USMLE Think I failed CS and no chance to retake

[Redpancreas]

I took CS in February and have no chance to retake and I think I failed and don’t have another chance to retake. I’m feeling absolutely crushed and have to wait two months before my score even comes out.

First off is there anyway I can schedule a retake or am I screwed for the match now and unable to start internship?

I made some very large mistakes. It’s killing me because I prepared extremely hard, read the book, did UWorld, practiced with multiple friends, scored 245+ on both Steps, and I’m so worried.

Lots of Major Mistakes:

-Missed Handwashing initially on 3 stations and had to go back and wash hands. Other than that CIS was fine. I did miss counseling cigarettes on one patient but got it on multiple others. I was so nervous.

-I missed a major diagnosis on 3/12 cases I feel. My works ups were all probably complete, and would have found the diagnosis. One was something post-operatively that I did not know was a thing until I looked it up later. Another was something I actually diagnosed correctly but could not remember the name the syndrome so I described it and it was the main diagnosis. I had the supporting evidence and lab tests for it in the first line. I remembered the name as I moved to the next station. The next was a pain case where I missed what was most likely the primary or secondary diagnosis for the case. Also, for a psych case I put a third diagnosis that was likely wrong and did not have supporting evidence which I heard was a no-no. I don’t remeber much from the other cases, but they weren’t amazingly easy and Im sure I made minor mistakes on them too (forgetting a question I was going to ask). For another case, my secondary diagnoses were probably not the best but there was literally nothing wrong with the person and I had practiced that differential and all of what to ask hundreds of times. If anyone could address any of these concerns I’d be grateful. Can I register again now in anticipation? My test results will come back 4/25 and there will be no time to retake before June 1st scores. I have never felt so down and powerless in my life. I have no red flags and I prepared very hard for this and it’s amazing how this is about to be the reason I’m jobless this July. This was supposed to be time for me to enjoy and address deficits at my own pace before internship but instead I have lost the will to even do anything but think about this exam.

Edit: If I get any weasily private messages from any IMGs (or AMGs idc) out there with a post history of <5 posts soliciting details of cases not only am I not responding, but I am going to report you not only to SDN, but to the NBME. I’m sick and tired of contributing to experience threads only to get crickets, but then get these sleazy responses via PM.

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[W19]

@Syncrohnize

You will pass with flying colors... I made A LOT more mistakes than you and still passed. My ICE was kind of borderline (4(x) on the right of the shaded area and 5 on the left) but it's still a passed


I know you applied IM... I think you should be more worried about programs that did not rank you because of no CS result.

 

[Redpancreas]

@Syncrohnize

You will pass with flying colors... I made A LOT more mistakes than you and still passed. My ICE was kind of borderline (4(x) on the right of the shaded area and 5 on the left) but it's still a passed


I know you applied IM... I think you should be more worried about programs that did not rank you because of no CS result.

Right, but a few places asked for CK and I gave them that (240+ but drop) last minute. Really hoping for the best.

 

[W19]

Right, but a few places asked for CK and I gave them that (240+ but drop) last minute. Really hoping for the best.

Even if you had 260 on your step1, I don't think a 245+ in CK is such a big deal. It's kind of hard to replicate a 260. Therefore, if the programs you interviewed at did not ask for CS, you should be ok. A 1/3 of the IM programs I interviewed at asked me to submit before ROL submission deadline.

I don't think you should be worried about CS at all TBH.

 

[Anicetus]

I took CS in February and have no chance to retake and I think I failed and don’t have another chance to retake. I’m feeling absolutely crushed and have to wait two months before my score even comes out.

First off is there anyway I can schedule a retake or am I screwed for the match now and unable to start internship?

I made some very large mistakes. It’s killing me because I prepared extremely hard, read the book, did UWorld, practiced with multiple friends, scored 245+ on both Steps, and I’m so worried.

Lots of Major Mistakes:

-Missed Handwashing initially on 3 stations and had to go back and wash hands. Other than that CIS was fine. I did miss counseling cigarettes on one patient but got it on multiple others. I was so nervous.

-I missed a major diagnosis on 3/12 cases I feel. My works ups were all probably complete, and would have found the diagnosis. One was something post-operatively that I did not know was a thing until I looked it up later. Another was something I actually diagnosed correctly but could not remember the name the syndrome so I described it and it was the main diagnosis. I had the supporting evidence and lab tests for it in the first line. I remembered the name as I moved to the next station. The next was a pain case where I missed what was most likely the primary or secondary diagnosis for the case. Also, for a psych case I put a third diagnosis that was likely wrong and did not have supporting evidence which I heard was a no-no. I don’t remeber much from the other cases, but they weren’t amazingly easy and Im sure I made minor mistakes on them too (forgetting a question I was going to ask). For another case, my secondary diagnoses were probably not the best but there was literally nothing wrong with the person and I had practiced that differential and all of what to ask hundreds of times. If anyone could address any of these concerns I’d be grateful. Can I register again now in anticipation? My test results will come back 4/25 and there will be no time to retake before June 1st scores. I have never felt so down and powerless in my life. I have no red flags and I prepared very hard for this and it’s amazing how this is about to be the reason I’m jobless this July. This was supposed to be time for me to enjoy and address deficits at my own pace before internship but instead I have lost the will to even do anything but think about this exam.

Edit: If I get any weasily private messages from any IMGs (or AMGs idc) out there with a post history of <5 posts soliciting details of cases not only am I not responding, but I am going to report you not only to SDN, but to the NBME. I’m sick and tired of contributing to experience threads only to get crickets, but then get these sleazy responses via PM.

Ah and I remember you calling people out for being neurotic on the rank thread!

I was in your situation in terms of how I felt.
1) didn’t consult any psych issues due to timing.
2) didn’t know the actual diagnosis on about 7 of them, yes I mean 7 of them. Everyone just said “no” to all my questions and I essentially flipped a coin in my head to make a DDx. It felt like ****.
3) none of my patients seemed happy with me.
4) I usually do very well on my school’s OSCE’s way above average.
5) I don’t think I finished a single note hahaha.
6) I didn’t know what was acceptable for abbreviations so i wasted so much time typing everything out because I could only waste so many minutes perusing the sheet on the side of the cubicle.

Result: Passed safely. I would bet that you’re fine since your detailed experience seems miles better than mine and that the anxiety of match week is sorta causing synergistic anxiety in you since you took a February exam.

 

[valleyrekt]

Had 9 interviews this match season for IM/FM primary care, took the Step 2 CS exam in December and found out in January that I failed the CIS portion. ICE and SEP very, very high...but all of CIS under the borderline. In disbelief. NBME does not help out at all with regards to what could have possibly gone wrong. The only thing that I can think of is perhaps I didn't make enough eye contact and perhaps didn't smile enough. So it is possible I came across not as empathetic and caring as I should have been. Perhaps I talked too fast and perhaps I appeared anxious during the exam...but that is the only thing I can think of. Practiced and reviewed thoroughly for this. If anything, I was very concerned about the ICE score, truly did not think I was going to fail on the CIS. Match for 2018 is now gone for me, and considering an alternative career, perhaps in research or academics.

 

[valleyrekt]

What exactly is the point of this post? ^No one listen to this^...it's never good to fail, but one failure is not going to throw away the match for you. No one needs this t-minus 15 days to match.

It is a true story that has happened to me. And it is relevant.

 

[valleyrekt]

Haha I get it I’m possibly sensationalizing and you’re trying to do the same to prove a point, nice job bro.

No...I am not sensationalizing though.

 

[valleyrekt]

No...I am not sensationalizing though.

I nailed 12/12 diagnoses, ICE and SEP were sky high, and they try to screw me over on CIS. I can't match this year even after having 9 interviews in primary care. I am getting screwed here big time.

 

[lifegoalz]

All these years mostly everyone was passing since it was made easy for them. Why didn't they change the rules from the beginning? Changing rules now makes it so unfair to all of us. Why do we have to get tougher exam with no feedback compare to previous people? If they had changed the grading/rules they should have also started providing us with what we need to improve on and what big mistakes we made so we can work on them.