Whats the chance I will get dismissed after failing the first semester of M1 year?

[PirellitTyres]

The end of the semester is approaching and I'm going to fail: not just by a little, but by a lot. I got to an allopathic US school. My school has a passing grade of 70%. We average all the courses in the semester, so as long as you have a 70% average, you're good even if some courses you get below 70%.

My handbook says that "students who score below a 70% but higher than 60% in the thread will get the chance to repeat the failed courses during the summer". Students who score below a 60% will meet with the medical school promotions committee in the summer for possible dismissal.

Currently, I'm at a 56% average, and its likely to go down cause I'm doing only slightly above random guessing on practice NBME questions. I have never passed a single course (or even a single quiz). My highest quiz score was 68% and my highest course grade was 64%. I'm hoping I can do better next semester (like getting an 80% or higher), but I'm not sure. Its just that I've always had to take longer to do things and always felt time crunched. Like this semester, I felt like I was living paycheck to paycheck with my time. Rather than my goal of doing well on NBME/Step, getting involved in research/things that will benefit my application, my goals throughout the semester were to just make it to the next quiz and pass it, which I struggled to do. I put in the time, but performed near bottom on every assignment (I honestly get relieved when I see my score isn't the lowest on a quiz for exam).

I just feel like I'm always playing catch up. Like I would just be finished with learning the material before a quiz and exam and not have time to review. I have sketchy, first aid, and osmosis, but I only have time to go over each of them once (if not at all). I am also a big fan of anki and have done well on exams where I did a lot of anki. But anki is very time consuming for me. It takes me one hour to go through 40 cards, or a whole day of studying to go through 400 that people typically go through.

I also have 2 professionalism violations for missing 2 mandatory sessions.

Since I won't meet with the promotions committee until summer, I'm hoping to give them more hope in me by doing well next semester. I'm going to pre-study all winter break (next semester will be mostly anatomy) in the hopes of hitting the ground on a head start. I'm also paying out of state tuition, so if my school is cash strapped, this may also work out in my favor. I would be very happy if I was even allowed to repeat the year. I also got my badge for the cadaver lab, so I know I will be able to progress to next semester.

The only 2 other things in the handbook that I see are automatic for dismissal are:


Edit: Just talked to the dean today. Although I still have to go under the committee, it is likely they will give me a chance, given I have a plan that is not just "spend more time studying" or something superficial.

Failing Step 1 3 or more times
Taking more than 6 years to finish the degree

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[M&L]

The end of the semester is approaching and I'm going to fail: not just by a little, but by a lot. I got to an allopathic US school. My school has a passing grade of 70%. We average all the courses in the semester, so as long as you have a 70% average, you're good even if some courses you get below 70%.

My handbook says that "students who score below a 70% but higher than 60% in the thread will get the chance to repeat the failed courses during the summer". Students who score below a 60% will meet with the medical school promotions committee in the summer for possible dismissal.

Currently, I'm at a 56% average, and its likely to go down cause I'm doing only slightly above random guessing on practice NBME questions. I have never passed a single course (or even a single quiz). My highest quiz score was 68% and my highest course grade was 64%. I'm hoping I can do better next semester (like getting an 80% or higher), but I'm not sure. Its just that I've always had to take longer to do things and always felt time crunched. Like this semester, I felt like I was living paycheck to paycheck with my time. Rather than my goal of doing well on NBME/Step, getting involved in research/things that will benefit my application, my goals throughout the semester were to just make it to the next quiz and pass it, which I struggled to do. I put in the time, but performed near bottom on every assignment (I honestly get relieved when I see my score isn't the lowest on a quiz for exam).

I just feel like I'm always playing catch up. Like I would just be finished with learning the material before a quiz and exam and not have time to review. I have sketchy, first aid, and osmosis, but I only have time to go over each of them once (if not at all). I am also a big fan of anki and have done well on exams where I did a lot of anki. But anki is very time consuming for me. It takes me one hour to go through 40 cards, or a whole day of studying to go through 400 that people typically go through.

I also have 2 professionalism violations for missing 2 mandatory sessions.

Since I won't meet with the promotions committee until summer, I'm hoping to give them more hope in me by doing well next semester. I'm going to pre-study all winter break (next semester will be mostly anatomy) in the hopes of hitting the ground on a head start. I'm also paying out of state tuition, so if my school is cash strapped, this may also work out in my favor. I would be very happy if I was even allowed to repeat the year.

Honestly I am really worried about your studying ! What was your undergrad ? Gpa? Mcat?
have you met with office of academic development ? Has anyone sat down with you to figure out why you are underperforming?

 

[Lawpy]

2 professionalism violations are probably going to hurt on top of possibly failing first semester

What's going on?

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

It takes me one hour to go through 40 cards, or a whole day of studying to go through 400 that people typically go through.

you’re doing something very wrong. It shouldn’t take you more than an hour or two tops to go through 400 cards. How are you doing anki?

I also have 2 professionalism violations for missing 2 mandatory sessions.

You probably really hurt yourself here. What happened?

 

[PirellitTyres]

Undergrad mcat was 512 (although this was a second try after a 490 first try and kind of buoyed up by near perfect performance in P/S and CARS, which aren't scientifically relevant). I applied with a 3.75 GPA, but GPA went down to 3.56 by the time I graduated (I was already on a downward spiral when I applied. I had near 4.0 first 2 years of undergrad).

I have met with the office of academic development early on the semester, but after continuing to fail quizzes/exams, I became too ashamed to show my face to them so I stopped meeting. No one has actually personally reached out to me.

 

[Lawpy]

Undergrad mcat was 512 (although this was a second try after a 490 first try and kind of buoyed up by near perfect performance in P/S and CARS, which aren't scientifically relevant). I applied with a 3.75 GPA, but GPA went down to 3.56 by the time I graduated (I was already on a downward spiral when I applied. I had near 4.0 first 2 years of undergrad).

I have met with the office of academic development early on the semester, but after continuing to fail quizzes/exams, I became too ashamed to show my face to them so I stopped meeting. No one has actually personally reached out to me.

Are you using Anki? Near perfect CARS and P/S means you have good reading and reasoning skills

 

[PirellitTyres]

you’re doing something very wrong. It shouldn’t take you more than an hour or two tops to go through 400 cards. How are you doing anki?

You probably really hurt yourself here. What happened?

Since it takes me 3-4 times on average to go through a card before marking it in the easy pile, I really click through 150 cards, but only "learn" 40. I spend about 1 minute to answer the card the first time (as if it were an exam question), and subsequent times will take 15-30 seconds.

They weren't gross violations. One time I forgot there was a meeting scheduled. Another time there was a lapse in communication and didn't realize I had a meeting scheduled.

 

[PirellitTyres]

Are you using Anki? Near perfect CARS and P/S means you have good reading and reasoning skills

Yes. But the time it takes discourages me after going through 40ish cards, which takes me one hour to do. So it takes me 2 whole days of studying to get through 800 cards that are in a deck. This is excluding lectures/learning new material. I even try to do Anki cards while driving at red lights to speed up, but this doesn't help much.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Undergrad mcat was 512 (although this was a second try after a 490 first try and kind of buoyed up by near perfect performance in P/S and CARS, which aren't scientifically relevant). I applied with a 3.75 GPA, but GPA went down to 3.56 by the time I graduated (I was already on a downward spiral when I applied. I had near 4.0 first 2 years of undergrad).

I have met with the office of academic development early on the semester, but after continuing to fail quizzes/exams, I became too ashamed to show my face to them so I stopped meeting. No one has actually personally reached out to me.

Did you have something happen? Any sort of learning disability? Extra stressor happening in life?

 

[M&L]

Yes. But the time it takes discourages me after going through 40ish cards, which takes me one hour to do. So it takes me 2 whole days of studying to get through 800 cards that are in a deck. This is excluding lectures/learning new material. I even try to do Anki cards while driving at red lights to speed up, but this doesn't help much.

Ok it shouldnt take you this much time to do anki .... you SERIOUSLY need to talk to someone . I spend about 15-20 sec on cards on first pass, and 5-10 sec when reviewing . There is something very wrong going on .
I would discourage you from going into second semester without knowing what exactly is hindering your performance . Anki is not even a problem- I know plenty of ppl who don’t do anki at all and do amazing . Incredible even . The thing is that 1) you need to be able to go through the lectures quickly , 2) retain enough to pass quizzes for sure, 3) pass harder questions with a bit more time invested . So which ones of those aren’t happening ? For example, if you do finish a certain lectures , could you normally answer questions with no problems (so, it is just the speed of you going through material ?) . Or are you not retaining info ?

 

[PirellitTyres]

Did you have something happen? Any sort of learning disability? Extra stressor happening in life?

I was diagnosed with depression and am doing an ADHD test soon.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Since it takes me 3-4 times on average to go through a card before marking it in the easy pile, I really click through 150 cards, but only "learn" 40. I spend about 1 minute to answer the card the first time (as if it were an exam question), and subsequent times will take 15-30 seconds.

Yeah that’s too long. You shouldn’t be looking at a card for more than 10-15 seconds tops even on the first one. If you don’t know it you don’t know it.

They weren't gross violations. One time I forgot there was a meeting scheduled. Another time there was a lapse in communication and didn't realize I had a meeting scheduled.

Are these going on your MSPE as professionalism violations?

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I was diagnosed with depression and am doing an ADHD test soon.

I’m guessing treatment for these will help you dramatically. Hopefully you can convince your school to let you decelerate so you can get treatment and have a chance to perform.

 

[PirellitTyres]

Ok it shouldnt take you this much time to do anki .... you SERIOUSLY need to talk to someone . I spend about 15-20 sec on cards on first pass, and 5-10 sec when reviewing . There is something very wrong going on .
I would discourage you from going into second semester without knowing what exactly is hindering your performance . Anki is not even a problem- I know plenty of ppl who don’t do anki at all and do amazing . Incredible even . The thing is that 1) you need to be able to go through the lectures quickly , 2) retain enough to pass quizzes for sure, 3) pass harder questions with a bit more time invested . So which ones of those aren’t happening ? For example, if you do finish a certain lectures , could you normally answer questions with no problems (so, it is just the speed of you going through material ?) . Or are you not retaining info ?

I kind of just go through the lectures for the purpose of going through them. I try to obtain information by even pre-studying the lecture by reading the slides before, but I think most of the time, I don't retain info well; which is why Anki is something I really like. Its the only form of active studying I do. Just very time consuming. And usually on a first pass, I might get 1/5 Anki cards right. Sometimes, I just become very generous with assigning things to the easy pile since I don't want to keep repeating and get through more cards.

 

[PirellitTyres]

Yeah that’s too long. You shouldn’t be looking at a card for more than 10-15 seconds tops even on the first one. If you don’t know it you don’t know it.

Are these going on your MSPE as professionalism violations?

I don't think so. The dean just met with me once. He actually said that it wasn't a professionalism violation, but will be documented. No one met with me the second time. I would think someone would also reach out to me (like the Dean or learning coordinator), seeing how I'm failing every quiz/ecxam

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I don't think so. The dean just met with me once. He actually said that it wasn't a professionalism violation, but will be documented. No one met with me the second time. I would think someone would also reach out to me (like the Dean or learning coordinator), seeing how I'm failing every quiz/ecxam

Yeah tbh your school seems to be kind of a mess.

 

[M&L]

I kind of just go through the lectures for the purpose of going through them. I try to obtain information by even pre-studying the lecture by reading the slides before, but I think most of the time, I don't retain info well; which is why Anki is something I really like. Its the only form of active studying I do. Just very time consuming. And usually on a first pass, I might get 1/5 Anki cards right. Sometimes, I just become very generous with assigning things to the easy pile since I don't want to keep repeating and get through more cards.

Ok look . There is nothing we can do here to REALLY help you . First, please go to mental health and get treatment for depression and ADHD if you do get diagnosed with it . It will improve things a lot !
second, go to academic development and have a very honest conversation with them . You need to find a study approach that works for you , and maybe you SHOULD repeat the year. If you are struggling with quizzes what makes you think you can pass step 1? Shelf exams? Step 2? By then you’ll be several hundred thousands in debt . This is serious . Please don’t think that you’ll skate through and somehow graduate without making a change .
I truly believe that you can come back from this, but you need help !!!! Don’t be embarrassed ! That’s what these guys are for !

 

[thatchemguy]

I second the posters above. Above all else, prioritize focusing on your mental health as that seems to be the root of your issues. Treatment for ADHD and depression will go a long way, and this is absolutely nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed to talk about with a professional or close advisor. Speaking of advisor, I would try to reach out to an advisor - doesn't have to necessarily be the dean - and have some honest conversations. Your school's academic development seems to be kind of a mess, but they should still be able to work with you.

Seeing that you did pretty well on the MCAT, even if it was buoyed by CARS/Psych - means you have the intellectual capacity to succeed. Believe in yourself to do well. Have you tried studying with a friend? The hardest part of medical school is figuring out how to learn. From what I see, you're spreading yourself out over a few resources and spending way too much time on Anki. I wouldn't be repeating a new card 5 times - the point is to drill it into your head over the course of the algorithm, not immediately. There's a bunch of videos on youtube on how to utilize anki effectively, so check those out. If you're also doing anki, and I'm assuming following a premade deck, really there shouldn't be any need to read through FA/Pathoma. I would also consider watching BnB instead.

I'm sorry you're in this situation, but I'm confident you can get out of it. Don't ever be embarrassed to show your face or ask for help - you're paying 200k+ for this damn education which is mostly self-taught anyway.

 

[Nugester]

I'd tackle any wellness issues. It is common to feel behind since there is so much material. I have nothing to compare to but the dean of my school states that the first semester is the most challenging among preclinical years and imagine compounding that with virtual school. It might be that you need to do multiple passes of lecture notes = repetition is key. Easier said than done, but maybe limit yourself to 1-1.5 hour tops per lecture. Good luck!

 

[PirellitTyres]

I second the posters above. Above all else, prioritize focusing on your mental health as that seems to be the root of your issues. Treatment for ADHD and depression will go a long way, and this is absolutely nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed to talk about with a professional or close advisor. Speaking of advisor, I would try to reach out to an advisor - doesn't have to necessarily be the dean - and have some honest conversations. Your school's academic development seems to be kind of a mess, but they should still be able to work with you.

Seeing that you did pretty well on the MCAT, even if it was buoyed by CARS/Psych - means you have the intellectual capacity to succeed. Believe in yourself to do well. Have you tried studying with a friend? The hardest part of medical school is figuring out how to learn. From what I see, you're spreading yourself out over a few resources and spending way too much time on Anki. I wouldn't be repeating a new card 5 times - the point is to drill it into your head over the course of the algorithm, not immediately. There's a bunch of videos on youtube on how to utilize anki effectively, so check those out. If you're also doing anki, and I'm assuming following a premade deck, really there shouldn't be any need to read through FA/Pathoma. I would also consider watching BnB instead.

I'm sorry you're in this situation, but I'm confident you can get out of it. Don't ever be embarrassed to show your face or ask for help - you're paying 200k+ for this damn education which is mostly self-taught anyway.

I've been wary of studying with others cause I don't want them to think I'm stupid.

 

[Nugester]

I've been wary of studying with others cause I don't want them to think I'm stupid.

You've come to far to let that hold you back. Also, I know some schools have tutoring by upper levels so look into that? I also found Anki to be super helpful but only for certain subjects which require more memorization (Biochemistry) rather than say for Anatomy. As others have mentioned though, speed is key.

 

[Osteosaur]

I am so sorry this is going on.

You need to talk to your school now and make a plan. You shouldn't be embarassed but instead showing you're willing to work and put yourself in their hands. That is what's going to save you.

If you have ADHD and depression is taking an LOA and repeating the year an option? If you haven't really found a strategy that works or even have an upward trend you might want to take a step back. It sounds like you just have a lot to get under control. Its weird they are not reaching out themselves.

 

[Goro]

The end of the semester is approaching and I'm going to fail: not just by a little, but by a lot. I got to an allopathic US school. My school has a passing grade of 70%. We average all the courses in the semester, so as long as you have a 70% average, you're good even if some courses you get below 70%.

My handbook says that "students who score below a 70% but higher than 60% in the thread will get the chance to repeat the failed courses during the summer". Students who score below a 60% will meet with the medical school promotions committee in the summer for possible dismissal.

Currently, I'm at a 56% average, and its likely to go down cause I'm doing only slightly above random guessing on practice NBME questions. I have never passed a single course (or even a single quiz). My highest quiz score was 68% and my highest course grade was 64%. I'm hoping I can do better next semester (like getting an 80% or higher), but I'm not sure. Its just that I've always had to take longer to do things and always felt time crunched. Like this semester, I felt like I was living paycheck to paycheck with my time. Rather than my goal of doing well on NBME/Step, getting involved in research/things that will benefit my application, my goals throughout the semester were to just make it to the next quiz and pass it, which I struggled to do. I put in the time, but performed near bottom on every assignment (I honestly get relieved when I see my score isn't the lowest on a quiz for exam).

I just feel like I'm always playing catch up. Like I would just be finished with learning the material before a quiz and exam and not have time to review. I have sketchy, first aid, and osmosis, but I only have time to go over each of them once (if not at all). I am also a big fan of anki and have done well on exams where I did a lot of anki. But anki is very time consuming for me. It takes me one hour to go through 40 cards, or a whole day of studying to go through 400 that people typically go through.

I also have 2 professionalism violations for missing 2 mandatory sessions.

Since I won't meet with the promotions committee until summer, I'm hoping to give them more hope in me by doing well next semester. I'm going to pre-study all winter break (next semester will be mostly anatomy) in the hopes of hitting the ground on a head start. I'm also paying out of state tuition, so if my school is cash strapped, this may also work out in my favor. I would be very happy if I was even allowed to repeat the year. I also got my badge for the cadaver lab, so I know I will be able to progress to next semester.

The only 2 other things in the handbook that I see are automatic for dismissal are:

Failing Step 1 3 or more times
Taking more than 6 years to finish the degree

Can't sugar coat this, dismissal seems like a real possibility. I'm surprised that you and/or your school let it fester this long, and LOA wasn't taken.

 

[FunkyFrog994]

Undergrad mcat was 512 (although this was a second try after a 490 first try and kind of buoyed up by near perfect performance in P/S and CARS, which aren't scientifically relevant). I applied with a 3.75 GPA, but GPA went down to 3.56 by the time I graduated (I was already on a downward spiral when I applied. I had near 4.0 first 2 years of undergrad).

I have met with the office of academic development early on the semester, but after continuing to fail quizzes/exams, I became too ashamed to show my face to them so I stopped meeting. No one has actually personally reached out to me.

Man what happened?! Sounds like you were killing it then just fell apart mid way through undergrad. Med school is not something you want to limp into... Definitely get help and above all else communicate with your school. if You don’t me asking what is your work ethic like and how many hours are you committing to studying every week?

 

[Isoval]

People at my own school have been dismissed over far less, but these dismissals were in line with our policy of dismissal for a repeater failing any class in their repeat year (e.g. two failures in a year -> repeat that year, then failing another class in the repeat year).

It might be worth crossing your fingers, but I think your prognosis is grim.

I think - more than anything - you should work on a) seeing if a LOA right now is a possibility with allowing you to return afterwards, and b) sorting out the reasons for why you're doing so poorly. Whether it's mental illness, family woes, or something else, getting to the bottom of that needs to be priority #1.

 

[Osteosaur]

Just wanted to reiterate you need to meet with your school now.

There is no reason to be doing NBME questions right now. You are not there yet.

You are not going to 'pre-study' for anything because your previous studying has not worked. There is no way you're just going to scrape by with a 70% by the end of the year and somehow skirt under the radar and beat dismissal. Something is very wrong here and needs to be fixed. I'm not saying this to be mean but to stop you from torturing yourself for a 'high fail'. That is an awful way to live.

The goal of all medical students before research and NBMEs just needs to be "pass your classes." And keeping yourself afloat, passing your classes, and being on track to graduate and be a doctor is a real achievement - regardless of how you compare yourself to peers.

 

[readmypostsMD]

In terms of studying, are you truly memorizing all the facts/concepts? You can’t just read and highlight, you have to drill anki. Watch the lecture, make anki cards while you watch, then anki them everyday. Then do practice questions and talk stuff over with classmates.

if the 512 is real and not just luck, you should be able to handle the material.

Address the depression though first. It’ll hinder you from learning quickly

 

[PirellitTyres]

Just wanted to reiterate you need to meet with your school now.

There is no reason to be doing NBME questions right now. You are not there yet.

You are not going to 'pre-study' for anything because your previous studying has not worked. There is no way you're just going to scrape by with a 70% by the end of the year and somehow skirt under the radar and beat dismissal. Something is very wrong here and needs to be fixed. I'm not saying this to be mean but to stop you from torturing yourself for a 'high fail'. That is an awful way to live.

The goal of all medical students before research and NBMEs just needs to be "pass your classes." And keeping yourself afloat, passing your classes, and being on track to graduate and be a doctor is a real achievement - regardless of how you compare yourself to peers.

My school gives us an NBME after each semester and its worth 20% of the grade, hence why I'm practicing NBME questions

 

[PirellitTyres]

Man what happened?! Sounds like you were killing it then just fell apart mid way through undergrad. Med school is not something you want to limp into... Definitely get help and above all else communicate with your school. if You don’t me asking what is your work ethic like and how many hours are you committing to studying every week?

I would say 55-60 hours a week. I probably spend 75 hours at the library/my campus, but only study 55-60 of those and fool around the other 15-20. I do feel like I'm just trying to check the completion box for a lot of things though and not trying to learn the information. Some people say they only study 40, which I don't get how they can even pass. Do you count lecture time as study time?

 

[PirellitTyres]

In terms of studying, are you truly memorizing all the facts/concepts? You can’t just read and highlight, you have to drill anki. Watch the lecture, make anki cards while you watch, then anki them everyday. Then do practice questions and talk stuff over with classmates.

if the 512 is real and not just luck, you should be able to handle the material.

Address the depression though first. It’ll hinder you from learning quickly

I'm basically just trying to complete the items I have to do on my list, and after, I don't have time to do Anki rarely. Anki is also extremely time intensive for me (like it takes me 8-10 hours to get through 500 cards). I tried making my own Anki cards one week, but realized that I never got the time to review them since I spent all my time making them). Although that was one of my better grades.

 

[Redpancreas]

This is tough, but you already know that. For what it's worth I give you credit for laying out the honest extent to the issue which can be humbling even anonymously online. You also seem to understand the situation you're in some areas but in others you're acting pretty naive (worrying about judgment, etc.). As others have said you demonstrate the intellectual capacity to succeed with previous performances, however, not even a shimmer of that is manifesting itself now which is my biggest concern. Typically students will struggle in one area more than others and things are able to be done to get that person past their block.

Couple suggestions:

1.) Engage regularly with academic support. Their job is to fix the issue, they are professionals who won't judge. There may be a concern that they won't help but they have experience with failing students and can help facilitate any accommodations/learning issues, but more importantly give you strategies you were not using before. Additionally compliance/follow-up is an unwritten expectation in your case if it hasn't been made clear. When the promotions committee meets this summer to discuss you the first thing they will assess if you haven't done a 180 turn-around is whether you have engaged in the resources they have provided. Don't let this be a knock on you.

2.) Regarding the ADHD (fixed learning deficit)/Depression (mood disorder), you need to establish with both a psychiatrist and clinical psychologist. The two issues could be interrelated and the latter person may be helpful in getting to the underlying problem. Appts. are now accessible via zoom and many psychologists work with patient's after hours. Your school should give you names.

3.) Don't try any out of the box study strategies. I know SDN/Reddit emphasize ANKI but it's not working and IMHO isn't essential. It's just a bunch of hypercompetitive SDN'er talk about to kill the curve. Your problem is I think you're missing the basics. Just attend lectures in person, sit in the first row, and don't be ashamed to ask questions - people will judge, &$%$ them, review your course notes afterwards, and master them with active learning strategies like making yoru own charts/tables. Utilize office hours and any fair advantage available. Sometimes professors will give away hints on what will be on the exams, etc in office hours.

4.) Try Group Study sessions. COVID throws a wrench into this but I'm sure there's Zoom groups around. I know it's hard but just admit right away that you're basically failing and need help. People will respect you for the honesty and perhaps divulge what's worked for them. You don't have to stick with it but at least get a sense of what everyone else knows and how they handle things. Pick and choose with works for you. This is honestly the most overlooked study tip.

5.) Depending on your curriculum, M1 may very well not having anything to do with 90% of medicine that you actually need to know. If you're just in the biochemistry, normal physiology, and anatomy sections a lot of this information is nice to know but not really relevant to clinical practice and that is something to remind yourself as you move forward to meet this challenge.

6.) Don't stress yourself out thinking about how you need to get a 84% average moving forward to balance the 56%. It will be difficult to stay focused/motivated. Instead focus on creating an upward curve. If you can at least keep your scores moving up in the mid-upper 60s with hopefully some passes, I think the school could be open to having you just repeat the entire year where you'll see all the material again.

7.) There is a very real chance that despite all your efforts you fall short either this summer or later on. I think if happens, you at least know you tried everything available to you but you need to be quick to accept the assessment of your performance because the sooner you can stop losing tuition and work on figuring out what else you can do. Those who remain motivated even after a major failure like this are often more successful at the end of the day and that would not have come to them without getting pushed off the traditional path.

8.) Going along with #6/#7, as Operaman advised, have a direct conversation with who's in charge of your promotion NOW. The first step's figuring out who that is because it's usually not the dean of basic science or the familiar faced administrator the school puts on there to talk with students. Start by contacting your student representatives on the promotions committee. They will put you in touch with someone and request meetings until you figure out who's going to vote on/influence your promotion. Don't be afraid of answers you don't want to hear. Some faculty may be more honest than others and tell you if there's writing on the wall. Ultimately, you need to have a concrete understanding of what's expected of you by June 2021. If they're saying you need to achieve a 70% cumulative average over the year, we all know you're not going to average 84% and they're just keeping you around to fall short while tuition piles up. Agree on clear, fair terms so there is no question of what you need to do. If you feel their terms are unfair then this is the time to appeal (and this is the time to seek a legal opinion if you need help). Schools will not tell you about an appeals process until you're on your way out. It's your job to bring that up. If you meet with promotions, can't come to a fair deal, file an appeal, lose that...then you may want to consider walking out now as opposed to next summer because what will the point be?

9.) Drop the pre-study plan or at least meet with the school's learning specialists to do this. Your system is not working and you will burn yourself out more for no benefit.

 

[IsleyOfTheNorth]

I've been wary of studying with others cause I don't want them to think I'm stupid.

What are they going to think about you when you get kicked out? Forget that business and ask for help from anyone who'll give it - especially the school who you are literally paying to do it.

 

[operaman]

I don’t even know where to begin with this one.

1) If you don’t reach out for every ounce of real life help you can get, you’re not going to finish Med school. Period. Full stop. Not up for debate.

2) you don’t need your dean to reach out to you. If you haven’t emailed your admins for a sit down meeting about your performance within 30 seconds of reading this, I don’t know what to tell you. Yes do it now.

3) you’re not the only one facing this. Your dean and academic support center see this ALL THE TIME. Nobody will look down on you; they will help you figure out what needs to change. I’ve been that change for some struggling students back in the day because the academic center asked me to take on some 1-on-1 tutoring for underclassmen who were struggling. Your school can muster some incredible resources for you but you have to ask.

Look, you’ve gotta sit down and have a lot of uncomfortable conversations in the next few days. Ironically, that’s a large part of being a doctor in general - lots of uncomfortable, awkward, and sad conversations with patients and families. It’s especially hard when those discussions center around a complication from something I did. It sucks and for me it hasn’t gotten easier, so might as well start getting used to it now my friend.

This is real professionalism: facing your failures with both dignity and humility, and figuring out how to change course and do better. That can mean many things - a LOA, repeating the year, etc., but you need a plan and you need it yesterday. Waiting for summer to meet with people is the only clearly wrong answer.

 

[PirellitTyres]

I'd tackle any wellness issues. It is common to feel behind since there is so much material. I have nothing to compare to but the dean of my school states that the first semester is the most challenging among preclinical years and imagine compounding that with virtual school. It might be that you need to do multiple passes of lecture notes = repetition is key. Easier said than done, but maybe limit yourself to 1-1.5 hour tops per lecture. Good luck!

That's been my traditional way of studying, and in the courses which I did do that, I actually scored in the 60s. But I started experimenting with other different things in other courses (like Anki sketchy), and my grades continued to fall.

 

[JavaJam]

I think it can be a good idea to study with classmates and observe their different habits etc... It can be very motivating. I don't know many students who would make fun of others for having difficulties. Almost everyone had difficulties with something at a stage or another in their academic career. My class has student-managed Facebook and Discord group chats where people ask questions, and I often feel silly asking one myself until I do and realize there were 10 other people wondering the same thing. Many people consider the opportunity to explain or summarize concepts to someone else a good way to solidify their own knowledge. It's not my experience that everyone needs to be at the exact same "level" for group study to be effective for all.

 

[catnip12]

I think you need to understand that Anki is only helpful IF you already have an understanding of the material that the card is asking you about. If the material does not make sense, then you come out at best memorizing the card but not really knowing how to apply the material. At worst...

You have received a lot of good advice above OP. Make it a priority to visit with your school's learning specialists if you have them. Talk to some of your classmates to see how they approach the material.

Good luck!!

 

[Goro]

That's been my traditional way of studying, and in the courses which I did do that, I actually scored in the 60s. But I started experimenting with other different things in other courses (like Anki sketchy), and my grades continued to fall.

Okay, you have been given multiple suggestions about how you can try and fix this in the position you're in. What are you going to do?

And I do not want to hear about study plans

 

[Stride]

Based on what you have said in this thread, you seem to have a lack of confidence in yourself. Nobody who scored a 512 on the MCAT should be questioning their intellectual abilities.

If you decide to continue into the second term (though, a LOA might be appropriate for you), I would consider going to see a therapist once a week to help with this. Medications can help alleviate symptoms of depression and ADHD, but they can't give you confidence.

Please take care of yourself. Education means little if it comes at the expense of your health.

 

[Osteosaur]

Once people start failing they panic, buy a lot of resources, and half-ass it all as a hail-mary. "I tried anki for a day but then did bnb the rest and i failed" happens a lot. You sort of need to pick and follow one and follow it so you cover it all.

But you are beyond soliciting study advice from SDN. Reach out to your admin man.

 

[hmockingbird]

Don’t have a lot to add but just wanted to reiterate that your school has seen this before and the academic success people aren’t gonna make fun of you. We had a number of people repeat a year, and more repeat a class and/or delay Step 1. The school should have good resources for you, possibly including tutors. And don’t worry about research etc at this point. I tried to get super involved first year and it was too much, and I don’t even remember what I was trying to do.

 

[LunaOri]

I second the recommendation to attend lectures in person (or via live Zoom) and ask questions.
Most schools offer free tutoring (M2s tutor M1s).
Eat, sleep, and take care of yourself. Get help for your mental health issues. Get a physical exam to make sure no medical problems are contributing.
Communicate with your academic office on a regular basis. Dismissal is less likely if you have been actively addressing your issues (although a LOA may be offered).
What happened in the latter part of undergrad that led to your downward trend?

 

[Redpancreas]

I don’t even know where to begin with this one.

1) If you don’t reach out for every ounce of real life help you can get, you’re not going to finish Med school. Period. Full stop. Not up for debate.

2) you don’t need your dean to reach out to you. If you haven’t emailed your admins for a sit down meeting about your performance within 30 seconds of reading this, I don’t know what to tell you. Yes do it now.

3) you’re not the only one facing this. Your dean and academic support center see this ALL THE TIME. Nobody will look down on you; they will help you figure out what needs to change. I’ve been that change for some struggling students back in the day because the academic center asked me to take on some 1-on-1 tutoring for underclassmen who were struggling. Your school can muster some incredible resources for you but you have to ask.

Look, you’ve gotta sit down and have a lot of uncomfortable conversations in the next few days. Ironically, that’s a large part of being a doctor in general - lots of uncomfortable, awkward, and sad conversations with patients and families. It’s especially hard when those discussions center around a complication from something I did. It sucks and for me it hasn’t gotten easier, so might as well start getting used to it now my friend.

This is real professionalism: facing your failures with both dignity and humility, and figuring out how to change course and do better. That can mean many things - a LOA, repeating the year, etc., but you need a plan and you need it yesterday. Waiting for summer to meet with people is the only clearly wrong answer.

Best answer on this thread OP. Was thinking about your situation earlier today and came back to re-read all your posts and read Operaman's post and edited mine accordingly to provide you with some details on how to go about what he's suggesting. You need to do it urgently. Please keep us as updated as you feel comfortable doing.

 

[ekmf27050]

This is tough, but you already know that. For what it's worth I give you credit for laying out the honest extent to the issue which can be humbling even anonymously online. You also seem to understand the situation you're in some areas but in others you're acting pretty naive (worrying about judgment, etc.). As others have said you demonstrate the intellectual capacity to succeed with previous performances, however, not even a shimmer of that is manifesting itself now which is my biggest concern. Typically students will struggle in one area more than others and things are able to be done to get that person past their block.

Couple suggestions:

1.) Engage regularly with academic support. Their job is to fix the issue, they are professionals who won't judge. There may be a concern that they won't help but they have experience with failing students and can help facilitate any accommodations/learning issues, but more importantly give you strategies you were not using before. Additionally compliance/follow-up is an unwritten expectation in your case if it hasn't been made clear. When the promotions committee meets this summer to discuss you the first thing they will assess if you haven't done a 180 turn-around is whether you have engaged in the resources they have provided. Don't let this be a knock on you.

2.) Regarding the ADHD (fixed learning deficit)/Depression (mood disorder), you need to establish with both a psychiatrist and clinical psychologist. The two issues could be interrelated and the latter person may be helpful in getting to the underlying problem. Appts. are now accessible via zoom and many psychologists work with patient's after hours. Your school should give you names.

3.) Don't try any out of the box study strategies. I know SDN/Reddit emphasize ANKI but it's not working and IMHO isn't essential. It's just a bunch of hypercompetitive SDN'er talk about to kill the curve. Your problem is I think you're missing the basics. Just attend lectures in person, sit in the first row, and don't be ashamed to ask questions - people will judge, &$%$ them, review your course notes afterwards, and master them with active learning strategies like making yoru own charts/tables. Utilize office hours and any fair advantage available. Sometimes professors will give away hints on what will be on the exams, etc in office hours.

4.) Try Group Study sessions. COVID throws a wrench into this but I'm sure there's Zoom groups around. I know it's hard but just admit right away that you're basically failing and need help. People will respect you for the honesty and perhaps divulge what's worked for them. You don't have to stick with it but at least get a sense of what everyone else knows and how they handle things. Pick and choose with works for you. This is honestly the most overlooked study tip.

5.) Depending on your curriculum, M1 may very well not having anything to do with 90% of medicine that you actually need to know. If you're just in the biochemistry, normal physiology, and anatomy sections a lot of this information is nice to know but not really relevant to clinical practice and that is something to remind yourself as you move forward to meet this challenge.

6.) Don't stress yourself out thinking about how you need to get a 84% average moving forward to balance the 56%. It will be difficult to stay focused/motivated. Instead focus on creating an upward curve. If you can at least keep your scores moving up in the mid-upper 60s with hopefully some passes, I think the school could be open to having you just repeat the entire year where you'll see all the material again.

7.) There is a very real chance that despite all your efforts you fall short either this summer or later on. I think if happens, you at least know you tried everything available to you but you need to be quick to accept the assessment of your performance because the sooner you can stop losing tuition and work on figuring out what else you can do. Those who remain motivated even after a major failure like this are often more successful at the end of the day and that would not have come to them without getting pushed off the traditional path.

8.) Going along with #6/#7, as Operaman advised, have a direct conversation with who's in charge of your promotion NOW. The first step's figuring out who that is because it's usually not the dean of basic science or the familiar faced administrator the school puts on there to talk with students. Start by contacting your student representatives on the promotions committee. They will put you in touch with someone and request meetings until you figure out who's going to vote on/influence your promotion. Don't be afraid of answers you don't want to hear. Some faculty may be more honest than others and tell you if there's writing on the wall. Ultimately, you need to have a concrete understanding of what's expected of you by June 2021. If they're saying you need to achieve a 70% cumulative average, we all know that's not happening and they're just keeping you around to fall short while tuition piles up. Agree on clear, fair terms so there is no question of what you need to do. If you feel their terms are unfair then this is the time to appeal (and this is the time to seek a legal opinion). Schools will not tell you about an appeals process until you're on your way out. It's your job to bring that up. If you meet with promotions, can't come to a fair deal, file an appeal, lose that...then you may want to consider walking out now as opposed to next summer because what will the point be?

9.) Drop the pre-study plan or at least meet with the school's learning specialists to do this. Your system is not working and you will burn yourself out more for no benefit.

OP, print that post out, tape it up, and check off each step. That is the best, most personalized, detailed advice you will find on the internet. For what it's worth, I'm sending you luck man.

 

[Mass Effect]

I also have 2 professionalism violations for missing 2 mandatory sessions.

Something every med student needs to learn ASAP. You can fail a bunch of things as long as you show promise and improve or you can be a professionalism idiot as long as you apologize profusely and never let it happen again. You can't be both.

 

[Eye-eye]

Something every med student needs to learn ASAP. You can fail a bunch of things as long as you show promise and improve or you can be a professionalism idiot as long as you apologize profusely and never let it happen again. You can't be both.

To be fair, missing a couple sessions by mistake should not be a professionalism write-up, in my opinion. My school did about half the M1/M2 curriculum in the form of mandatory sessions, and I doubt many students didn't accidentally miss one or two (I bet I missed a couple more than that tbh). I shouldn't have to be THAT strict.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Yeah I have nothing really to add beyond the good advice you have received above. Reach out now. The longer you wait to get help, the less likely you will be able to salvage your medical career.

 

[Cosmopolitan96]

To be fair, missing a couple sessions by mistake should not be a professionalism write-up, in my opinion. My school did about half the M1/M2 curriculum in the form of mandatory sessions, and I doubt many students didn't accidentally miss one or two (I bet I missed a couple more than that tbh). I shouldn't have to be THAT strict.

I dunno I kinda feel like if it’s mandatory and it was made clear it’s mandatory there’s no excuse for missing more than like, one. Yes ppl make mistakes accidents happen but missing something mandatory *multiple* times is kind of a problem/indicative of something going on I think...and it could be a problem later on if not addressed early. you can’t just accidentally miss mandatory lectures as a resident etc etc

 

[Mass Effect]

To be fair, missing a couple sessions by mistake should not be a professionalism write-up, in my opinion. My school did about half the M1/M2 curriculum in the form of mandatory sessions, and I doubt many students didn't accidentally miss one or two (I bet I missed a couple more than that tbh). I shouldn't have to be THAT strict.

Whether it should be or not is completely irrelevant. The point is that was the rule, the OP knew the rule (or should have) and missed not one but two. It's not ok, especially when you're on thin ice academically.

 

[Mass Effect]

I don't think so. The dean just met with me once. He actually said that it wasn't a professionalism violation, but will be documented. No one met with me the second time. I would think someone would also reach out to me (like the Dean or learning coordinator), seeing how I'm failing every quiz/ecxam

Disclaimer: This is not medical advice.

Yeah, I would bet money you're not doing well because of mental health issues. Maybe ADHD, but even depression can have all the symptoms you've told us about, right down to the shame. It's med school and everyone around you is performing well except you, right? W R O N G. I promise you, absolutely promise you, there are people in your class in your boat. Every single year, there are people who struggle and they're too embarrassed to tell others so they hide it because they don't want to be seen as stupid. You're NOT stupid and **** anyone who thinks that. You are exceptionally bright to even get into med school. So it's a learning curve and it's hard. You'll learn, you'll succeed. But it's affecting your mood and that's a bit tougher to conquer. You need to see a psychiatrist. Once your mood is back on track and you're feeling better in general, you will be able to get your confidence back and you will be able to get through this and succeed.

Never assume others will reach out to you if you're struggling. It's your job to reach out. That's what shows that YOU care, that you don't want to fail out. Reach out to everyone you can, ask for help over and over again until you're passing all your classes. Get some mentors. They will not think less of you. They will be glad that you reached out and these will be your advocates with the promotions committee. Do this now.

 

[PirellitTyres]

Whether it should be or not is completely irrelevant. The point is that was the rule, the OP knew the rule (or should have) and missed not one but two. It's not ok, especially when you're on thin ice academically.

Actually, I asked my dean and he said I don't have any documented professionalism violations