how important for sanity is pass/fail in first two yrs of med school?

[pisalapel]

i've heard various things about the pass/fail system for the first two years of medical school (those on it swear by it, those that have grades say grading isn't that much more stressful so long as there's no curve...) any advice or any further wisdom folks have heard on the subject in deciding which medical school to attend?

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[QuantumMechanic]

i've heard various things about the pass/fail system for the first two years of medical school (those on it swear by it, those that have grades say grading isn't that much more stressful so long as there's no curve...) any advice or any further wisdom folks have heard on the subject in deciding which medical school to attend?

if you are gunning for a competitive specialty then it might stress you out even if it "doesn't matter" what your grades are in the preclinical years.

pass/fail school students are still stressed out. they are still worried about learning so that they will do well on Step 1, have the knowledge set to do well in the clinical rotations, and finally since their ability to succeed as a physician and to properly take care of patients is dependent on how well they learn the material. pass/fail grading absolves none of this responsibility from the students.

 

[Neuronix]

I think it depends on the student. We had H/P/F, but I honestly didn't give a flying quack about getting an H. I mastered the art of barely passing every exam. I scored very well on Step I BTW.

Some people however, even admitting that the H in basic science didn't matter, really stressed themselves out trying to get honors. You have to remember that med school guys are always used to coming out on top. Even if the grade doesn't matter, they'll still be after the highest mark. If you're one of these people that can't shake the idea that an H is important for you to get, you may not want to go to a school that grades more than it has to.

 

[gmsquid]

From what I understand, grades only matter for your clinicals...

 

[Neuronix]

From what I understand, grades only matter for your clinicals...

For the most part this is true. If they matter at all it's only a very minor part of your application.

 

[CCLCMer]

i've heard various things about the pass/fail system for the first two years of medical school (those on it swear by it, those that have grades say grading isn't that much more stressful so long as there's no curve...) any advice or any further wisdom folks have heard on the subject in deciding which medical school to attend?

Pass/fail grading was a very big deciding factor for me. I didn't want to go to a school with grades. Actually, I wound up at a school that doesn't even have tests, so it's pretty nice. I wouldn't say that it's stress-free or anything, but I think in comparison with what most med students have to deal with, my school is about as unstressful as medical school can possibly be. I guess the important thing is to know what motivates you to learn. Some people really need to have tests and grades to keep them studying, and if you are one of them, then you should go to a school that has those things.

 

[pisalapel]

thanks! all great advice. i'm an older, non-trad student and approached it thinking that things are as stressful as you make them for yourself, and from all of your advice, that sounds about true. i guess i just need to figure out what motivates me to learn and find a school that matches that.

thanks again!

 

[Disinence2]

Pass/fail grading was a very big deciding factor for me. I didn't want to go to a school with grades. Actually, I wound up at a school that doesn't even have tests, so it's pretty nice. I wouldn't say that it's stress-free or anything, but I think in comparison with what most med students have to deal with, my school is about as unstressful as medical school can possibly be. I guess the important thing is to know what motivates you to learn. Some people really need to have tests and grades to keep them studying, and if you are one of them, then you should go to a school that has those things.

What? You don't have tests? Where do u go, and arn't you terrified about step 1?

 

[sprinkibrio]

I think P/F works if you have the initiative to really prove yourself to residencies in other areas. You've passed everything and so have all your classmates and so has everyone else at other P/F schools, so how else are you supposed to stand out? I wouldn't want even more pressure to be on me for the USMLE. With the option to get an H or A, you stand out a bit more grades-wise when you do well. It's an extra bonus on your application to say you did this and this while still making a few honors.

 

[Sophie]

I placed a lot of emphasis on grading when looking at schools, and I am SO glad that I am at a school with P/F grading. I'm one of those types that will feel like crap if I have more Bs than As (or more Passes than Honors), and a C would be disastrous to my mental well-being. I'm stressed as it is, but if grades were added into the mix my stress would be off the charts. I think for most medical students, grades aren't necessary to stay motivated.

As far as residencies go, however, I've heard that 1st and 2nd year grades matter very little, so I think you should decide based on what would make you learn best and be least stressed.

 

[CCLCMer]

What? You don't have tests? Where do u go, and arn't you terrified about step 1?

I go to CCLCM. It's one of the two MD programs at Case Western. One of the features of our program is that there are no tests, grades, or class rankings. There are only 32 of us, so it would be kind of silly to rank us anyway. The top quartile would only be eight people.

As far as Step 1 goes, I wouldn't call myself "terrified," but yes, I am definitely concerned about doing well on it. And you know what? So is every other medical student at every single medical school in the country.