MD Should I accept a Low-Pass/Marginal in Surgery or take the opportunity to remediate?

[BigSkyMontana45]

Several months ago, I received a low-pass/marginal evaluation on my surgery clerkship by an attending who basically pretended I was invisible. I went through several layers of appeal, and recently heard back from the dean that the committee (final level of appeal) has determined to uphold my final grade of Low Pass (Marginal).

The clerkship director, for reason unknown to me, just contacted me to say that he will give me an additional opportunity to remediate 8 weeks of surgery clerkship with the following condition:

1) The 2nd grade I receive on my Surgery remediation will replace the 1st clerkship grade - so basically this is an opportunity to start over.

2) The second grade on my surgery clerkship must be at least "pass" or higher - or otherwise I may face a dismissal hearing. I will be treated like someone repeating the clerkship, but has the benefit of potentially wiping my 1st slate clean. These 2 months will eat into the first few months of my 4th year, so I can't begin my required SubI of Anesthesiology until September. I will pursue a career in Anesthesiology.

What should I do?

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[EM2Be2017]

I don't think I would risk it. It doesn't sound like a fair trade off. I would focus on the other parts of your application. Kill your subI and get great letters. How are your other clerkship grades? If you have been doing well otherwise in third year, then I don't think the low pass will kill you. Talk with the previous 4th years at your school who matched anesthesia for ways to make your application as strong as possible. And make strong connections with your home anesthesia department if you have one.

 

[muhali3]

Don't do it.

 

[emergentmd]

Is this really even a debate or question? Seriously. You got a low pass. Move on. Someone for some reason didn't like you. Its life. You passed.

 

[operaman]

Take the low pass and move on. That's not advice I would give everybody but I think it's definitely the right path for you.

Why? Because the only time I've ever seen someone get that kind of grade on their clerkship wasn't because their performance and behavior was so abysmal as to warrant failure if it weren't for the s--tstorm of pushback and paperwork that would accompany it. It was most assuredly not an attending who thought you were invisible. I can promise you they noticed you and that the residents also talked about you as did OR staff and anyone else who worked with you. It was surely the amalgamation of these perspectives that went in to your evaluation. The fact that you don't understand this is why I suggest taking the low pass and moving on.

Hopefully by this point you've grown clinically and will be able to do well in your subI. You will get asked about your surgery grade in interviews; make sure you have a better mea culpa story when that time comes.

 

[BigSkyMontana45]

My school call this Low-Pass a "marginal" - a level below pass. Get 2 of these and you are placed on probation and made to repeat those 2 clerkships.

 

[BigSkyMontana45]

Take the low pass and move on. That's not advice I would give everybody but I think it's definitely the right path for you.

Why? Because the only time I've ever seen someone get that kind of grade on their clerkship wasn't because their performance and behavior was so abysmal as to warrant failure if it weren't for the s--tstorm of pushback and paperwork that would accompany it. It was most assuredly not an attending who thought you were invisible. I can promise you they noticed you and that the residents also talked about you as did OR staff and anyone else who worked with you. It was surely the amalgamation of these perspectives that went in to your evaluation. The fact that you don't understand this is why I suggest taking the low pass and moving on.

Hopefully by this point you've grown clinically and will be able to do well in your subI. You will get asked about your surgery grade in interviews; make sure you have a better mea culpa story when that time comes.

I had a perfect midterm evaluation. I made no change in my performance and all of a sudden its a low-pass? Only thing I did was asking for time off to study for the Shelf when the time was approaching - but he ignored me and I stayed.

 

[LyMed]

That is beyond a bad trade. Don't do it. Just work on improving and don't put yourself in this situation again. Your chances of matching gas aren't going to be adversely affected if you just move on.

 

[RunawayGrape]

 

[aafisahar]

you need like a thready pulse and a medical degree to match anesthesia. You'll be fine.

 

[W19]

Several months ago, I received a low-pass/marginal evaluation on my surgery clerkship by an attending who basically pretended I was invisible. I went through several layers of appeal, and recently heard back from the dean that the committee (final level of appeal) has determined to uphold my final grade of Low Pass (Marginal).

The clerkship director, for reason unknown to me, just contacted me to say that he will give me an additional opportunity to remediate 8 weeks of surgery clerkship with the following condition:

1) The 2nd grade I receive on my Surgery remediation will replace the 1st clerkship grade - so basically this is an opportunity to start over.

2) The second grade on my surgery clerkship must be at least "pass" or higher - or otherwise I may face a dismissal hearing. I will be treated like someone repeating the clerkship, but has the benefit of potentially wiping my 1st slate clean. These 2 months will eat into the first few months of my 4th year, so I can't begin my required SubI of Anesthesiology until September. I will pursue a career in Anesthesiology.

What should I do?

 

[ortnakas]

Assuming low-pass is still a pass, and you got credit for your surgery rotation, take it and move on with your life. Risking dismissal after three years of medical school to try to get a slightly higher grade is a terrible idea.

 

[Candidate2017]

Several months ago, I received a low-pass/marginal evaluation on my surgery clerkship by an attending who basically pretended I was invisible.

I will pursue a career in Anesthesiology.

You might want to reconsider anesthesiology if get your knickers in a bunch over surgeons pretending you're invisible.

 

[BigSkyMontana45]

Assuming low-pass is still a pass, and you got credit for your surgery rotation, take it and move on with your life. Risking dismissal after three years of medical school to try to get a slightly higher grade is a terrible idea.

Low-pass is considered "marginal" in my school. Yes - I get credit for it, but is considered a deficient grade. One Marginal is inconsequential, but collect 2 of them, I get put on probation and have to remediate both clerkships.

 

[sliceofbread136]

I wouldn't do it, schools will see that you did 2 surgery clerkship and will know something is up which may be even worse than having a low pass

 

[Redpancreas]

Bro you're starting to turn into a broken record when you keep saying it's a marginal pass. I've lost count of how many freaking times you've said that. You've probably gotten away with creating the most number of threads (4) for this single issue.

You still haven't addressed the main issue. What feedback have you received because they need feedback to justify your grade. I'm certain they've provided some and you're not addressing it because it's literally the Clerkship director's job description to advocate for the student until a concrete reason emerges for why you deserved a Low Pass (LP). In fact, it'll be more work for the CD because he'll or she'll have to present to curriculum committee or some similar body about all the low passes and every single LP is a knock on him/her. If it's H v P that's a different story, but something isn't adding up here.

Anyhow, this is beyond debate. Accept the marginal pass, yes I know it's a marginal pass. Yes, I know it's a deficient grade. Yes I know if you receive two you're on probation, but guess what? You're done with third year so you can't receive two. Move on because the alternative is a chance at being dismissed from medical school.

 

[Redpancreas]

Not to mention your delay will delay your SubI in your desired field. An H in Anesthesia will more than make up for a marginal pass in surgery unless they ask you at by our interviews about the surgery grade and you reflexively say: I received a MARGINAL pass, this is a deficient grade, etc etc. I haven't heard of a school doing this yet for clerkships so this probably doesn't carry so much meaning outside your school.