pre-clinical grades: damage control

Started by epsilonprodigy
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epsilonprodigy

epsilonprodigy

Physicist Enough
10+ Year Member
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So we just got most of our block 1 exam scores back.

Histo: Written: Honors Practical FAILED by 4 points. Balances out to a mediocre passing score.

Gross: passed both written and practical within a decent margin but will have to do amazing on everything else to get honors

Neuro: still waiting but I don't feel great about the practical.

I am possibly interested in neurosurgery (definitely some type of surgery) so I feel that I need to get honors on pretty much everything. I'd like to know if the first semester of M1 can cook your goose if you just "pass" everything (my school does honors, pass, conditional pass and fail.) I do think I have some better ideas about studying for next time around, but I would love to hear others' thoughts about damage control and future ramifications.
 
epsilonprodigy said:
So we just got most of our block 1 exam scores back.

Histo: Written: Honors Practical FAILED by 4 points. Balances out to a mediocre passing score.

Gross: passed both written and practical within a decent margin but will have to do amazing on everything else to get honors

Neuro: still waiting but I don't feel great about the practical.

I am possibly interested in neurosurgery (definitely some type of surgery) so I feel that I need to get honors on pretty much everything. I'd like to know if the first semester of M1 can cook your goose if you just "pass" everything (my school does honors, pass, conditional pass and fail.) I do think I have some better ideas about studying for next time around, but I would love to hear others' thoughts about damage control and future ramifications.
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P=MD, do other things to stand out if grades are too much.
 
epsilonprodigy said:
So we just got most of our block 1 exam scores back.

Histo: Written: Honors Practical FAILED by 4 points. Balances out to a mediocre passing score.

Gross: passed both written and practical within a decent margin but will have to do amazing on everything else to get honors

Neuro: still waiting but I don't feel great about the practical.

I am possibly interested in neurosurgery (definitely some type of surgery) so I feel that I need to get honors on pretty much everything. I'd like to know if the first semester of M1 can cook your goose if you just "pass" everything (my school does honors, pass, conditional pass and fail.) I do think I have some better ideas about studying for next time around, but I would love to hear others' thoughts about damage control and future ramifications.
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Relax...you passed. You are, what, six weeks into medical school, tops? Take it easy on yourself. Your scores will likely get better as you meander through the rest of the preclinical curiculum.

I wouldn't worry unless you start to either marginally pass (by a few points) or fail classes.
 
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Step 1, research, and 3rd year grades are way more important. Pre-clinical grades only matter if it helps you get AOA or if you fail a class.

Why would a neurosurgery program care what you got in histo when some schools are P/F anyway?
 
About a month in actually. And I don't know... DO neurosurg programs care?? I always assumed they did, even if it's indirectly due to AOA. I actually don't know how my school handles AOA and am going to find out when I meet with the Dean of Student Affairs (I made an appointment to get her $0.02 on what to do next, which she encouraged us to do if we're having trouble.)

Does anyone know if most schools keep a numerical track record...that is, let's say you only got a "pass" but got an 89% or something... you'd still be ahead of the kid who got a "pass" with a 72% right? I don't mean to be such a gunner, but this is pretty hard to swallow.
 
epsilonprodigy said:
DO neurosurg programs care??
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Yes. And no. As stated elsewhere, an application is a multifaceted entity. Typically one below average item will not preclude your consideration (given it's not horrendous).

epsilonprodigy said:
I actually don't know how my school handles AOA and am going to find out when I meet with the Dean of Student Affairs (I made an appointment to get her $0.02 on what to do next, which she encouraged us to do if we're having trouble.)
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1) AOA is an election from people nominated. You're nominated if you are academically at the top of your class
2) Do better.

epsilonprodigy said:
I don't mean to be such a gunner, but this is pretty hard to swallow.
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Almost 100% of your class was at the top of their premed class, now 50% of your class is below average. Someone has to be last, and if not, then the next to last becomes last. Focus on figuring out what you can improve on studying wise to boost your scores. Part of the process of having hurdles is to see how you handle challenges.
 
epsilonprodigy said:
About a month in actually. And I don't know... DO neurosurg programs care?? I always assumed they did, even if it's indirectly due to AOA. I actually don't know how my school handles AOA and am going to find out when I meet with the Dean of Student Affairs (I made an appointment to get her $0.02 on what to do next, which she encouraged us to do if we're having trouble.)

Does anyone know if most schools keep a numerical track record...that is, let's say you only got a "pass" but got an 89% or something... you'd still be ahead of the kid who got a "pass" with a 72% right? I don't mean to be such a gunner, but this is pretty hard to swallow.
Click to expand...

Neurosurg programs (and basically every other specialty too) don't care one lick about your preclinical grades. They do, however, care about AOA. I know that while my school was P/F for preclinical, they kept an internal track of your grades that was used to determine AOA. This is not something that's uniform, and every school does their own thing--find out what the deal is at your school and plan accordingly.

That said, a pass here and there, especially in preclinicals, will not kill your chance for any specialty. Generally, doing well enough to ensure that you know the material well enough to do well on Step 1 is the most important thing, as is doing really well on your core 3rd year rotations.
 
Nobody cares about first year grades. Just do better next time and develop the best study habits you can. It'll come in handy for Step 1 as well as studying for shelves in third year, all things that matter much more than your first year grades.
 
Focus on step 1 for the first half and then focus on screwing this sh** out of your peers on the second half 😀
 
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