Should I drop out now?

[AnkleGuy]

I'm in my first semester of medical school and I'm getting all C's. I don't think I should continue this with the high chance of failing out later and having a much higher debt. It'll only get harder from here on out.

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[Tyrone.]

Do you want to drop out? If you want to give up the spot that you worked so hard for then by all means do so, but if not I suggest you keep your head down and work your ass off, respectively. Remember why you wanted to go to medical school and what you wanted to do with your life and career. If that doesn't light the spark then maybe you have to do some re-evaluating of yourself. Best of luck.

 

[Perrotfish]

I'm in my first semester of medical school and I'm getting all C's. I don't think I should continue this with the high chance of failing out later and having a much higher debt. It'll only get harder from here on out.

1) Are you at a US medical school (MD or DO)?

2). Why do you think it will only get harder from here on out? Does your school have a negligible failure rate in first year and a high failure rate in second year?

 

[Goro]

I'm in my first semester of medical school and I'm getting all C's. I don't think I should continue this with the high chance of failing out later and having a much higher debt. It'll only get harder from here on out.

Any depression issues?

Outside life issues?

Test taking anxiety?

For starters, get thee to your school's learning or education center. And read this:
Goro's Guide to Success in Medical School (2017 edition)

 

[Brorthopedic]

Stay with it if being a physician is still something you want to become. Some obstacles in life aren't there to keep you out, they're there to see how badly you want it my friend.

 

[ortnakas]

C=MD, seven-o = DO. Only drop out if you want to in your heart of hearts; you don’t need to drop out because of your grades.

Material gets harder, but you also get better at it. I had an awful first semester, but now I’m a fourth year and I’m glad I stuck it out.

Also, what @Goro said: you wouldn’t be the first or last medical student to suffer from anxiety and/or depression. Don’t let stigma keep you from getting the help you need.

 

[AnkleGuy]

I don't want people's lives to depend on me if I'm barely getting by. And it's unwise for me to keep going and building a lot of debt if I fail out later on.

 

[HumbledHuman]

I don't want people's lives to depend on me if I'm barely getting by. And it's unwise for me to keep going and building a lot of debt if I fail out later on.

This insight shows that you truly care for patients and we need physicians with this sort of compassion. You should introspect and figure out what isn't working and determine if you can rectify those problems.

 

[Kgizzle]

I don't want people's lives to depend on me if I'm barely getting by. And it's unwise for me to keep going and building a lot of debt if I fail out later on.

Don't fail out... Medical school isn't bad if you study smart. It's just a ton of work that never ends. Lots of docs didn't like the first 2 years but still ended up being great physicians. You will do great!

 

[AnkleGuy]

Don't fail out... Medical school isn't bad if you study smart. It's just a ton of work that never ends. Lots of docs didn't like the first 2 years but still ended up being great physicians. You will do great!

What if I fail out with $100k in debt

 

[Moose A Moose]

What if I fail out with $100k in debt

People who say they can’t are usually right. Don’t be one of those guys.


There’s nothing else to be said.

 

[AnkleGuy]

People who say they can’t are usually right. Don’t be one of those guys.


There’s nothing else to be said.

That's a cute quote, but how do you pay off that amount of student loans without a career to show for it if you don't graduate?

 

[Tyrone.]

What if I fail out with $100k in debt

This can't be the mentality to succeed, man. Failure cannot be an option. You're going to have moments like this throughout life that are going to challenge you. This is one of those moments that someone mentioned earlier. How bad do you want it? You can still redeem yourself! Why think of giving up in the first semester when you can turn this around and get better? Are you willing to sacrifice everything outside of school right now so you can be a successful and competent doctor? That is what you need to do sometimes. I'm not in medical school, so I can't speak on the material, but I am somewhat older and have life experience and know that if you really want something and worked extremely hard to get where you are, you don't get there just to give up. I'd kill to be in your position. Please don't give up.

 

[Goro]

What if I fail out with $100k in debt

You won't if you get that anxiety worked on. Don't be a non-compliant patient. You'll have enough of those in your career.

 

[mimelim]

This can't be the mentality to succeed, man. Failure cannot be an option. You're going to have moments like this throughout life that are going to challenge you. This is one of those moments that someone mentioned earlier. How bad do you want it? You can still redeem yourself! Why think of giving up in the first semester when you can turn this around and get better? Are you willing to sacrifice everything outside of school right now so you can be a successful and competent doctor? That is what you need to do sometimes. I'm not in medical school, so I can't speak on the material, but I am somewhat older and have life experience and know that if you really want something and worked extremely hard to get where you are, you don't get there just to give up. I'd kill to be in your position. Please don't give up.

I'm sorry, but the ability to lose or fail has to be a thinkable option in virtually everything that you do. Blindly doing anything is idiotic.

I'm in my first semester of medical school and I'm getting all C's. I don't think I should continue this with the high chance of failing out later and having a much higher debt. It'll only get harder from here on out.

I don't want people's lives to depend on me if I'm barely getting by. And it's unwise for me to keep going and building a lot of debt if I fail out later on.

What if I fail out with $100k in debt

If you fail out with 100k in debt, you will be in a hole. Not an insurmountable hole, but a hole. Somethings to keep in mind. Assuming that you go to a USMD school, they are investing a lot into you. They have a lot of incentive to make sure that you graduate and attain residency. The question needs to shift away from "what if I fail out with 100k in debt?" The answer to that is simple and you know it already. Asking it over and over doesn't change anything and is not productive. You need to assess the likelihood of failing out of medical school. None of us here can do that probability matrix for you.

#1 Your school is invested in you. Not all schools are equal. Certainly over seas schools are far less so than USMD or DO, but all of them want you to succeed at least on some level. You need to be talking to your deans and assessing your prospects.
#2 You need to figure out why you are getting C's across the board. Assuming that you are in a USMD school, you maintained a reasonable GPA in undergrad and did reasonably on your MCAT. Why is this different than the courses that you took in the past? Is there something internally different or some extrinsic change that is hampering your academic abilities?
#3 You need to do a psych self eval. Do not hesitate to get help and early if you have any concerns. Anxiety and depression have a high prevalence in the US population and every USMD class has at least several students that are dealing with one of the two ever year.

 

[mistafab]

3 things:

1. If this is a stress or mental health thing - you need to reach out now for help. No shame and judgement. Reach out asap if this is you.
2. If this is a difficulty thing - maybe you wont be the best doctor ever. So what? You made it to med school - you can become a doctor. You can help people and you can probably do more than you think you can without hurting people. People make mistakes. That is okay. If you still WANT to be a doctor, you will learn what you need and still help people.
3. If you dont think this path is for you (aka you arent doing well only because you dont care). then take the semester to think about if this is something you actually want to do. It is a long path, you have to like it or care. You dont have to continue down this road.

 

[Tyrone.]

I'm sorry, but the ability to lose or fail has to be a thinkable option in virtually everything that you do. Blindly doing anything is idiotic.

He didn't blindly get into medical school by doing poorly in undergrad and on the MCAT so he must be intelligent. He is just struggling right now. Yes, failing is a legitimate option but it is still very early on and I don't think anything I said was idiotic. Being realistic, yes he could fail out, but being optimistic and also realistic still.. he could steer out of this mess. I hope he chooses what is best for him, but encouraging and trying to motivate him shouldn't be seen as idiotic.

 

[WingedOx]

2. If this is a difficulty thing - maybe you wont be the best doctor ever. So what? You made it to med school - you can become a doctor. You can help people and you can probably do more than you think you can without hurting people. People make mistakes. That is okay. If you still WANT to be a doctor, you will learn what you need and still help people.

Can the OP learn not to prescribe long-term norcos with xanax to elderly patients? Here's a lesson: Don't do that.

Well, then. Now, with this bit of knowledge, even as a first year med student, you're in better shape at actually being a physician than a boatload of community providers out there!

I bring this up in threads where people are arguing over a few MCAT points in affirmative action threads, but it especially applies here. Physicians don't fail because of a lack of intellect. Anyone capable of getting into a domestic med school is plenty smart enough to be a physician. They fail because of problems with emotional maturity.

 

[mimelim]

He didn't blindly get into medical school by doing poorly in undergrad and on the MCAT so he must be intelligent. He is just struggling right now. Yes, failing is a legitimate option but it is still very early on and I don't think anything I said was idiotic. Being realistic, yes he could fail out, but being optimistic and also realistic still.. he could steer out of this mess. I hope he chooses what is best for him, but encouraging and trying to motivate him shouldn't be seen as idiotic.

Your reading comprehension needs some work.

You know nothing about this person or their situation as they have shared next to no details about their situation. Yet, your advice is:
Failure cannot be an option.
You can still redeem yourself!
Why think of giving up in the first semester when you can turn this around and get better?
Are you willing to sacrifice everything outside of school right now so you can be a successful and competent doctor?
I am somewhat older and have life experience and know that if you really want something and worked extremely hard to get where you are, you don't get there just to give up. I'd kill to be in your position. Please don't give up.

You are advocating staying in medical school simply for the sake of it because in YOUR eyes it is the pantheon of professions and should be sacrificed for, not because you know anything about this person's situation. You are also under some sort of delusion that getting into medical school is the finish line that once you get there, you don't "just give up". Yes, you are advocating blind devotion and dedication to staying in medical school without knowing the context. For example, you assume that everyone in medical school did well in undergrad an on the MCAT. This is most assuredly not so. Hence the need to differentiate between USMD vs. DO vs. Caribbean. Which you do not know about. You further assume that you need to do well in undergrad and on the MCAT to get into medical school. While important factors, certainly there is a range and there are plenty of people every year that get into USMD spots with less than stellar scores. Beyond that further, you assume that doing well in undergrad and the MCAT means that you are intelligent which is debatable especially given that both run on continuums.

"He is just struggling." You have no ****ing idea what is going on here. I certainly don't either. Hence the asking of clarification questions and the humility to acknowledge that ultimately there are significant limits to what people on SDN can advise and help with. Hubris is dangerous, especially in medicine. Giving advice when you have no context and very little data is dangerous. In medicine, it hurts patient's health. In career advising it can hurt professional prospects, but it can also in some circumstances hurt someone's health and relationships.

"Being realistic, yes he could fail out, but being optimistic and also realistic still.. he could steer out of this mess." I can't tell if you are being sarcastic or trolling. Based on what exactly can you make this determination? You have literally no foundation to make this claim given that you know literally nothing about this person's situation. Blind optimism is dangerous. Hubris is dangerous. Maybe you have some life experience, but clearly you have not learned those lessons yet.

 

[Tyrone.]

Your reading comprehension needs some work.

You know nothing about this person or their situation as they have shared next to no details about their situation. Yet, your advice is:
Failure cannot be an option.
You can still redeem yourself!
Why think of giving up in the first semester when you can turn this around and get better?
Are you willing to sacrifice everything outside of school right now so you can be a successful and competent doctor?
I am somewhat older and have life experience and know that if you really want something and worked extremely hard to get where you are, you don't get there just to give up. I'd kill to be in your position. Please don't give up.

You are advocating staying in medical school simply for the sake of it because in YOUR eyes it is the pantheon of professions and should be sacrificed for, not because you know anything about this person's situation. You are also under some sort of delusion that getting into medical school is the finish line that once you get there, you don't "just give up". Yes, you are advocating blind devotion and dedication to staying in medical school without knowing the context. For example, you assume that everyone in medical school did well in undergrad an on the MCAT. This is most assuredly not so. Hence the need to differentiate between USMD vs. DO vs. Caribbean. Which you do not know about. You further assume that you need to do well in undergrad and on the MCAT to get into medical school. While important factors, certainly there is a range and there are plenty of people every year that get into USMD spots with less than stellar scores. Beyond that further, you assume that doing well in undergrad and the MCAT means that you are intelligent which is debatable especially given that both run on continuums.

"He is just struggling." You have no ****ing idea what is going on here. I certainly don't either. Hence the asking of clarification questions and the humility to acknowledge that ultimately there are significant limits to what people on SDN can advise and help with. Hubris is dangerous, especially in medicine. Giving advice when you have no context and very little data is dangerous. In medicine, it hurts patient's health. In career advising it can hurt professional prospects, but it can also in some circumstances hurt someone's health and relationships.

"Being realistic, yes he could fail out, but being optimistic and also realistic still.. he could steer out of this mess." I can't tell if you are being sarcastic or trolling. Based on what exactly can you make this determination? You have literally no foundation to make this claim given that you know literally nothing about this person's situation. Blind optimism is dangerous. Hubris is dangerous. Maybe you have some life experience, but clearly you have not learned those lessons yet.

I am not going to break down this post like you did mine; it'd take too long and there's just something too personal about that. I'll let you continue to assume things about me that you do not know, because I am not going to start an argument over a screen. I may have assumed some things about OP (their intelligence being higher than average, wanting to be in medicine, struggling- from how his original post said "it'll only get harder from here on out.") but I didn't assume negatively or demean him like you tried to do towards me. I tried to encourage and cheer him up, where you chose to belittle me and scrutinize everything I said. What did you hope to accomplish by that? Constructive criticism or pleasure from trying to point out every flaw in my response? When someone feels the need to intentionally word things as to insult the other, they have already lost credibility in the argument to begin with, so I feel no need to entertain what you have to say about my reading comprehension, my assumptions and intentions, what I do and don't know, my life experiences and lessons learned, being delusional or even feeling the need to curse at me... maybe you had a bad day, I don't know. If that's the case, I hope your week gets better and you treat your patients better than you did a complete stranger over a screen.

I suppose we both shouldn't be quick to point fingers and judge... especially if it's in a negative tone. You may be farther up on the proverbial totem pole in some settings such as medicine, but it does not mean that I am trying to steer this man into the abyss, and it does not make me whatever you think I am. You don't know me, so it's all subjective. I'm not going to think you're a bad person because your response aimed at me, but I would have appreciated a more respectful response.

I could have worded my response more carefully, so to him I will apologize for assuming. I still encourage him to not give up if this is what he wants, as well as seeking help from any resources available. If this is not what he wants anymore, or he cannot seem to do better then I suggest he form a plan to get out before things get worse and find something else in life he will enjoy and be successful at. I hope the best for him and for you.

 

[mistafab]

OP - I think this quote is something you have to think about. As a fellow student - it is hard for me to picture anyone actually finding it IMPOSSIBLE to pass med school if it is something they want and they got accepted to a USMD school. Sure - some people find it difficult no doubt (in fact - many of my peers won't stop talking about the difficulty - despite me feeling that it really isn't that bad). P = MD as they say. Not my cup of tea but so what if that is what you want.

I have a belief that it is only possible to completely fail if you are not mature or don't care about becoming a doctor. How could you possibly fail with 100k on the line? Maybe 200k or 300k... Even someone FAKING it would be able to pass for those stakes. You really have to not care at all or be so immature that you cannot pass. If this is truly the case, you need to cut your losses or take an LoA while you start learning about yourself or just start a new path.

Physicians don't fail because of a lack of intellect. Anyone capable of getting into a domestic med school is plenty smart enough to be a physician. They fail because of problems with emotional maturity.

 

[Moose A Moose]

That's a cute quote, but how do you pay off that amount of student loans without a career to show for it if you don't graduate?

What’s even more adorable is your pessimistic attitude and your conclusion that you risk failure with C’s on your transcript.

Buck up and accept you won’t always be at the top of your class.

 

[HumbledHuman]

I am not going to break down this post like you did mine; it'd take too long and there's just something too personal about that. I'll let you continue to assume things about me that you do not know, because I am not going to start an argument over a screen. I may have assumed some things about OP (their intelligence being higher than average, wanting to be in medicine, struggling- from how his original post said "it'll only get harder from here on out.") but I didn't assume negatively or demean him like you tried to do towards me. I tried to encourage and cheer him up, where you chose to belittle me and scrutinize everything I said. What did you hope to accomplish by that? Constructive criticism or pleasure from trying to point out every flaw in my response? When someone feels the need to intentionally word things as to insult the other, they have already lost credibility in the argument to begin with, so I feel no need to entertain what you have to say about my reading comprehension, my assumptions and intentions, what I do and don't know, my life experiences and lessons learned, being delusional or even feeling the need to curse at me... maybe you had a bad day, I don't know. If that's the case, I hope your week gets better and you treat your patients better than you did a complete stranger over a screen.

I suppose we both shouldn't be quick to point fingers and judge... especially if it's in a negative tone. You may be farther up on the proverbial totem pole in some settings such as medicine, but it does not mean that I am trying to steer this man into the abyss, and it does not make me whatever you think I am. You don't know me, so it's all subjective. I'm not going to think you're a bad person because your response aimed at me, but I would have appreciated a more respectful response.

I could have worded my response more carefully, so to him I will apologize for assuming. I still encourage him to not give up if this is what he wants, as well as seeking help from any resources available. If this is not what he wants anymore, or he cannot seem to do better then I suggest he form a plan to get out before things get worse and find something else in life he will enjoy and be successful at. I hope the best for him and for you.

At the end of the day, OP will have to make the decision on his own. There will always be a mixed bag of advice on this forum, and in my opinion, you had good intention when giving your 0.02c, so you have nothing to apologize for since there was no specific emphasis into the situation. Words can be damaging especially if it seems like being geared toward an ad hominem styled rhetoric. However, I don't think he/she was trying to personally target you but giving his experience, there is a different perspective on the matter. So please don't feel offended - we are all just trying to look out for one another.

 

[Tyrone.]

Yea, I suppose you have a good point. I didn’t have the best night, myself, so being on the forum didn’t help but not an excuse. I don’t think they’re a bad person, and they could’ve just been in-differently giving their two cents. That would leave it on me for taking some things they said wrongly out of context, and that’d be my mistake. Thanks for that, HumbledHuman. Happy hump day every. Good luck OP.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[hsk013]

I feel your pain. I was in your situation last year. Got Cs in all my classes (labs and other random assignments saved me from failing courses). Failed about half of my exams (in every course) and was literally failing most of my science courses until the very last exam. You won't believe how many times I thought of quitting med school. When you only have 1 test left and you have 68.1 or 69.4 (in not just 1, but 3 courses at the same time), you start to think of backup plans. I looked at blogs of people who failed out or left med school for a new career. I started looking into nursing and PT school, transferring to Carribbean, going back to graduate school, getting a teaching credential, and even a new career on indeed, monster, and linkedin. No one wanted to study with me or be my lab partners and I found friends distancing away from me one by one.

Every day was a hell as I was constantly living in a fear of dropping out of med school. I had to go an eye for an eye with all my courses until the very end, only to score lowest in exams and only one to fail multiple exams.

I am the bottom of the bottom in my class. If you want to count my rank from the bottom, I bet you can count my rank with one hand. On top of that, I have 2 red flags that I will need to explain when I apply for residency. Yet I am still here. Second year is slightly better only because I decided to take an additional year by becoming a part-time student and taking fewer classes. On top of that, I changed my study strategy and above all placed school my top priority. The result? I am still getting Cs (despite taking fewer classes) but don't have to worry about failing a course anymore. I am passing with high Cs and even Bs and (rarely As!!).

If I were in your situation, I would want to stay... No matter how poorly I do, no matter how little I retain course materials, I feel like I invested too much into this (both financially, intellectually, socially, and time-wise). With $100k in debt already, I believe it is easier to get through this than to quit and find something new. Don't quit just because you are getting Cs. You will see an improvement as time goes on and you will see materials repeating again in your second year, which will help you making more connections. Try your hardest and stay at your school as long as you can until the school kicks you out.

I know few people who got kicked out (due to their academic performances) and people who left on their own after their first year. Within my circle, it seems like people who left on their own sometimes can't let go of the fact that they are not in med school. They talk about what if, or I technically didn't fail out. Every now and then they think about their past. On the other hand, my friends who failed out, don't really mention about school and rather talk about their lives and new careers. They accepted that med school is not happening for them and seem to better focus on what they want to do now.

The choice is yours but as a someone who went through the same deal (or worse), I wanted to let you know that you are not alone. Many people are in this together and we are all here to support each other. Like everyone else, I wish you the best and good luck with everything.

P.S. Don't forget to call your parents often. I call my mom all the time and she now tells me that she doesn't want to hear me talk about another failed test. But I still turn to her and she is glad that I am calling her and letting me know how I am doing. You probably have a good support system but make sure to maintain that close connection with friends (both inside and outside of school), family and S/O.

 

[chizledfrmstone]

I'm sure there are a few people in your class who are getting C's and are quite content with how they are doing because it allows them to accomplish their goals. Your posts shows that you spend more time thinking of failure than how you can achieve your goals.

The worrisome thing is you're worried about the worst case scenario when you're passing. How easy will you be to fold the cards if you fail one or 2 exams? Even the students in the top quartile failed an exam or practical at my school.

 

[AnkleGuy]

I feel your pain. I was in your situation last year. Got Cs in all my classes (labs and other random assignments saved me from failing courses). Failed about half of my exams (in every course) and was literally failing most of my science courses until the very last exam. You won't believe how many times I thought of quitting med school. When you only have 1 test left and you have 68.1 or 69.4 (in not just 1, but 3 courses at the same time), you start to think of backup plans. I looked at blogs of people who failed out or left med school for a new career. I started looking into nursing and PT school, transferring to Carribbean, going back to graduate school, getting a teaching credential, and even a new career on indeed, monster, and linkedin. No one wanted to study with me or be my lab partners and I found friends distancing away from me one by one.

Literally my situation right now and what I'm experiencing. Except I have like 1 or 2 people who still are okay with studying with me. The smarties are now going into their smarty groups.

I feel your pain. I was in your situation last year. Got Cs in all my classes (labs and other random assignments saved me from failing courses). Failed about half of my exams (in every course) and was literally failing most of my science courses until the very last exam. You won't believe how many times I thought of quitting med school. When you only have 1 test left and you have 68.1 or 69.4 (in not just 1, but 3 courses at the same time), you start to think of backup plans. I looked at blogs of people who failed out or left med school for a new career. I started looking into nursing and PT school, transferring to Carribbean, going back to graduate school, getting a teaching credential, and even a new career on indeed, monster, and linkedin. No one wanted to study with me or be my lab partners and I found friends distancing away from me one by one.

Every day was a hell as I was constantly living in a fear of dropping out of med school. I had to go an eye for an eye with all my courses until the very end, only to score lowest in exams and only one to fail multiple exams.

I am the bottom of the bottom in my class. If you want to count my rank from the bottom, I bet you can count my rank with one hand. On top of that, I have 2 red flags that I will need to explain when I apply for residency. Yet I am still here. Second year is slightly better only because I decided to take an additional year by becoming a part-time student and taking fewer classes. On top of that, I changed my study strategy and above all placed school my top priority. The result? I am still getting Cs (despite taking fewer classes) but don't have to worry about failing a course anymore. I am passing with high Cs and even Bs and (rarely As!!).

If I were in your situation, I would want to stay... No matter how poorly I do, no matter how little I retain course materials, I feel like I invested too much into this (both financially, intellectually, socially, and time-wise). With $100k in debt already, I believe it is easier to get through this than to quit and find something new. Don't quit just because you are getting Cs. You will see an improvement as time goes on and you will see materials repeating again in your second year, which will help you making more connections. Try your hardest and stay at your school as long as you can until the school kicks you out.

I know few people who got kicked out (due to their academic performances) and people who left on their own after their first year. Within my circle, it seems like people who left on their own sometimes can't let go of the fact that they are not in med school. They talk about what if, or I technically didn't fail out. Every now and then they think about their past. On the other hand, my friends who failed out, don't really mention about school and rather talk about their lives and new careers. They accepted that med school is not happening for them and seem to better focus on what they want to do now.

The choice is yours but as a someone who went through the same deal (or worse), I wanted to let you know that you are not alone. Many people are in this together and we are all here to support each other. Like everyone else, I wish you the best and good luck with everything.

P.S. Don't forget to call your parents often. I call my mom all the time and she now tells me that she doesn't want to hear me talk about another failed test. But I still turn to her and she is glad that I am calling her and letting me know how I am doing. You probably have a good support system but make sure to maintain that close connection with friends (both inside and outside of school), family and S/O.

Thanks this was really inspiring. I can almost relate to this post to the T. It's like no matter how much I study I feel like I'm one really bad test away from failing out. It really helps to know I'm not alone.

 

[hopefulERdoc251]

Literally my situation right now and what I'm experiencing. Except I have like 1 or 2 people who still are okay with studying with me. The smarties are now going into their smarty groups.


Thanks this was really inspiring. I can almost relate to this post to the T. It's like no matter how much I study I feel like I'm one really bad test away from failing out. It really helps to know I'm not alone.

The other thing to remember, especially that last part about not being alone - you absolutely aren't. Our dean of students explained to us that in undergrad, we were in the top 5-10% of our classes. Now, you put that 5-10% in medical school and not all will get an A. The curve is redistributed. In a class of 100 people, there'll be 10 people who are in a similar boat as you are (bottom 10%, getting C's). Those students will still become physicians. There are actively practicing physicians who have failed a class, repeated a year, failed step1, and were in the bottom of the class.

Now granted you don't want to be in that situation and for that matter, nobody does. But if you want it that bad, then don't let that fear seep into your brain and let it take over your everyday life (little fear and stress is OK, but too much is counterproductive). It's easier to fall into that rabbit hole of what if's scenarios - believe me, I can empathize with you on that. As to reiterate what everybody else has said, maybe it is worth taking a LOA for a semester to get your mental bearings in shape. There is literally ZERO shame in doing that. From my interactions with residency directors who have come to our school to talk about their programs, that is not considered a red flag, especially in comparison to a failed STEP/failed year/course/professionalism violation etc.

Your school wants you to succeed. Your future patients want you to succeed. But before any of that can happen, YOU need to get better. Tame the anxiety, take a mental break, treat yoself. You'll come back stronger and better.

 

[Tyrone.]

As a prospective medical student in undergrad, this is enlightening. I am curious how the break down of classes goes for a semester. Could someone elaborate on that?

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

As a prospective medical student in undergrad, this is enlightening. I am curious how the break down of classes goes for a semester. Could someone elaborate on that?

Every school is different. We do pseudo blocks of the basic sciences with anatomy and Phys in the background. Then we will start systems in January.

If you are asking about the density of material that we cover we did a years worth of undergrad Biochem in 4 weeks, while also having 2 other courses.

 

[Tyrone.]

Every school is different. We do pseudo blocks of the basic sciences with anatomy and Phys in the background. Then we will start systems in January.

If you are asking about the density of material that we cover we did a years worth of undergrad Biochem in 4 weeks, while also having 2 other courses.

Thanks for that. Also, biochem in 4 weeks. Holy....

 

[sammiesings]

OP you've posted a lot about dropping out/doing poorly. How sure are you that you're not self sabotaging because med school isn't where you want to be?