What are averages like at your school?

[LostPuppy]

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Averages at my school are consistently very low and it's starting to get quite frustrating because I feel like we're being unfairly tested (in house exams). What are averages like at your school? Just for comparison sake.

 

[deleted859689]

Averages at my school are consistently very low and it's starting to get quite frustrating because I feel like we're being unfairly tested (in house exams). What are averages like at your school? Just for comparison sake.

Context? is this for undergrad? med-school? MD or DO?

 

[LostPuppy]

My bad, I posted in the Medical Student - DO page so I thought DO school was implied. Second year at a DO school.

 

[deleted859689]

My bad, I posted in the Medical Student - DO page so I thought DO school was implied. Second year at a DO school.

You're status says pre-med so I got confused 😛 just got admitted. if you want can you PM me your school?

 

[DrStephenStrange]

Consistently in the high 70s low 80s after the poorly written questions that most of the class missed are thrown out.

Edit: except for OPP which is always in the 90s.

 

[I'd Rather Be Camping]

Depends on the course. This year (second year) the averages have been pretty low. First test was upper 60’s, second test low 70’s. I’d say if you averaged all of the tests we’ve taken between 1st and second year it’d be 75-80 ish... ish. Depends a lot on the course though.

 

[ciestar]

M4 at a USMD school, but, our’s were always around 80%

 

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Depends on the course. This year (second year) the averages have been pretty low. First test was upper 60’s, second test low 70’s. I’d say if you averaged all of the tests we’ve taken between 1st and second year it’d be 75-80 ish... ish. Depends a lot on the course though.

Half of your class is failing the exams in 2nd year..?

 

[Rusrus]

Ours are always around low to mid 80s.

 

[BorntobeDO?]

I used to track the test averages at my school, it was generally around 82-84%. My school loved to pretend it was 80 tho when a bad test came out and the averages dropped to the mid 70's. Our honor society starts at 3.2 which was supposed to correlate with national guidelines of top 25%. My school doesnt really reveal any real averages and they exclude so many students from ranking that half the class isnt ranked at all. But they do place nice graphs in our mspe comparing our averages to the class. Your always ranked even if your not. 😉

 

[Deecee2DO]

~78-81 after they drop questions for being written poorly aka half the exam lol

 

[Schwifty]

At my school the average tends to be in the mid 70’s for the first year tests

 

[Coltuna]

Average exam scores this year are low 70's (n=4 I think?). First year was closer to mid-high 70's if I remember correctly.

 

[rg2o3]

We have in-house exams which are filled with a TON of random minutiae which is extremely board irrelevant. However, the average usually is high 70's to mid 80's.

 

[hungrydoc710]

Context? is this for undergrad? med-school? MD or DO?

Curious thought...
Are you worried about matching in preferred residency spot due to massive DO expansion in 2020, meaning implode of numbers in 2024 match?

May be the right move to push MD if you can.

 

[ohmanwaddup]

Depends on the course. This year (second year) the averages have been pretty low. First test was upper 60’s, second test low 70’s. I’d say if you averaged all of the tests we’ve taken between 1st and second year it’d be 75-80 ish... ish. Depends a lot on the course though.

KCU what up

 

[ohmanwaddup]

Half of your class is failing the exams in 2nd year..?

Our school rounds up the final grade to an average of 85. Last block had a 14% curve

 

[I'd Rather Be Camping]

Half of your class is failing the exams in 2nd year..?

Averages are curved to 85%, but yeah. It’s kinda demoralizing at times 🙁

 

[Coltuna]

Half of your class is failing the exams in 2nd year..?

Yes. But when the class average is curved to 85%, "failing" is no longer failing lol.

 

[Schwifty]

Yes. But when the class average is curved to 85%, "failing" is no longer failing lol.

Gotta love that KCU curve

 

[Alkain]

Half of your class is failing the exams in 2nd year..?

Could be skew right.

ACOMs generally floats around 80-85%. First block exam and our neuro block was mid 70's I think. Don't think they ever curved one but they'll drop bad questions.

 

[Goro]

Averages at my school are consistently very low and it's starting to get quite frustrating because I feel like we're being unfairly tested (in house exams). What are averages like at your school? Just for comparison sake.

Class avg as a whole is ~85.

Typical exam avg is 80-85%


And no, we don't curve, either.

Low exam avg's across the board are the fault of the Faculty, not the students. Complain to you curriculum dean, and the Dean him/herself

 

[sparkysparkyboomman]

Wow some of those averages are low. Definitely a faculty issue, though.


Our anatomy averages for the last few exams have been ~85-87%

 

[scoopdaboop]

KCU what up

If our classes weren’t curved then like 30 percent of the class wouldn’t make the 70 percent pass grade.

 

[Spectreman]

Avg GPA in my class is floating around 90% at the end of 2nd year because there is insane amounts of shady crap going on and the admin could not give 2 s*#ts about any of it.

 

[DOgdad23]

I see people saying they throw questions out and I’m like lol. That actually happens? We get MAYBE 1 question thrown out on a 100-140 question exam. But that 85% curve, though....

 

[EmilKraepelin55]

I see people saying they throw questions out and I’m like lol. That actually happens? We get MAYBE 1 question thrown out on a 100-140 question exam. But that 85% curve, though....

Lol our last exam in the basic sciences had like 15 out of 115 questions tossed.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

This is why med school GPA means exactly squat lol.

 

[vin5cent0]

KCU 2nd year here - our class averages are pathetic (and not due to fault of students IMO). They pile on an unrealistic amount of lectures, and then instead of just letting you study, they pile on tons of mandatory labs, lectures, student clinic days, etc. School's response to our bad grades? Stop doing flashcards, go to class, make OMM/PCM more difficult so we stop neglecting it (they're combining the two classes next year because it's too easy right now). I like the education I'm getting for the most part, but this school is as tone-deaf as one can be.

 

[Schwifty]

KCU 2nd year here - our class averages are pathetic (and not due to fault of students IMO). They pile on an unrealistic amount of lectures, and then instead of just letting you study, they pile on tons of mandatory labs, lectures, student clinic days, etc. School's response to our bad grades? Stop doing flashcards, go to class, make OMM/PCM more difficult so we stop neglecting it (they're combining the two classes next year because it's too easy right now). I like the education I'm getting for the most part, but this school is as tone-deaf as one can be.

KCU first year here - I hate when they tell us not to do flash cards, like I literally brought my grades up over 20% (I was not doing well at first lol) when I started using Anki for most to all of my studying

 

[DOgdad23]

KCU first year here - I hate when they tell us not to do flash cards, like I literally brought my grades up over 20% (I was not doing well at first lol) when I started using Anki for most to all of my studying

Seriously. I don’t understand why they say flash cards don’t work. Lol. That and drawing is literally all I do, and I’m sitting at like a 92 in MSK. They work. It is spaced repetition. You can easily make multiple passes on material with flash cards and If you have any critical thinking skills, you can easily apply that knowledge when faced with a question. That’s just my opinion. My opinion may be wrong, but it seems to be working for me so far.

 

[DOgdad23]

Lol our last exam in the basic sciences had like 15 out of 115 questions tossed.

Lol. Crazy. I’d potentially take that over the curve we get. I get so frustrated at some poorly written questions. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been sitting in an exam and just internally laughed at a question and thought “I get what you’re trying to ask, but there are a million better ways to ask this question”. I guess they’re adequately preparing us to take COMLEX

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

KCU first year here - I hate when they tell us not to do flash cards, like I literally brought my grades up over 20% (I was not doing well at first lol) when I started using Anki for most to all of my studying

The best is when they follow that up with, "the most successful students always go to class and never miss a lecture." As if the passive learning of sitting there in lecture is somehow better than active spaced repetition....

 

[DOgdad23]

The best is when they follow that up with, "the most successful students always go to class and never miss a lecture." As if the passive learning of sitting there in lecture is somehow better than active spaced repetition....

The good ole “the most successful students never miss a lecture” lol ahhh yes. Non mandatory attendance but trying to scare us into going to 20+ hours of lectures every week.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

The best is when they follow that up with, "the most successful students always go to class and never miss a lecture." As if the passive learning of sitting there in lecture is somehow better than active spaced repetition....

I like when they bring that multiple studies show that when students go to class pass rate increases. And I'm always in my head like why don't they ever show us those studies.

 

[vin5cent0]

The best is when they follow that up with, "the most successful students always go to class and never miss a lecture." As if the passive learning of sitting there in lecture is somehow better than active spaced repetition....

My favorite was when some admin posed a question to use during a mandatory meeting one day - "Do you think your future patients are going to want the doctor that stayed at home studying flashcards, or the doctor that showed up to class every day?".

Uh, well, probably the doctor that learned the material the best. IDGAF if they sat in class or studied anki all day to accomplish that.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

I like when they bring that multiple studies show that when student go to class pass rate increases. And I'm always in my head like why don't they ever show us those studies.

One time I legit tried to hunt down the study they were talking about, and I couldn't find it anywhere. Found a bunch of minor stuff that showed how class was worthless tho lol

 

[vin5cent0]

KCU first year here - I hate when they tell us not to do flash cards, like I literally brought my grades up over 20% (I was not doing well at first lol) when I started using Anki for most to all of my studying

I do the opposite of basically everything they tell us to do, and it has put me well into the top quartile of our class. I just ignore the noise and focus on sketchy, path, and zanki. I can appreciate some of the faculty at our school, but you really cannot take advice from someone who went to medical school 20+ years ago. It was a different world with vastly different expectations.

 

[scoopdaboop]

I do the opposite of basically everything they tell us to do, and it has put me well into the top quartile of our class. I just ignore the noise and focus on sketchy, path, and zanki. I can appreciate some of the faculty at our school, but you really cannot take advice from someone who went to medical school 20+ years ago. It was a different world with vastly different expectations.

idk what people are talking about. One of the "tips for MSK" provided by the school said to utilize spaced repition, which is basically saying use Anki, or something similar. The school doesn't make lectures required so that's a god send. There are some BS stuff that I do not like the school for, but for the most part, you can stay at home (except for required lab days), and study how you want, no matter what the admin "recommends", because if they do not require you to do anything, it doesn't matter.

 

[Schwifty]

The best is when they follow that up with, "the most successful students always go to class and never miss a lecture." As if the passive learning of sitting there in lecture is somehow better than active spaced repetition....

No joke, our dean on Friday said "don't do what those people on student doctor .net say and skip lecture and just do flashcards, that won't work" lolololol

 

[scoopdaboop]

No joke, our dean on Friday said "don't do what those people on student doctor .net say and skip lecture and just do flashcards, that won't work" lolololol

really? Well that’s dumb. I guess I don’t listen to what the dean or most admin people say to hear their recommendations then

 

[fldoctorgirl]

really? Well that’s dumb. I guess I don’t listen to what the dean or most admin people say to hear their recommendations then

No one should. These people are so far removed from the realities of what it takes to succeed and do well in this day and age that their advice is worthless, even if they mean well. I'm sorry, but the FM/OMM doc isn't gonna tell me what it takes to do well on boards and match what I want lol. Learn to 100% drown out anything the school says in regards to grades, boards, etc. They like to push the whole "everyone cares about your grades" when in reality no one does.

 

[LostPuppy]

KCU 2nd year here - our class averages are pathetic (and not due to fault of students IMO). They pile on an unrealistic amount of lectures, and then instead of just letting you study, they pile on tons of mandatory labs, lectures, student clinic days, etc. School's response to our bad grades? Stop doing flashcards, go to class, make OMM/PCM more difficult so we stop neglecting it (they're combining the two classes next year because it's too easy right now). I like the education I'm getting for the most part, but this school is as tone-deaf as one can be.

Yeah, I'm at KCU too and it just seems unsustainable. It's demoralizing taking tests worth half of our grade in a block and seeing that the average is a 66%. Something like 10% of our class failed our first block which equates to roughly 40 students. Sure the curve is nice but how much are we actually learning when half the class fails before the curve?

 

[LostPuppy]

Class avg as a whole is ~85.

Typical exam avg is 80-85%


And no, we don't curve, either.

Low exam avg's across the board are the fault of the Faculty, not the students. Complain to you curriculum dean, and the Dean him/herself

Is there a way to go about this in a most professional way? They seemingly make all these changes to benefit students but its definitely hurting us. Testing minute details in the captions of figures in Robbins seems so dumb to me but maybe thats how all schools do it?

 

[fldoctorgirl]

Yeah, I'm at KCU too and it just seems unsustainable. It's demoralizing taking tests worth half of our grade in a block and seeing that the average is a 66%. Something like 10% of our class failed our first block which equates to roughly 40 students. Sure the curve is nice but how much are we actually learning when half the class fails before the curve?

Focus on learning the boards relevant material, not your grade on the class exam. Our class exams are ridiculous with some of the questions asked, way too detailed. Certain professors write their questions as if we all want to be pathologists rather than focusing on common patient presentations. Some of our pharm questions asked us to distinguish between 2 drugs from the same class, and the rationale for why one was correct over the other was that it was invented first, so it's more likely to be used. Ignore school as long as you pass. Our exams are so not indicative of boards.

 

[LostPuppy]

Focus on learning the boards relevant material, not your grade on the class exam. Our class exams are ridiculous with some of the questions asked, way too detailed. Certain professors write their questions as if we all want to be pathologists rather than focusing on common patient presentations. Some of our pharm questions asked us to distinguish between 2 drugs from the same class, and the rationale for why one was correct over the other was that it was invented first, so it's more likely to be used. Ignore school as long as you pass. Our exams are so not indicative of boards.

How have you been approaching it? I'm deathly afraid of failing a block so I find myself re-reading Robbins over and over, especially with GI coming up and Dobson being the way that he is. #stressed right now sitting on campus learning all these tender points for tomorrow

 

[fldoctorgirl]

How have you been approaching it? I'm deathly afraid of failing a block so I find myself re-reading Robbins over and over, especially with GI coming up and Dobson being the way that he is. #stressed right now sitting on campus learning all these tender points for tomorrow

Outlines 2-3 times. Zanki. Pathoma. Sketchy. Don't watch Dobson or Putthoff at all, don't even look at their powerpoints. I finished with an above average grade on the first block doing this.

Stressed with ya! And angry that I have to waste a weekend studying this.....nonsense.

 

[Alkain]

How have you been approaching it? I'm deathly afraid of failing a block so I find myself re-reading Robbins over and over, especially with GI coming up and Dobson being the way that he is. #stressed right now sitting on campus learning all these tender points for tomorrow

They're making you memorize tender point locations? Why? Lmao. They're not even going to be in the same place on your patients.

 

[fldoctorgirl]

They're making you memorize tender point locations? Why? Lmao. They're not even going to be in the same place on your patients.

Wait what.....is this torture they're putting us through not common in other schools......? F St Ra?!?!?!?

 

[Alkain]

Wait what.....is this torture they're putting us through not common in other schools......? F St Ra?!?!?!?

We just had to know the point was somewhere along the length of the muscle.
Isn't picking one point to always use kind of arbitrary? Like, if you have a sore Gastroc that point's not always gonna be at that handful of trigger points. It could be way down near the achilles.