Possible failed CS

[prok]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I mistakenly posted this in a step 2 thread, but wanted to post here in case someone had any insight/experience to share specific to psychiatry. My step 2 cs scores are taking longer than expected to arrive, my test day experience was pretty horrible, other people who took it with me already passed, and I think there is a very significant possibility that I failed.

If that is the case, how should I proceed? I am otherwise a very strong applicant with good step 1 and ck scores coming from a top school. I've been interviewing at all the Texas programs and a few in the northeast. It doesn't look like retaking in time for ranking is a possibility. Should I expect that programs will contact me to ask about my scores? Not even sure how I would respond. If I do get bad news, should I be planning for SOAP/other specialities?

 

[postbacpremed87]

I feel for you. These failed or possibly failed CS threads are getting out of control. There is no way that we should be in this position. We all go through clinical skills and clinical rotations. If we sucked at H&Ps and patient care, then we would fail our clinical years. There is absolutely no reason for this test to exist. Someone could dominate all of medical school and clinical rotations and then fail this because subjectively they didn't perform well THAT day. You can get a 240+ Step 1, 250+ Step 2, but if you fail CS then it is over.

 

[Seroquel]

I mistakenly posted this in a step 2 thread, but wanted to post here in case someone had any insight/experience to share specific to psychiatry. My step 2 cs scores are taking longer than expected to arrive, my test day experience was pretty horrible, other people who took it with me already passed, and I think there is a very significant possibility that I failed.

If that is the case, how should I proceed? I am otherwise a very strong applicant with good step 1 and ck scores coming from a top school. I've been interviewing at all the Texas programs and a few in the northeast. It doesn't look like retaking in time for ranking is a possibility. Should I expect that programs will contact me to ask about my scores? Not even sure how I would respond. If I do get bad news, should I be planning for SOAP/other specialities?

Hey, I was in a similar position as you, terrible test day and my score came out 3 weeks after everyone else got theirs. But I passed. So it's not the case that a longer wait = failed test by any means.

 

[hamstergang]

We all go through clinical skills and clinical rotations. If we sucked at H&Ps and patient care, then we would fail our clinical years.

Unfortunately, not all attendings and schools are willing to fail terrible students. Some basic standardized control is needed, though CS as it's set up now may not be optimal.

 

[W19]

Unfortunately, not all attendings and schools are willing to fail terrible students. Some basic standardized control is needed, though CS as it's set up now may not be optimal.

I guess docs graduated before 2004 are terrible...

 

[prok]

Someone could dominate all of medical school and clinical rotations and then fail this because subjectively they didn't perform well THAT day. You can get a 240+ Step 1, 250+ Step 2, but if you fail CS then it is over.

Yup, I think that might be me (down to the numbers). I just wish it were a little more clear what the expectations were or that they would stop bumping up the fail rate every so often. My school definitely isn't afraid to fail people (or least make them remediate), and I've never been on that end, but it seems like my bad day is going to come back and undo all of that. It's entirely my fault, but still feels very harsh.

Hey, I was in a similar position as you, terrible test day and my score came out 3 weeks after everyone else got theirs. But I passed. So it's not the case that a longer wait = failed test by any means.

Thanks so much for this. Hopefully, I get the same news as you. I still would like to have some idea of what to do in the event that it goes differently for me. I posted in the step II forum and got a few pm's from other applicants about it. It seems like there's a handful of people in the same boat.
Good luck with the match!

 

[Shikima]

It's a money making racket, just like MOC.
Ever wondered why tuition is so high? Because they're making money off of admissions.

 

[hamstergang]

I guess docs graduated before 2004 are terrible...

You really think that's a fair interpretation of my post?

 

[W19]

You really think that's a fair interpretation of my post?

I admit that my answer was somewhat hyperbolic, but my whole point is that the system was ok before 2004 and it would have been ok until now without the CS.

 

[drkamikaze]

I"m in the same boat as you... permit hasn't disappeared so I guess I'll have to wait another week for my scores to arrive 🙁
The wait sucks, but I'm sure we'll be ok. We'll pass!

 

[HarryMTieboutMD]

To the OP... get off of SDN... it will just freak you out more.

 

[FlowRate]

OP, I went through a similar scare. Most people in your position will pass. (I passed, thankfully.)

But I would just like to highlight, for the class, the fact that they changed the way the test was graded, didn't tell us how, and that now 5% of US and Canadian MD students fail Step 2 CS on their first attempt. This was a reaction to the earlier criticism of "why have step 2 CS if everyone passes?"

If you believe the threads on SDN (and honestly--I do, in this case) a lot of these people who fail or are worried about failing are not the typical "poorly performing" med student. What freaked me out was how un-realistic the standarized patients acted, so I wasn't able to use my usual interview style.