Need some advice. Feel discouraged.

[Zebras101]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hello everyone,

Obviously a throwaway account. I have garnered tons of valuable insight from SDN and I hope I can receive some much needed advice/wisdom.

I am an M2 in the midwest and I have been doing very well thus far. However, after break I just had a bad day (I felt foggy and just not myself) and that bad day happened to be on an exam day in a non-core class that we have 1 hour per week (it involves ethics). Long story short, I couldn't get in the groove and I failed by 3 points. Due to my school's grading policy, I have to remediate the exam even though I still have over an 80% in the course and now I can only receive an RP in the course as a whole because I scored below a certain percentile on an exam.

Simply put: I feel deflated and discouraged (which sucks, because I have felt great up to this point). I feel like everything I have been working toward is a bust. I don't want to do anything 'competitive' (surgery, derm, rads, etc.), but I want to match well into the field I desire...and now I feel like I'm wasting my tuition money.

I know this situation isn't the best, but I am hoping that it is not as catastrophic as my mind is making it out to be. I always hear "just don't fail"...and I just did. Thoughts? Opinions? Advice? Thank you for your time.

 

[HomeSkool]

Your hard work isn't a "bust" and you're not wasting your tuition money. People have academic hiccups all the time, even med students, and a single retake on a non-core class isn't lethal. Pick yourself up, pass the exam retake, and move forward with school and your life without dwelling on this. I saw many of my classmates match very well despite one or more retakes. One blemish on an otherwise outstanding application won't hold you back.

 

[operaman]

@HomeSkool above nailed it - one blemish isn't going to define you. I want to stress the rest of his statement though: one blemish on an otherwise outstanding application....

If this is a once off thing and you do well from here on out, you should have no doors closed to you. By itself, people may hardly even notice it if it's surrounded by bigger and better things. The problem begins if this little blemish picks up a few more friends along the way to graduation. Don't let that happen.

 

[Goro]

Hello everyone,

Obviously a throwaway account. I have garnered tons of valuable insight from SDN and I hope I can receive some much needed advice/wisdom.

I am an M2 in the midwest and I have been doing very well thus far. However, after break I just had a bad day (I felt foggy and just not myself) and that bad day happened to be on an exam day in a non-core class that we have 1 hour per week (it involves ethics). Long story short, I couldn't get in the groove and I failed by 3 points. Due to my school's grading policy, I have to remediate the exam even though I still have over an 80% in the course and now I can only receive an RP in the course as a whole because I scored below a certain percentile on an exam.

Simply put: I feel deflated and discouraged (which sucks, because I have felt great up to this point). I feel like everything I have been working toward is a bust. I don't want to do anything 'competitive' (surgery, derm, rads, etc.), but I want to match well into the field I desire...and now I feel like I'm wasting my tuition money.

I know this situation isn't the best, but I am hoping that it is not as catastrophic as my mind is making it out to be. I always hear "just don't fail"...and I just did. Thoughts? Opinions? Advice? Thank you for your time.

In addition to the very good advice you're received here, go see your school's counseling center.

 

[Oso]

1. this is absolutely not "catastrophic"
2. this will mean next to nothing in the context of an overall good M1/M2 track record
3. M1/M2 track record will mean very little in the context of decent step scores, clinical grades, LOR's, etc.
4. what would be catastrophic would be if you get really down because of this and finish second year poorly, including step 1, and then just continue the pattern
5. take a few moments to chill, most people will have setbacks at some point, sometimes repeatedly, so can't let little things like this mess with your vibes