Someone tell me it'll be ok..

[rubisco88]

At a TX MD school. Got done with a rough midterm today and I'm freaking out about pre-clinical grades (yr 1 going into yr 2). I've been getting straight Bs except for one C in anatomy. About 60-70% of the class usually will get a B in each class, so It seems like I could easily be near the bottom of the class. I'm really worried that I'll be stuck in a residency in podunk no where. Will I have any options in terms of location and getting into a decent program? I' d like to be in a decent city like Austin, Dallas, Houston, Irvine, Los Angeles area, DC, or NYC since my SO is in finance and will also need to be able to find a job.

Have I already shut a lot of doors? I'm looking at pediatrics, PM&R and psychiatry right now.

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[Smurfette]

Moving to Allo as OP is a med student.

 

[DermViser]

At a TX MD school. Got done with a rough midterm today and I'm freaking out about pre-clinical grades (yr 1 going into yr 2). I've been getting straight Bs except for one C in anatomy. About 60-70% of the class usually will get a B in each class, so It seems like I could easily be near the bottom of the class. I'm really worried that I'll be stuck in a residency in podunk no where. Will I have any options in terms of location and getting into a decent program? I' d like to be in a decent city like Austin, Dallas, Houston, Irvine, Los Angeles area, DC, or NYC since my SO is in finance and will also need to be able to find a job.

Have I already shut a lot of doors? I'm looking at pediatrics, PM&R and psychiatry right now.

On a slight tangent, what kind of a medical school uses letter grades esp. in the first 2 years? It seems like at the most it would be H/HP/P/MP/F.

Anyways, do you know how you are ranked in your Dean's letter?

 

[VisionaryTics]

 

[dermaway]

On a slight tangent, what kind of a medical school uses letter grades esp. in the first 2 years? It seems like at the most it would be H/HP/P/MP/F.

Anyways, do you know how you are ranked in your Dean's letter?

Furthering that tangent, there is no difference between letter grades and the grading scheme you posted though.

My school just did H/P/F and i almost wish there was letter grades so those times when I barely missed out on honors or an "A", it would have showed as high pass or a "B", as opposed to just a pass which would equal anywhere from 70-89.

Anyways, you will be fine. Preclinical grades aren't essential at all. Do well on Step 1 and that is the most important. Do well in the rotations of the field you want to go into especially, but all if possible. And do aways in the cities you want to be. You will be fine for sure (if you do the above)

 

[DermViser]

There is no difference between letter grades and the grading scheme you posted though.

My school just did H/P/F and i almost wish there was letter grades so those times when I barely missed out on honors or an "A", it would have showed as high pass or a "B", as opposed to just a pass which would equal anywhere from 70-89.

Anyways, you will be fine. Preclinical grades aren't essential at all. Do well on Step 1 and that is the most important. Do well in the rotations of the field you want to go into especially, but all if possible. And do aways in the cities you want to be. You will be fine for sure (if you do the above)

Except with letter grades you can directly calculate a med school GPA that goes on your transcript.

Depends on the specialty in question.

 

[DermViser]

I like that clip. I have the warm fuzzies now.

 

[dermaway]

Except with letter grades you can directly calculate a GPA that goes on your transcript.

Oh I figure schools did the same thing even if there were H/HP/P etc. grades?

Like an H would be 4.0, HP would be 3.0 just like A would be 4.0 and B would be 3.0?

I must be mistaken though so my bad for acting like I knew what I was talking about lol

 

[DermViser]

Oh I figure schools did the same thing even if there were H/HP/P etc. grades?

Like an H would be 4.0, HP would be 3.0 just like A would be 4.0 and B would be 3.0?

I must be mistaken though so my bad for acting like I knew what I was talking about lol

I could be wrong, but usually the assigning of values in the scenario you're mentioning is more for AOA selection, but the medical school/university doesn't actually calculate a GPA.

 

[rodmichael82]

At a TX MD school. Got done with a rough midterm today and I'm freaking out about pre-clinical grades (yr 1 going into yr 2). I've been getting straight Bs except for one C in anatomy. About 60-70% of the class usually will get a B in each class, so It seems like I could easily be near the bottom of the class. I'm really worried that I'll be stuck in a residency in podunk no where. Will I have any options in terms of location and getting into a decent program? I' d like to be in a decent city like Austin, Dallas, Houston, Irvine, Los Angeles area, DC, or NYC since my SO is in finance and will also need to be able to find a job.

Have I already shut a lot of doors? I'm looking at pediatrics, PM&R and psychiatry right now.

LOL NO ONE CARES ABOUT PRECLINICAL GRADES AS LONG AS YOU PASS.

Here's what matters and the order might be slightly different depending on how competitive the specialty may be.

1. Step 1
2. 3rd year clinical grades
3. LORs
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20. Did he pass preclinical year?

 

[DermViser]

LOL NO ONE CARES ABOUT PRECLINICAL GRADES AS LONG AS YOU PASS.

Depends on the school, and how much preclinical grades factor into class rank. For example at WashU - preclinical grades factor 40% into your class rank.

 

[Ismet]

I needed that after getting ripped apart today by my new attending.

As for OP, it'll be okay. Keep on chugging, figure out what you need to do study-wise for Step, because that's more important than whatever you get in the first 2 years.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

Oh yeah I should have mentioned I was assuming you feel like you're gonna stay at the mid-bottom of your class all four years. That's probably a bad assumption for you right now since you really don't have any idea how you'll do third year.

 

[rubisco88]

Yeah I'm just starting 2nd year, but I don't see myself making A's all of a sudden. Hopefully, If I do well 3rd yr that'll will make up a bit for pre-clinical grades.
I don't really think whether a school uses A/B/C or HP/P/F matters that much. Seems equivalent.

 

[IonClaws]

On a slight tangent, what kind of a medical school uses letter grades esp. in the first 2 years? It seems like at the most it would be H/HP/P/MP/F.

Anyways, do you know how you are ranked in your Dean's letter?

Mine.

 

[DermViser]

Mine.

Is it a newly established school? Those are the only ones I would think would do that since they have no track record, or a very conservative Southern school.

 

[IonClaws]

Is it a newly established school? Those are the only ones I would think would do that since they have no track record, or a very conservative Southern school.

The former.

 

[TheShaker]

Is it a newly established school? Those are the only ones I would think would do that since they have no track record, or a very conservative Southern school.

My school's been around for decades and it uses ABCF grading. I just wish it could be PF.

 

[DermViser]

My school's been around for decades and it uses ABCF grading. I just wish it could be PF.

Well a med school that started in the 70s is quite young, in med school terms. I've noticed the Southern med schools don't take to P/F grading too well, unlike the NE and West coast.

 

[tchoupdoc]

I am a PMR doc employed by an academic ortho dept. I am an attending.

Nobody will notice anything in pre-clinical years except an F. Focus on step scores.

Where you do your residency, in any field, doesn't matter, unless you want to work in the northeast. Even then, you will be paid the same, or less, than someone trained in podunk.

This is not law or finance. We are paid by 3rd parties. Insurance companies assign you a provider number. They don't give a **** about where you went to school, or residency. They care about board certification. Most of the time. If your residency is ACGME certified, and you do at least an average job, you will be board certified.

 

[evilbooyaa]

Everything will be OK, as long as you don't fail anything, especially for the fields you mentioned.

 

[rubisco88]

My school isn't relatively new. It's one of the older Texas schools. Thanks for everyones support. I ended up doing better than I thought on the test. So for now, I'll just keep chugging along.

 

[SBR249]

UTSW still does letter grades but the curriculum is moving to all true P/F preclinical years starting Fall 2015. But even in the case of UTSW, the administration has made it very clear that preclinical grades are not as important as 3rd clinical clerkships which will continue to be graded (possibly by letter). I think the entire first year is worth the same as the surgery clerkship alone.

But to answer the OP: Step 1 is way more important than preclinical grades. The reason is that it's a standardized metric that every residency applicant will have whereas grading systems vary widely among med schools from letter grades at some TX schools to all P/F at schools like Yale so it's really hard to discern much from preclinical grades. What's probably more important that's school specific would be the Dean's letter but that's another topic.

 

[DermViser]

UTSW still does letter grades but the curriculum is moving to all true P/F preclinical years starting Fall 2015. But even in the case of UTSW, the administration has made it very clear that preclinical grades are not as important as 3rd clinical clerkships which will continue to be graded (possibly by letter). I think the entire first year is worth the same as the surgery clerkship alone.

But to answer the OP: Step 1 is way more important than preclinical grades. The reason is that it's a standardized metric that every residency applicant will have whereas grading systems vary widely among med schools from letter grades at some TX schools to all P/F at schools like Yale so it's really hard to discern much from preclinical grades. What's probably more important that's school specific would be the Dean's letter but that's another topic.

Wow, first 2 years being "true" P/F? Maybe bc the place is overbreeding gunners or more likely losing top students to Baylor College of Medicine or "true" P/F med schools? @jturkel That being said, all that means is it places more emphasis on Step 1 and clinical rotations which will likely stay letter graded. Most med schools have evolved past using letter grades reserved for grade school/undergrad.

Don't know how true this is, as this was back in 2005:
http://www.mexicomedstudent.com/2005/09/363

Students get jacked at top 20 med schools too
Nobel Laureate Alfred Gilman (of G-protein fame), Dean of the UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Texas did a bait-and-switch on incoming students this year. Apparently, he single-handedly changed grades after-the-fact, in spite of many professors’ objections.

An excerpt from one person’s story:

At a lunchtime meeting today with the first year medical students at UT Southwestern, Dean Gilman announced that a new, heretofore unnanounced grading paradigm would be in effect for this year’s incoming medical students. The dean explained that the objective of this change is to create a wider distribution of grades among students. [read: they need fewer As] The details of the plan were not revealed, however….the dean also disapproved of using normalized distributions as a way to achieve grade spread, in spite of the fact that at least one professor has specifically stated such.

When students raised the issue that the new paradigm will introduce an element of unwanted competition between colleagues…that they might have made different admissions decisions had it been known that a new, competitive grading paradigm would be implemented this year, the details of which have not been specified, the dean admonished them, “Life’s a bitch, and then you die.”

By Raul Benavides, September 28, 2005 @ 11:17 am

welcome to southwestern, just WAIT til 3rd year……
yeah, I had classes with Dr. Gilman, he’s definatly the ‘old school’ type, although from what I understood was only suppossed to be interim. That change happened as I was leaving UTSW, though, so that could have changed. Either way, southwestern is VERY traditional school in many ways, so shouldn’t have been TOO much of a surprise to anyone familar with the normal UTSW personality. Certainly the programs at some other med schools I am now more familar with are more “student oriented”, vs the prevailing feeling is “toughen up” at southwestern. They say that “This is why southwestern students are preferred by many residencies, they know they are getting hardened, seasoned residents”
Certainly I found that was true, as I had no problems matching.. so over all I am really indebted to UTSW for that. And it prepared me, toughness and sleeplessness wise, because our 3rd year was so tough. But, those 1st years, until a new dean comes in, pretty much can expect to have that prevailing ‘feel’ throughout their 4 years.

 

[SBR249]

Wow, first 2 years being "true" P/F? Maybe bc the place is overbreeding gunners or more likely losing top students to Baylor College of Medicine or "true" P/F med schools?

I'm sure our traditional curriculum has probably scared off some students, but what's done is done and the important thing is that it's being modernized. As for "true" pass/fail, it always irks me when people say their school is P/F but then it's actually P/F/H or it's P/F but the P is divided into quartiles or it's P/F but internal rankings are kept or whatever. I've been on too many interviews where that's the case and know friends at those schools. Yet all of those schools call themselves "pass/fail".

As for Southwestern's reputation, some of it is probably still true. Parkland is probably still just as intense and gungho. But the gunner rep that UTSW students get is probably out of date. It's true that UTSW is a pretty traditional school and tends to be behind the curve in terms of innovation in medical education, but it is not true that we are as cutthroat as some people make us out to be. Curved grading was phased out years ago. Our class exam statistics regularly show more than half the class make A's in the preclinical years. First semester has been P/F for a few years now and starting Fall 2015 the curriculum is transitioning to a 1.5/1.5/1 year model of 18mo preclinical, 18mo clerkships, 6mo electives and 6mo scholarly pursuit. So we are getting there slowly but our rep is definitely out of date.

As a side note, I wouldn't mind being viewed by residency PDs as "hardened, seasoned" if it gives me a leg up.

 

[DermViser]

I'm sure our traditional curriculum has probably scared off some students, but what's done is done and the important thing is that it's being modernized. As for "true" pass/fail, it always irks me when people say their school is P/F but then it's actually P/F/H or it's P/F but the P is divided into quartiles or it's P/F but internal rankings are kept or whatever. I've been on too many interviews where that's the case and know friends at those schools. Yet all of those schools call themselves "pass/fail".

As for Southwestern's reputation, some of it is probably still true. Parkland is probably still just as intense and gungho. But the gunner rep that UTSW students get is probably out of date. It's true that UTSW is a pretty traditional school and tends to be behind the curve in terms of innovation in medical education, but it is not true that we are as cutthroat as some people make us out to be. Curved grading was phased out years ago. Our class exam statistics regularly show more than half the class make A's in the preclinical years. First semester has been P/F for a few years now and starting Fall 2015 the curriculum is transitioning to a 1.5/1.5/1 year model of 18mo preclinical, 18mo clerkships, 6mo electives and 6mo scholarly pursuit. So we are getting there slowly but our rep is definitely out of date.

As a side note, I wouldn't mind being viewed by residency PDs as "hardened, seasoned" if it gives me a leg up.

There are quite a few "true" P/F schools and have been for quite a long time. If they interally rank those years then by definition it is not "true" P/F. Not to mention most reputable med schools have switched over for a while now to an integrated, organ system based curriculum, many of them 1.5 years (BCM has done this for about 20 years), some incorporating .5 - 1 year of research also. Many do it 1.5 preclinical, 1 year clinical, leaving 1.5 years (so in essence, getting a 6 month elective head start before start of 4th year). Based on what you said, UTSW is making it 1.5 preclinical, but then adding 6 months extra of required rotations, so in the end, no added benefit of elective time (unless those extra 6 months are in something you like, but more likely they just make required clerkships even longer).

A grading system of A/B+/B/C/D/F will always bring out the gunners, esp. when an A = 93 or higher, for example: http://medschool.swmed.edu/courses/ms1/physiol/policies.php, not surprising when 74% of your class are science majors: http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/medical-school/admissions/our-students.html

An old group titled - "Friends don't let friends go to UTSW"
http://profileengine.com/groups/profile/422007574/friends-dont-let-friends-go-to-utsw?offset=30

"hardened, seasoned" -- based on the comment above "Certainly the programs at some other med schools I am now more familar with are more 'student oriented', vs the prevailing feeling is 'toughen up' at southwestern." - it seems like it's more a byproduct of cultural institutional malignancy.

 

[Serous Demilune]

As a side note, I wouldn't mind being viewed by residency PDs as "hardened, seasoned" if it gives me a leg up.

what a gunner

 

[DermViser]

what a gunner

Yeah, pretty much.

 

[Espadaleader]

Grading systems are crazy. 90-85% people in a school I know get honors in their clinical years.

 

[NickNaylor]

We're all gunna make it, brah.

 

[DermViser]

We're all gunna make it, brah.

Speak for yourself, brah.

 

[DermViser]

Grading systems are crazy. 90-85% people in a school I know get honors in their clinical years.

That's just ridiculous if 85-90% of people are getting Honors on clerkships. That's statistically impossible for that many people to be at that level on clinical clerkships.

 

[fancymylotus]

At a TX MD school. Got done with a rough midterm today and I'm freaking out about pre-clinical grades (yr 1 going into yr 2). I've been getting straight Bs except for one C in anatomy. About 60-70% of the class usually will get a B in each class, so It seems like I could easily be near the bottom of the class. I'm really worried that I'll be stuck in a residency in podunk no where. Will I have any options in terms of location and getting into a decent program? I' d like to be in a decent city like Austin, Dallas, Houston, Irvine, Los Angeles area, DC, or NYC since my SO is in finance and will also need to be able to find a job.

Have I already shut a lot of doors? I'm looking at pediatrics, PM&R and psychiatry right now.

You will be okay. The absolute worst thing you can do right now is freak out and let that impede your studying and concentration for future stuff. The test is over, all you can do is look ahead. There are tons of programs and options in all of the metro areas you mentioned. Good luck

 

[DermViser]

You will be okay. The absolute worst thing you can do right now is freak out and let that impede your studying and concentration for future stuff. The test is over, all you can do is look ahead. There are tons of programs and options in all of the metro areas you mentioned. Good luck

 

[Ismet]

Grading systems are crazy. 90-85% people in a school I know get honors in their clinical years.

I find that very hard to believe. Unless you mean 85-90% get honors at least once in their clinical years.

 

[DermViser]

I find that very hard to believe. Unless you mean 85-90% get honors at least once in their clinical years.

Even at the schools with severe grade inflation - that stat is impossible. Anyways, OP it will be more like this:

 

[ChEMD]

There are quite a few "true" P/F schools and have been for quite a long time. If they interally rank those years then by definition it is not "true" P/F. Not to mention most reputable med schools have switched over for a while now to an integrated, organ system based curriculum, many of them 1.5 years (BCM has done this for about 20 years), some incorporating .5 - 1 year of research also. Many do it 1.5 preclinical, 1 year clinical, leaving 1.5 years (so in essence, getting a 6 month elective head start before start of 4th year). Based on what you said, UTSW is making it 1.5 preclinical, but then adding 6 months extra of required rotations, so in the end, no added benefit of elective time (unless those extra 6 months are in something you like, but more likely they just make required clerkships even longer).

A grading system of A/B+/B/C/D/F will always bring out the gunners, esp. when an A = 93 or higher, for example: http://medschool.swmed.edu/courses/ms1/physiol/policies.php, not surprising when 74% of your class are science majors: http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/medical-school/admissions/our-students.html

An old group titled - "Friends don't let friends go to UTSW"
http://profileengine.com/groups/profile/422007574/friends-dont-let-friends-go-to-utsw?offset=30

"hardened, seasoned" -- based on the comment above "Certainly the programs at some other med schools I am now more familar with are more 'student oriented', vs the prevailing feeling is 'toughen up' at southwestern." - it seems like it's more a byproduct of cultural institutional malignancy.

You've always seemed to have a particular disdain for UTSW and I haven't been able to figure out exactly why. Mind sharing? Did you have a bad experience there or something? Or is all of your information just hearsay?

 

[SBR249]

what a gunner

Right, because you'd go out of your way to tell PDs that you are soft and inexperienced if you were in my situation.

There are quite a few "true" P/F schools and have been for quite a long time. If they interally rank those years then by definition it is not "true" P/F. Not to mention most reputable med schools have switched over for a while now to an integrated, organ system based curriculum, many of them 1.5 years (BCM has done this for about 20 years), some incorporating .5 - 1 year of research also. Many do it 1.5 preclinical, 1 year clinical, leaving 1.5 years (so in essence, getting a 6 month elective head start before start of 4th year). Based on what you said, UTSW is making it 1.5 preclinical, but then adding 6 months extra of required rotations, so in the end, no added benefit of elective time (unless those extra 6 months are in something you like, but more likely they just make required clerkships even longer).

A grading system of A/B+/B/C/D/F will always bring out the gunners, esp. when an A = 93 or higher, for example: http://medschool.swmed.edu/courses/ms1/physiol/policies.php, not surprising when 74% of your class are science majors: http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/medical-school/admissions/our-students.html

An old group titled - "Friends don't let friends go to UTSW"
http://profileengine.com/groups/profile/422007574/friends-dont-let-friends-go-to-utsw?offset=30

"hardened, seasoned" -- based on the comment above "Certainly the programs at some other med schools I am now more familar with are more 'student oriented', vs the prevailing feeling is 'toughen up' at southwestern." - it seems like it's more a byproduct of cultural institutional malignancy.

I never said there weren't any "true" P/F schools besides UTSW nor have I said that we are pioneering anything. However, I have personally been to schools that say they are P/F but then mention that 10% of the class get honors or there are internal rankings or something like that. Yet most of these schools continue to call themselves "P/F".

As for UTSW's new curriculum I should have been more specific, the 18mo clerkships include time for electives. One of the big complaints about the old curriculum is that there wasn't enough time to explore specialties before residency applications. The 18mo clerkships now spread the required rotations out so that there is more free time for other pursuits. The amount of required clerkships did not increase.

Regarding the lettered grading system, the common cutoff for an A is 90. For physiology the standard A cutoff is 93 but the course director invariably lowers it toward the end. My year the cutoff was around an 89 and more than a third of the class (if not more) got A's. Really not sure what you were getting at with the whole "science majors" thing. Are you saying all other med schools go for majority lib arts majors?

Can't be bothered to join that group to check it out, but to make a judgment based on old information seems pretty stupid. Like I said, we do have a reputation based on old and out of date information but the reality does not match the hearsay. If you want to bandy around phrases like "cultural institutional malignancy" then that's your thing, but I think it's making a mountain out of a molehill not to mention I'm not sure what you are basing it on aside from a comment that you happened to "read" that into.

In the end, I don't know where all this hate is coming from nor do I particularly care but I do know my own experiences and they do not corroborate all the rather malicious rumors that's out there.

 

[Serous Demilune]

Right, because you'd go out of your way to tell PDs that you are soft and inexperienced if you were in my situation.



I never said there weren't any "true" P/F schools besides UTSW nor have I said that we are pioneering anything. However, I have personally been to schools that say they are P/F but then mention that 10% of the class get honors or there are internal rankings or something like that. Yet most of these schools continue to call themselves "P/F".

As for UTSW's new curriculum I should have been more specific, the 18mo clerkships include time for electives. One of the big complaints about the old curriculum is that there wasn't enough time to explore specialties before residency applications. The 18mo clerkships now spread the required rotations out so that there is more free time for other pursuits. The amount of required clerkships did not increase.

Regarding the lettered grading system, the common cutoff for an A is 90. For physiology the standard A cutoff is 93 but the course director invariably lowers it toward the end. My year the cutoff was around an 89 and more than a third of the class (if not more) got A's. Really not sure what you were getting at with the whole "science majors" thing. Are you saying all other med schools go for majority lib arts majors?

Can't be bothered to join that group to check it out, but to make a judgment based on old information seems pretty stupid. Like I said, we do have a reputation based on old and out of date information but the reality does not match the hearsay. If you want to bandy around phrases like "cultural institutional malignancy" then that's your thing, but I think it's making a mountain out of a molehill not to mention I'm not sure what you are basing it on aside from a comment that you happened to "read" that into.

In the end, I don't know where all this hate is coming from nor do I particularly care but I do know my own experiences and they do not corroborate all the rather malicious rumors that's out there.

I was just being sarcastic, it's hard to tell on here. My apologies.

 

[DermViser]

You've always seemed to have a particular disdain for UTSW and I haven't been able to figure out exactly why. Mind sharing? Did you have a bad experience there or something? Or is all of your information just hearsay?

Not at all. I think letter grading things in med school is patently ridiculous. How is anything I posted or linked to about it (above) hearsay?

 

[DermViser]

Right, because you'd go out of your way to tell PDs that you are soft and inexperienced if you were in my situation.

I never said there weren't any "true" P/F schools besides UTSW nor have I said that we are pioneering anything. However, I have personally been to schools that say they are P/F but then mention that 10% of the class get honors or there are internal rankings or something like that. Yet most of these schools continue to call themselves "P/F".

As for UTSW's new curriculum I should have been more specific, the 18mo clerkships include time for electives. One of the big complaints about the old curriculum is that there wasn't enough time to explore specialties before residency applications. The 18mo clerkships now spread the required rotations out so that there is more free time for other pursuits. The amount of required clerkships did not increase.

Regarding the lettered grading system, the common cutoff for an A is 90. For physiology the standard A cutoff is 93 but the course director invariably lowers it toward the end. My year the cutoff was around an 89 and more than a third of the class (if not more) got A's. Really not sure what you were getting at with the whole "science majors" thing. Are you saying all other med schools go for majority lib arts majors?

Can't be bothered to join that group to check it out, but to make a judgment based on old information seems pretty stupid. Like I said, we do have a reputation based on old and out of date information but the reality does not match the hearsay. If you want to bandy around phrases like "cultural institutional malignancy" then that's your thing, but I think it's making a mountain out of a molehill not to mention I'm not sure what you are basing it on aside from a comment that you happened to "read" that into.

In the end, I don't know where all this hate is coming from nor do I particularly care but I do know my own experiences and they do not corroborate all the rather malicious rumors that's out there.

Yes, hence the differentiation between "true" P/F and not. The latter has P/F, it's just not "true" P/F. My pointing out of stats, with the science majors, is that the level of gunnerism will naturally be higher, so it's not surprising. His comment is hardly reading into it - it's quite clear with that he is saying.

 

[shibby1111]

At a TX MD school. Got done with a rough midterm today and I'm freaking out about pre-clinical grades (yr 1 going into yr 2). I've been getting straight Bs except for one C in anatomy. About 60-70% of the class usually will get a B in each class, so It seems like I could easily be near the bottom of the class. I'm really worried that I'll be stuck in a residency in podunk no where. Will I have any options in terms of location and getting into a decent program? I' d like to be in a decent city like Austin, Dallas, Houston, Irvine, Los Angeles area, DC, or NYC since my SO is in finance and will also need to be able to find a job.

Have I already shut a lot of doors? I'm looking at pediatrics, PM&R and psychiatry right now.

I regret to inform you that with your grades you probably won't match anywhere. But keep in mind, many medical school graduates carry on successful lives in other aspects of medicine besides clinical.

 

[DermViser]

I regret to inform you that with your grades you probably won't match anywhere. But keep in mind, many medical school graduates carry on successful lives in other aspects of medicine besides clinical.

 

[jturkel]

As for Southwestern's reputation, some of it is probably still true. Parkland is probably still just as intense and gungho. But the gunner rep that UTSW students get is probably out of date. It's true that UTSW is a pretty traditional school and tends to be behind the curve in terms of innovation in medical education, but it is not true that we are as cutthroat as some people make us out to be.

nope this rep is still alive and well. cant begin to list the number of attendings, residents, and med students that i've interviewed/worked with that have exerperienced/said/heard things at/about the program. great program nonetheless.

 

[DermViser]

nope this rep is still alive and well. cant begin to list the number of attendings, residents, and med students that i've interviewed/worked with that have exerperienced/said/heard things at/about the program. great program nonetheless.

I wonder why? I say it's due to the antiquated way of doing things by using letter grades. That would make anyone a gunner, IMHO.

 

[cbrons]

Its funny u consider irvine, LA, and DC "decent cities."


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile

 

[SBR249]

nope this rep is still alive and well. cant begin to list the number of attendings, residents, and med students that i've interviewed/worked with that have exerperienced/said/heard things at/about the program. great program nonetheless.

Never said the rep is dead, I said it was out of date.

I wonder why? I say it's due to the antiquated way of doing things by using letter grades. That would make anyone a gunner, IMHO.

Doubt it, what's there to be gunners about? There's no curving. You already basically know what you are capable of from 16+ years of education. What's there to gun for?

 

[DermViser]

Never said the rep is dead, I said it was out of date.



Doubt it, what's there to be gunners about? There's no curving. You already basically know what you are capable of from 16+ years of education. What's there to gun for?

Bc only a certain number of people can get As with everyone being ranked.

 

[SBR249]

Bc only a certain number of people can get As with everyone being ranked.

Not sure what you mean. Anyone who exceeds the score cutoff gets an A and the cutoff is never adjusted upward. Like I said, there's no curving to limit the number of A's so your grades are not affected by other people's performance.

 

[jturkel]

Never said the rep is dead, I said it was out of date.

there have been no changes in reputation. so it is still " in date"