you all.
I'll say it's as easy to pass as you think. Show up, do your work, ask questions, and stay out of the way. Don't waste peoples' time.

Just curious about this professionalism thing. Can you name like top 5 professionalism issues that you have seen? I'm just trying to get a clue to what you guys mean besides showing up early, staying late, and be engaged.

Top 4, all of which I saw firsthand:
1) Not showing up
2) Being awkward about female anatomy/birth/reproductive issues and/or saying something offensive to patients... particularly in surgical or life/death situations
3) Asking to go home early
4) Saying you don't like the field

 

[Smurfette]

There's nothing unprofessional about saying you don't like a field. I've met plenty of students whom I think "you are clearly not cut out for what I do, but I can totally picture you doing [insert field of student's interest]". I'd rather get honesty than some line of BS about what my students are interested in. Plus I can teach somewhat to an interest (i.e. interested in ER...let's show you what a surgical belly is like; interested in IM so let's talk about appropriate work up for abdominal pain).

My top 5 student professionalism issues:
1. Unreliable presence--late, no-shows, etc.
2. Refusing to do tasks assigned. This can be anything from checking on a patient, doing an H&P, etc.
3. Inappropriate behavior. Includes insulting others, mocking patients, making inappropriate comments, etc.
4. Lying. About anything. Just don't do it.
5. Apathy/putting in no effort/not caring.

 

[NITRAS]

You are a 3rd year medical student in July.... you are incompetent, slow, and lacking basic medical knowledge. So are all your classmates.

You need to show improvement, you’ll do fine.

 

[DrMcCoyDO]

My psych preceptor third year didn’t like me and graded my evaluation accordingly. I failed half of my practical evaluation (I still contend it’s due to the unreasonableness of my standardized patient), and I still pulled off a B- (my school did letter grades) in the rotation. It’s insanely difficult to fail a third year rotation. Be personable, be willing to learn, and be willing to help out where needed, and you’ll do just fine.

 

[SpartanWolverine]

There's nothing unprofessional about saying you don't like a field. I've met plenty of students whom I think "you are clearly not cut out for what I do, but I can totally picture you doing [insert field of student's interest]". I'd rather get honesty than some line of BS about what my students are interested in. Plus I can teach somewhat to an interest (i.e. interested in ER...let's show you what a surgical belly is like; interested in IM so let's talk about appropriate work up for abdominal pain).

My top 5 student professionalism issues:
1. Unreliable presence--late, no-shows, etc.
2. Refusing to do tasks assigned. This can be anything from checking on a patient, doing an H&P, etc.
3. Inappropriate behavior. Includes insulting others, mocking patients, making inappropriate comments, etc.
4. Lying. About anything. Just don't do it.
5. Apathy/putting in no effort/not caring.

Good points.

I would say there's a definite difference between telling a preceptor that you have an interest in another field vs blatantly telling a preceptor you dislike their field. As a med student your job is to learn. Most people have had minimal exposure to different specialties and shouldn't have such strong preconceptions about what a field entails. The students who outright tell residents/attendings that they have no interest in the specialty usually goes hand in hand with being unreliable, apathetic, and unprofessional.

 

[Crayola227]

It's both easier and harder than you think.

 

[MerYangBey]

I was about to make a similar thread. I feel a different kind of incompetence everyday. I hope they see that I’m trying and I’m not totally stupid underneath all that incompetence.

 

[DocWinter]

Don’t do or say anything stupid. Intentionally, that is.

Be professional and courteous

Show up early, do what is asked of you

Respect everyone around you and maintain all rules/laws.

Guaranteed C, most likely a B and good chance for an A


Some hardasses will try to grind you on anatomy and medical knowledge, but everyone knows you don’t know squat yet.

In my bright and early third year my preceptor asked me if I was considering his field, and I replied no. he barely paid me any mind after that and gave me a C and ripped me on the evaluation for lack of clinical knowledge. Never had anything less than a A before or after with glowing reviews. Lesson here, not everyone is a tolerant and thoughtful human being. If you are doing your best and learning no preceptor should downgrade you for not enjoying their chosen field, but some might

 

[NeurologyHopeful2018]

Don’t do or say anything stupid. Intentionally, that is.

Be professional and courteous

Show up early, do what is asked of you

Respect everyone around you and maintain all rules/laws.

Guaranteed C, most likely a B and good chance for an A


Some hardasses will try to grind you on anatomy and medical knowledge, but everyone knows you don’t know squat yet.

In my bright and early third year my preceptor asked me if I was considering his field, and I replied no. he barely paid me any mind after that and gave me a C and ripped me on the evaluation for lack of clinical knowledge. Never had anything less than a A before or after with glowing reviews. Lesson here, not everyone is a tolerant and thoughtful human being. If you are doing your best and learning no preceptor should downgrade you for not enjoying their chosen field, but some might

Its called common sense. You are just an annoying MS3 getting in his way if you are not pretending to be "enthusiastic" about his field.

Here is a shocker: most atrendings grade on a feeling, rather than wasting their time and energy trying to accurately "assess" you based on a dozen rubrics.

That is why as a MS3 - you should ALWAYS act enthusiastic and follow your attending closely demonstrating you are desperate to learn.

 

[DrMcCoyDO]

Its called common sense. You are just an annoying MS3 getting in his way if you are not pretending to be "enthusiastic" about his field.

Here is a shocker: most atrendings grade on a feeling, rather than wasting their time and energy trying to accurately "assess" you based on a dozen rubrics.

That is why as a MS3 - you should ALWAYS act enthusiastic and follow your attending closely demonstrating you are desperate to learn.

This is unfortunately true quite often.

 

[hmockingbird]

Don’t lie, show up, and act moderately interested (eg we had some students last year who claimed they already saw one baby so they didn’t need to see the new baby admitted, don’t do that).