Repeating clerkship

[Hik917]

Hi guys, I have a question I would like to ask:

So, I am an international medical student, currently in my clinical year, finished with two clinical postings at this point (Pediatrics and ObGyn).

With pediatrics as my first posting, there were a lot of issues going on for me at the time with social interactions with the residents and attendings, namely during the week when I was assigned to the neonatal ward. I had to retake the SHELF exam, but I just found out yesterday that I also failed the retake.

I didn't feel I did well in the retake, so I asked the staff member at the academic committee as to what would be done if I failed the retake, and she said that depending on my cumulative grade for pediatrics. If I am okay, then I just need to study and take the test again to pass. If the cumulative grade isn't good, then I'll retake pediatrics posting as an elective either for 2 weeks or 4 weeks to make up for it.

With that being said, I knew the problems I had then, and if the academic committee feels that I need to retake the clerkship for 2-4 weeks, I know what to do differently to show that I can be better.

My only concern is, because I want to go into Psychiatry in the US (Because to my understanding, psychiatry program is better developed in the states), how much would failing and remediation for Pediatrics affect my chances of getting in?

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[dartmed]

Yikes. I am so sorry. I know it can be difficult to do well in a clerkship with cultural differences/expectations.

First thing is first - how did you study for the SHELF?

Second- how did you prepare for your day to day responsibilities? Did you read through your patients charts prior to clinic appointments? Did you brush up on pediatrics prior to starting the rotation?

Third - how were your clinical evaluations?

Four - your written English seems great, so help me understand- how did you get through Step I and not a SHELF exam? I feel as though if you got through Step I, getting through a SHELF should not be that much more difficult. Did you not prepare well enough? Were you on inpatient Peds that you weren't allowed enough to study for the SHELF?

I will be frank. A failed clerkship does NOT look good. Period. It especially doesn't look good that you failed the retake as well. It helps that you are planing on Psychiatry, which tends to be less competitive...even then, I think it would be difficult with this glaring on your transcript. If you don't mind me asking, what was your Step I score?

 

[Hik917]

Thanks for the reply.

Actually, I don't have a Step 1 score. With our school, we don't do Step 1 before going into clinicals. We go through our clinical year and then take the Step 1 afterwards. The curriculum is set up such that we have one year of pre-clinical, and then we went into clinicals.