Thinking about quitting med school - what should I do next?

[PhillyDoc24]

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Tough situation. I feel for pain. I was never the best test-taker.
The most valuable thing that I can offer is this:
Years 3 and 4 were much, much easier than 1 and 2.. Step 3 is easier than 2 and 1. It is hard hours, but you are in the hospital.
There will be more failures. It sucks. but if you stick with it, and complete the course, no one will ask you 5 years from now about those things.

 

[deleted1049832]

I appreciate all your support.

I'm just having so much doubt these days. What if I fail again? What the hell do I even do with my life? My entire life is going to come down to an 8 hour exam.

 

[Spectreman]

I appreciate all your support.

I'm just having so much doubt these days. What if I fail again? What the hell do I even do with my life? My entire life is going to come down to an 8 hour exam.

Very stressful, but you can do this. I’m telling ya, get a resource like DIT, people poo poo that crap cause it doesn’t get you the 250+, but it’s VERY good at getting you the pass. Don’t over complicate this, follow a single system and trust the process. Don’t half study from one resource and half study from another. Again, you can do this. Can’t wait to read in a year about how you survived and are well on your way to being a physician.

 

[deleted1049832]

Very stressful, but you can do this. I’m telling ya, get a resource like DIT, people poo poo that crap cause it doesn’t get you the 250+, but it’s VERY good at getting you the pass. Don’t over complicate this, follow a single system and trust the process. Don’t half study from one resource and half study from another. Again, you can do this. Can’t wait to read in a year about how you survived and are well on your way to being a physician.

I'm using Boards and Beyond right now.

 

[blackshade]

I would stick it out unless you come up with better options. An RN salary is not going to support the debt you owe your parents and you don't seem like an especially likely candidate to finish an engineering degree at this point. Even if you did, you'll find engineers who want to work at the top go through the same tribulations doctors do. Pmuch every tech company nowadays is pre-screening their hires with IQ tests and leetcode type interviews. The huge debt-income ratio you have essentially curves you out of working for any company doing defense contracting, too, since you wouldn't be able to obtain a TS clearance (your debt, which you would have to disclose even though its to your parents, increases the risk of hiring you)

 

[deleted1049832]

My first time taking the test was an absolute disaster due to my personal life and other factors and I didn't even study properly honestly.

So I made the following 5 week study plan (400 hours of studying is the goal):

* Watch all of Sketchy Micro and Pharm
- Spend 2 hours/day doing the Pepper Micro and Pharm Anki deck
* Watch all of Pathoma
* Watch ~80-85 hours of Boards and Beyond (out of ~125 hours)
* ~20 hours of OMM studying (1 hour/day for 20 days either reading Saverese or watching OME OMM videos)
* ~10 hours reviewing Ethics and Anatomy (1 hour/day for 10 days)
* Do ~2200-2250 UWorld questions (only spending 1.5 hours reviewing each 40 question block due to time constraints)
* Take a COMSAE each week (5*200 = 1000 questions)

Ideally I'd like to do more questions, but I need to build up my baseline of content knowledge.

I have a test date scheduled mid-July. At the end of 5 weeks, ideally I'd like to be ready to just pass (400).

Any advice or comment on this plan would be welcome.

Both those sketchy decks are the highest of yields by far. There’s also an anatomy Zanki deck over the anatomy in FA. Ignore the molecular side of it with myosin light chain and what not and focus on stuff like tibial and fibular nerves, dermatomes, etc. Don’t dive super deep into brachial plexus, but know the nerves, muscles, and their actions in the shoulder. That deck got me quite a few points on comlex.

Just don't know how I'm going to be able to do that much Anki with my schedule. I might have to take an L in keeping up with reviews and just try to do as many as I can each day for 2 hours.

 

[Ho0v-man]

My first time taking the test was an absolute disaster due to my personal life and other factors and I didn't even study properly honestly.

So I made the following 5 week study plan (400 hours of studying is the goal):

* Watch all of Sketchy Micro and Pharm
- Spend 2 hours/day doing the Pepper Micro and Pharm Anki deck
* Watch all of Pathoma
* Watch ~80-85 hours of Boards and Beyond (out of ~125 hours)
* ~20 hours of OMM studying (1 hour/day for 20 days either reading Saverese or watching OME OMM videos)
* ~10 hours reviewing Ethics and Anatomy (1 hour/day for 10 days)
* Do ~2200-2250 UWorld questions (only spending 1.5 hours reviewing each 40 question block due to time constraints)
* Take a COMSAE each week (5*200 = 1000 questions)

Ideally I'd like to do more questions, but I need to build up my baseline of content knowledge.

I have a test date scheduled mid-July. At the end of 5 weeks, ideally I'd like to be ready to just pass (400).

Any advice or comment on this plan would be welcome.



Just don't know how I'm going to be able to do that much Anki with my schedule. I might have to take an L in keeping up with reviews and just try to do as many as I can each day for 2 hours.

2 hrs/day of those two decks might actually get them well under your belt by then. Ethics might be overkill. Focus on FA and omm anatomy (the tables in FA and special test anatomy from omm are high yield.). Be able to draw out that spinal innervation chart from the YouTube video. Don’t forget to memorize the stats equations in the back of first aid. Write them out every morning. Literally tons of plug and chug stats on level 1 that are basically free points.

 

[CrypticRomantic]

Coding bootcamp and become a software engineer if you chose to leave medicine

 

[BorntobeDO?]

I still want to get through it. I want to be a doctor. Whether I can is the question. At what point do I realize dreams =/= reality?

I have three red flags - failed course (and remediation exam), forced year of absence because of course failure, and a COMLEX Level 1 failure. I'm not certain if I'll even match even if I apply to a 100+ FM or community IM programs.

You can still match to community IM/FM right now. The question is, are you okay with that outcome? If the answer is yes, I would love that, then go for it. If your not really sure, I think you take the out and figure something else out. Without the debt you are free, you really can be anything you have the drive to be.

 

[deleted1049832]

You can still match to community IM/FM right now. The question is, are you okay with that outcome? If the answer is yes, I would love that, then go for it. If your not really sure, I think you take the out and figure something else out. Without the debt you are free, you really can be anything you have the drive to be.

FM and Peds were my top choices even before these red flags. I want a shorter residency and a more flexible lifestyle (even if it means lesser pay).

 

[deleted1049832]

2 hrs/day of those two decks might actually get them well under your belt by then. Ethics might be overkill. Focus on FA and omm anatomy (the tables in FA and special test anatomy from omm are high yield.). Be able to draw out that spinal innervation chart from the YouTube video. Don’t forget to memorize the stats equations in the back of first aid. Write them out every morning. Literally tons of plug and chug stats on level 1 that are basically free points.

What is the Youtube video link? And any others that are high-yield?

 

[Ho0v-man]

What is the Youtube video link? And any others that are high-yield?

Here’s one for Chapman’s points too. Perhaps my test was unusual, but I only had one Chapman’s point on comlex and didn’t need it to answer the question. Viscerosomatics was big though.

 

[Osteosaur]

Too late now, but what made you take COMLEX at this point in time? If you need to repeat second year can't you wait until next year to take it? Unless I am misreading.

It sounds like an awful situation to be in. I think you should try and look ahead to see your residency prospects with these two marks on your record; maybe your school can give you those numbers?

 

[deleted831695]

Too late now, but what made you take COMLEX at this point in time? If you need to repeat second year can't you wait until next year to take it? Unless I am misreading.

It sounds like an awful situation to be in. I think you should try and look ahead to see your residency prospects with these two marks on your record; maybe your school can give you those numbers?

I am starting rotations in a few weeks. I have to pass by fall, but it will be challenging trying to study and pass during it.

My school tells me if I pass, I should be able to match in FM if I apply to enough places. But there's no guarantee.