How many dropouts in your class?

[skidmark]

I'm an MS1 at a state school. We had 4 people dropout (3 failed, 1 had social issues) after our first session. The three that failed can remediate next year I think. Our class size is now 97. I was wondering if other schools had a similar number of dropouts/fails?

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[citygirl]

Our school is very supportive. If you fail a test they are all over you with tutors, counseling, and whatever else you need. Basically, they find out what your problem is and help you to overcome it. Then you have a chance to retake the test on that particular section. We do have one guy in our class who started last year and then had a death in his immediate family and deferred to this year. Other than that, it appears we have a very low drop out rate.

 

[Jalby]

We had 8 people drop out/failed out of 168. In order to fail, you have to take a test for a system twice and not pass it, with all the tutoring you could want.

 

[oldtimer]

Out of curiosity, who does the tutoring in med school when students struggle? Do the professors do it or other med students?

 

[skidmark]

If you are failing you are required to get tutored. Our anatomy professors tutor anatomy, but I think upperclass students tutor for other courses. Our teachers are always available for questions during office hours and via e-mail for any student. If they see you need extra help they will recommend you get a tutor. I'm almost positive the school appoints and pays for the tutor.

 

[ckent]

We have had many people who have failed years or delayed for miscellaneous reasons (I would estimate around 25 out of 150 that will not be graduating in 4 yrs). We also had 17 students fail step I in the class ahead of us, which delayed their entrance into third yr. Some of them were able to make up the time during fourth yr though. Very few people completely fail out. I would estimate that ~1-3% of our class completely fails out too.

 

[tahitian3]

I'm sorry to hear about you dropping out care bear.
What are you doing with your life now? Is your current work still science/medical related?

 

[DrMom]

Out of an original 90 (2 were originally in the previous class & were re-doing 1st year), we had 3 fail and 1 drop out (after failing). Of the 3 that failed, 2 are re-doing 1st year...the other was already in his 2nd round of 1st year. The school kicked him out.

 

[Bevo]

time to shatter everyone's #s.....

1st semester (Ross operates on a 4 semester system through a continuous 16 months of basic sciences).

I believe my class had about 10-15% drop out or fail by the end of the term.

After my 2nd term, it seems that maybe 8 people or so failed (out of ~230 or so), but Im having a hard time verifying that. I know maybe 2-3 people who failed.

But we picked many from the semester ahead of us who failed microbiology and pathology (prob due to their fear of micro).

 

[oldtimer]

I didn't realize that so many people failed a particular year or dropped out of med school. You would think that after working so hard to finish the prereqs, passing the MCAT, and surviving the application process people would find it within themselves to get through med school. When people failed or dropped out, what were the main reasons?

 

[nuclearrabbit77]

besides the example provided about Ross, the others have only been around 1-5%. that's really not that much. i think that's a fair number. ~2 STD cutoff.

 

[Bevo]

i found out that in my semester we only lost 7 people total, which for this school is amazing.

4 were repeat students who were kicked out. The other 3 are repeating.

Ross is a special case though. Takes in a lot of riskier candidates. Those who could perform equally as well in any us school and those who are just waiting their time and money.

 

[8744]

We have only lost two out of out of 100. One quit after the end of second year and we lost the other for good after the end of first semester of first year. Two people had to repeat first year, and we had three people fail Step 1 twice so they will be bumped back a year to continue third year with the current second years.

But outright failed out with no option of coming back or repeating we have only lost one. The guy who quit actually passed Step 1 and was near the top of the class. I suppose he doesn't count.

 

[Hayduke]

Originally posted by nuclearrabbit77
besides the example provided about Ross, the others have only been around 1-5%. that's really not that much. i think that's a fair number. ~2 STD cutoff.

Does anybody else have a problem w/this? ~97% of the folks that start medical school become doctors. Over half of these people are under the age of 24. (rough compilation of AMCAS/ACOMAS stats) With little more than a career of higher education behind them, these kids are shackled w/ golden handcuffs (debt, years lost etc.) to a career that polls say 65% will loathe.

Perhaps the question isn't why do folks fail/leave med school, but why do so many stay?

H

 

[skidmark]

Hayduke quote:

Does anybody else have a problem w/this? ~97% of the folks that start medical school become doctors. Over half of these people are under the age of 24. (rough compilation of AMCAS/ACOMAS stats) With little more than a career of higher education behind them, these kids are shackled w/ golden handcuffs (debt, years lost etc.) to a career that polls say 65% will loathe.

Perhaps the question isn't why do folks fail/leave med school, but why do so many stay?

H

H,

I feel that most students stay in medschool b/c they feel they spent so much time, money, and hard work during their premed years getting there. Dropping out would seem to be a waste of those four years. Sure they have a degree and all, but what am I going to do with a Zoology degree. I would assume that some, not all, medical students would agree that their degree is pretty useless outside the realm of medicine. Med school sucks for many, but I look at it as a rocky path to something better, being a physician. I would hope that most people who enter medical know what they are getting into and realize that this is a profession that involves sacrifices. Medical students are young, yet they may not realize this. Starting a new career path would seem frightening and since most med students are at least 20,000 dollars in debt after the first year it would be financially stressfull.
As far as your stats on job satisfaction I find physician job disatisfaction (65%)understandbly higher than the overall U.S. average (50-60% from the surveys I've read). I find the stats comparable considering physicians work longer hours than most other professions and managed care. This is no excuse though because medstudents should be aware what they are getting into.
Honestly, I realize that residency is going to be hell and at times will question why I chose medicine, but I truly couldn't see doing anything else with my life.
The bottomline: Medicine is not for everyone. Being a doctor requires sacrifice (family time, money, sometimes happiness) but it also has personal rewards. Hopefully for those who choose medicine the personal rewards will be greater than the sacrifices.

 

[jennie 21]

As far as I know, no one at my school dropped out or failed out after first semester. I know there are a few people who were required to repeat a section of anatomy either over winter break or over the summer because they failed the section, but as far as I know nobody failed the semester or will have to repeat it. I'm actually really surprised to see that people do fail at other schools, because here they make absolutely every effort (tutoring, etc.) to make sure that you don't.