Step P/F Concerns and committing to lower-tier MD school

[preMED2.0]

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Hi, I am an incoming M1 who committed to my BS/MD program at a lower tier school. However, I am now having some regrets as I have been hearing the discussions of step 1 being P/F for almost a year now. I saw the BS/MD as my chance of becoming a doctor and grabbed it despite the higher costs at this school, as becoming a physician has always been a dream for me. I had a near perfect GPA with hundreds of clinical hours/research that were also fairly unique (global health work, paper published, athlete). Although I never took the MCAT since I did not know if I'd do well and didn't want to be under so much stress, almost all of my non-BS/MD friends with lower GPAs, lighter course loads, fewer research/clinical hours than I do have scored a 515+ and I also know several upperclassmen at T20s.

While I know since I have already made this choice, I shouldn't look back. I also know I should stay humble (especially for entering such a profession that cares for the sick/dying), focus on myself, my goals, and it's not healthy to compare myself to others, but I can't help but wonder if I could have taken the MCAT earlier this year with so much time I had with COVID, perhaps I could have gotten into a T40 or even a T20 school. With Step 1 P/F now, I can't stop worrying about how I will be disadvantaged going to a lower tier school. I am interested in some of the more competitive specialties. Will step 1 P/F really disadvantage students at lower tier MDs compared to students at T40s or T20s? How can I can best prepare myself for med school if step 1 will be P/F?

 

[Med Ed]

How can I can best prepare myself for med school if step 1 will be P/F?

Just do the things you are already supposed to do in medical school:

1. Learn the basic medical sciences
2. Develop solid clinical reasoning skills
3. Learn history taking and physical examination skills
4. Pass Step 1 on the first attempt
5. Work hard and play well with others in the hospital (i.e. secure good rec letters)
6. Do research if it's an unwritten requirement for your specialty of choice
7. Perform well on Step 2 CK
8. Pass Step 2 CS on the first attempt

 

[KnightDoc]

Hi, I am an incoming M1 who committed to my BS/MD program at a lower tier school. However, I am now having some regrets as I have been hearing the discussions of step 1 being P/F for almost a year now. I saw the BS/MD as my chance of becoming a doctor and grabbed it despite the higher costs at this school, as becoming a physician has always been a dream for me. I had a near perfect GPA with hundreds of clinical hours/research that were also fairly unique (global health work, paper published, athlete). Although I never took the MCAT since I did not know if I'd do well and didn't want to be under so much stress, almost all of my non-BS/MD friends with lower GPAs, lighter course loads, fewer research/clinical hours than I do have scored a 515+ and I also know several upperclassmen at T20s.

While I know since I have already made this choice, I shouldn't look back. I also know I should stay humble (especially for entering such a profession that cares for the sick/dying), focus on myself, my goals, and it's not healthy to compare myself to others, but I can't help but wonder if I could have taken the MCAT earlier this year with so much time I had with COVID, perhaps I could have gotten into a T40 or even a T20 school. With Step 1 P/F now, I can't stop worrying about how I will be disadvantaged going to a lower tier school. I am interested in some of the more competitive specialties. Will step 1 P/F really disadvantage students at lower tier MDs compared to students at T40s or T20s? How can I can best prepare myself for med school if step 1 will be P/F?

Hindsight is always 20/20. You are torturing yourself because you took the less stressful, guaranteed path and are now envious of those who rolled the dice and achieved "better" outcomes, whatever that means, because you realize you probably could have done the same.

That's the great irony of BS/MD programs -- they are SO competitive to get into that they invariably only accept people who don't need them to get into med school. They prey on the risk aversion of high stat HS students and their parents, to attract them to schools they'd never ordinarily consider, and here you are. You got exactly what you bargained for, and there is nothing to be gained by looking back with regret and playing woulda, coulda, shoulda with yourself.

The good word on SDN and elsewhere is that Step 2 is likely to replace Step 1, so nothing should really change for you as an incoming M1, but, even if that proves not to be the case, this is where you are and you can't go back in time, so it's unhealthy to obsess on it. JMHO, and congratulations on being an incoming M1. There are literally tens of thousands of applicants who would happily trade places with you.

 

[Goro]

Will step 1 P/F really disadvantage students at lower tier MDs compared to students at T40s or T20s?

This has been discussed to death in these fourms. PDs will simply use Step 2.