My ERAS Chances after Red Flags

[NS_hopeful]

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Ok, so here's my situation: I'm an MS2 who is currently repeating the 2nd year due to emergent family issues right before a series of exams. So I'm at the end of this new MS2 year (& grades are fine) and preparing for Step 1.

I have a butt-load of extra-curricular's (Comm. service, leadership, etc.), I'm usually a great test taker (always above the national average on standardized exams) so I'm expecting a very decent Step 1 score, esp. if I put a lot of work into it.

Before my red flag, I've always had high hopes of entering a couple of moderately competitive residencies. So my question is this: How high should my hopes be? How detrimental was this red flag to my aspirations? Should I lower my expectations?

 

[camedstudent23]

Your story is very vague...did you fail+repeat or take an LOA? You said you have a "butt-load of EC's" but didn't mention the most important EC, research. Above average on standardized exams like the MCAT is not great, considering the average MCAT is a 25. And why wouldn't you put a lot of work into it? What are "moderately competitive residencies"? GAS, EM, OBGYN?

 

[22031 Alum]

Ok, so here's my situation: I'm an MS2 who is currently repeating the 2nd year due to emergent family issues right before a series of exams.

Option 1: A parent became very ill right before a series of exams. Together with the Office of Student Affairs I decided it would be best to take some time off to go home and deal with things. It was arranged for me to re-start second year with the next class.

Option 2: A parent became very ill right before a series of exams, which I took and bombed. Because I failed second year I had to re-start it with the next class.

The root cause of both scenarios is the same- an ill parent. But to a potential program, one is more of a red flag. Failing a year will never go over well. Having a bad situation come up and working with your administration to deal with it is more understandable.

 

[operaman]

Yup, the above is spot on. The details are essential.

Even if it's the worst of the above options, I would say that so long as it's the only blemish on your application, you'll probably do okay. You might get dinged at a few places and have to do a little more legwork to get past the gatekeepers, but if the rest of your app is solid I think most PDs will not hold it against you.

One last thought: If you actually do have a failure on your transcript (and not just a LOA), whatever you do, do not under any circumstances make excuses for what happened. Even if they directly ask you what happened, finish the story with something about how it was still your fault and you should done XYZ/reached out for help/etc. So rather than "my mom got sick right before my exams and I just couldn't focus and just bombed them," frame it as, "my mom got really sick right before my exams and I made the mistake of not asking for help and thinking I could handle it on my own, but I was wrong and I ended up bombing the exams and repeating the year."

It's a minor point, but an important one and something that you may not have considered. Nobody likes people who make excuses, even good ones. We like people who appear to have learned from past mistakes and won't make them again.

 

[NS_hopeful]

Thanks you guys, all of your answers have been really helpful!

 

[22nekorb22]

If you do great on the USMLE exams you will likely still have a good chance of matching. Just my opinion.