possible fail on cs

[canal]

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I just recently took cs and won't get the results until early January 2010. I've finished both step 1 and ck with competitive scores. I just messed up really bad on cs: failed to do complete data collection on most patients...I just froze. I have many interviews set up already, should I even bother going to these interviews with my impending failure? The only thing that could possibly save me is a pre-match but I doubt that would happen. At this point, I can't imagine looking anywhere confident during interviews. Please help. Thanks

 

[Frugal Traveler]

If you're an American medical student:

Many felt bad after this exam and doubt themselves in one way or another... but the reality is that ~ 97 % of American medical students pass the exam on the first attempt.

If you fail, don't retransmit your transcript and then take it again before you start residency.

If you're an IMG, then the pass rate is lower... and that's a different story... but you should still go on your interviews with confidence... because if you do not pass, then you just take it over again.

Bottom line: Don't worry about it for now... go on your interviews with confidence. There is no reason to lose sleep over this.

 

[canal]

Thanks for your response FT. I would be automatically removed from the match if I failed cs hence my reservation about going on my scheduled interviews. Also, has anyone passed cs after failing to do well on data collecting or H&P ? Its hard to imagine that I may have to sit out for a whole year because I was sooooo nervous and lower my chance of getting interviews for 2011 because I'd be considered a repeat applicant. Gee-whiz, I just can't seem to shake this terrible feeling.

 

[Frugal Traveler]

If you are an AMG, then they usually fail the ICE part (HPI and such). IMGs typically fail the communication part.

If you had problems with the ICE part, then if you do fail, I think repeat testing would result in a pass, especially if you used a prep book like First Aid and someone to practice with. Many people are nervous with this exam, and usually the grading rubric takes into account the basics given the limited time for the encounter... so as long as you did the basics, you should be fine... this is not like a MS3 HPI is needed to pass.

I guess I don't quite understand your situation, but I wish you the best

 

[GmailQueen]

Thanks for your response FT. I would be automatically removed from the match if I failed cs hence my reservation about going on my scheduled interviews. Also, has anyone passed cs after failing to do well on data collecting or H&P ? Its hard to imagine that I may have to sit out for a whole year because I was sooooo nervous and lower my chance of getting interviews for 2011 because I'd be considered a repeat applicant. Gee-whiz, I just can't seem to shake this terrible feeling.

Are you automatically removed from the match because your school removes you if you don't pass? If that's the case, perhaps you should discuss this with your dean or someone else in the academic affairs office. I would think that if you could prove that you had registered for another test date that would allow you to get your scores back prior to the start of residency that they would still allow you to go through the match.

It seems like there are more and more schools encouraging and even requiring their students to pass step 2 before submitting a ranklist. Since this seems to be the first year this is being enforced, there are a lot of students rushing to meet the requirement (at least at my school). I think schools should be more lenient since this is the first year (but obviously that is my opinion and I am not on any school's administration).

In any case, I think you should talk to your school first. If they are standing strong on their policy (or there is some other reason you won't be allowed to match), try to schedule your interviews for after you find out your score. However, if you're not able to, I wouldn't give up interviews just based on a bad gut feeling about the test, because, as FT said, 97% of AMGs pass on the first try, so chances are you did too. I'd rather have to waste the money and re-interview again than risk not getting into a program I wanted b/c I was afraid I failed a test that I likely passed.

 

[harmnot]

does anyone know how a prematch work?