MD Potential CS failure - do not disclose?

[NeurologyHopeful2018]

I took CS in Atlanta one week ago, and I think there is a high chance I failed. I plan to submit ERAs on September 14th, but won't get my CS report back until October 11th at the earliest. In case I fail, I will register to take it again in November and hopefully get a passing score back before rank list is due in Feb. If any residency asks about my CS during my interviews, I will just keep my mouth shut and say I will send a passing score before rank list is due. Is this a good strategy? Any advice?

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[gyngyn]

They will eventually see both scores. If they ask, tell them.

 

[NeurologyHopeful2018]

They will eventually see both scores. If they ask, tell them.

Couldnt I just email only my passing transcript to each program?

 

[gyngyn]

Couldnt I just email only my passing transcript to each program?

Program Coordinators routinely re-check for updates around the time the ROL is due.
If your passing grade has posted, they will see both of them.

 

[NeurologyHopeful2018]

Program Coordinators routinely re-check for updates around the time the ROL is due.
If your passing grades has posted, they will see both of them.

Yes that is if I submit through ERAs transcript. If I email to them only my passing transcript independently isn't that better?

 

[gyngyn]

Yes that is if I submit through ERAs transcript. If I email to them only my passing transcript independently isn't that better?

If you find programs that don't use ERAS to confirm grades I suppose it might work.
I don't know of any.
I can't recommend risking non-disclosure if they ask, though.

 

[Saxappeal1]

Don't worry until you have to OP. You never know

 

[hello1234!]

Couldnt I just email only my passing transcript to each program?

No, if I were the program coordinator and you emailed it to me, I would say you need to submit it through ERAS like everybody else. Then when I saw the first fail I would consider your approach deceitful and you would automatically be on the do not rank list.

 

[cyberchicken001]

I took CS in Atlanta one week ago, and I think there is a high chance I failed. I plan to submit ERAs on September 14th, but won't get my CS report back until October 11th at the earliest. In case I fail, I will register to take it again in November and hopefully get a passing score back before rank list is due in Feb. If any residency asks about my CS during my interviews, I will just keep my mouth shut and say I will send a passing score before rank list is due. Is this a good strategy? Any advice?

What makes you so sure you failed?

 

[NeurologyHopeful2018]

What makes you so sure you failed?

Didnt get any sleep night before, was a nervous wreck on exam day.

1) forgot to ask important HPI Qs
2) forgot to do important PE manuevers
3) ran out of charachters often on HPI section and had to delete maybe important stuff
4) could only formulate 2Ddx for many cases
5) ran out of time during closure on several cases

 

[SilverCat]

Didnt get any sleep night before, was a nervous wreck on exam day.

1) forgot to ask important HPI Qs
2) forgot to do important PE manuevers
3) ran out of charachters often on HPI section and had to delete maybe important stuff
4) could only formulate 2Ddx for many cases
5) ran out of time during closure on several cases

Everyone feels like this--you have a 94% chance of passing. It's not something I would worry about.

 

[DBV]

You don't know that you failed. If they ask say you don't have your score yet. I'd be surprised if you got it in october I mean Ive been waiting months for a score.

 

[cyberchicken001]

You don't know that you failed. If they ask say you don't have your score yet. I'd be surprised if you got it in october I mean Ive been waiting months for a score.

I think most people get their score on the first or second Wednesday of the score reporting period regardless of how long ago they took it. So he should get his score on oct 11 or 18.

 

[NeurologyHopeful2018]

Is there anyone else who have failed and retook it during the interview season - and came out unscathed?

How bad would a F followed by a Pass look when it comes down time to rank? Thx.

 

[Dr G Oogle]

This is a personal anecdote but I know someone who failed CS and in addition was kind of a punk and still matched into plastics.

Also I recall feeling both that I failed my surgery shelf and that I would not only need to repeat my clerkship but all of 3rd year. Neither came true. It's normal to feel like you did poorly but you truly don't know if you passed or failed until you open your envelope, it's Schroedinger's test score. So just take a deep breath and Chill out.

Also I highly recommend you do not move forward with your plan of mailing your passing score in the 6% chance that you failed. Unless one of the programs is in of the former soviet republics they will be using ERAS and as @hello1234! Stated this will be seen as decietful and while you wouldn't be DNR in every case you certainly will be ranked lower or at the very least put yourself under a microscope at a program where you matched. Honesty is always the best policy and having been on the other side of interviews I would look upon an applicant much more favorably if they were honest about a poor test result or otherwise bad outcome. It shows maturity.

Mistakes happen and most people involved in residency recruitment know that CS is called the "$1000 lunch" for a reason, so even If you failed and are otherwise a strong applicant they may not even care especially if you can explain it like you did above. Though it's been a while since I took it, is it still called that?

 

[Crayola227]

This is a personal anecdote but I know someone who failed CS and in addition was kind of a punk and still matched into plastics.

Also I recall feeling both that I failed my surgery shelf and that I would not only need to repeat my clerkship but all of 3rd year. Neither came true. It's normal to feel like you did poorly but you truly don't know if you passed or failed until you open your envelope, it's Schroedinger's test score. So just take a deep breath and Chill out.

Also I highly recommend you do not move forward with your plan of mailing your passing score in the 6% chance that you failed. Unless one of the programs is in of the former soviet republics they will be using ERAS and as @hello1234! Stated this will be seen as decietful and while you wouldn't be DNR in every case you certainly will be ranked lower or at the very least put yourself under a microscope at a program where you matched. Honesty is always the best policy and having been on the other side of interviews I would look upon an applicant much more favorably if they were honest about a poor test result or otherwise bad outcome. It shows maturity.

Mistakes happen and most people involved in residency recruitment know that CS is called the "$1000 lunch" for a reason, so even If you failed and are otherwise a strong applicant they may not even care especially if you can explain it like you did above. Though it's been a while since I took it, is it still called that?

yes that is still what it is called

sadly, they have purposefully adjusted the test to fail more people in an attempt to justify the test's existence

 

[DBV]

This is a personal anecdote but I know someone who failed CS and in addition was kind of a punk and still matched into plastics.

Also I recall feeling both that I failed my surgery shelf and that I would not only need to repeat my clerkship but all of 3rd year. Neither came true. It's normal to feel like you did poorly but you truly don't know if you passed or failed until you open your envelope, it's Schroedinger's test score. So just take a deep breath and Chill out.

Also I highly recommend you do not move forward with your plan of mailing your passing score in the 6% chance that you failed. Unless one of the programs is in of the former soviet republics they will be using ERAS and as @hello1234! Stated this will be seen as decietful and while you wouldn't be DNR in every case you certainly will be ranked lower or at the very least put yourself under a microscope at a program where you matched. Honesty is always the best policy and having been on the other side of interviews I would look upon an applicant much more favorably if they were honest about a poor test result or otherwise bad outcome. It shows maturity.

Mistakes happen and most people involved in residency recruitment know that CS is called the "$1000 lunch" for a reason, so even If you failed and are otherwise a strong applicant they may not even care especially if you can explain it like you did above. Though it's been a while since I took it, is it still called that?

I wish it was only 1000 for that bullsh*t sandwich

 

[Dr G Oogle]

I wish it was only 1000 for that bullsh*t sandwich

I think there was coleslaw also

 

[Raryn]

Yes that is if I submit through ERAs transcript. If I email to them only my passing transcript independently isn't that better?

This would never work.

If they ask you during the interview, it's perfectly fine to say you're working on it. But before the rank order deadline, you'll need to formally release your NBME transcript via ERAS that would include all scores, passing and failing. As long as you have a passing score by that point, it's no big deal. A small red flag at best. Most people know that CS isn't a really reproducible exam, and the interview will presumably show your English competency to the programs (which is the biggest question with a CS fail).

That said, no one with even two brain cells to rub together is going to accept anything via email, because that's super suspicious.

 

[sliceofbread136]

It's going to be required that you submit through ERAS just about 100% of programs, in order to send a passing score you will also have to send the failing score.