No Pass/Pass in "Clinical Skills"-What kind of Pettifoggery is this?

[Sancho]

My school has perverted the whole idea of 1st year "clinical experience" so much that we just all sit in a circle and talk about kittens and other cute stuff. Pretty lame, but the real problem is the grading system. Take person A, who honors all the requirements: essays, written exams, physical exam exams, etc. Now if this guy misses and even makes up three rainbowy sessions, his a$$ is failed. How about Person B, with sweet little perfect attendence, fails every exam in the class, gets to make all of them up, passes the class. WTF?!!?!
Just because of oversleeping a couple times, I'm staring down two straight semesters of Nopass[slash]Pass grades (only after writing a 10 page essay to add the [slash] pass to it). Yeah, 10 pages about "professionalism" and how those of us lacking it will obviously end up killing hordes of patients before ultimately dying alone, bald, and fifteen pounds overweight.
How bad do you guys think these 1 credit bastards will tarnish a pretty damn decent transcript? It seems like even if I honor all 3rd year, I'll still have to answer for this bull****-

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[anamarylee]

Have you tried to talk in private with the course coordinator, explain your situation? That would be the first step I'd take if I were in your situation: Try to present my case and see what I can do to get myself out of my current predicament.

Also, get a better alarm clock.

A word to the wise: The day you stop comparing yourself to everyone around you you'll be much happier.

 

[Sancho]

It's not an issue of personal comparison. The written law for the class is that if you fail any requirement, you can do it over with no permanent mark on your record. If you are only late for a small group meeting, they'll mark down your grade. Am I crazy, or is this a philistine setup?
you can't reason with an administration that has a prison guard mentality-many have tried-oh well, f-it, it's friday and basketball's on this weekend

 

[phoenixsupra]

It's not an issue of personal comparison. The written law for the class is that if you fail any requirement, you can do it over with no permanent mark on your record. If you are only late for a small group meeting, they'll mark down your grade. Am I crazy, or is this a philistine setup?
you can't reason with an administration that has a prison guard mentality-many have tried-oh well, f-it, it's friday and basketball's on this weekend

No. You cannot reason with medschool administration. Resistance is futile. Get into line or get kicked into line. That's your choice. Really.

 

[Crake]

Is it really that hard to just go to class?

 

[automaton]

wow you're faulting a pass/fail grading system where you only have to show up to pass. talk about being a slacker.

 

[Winged Scapula]

We had the same problem with our PBL sessions. They became more about what goodies people brought to eat than actually learning about medicine. So some of the more sane started to skip them (which does hinder the group process) only to have the ax brought down on them in a similar manner. You could pass all of the exams, but if your attendance at PBL was poor you would have your grade marked down or even failed.

Arguing with med school administration seemed only to make the situation worse. Tis not the time to fight - choose your battles and get a better alarm clock.

 

[MeowMix]

I was almost starting to feel for you until I got to:

Just because of oversleeping a couple times

Unfortunately, I think the first two years of med school are largely about training you to show up when you're supposed to show up, do what you're supposed to do, and to do all this regardless of how you feel about it. If you want flexibility, and respect for your independent spirit, a PhD program would be a better choice.

 

[c diddy]

man we had the same bolognia at my school. only thing was that that one solitary stupid class counted for almost 25% of our first 2 years of grades combined- something like 30 credits by itself. well i actually showed up to each session, but according to my evaluation i didnt participate enough in the group conversations so my grade got shot to hell (4th percentile in the class), which caused me to just barely miss senior aoa even after an outstanding step 1 score and 4/6 honors in 3rd year. luckily for me i matched in the field of my choice at the prog of my choice, but still, the fact that a sissy ass class like that could really damage an almost spotless med school record was very frustrating.

 

[Sancho]

wow you're faulting a pass/fail grading system where you only have to show up to pass. talk about being a slacker.

I am the Amon-Ra of slackers!!!

but really, I fault a system where they let mediocrity slide by, even reward it while free thinking peoples with real talent and potential get a scourge of negativity if they don't fall in line. Their game's not hard to play, but **** happens you know and clocks don't always work. I think they should have a more enlightened view where they look at the big picture and judge students individually-of course this might happen about the time shaun hannity joins the ACLU
For now, this is medical student #587903 going back to the assembly line
sir yes sir!!!

 

[Sancho]

one solitary stupid class counted for almost 25% of our first 2 years of grades combined- something like 30 credits by itself.

wow-that is insane man-I would have quit and gone carribean or killed myself!!!!!

congrats on getting your #1 in spite of their B.S.

 

[tupac_don]

It's not an issue of personal comparison. The written law for the class is that if you fail any requirement, you can do it over with no permanent mark on your record. If you are only late for a small group meeting, they'll mark down your grade. Am I crazy, or is this a philistine setup?
you can't reason with an administration that has a prison guard mentality-many have tried-oh well, f-it, it's friday and basketball's on this weekend

And you are complaining???????? From what I understand, you don't gotta do s--t all, you can fail everything make it up, put some BS down and still pass, same as a guy who busts his ass, as long as you come to class. I would say you have it pretty sweet, what are u complaining about. Are you a massochist, or what? And from what I can tell it's one class only. If its one useless class, no one will even care about it, come on it's pass or fail. If I were you, I would do nothing for that class except bare minimum to pass, and make sure I was at every class five min early, just in case. Come on u got it easy, relax and take adv of it. Enjoy this break while you have it. GOod luck.

 

[Neuronix]

No. You cannot reason with medschool administration. Resistance is futile. Get into line or get kicked into line. That's your choice. Really.

 

[macdown]

I fault a system where they let mediocrity slide by, even reward it while free thinking peoples with real talent and potential get a scourge of negativity if they don't fall in line.

I do not consider getting your a$$ up in the morning and attending class mediocrity. Part of medicine is tending to your responsibilities, and school is your only true responsibility. So I don't feel sorry for you, you brought it on yourself.

 

[Sancho]

I do not consider getting your a$$ up in the morning and attending class mediocrity. Part of medicine is tending to your responsibilities, and school is your only true responsibility.

macdown, you should get like 50 gold stars for being the conscientious and fastidious good kid you most certainly are-bravo!!!!
this is something that you ought to put on the top of your CV!!!

forget that the majority of the most successful people now and throughout history have been rule breakers and/or school drop outs -and just keep plugging and chugging your sycophant blue collar a$$ up the ladder pal

 

[MeowMix]

forget that the majority of the most successful people now and throughout history have been rule breakers and/or school drop outs -and just keep plugging and chugging your sycophant blue collar a$$ up the ladder pal

I think we all know that there is no way in hell that a Bill Gates or an Edmund Hillary would sit through med school in its current incarnation, but that doesn't mean that those of us who plug and chug are *****s. We're just doing what we need to do to get by, without wasting a lot of energy on resentment and resistance against a crappy system. Once again I repeat: if you want respect for your independent spirit and brilliance, a PhD program would suit you much better.

 

[Sancho]

Pretty much agree with your take on that Meowmix-didn't mean to come off so harsh-just had an especially special day with the administration here. maybe I'll pack my bags and head to a Carribean school, I hear St George's is nice this time of year-(and you get to do surgery 1st year so they say!!!)
A notre sante,
S

 

[anamarylee]

maybe I'll pack my bags and head to a Carribean school, I hear St George's is nice this time of year-(and you get to do surgery 1st year so they say!!!)

You also get the ocassional hurricaine in the caribbean. Be ready for those headaches when they come.