What's the drop out rate in medical school?

[kts]

Once you actually make it into a US med school, do the majority of students graduate and reach their goal? Do they weed out first years/what's the average drop out rate?

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[mmmcdowe]

Once you actually make it into a US med school, do the majority of students graduate and reach their goal? Do they weed out first years/what's the average drop out rate?

It's less than 5 percent overall I believe.

 

[raltima07]

Once you actually make it into a US med school, do the majority of students graduate and reach their goal? Do they weed out first years/what's the average drop out rate?

Caribbean weeds you out

 

[willen101383]

Here at PCOM we are told that next to nobody fails out. Drops out on their own accord is a different story. I have one week left of m1...and we have lost 2 or 3 as far as I know. I know one guy dropped after the first anatomy test and said it wasnt for him.

This is pretty much the case at every US MD/DO. The weeding out took place during undergrad and the admissions process. No point in investing in someones education with the role of weeding them out.

Unless you are at a carribbean...as already mentioned.

 

[edfig99]

Unlike other professions, almost everyone who starts med schools finishes it. Students and schools invest too much to not have you graduate Whether or not they "reach their goal" is a different question altogether.

RE: med school attrition -- AAMC posted a bulletin on their site a few years ago (https://www.aamc.org/download/102346/data/aibvol7no2.pdf) Over 80% of students in the cohort they followed graduated in 4 years and that came up to 96% if you followed out over 10 years.

 

[mishaS]

Unlike other professions, almost everyone who starts med schools finishes it. Students and schools invest too much to not have you graduate Whether or not they "reach their goal" is a different question altogether.

RE: med school attrition -- AAMC posted a bulletin on their site a few years ago (https://www.aamc.org/download/102346/data/aibvol7no2.pdf) Over 80% of students in the cohort they followed graduated in 4 years and that came up to 96% if you followed out over 10 years.

I'm surprised the racial success disparity is so pronounced at this level. The difference is actually pretty shocking.

 

[Iso4ane]

Think it about this way, most of the people who work very hard and are good enough to get into a good medical program are the types of people where hard work doesn't phase them (the better the program less likely people will drop). Therefore, excluding extenuating circumstances, most people who get into medical will graduate from med school. And the joke among some of these people is the hard part is not med school itself but just getting into said med school.

 

[NOsquid]

And the joke among some of these people is the hard part is not med school itself but just getting into said med school.

That's just something pre-meds say 🙂 Don't get your hopes up. It's true few people drop out of US medical schools, but it's still tougher than undergrad.

 

[gravitywave]

That's just something pre-meds say 🙂 Don't get your hopes up. It's true few people drop out of US medical schools, but it's still tougher than undergrad.

i think it depends. i had a six month period during my app cycle where i really questioned whether or not i was going to get in. i honestly believe that's going to end up being the worst winter of my life. med school has been a breeze so far in comparison.

 

[hx87]

That's just something pre-meds say 🙂 Don't get your hopes up. It's true few people drop out of US medical schools, but it's still tougher than undergrad.

Depends on the undergrad institution. I've talked to several alumni from my institution (Caltech) that went on to medical school, and they all say Caltech was way harder. In fact, the instructor for the physiology class, who is a Caltech alumnus and was a pediatric surgery resident at the time, says that compared to his undergraduate experience, residency isn't that difficult.

 

[NOsquid]

i think it depends. i had a six month period during my app cycle where i really questioned whether or not i was going to get in. i honestly believe that's going to end up being the worst winter of my life. med school has been a breeze so far in comparison.

Many people have a similar experience applying for residency.

 

[NOsquid]

Depends on the undergrad institution. I've talked to several alumni from my institution (Caltech) that went on to medical school, and they all say Caltech was way harder. In fact, the instructor for the physiology class, who is a Caltech alumnus and was a pediatric surgery resident at the time, says that compared to his undergraduate experience, residency isn't that difficult.

I'm inclined to think that this physician was at an exceptionally cush residency (fellowship? was he in pedi surg or just doing a pedi surg rotation?) program if he found the spare time to teach college classes. And perhaps Caltech is an exceptionally rigorous undergrad.

I have a hard time believing any undergrad could compare to surgery residency, where they typically just skirt by the 80 hour rule if not outright ignore it. But there you have it, there will always be anecdotes.

Maybe some people just learn to handle stress better as they age.

 

[gravitywave]

Many people have a similar experience applying for residency.

yeah... i'm all about making sure that i don't have any of those reasons for feeling inadequate, as i did the last time 😉

also: i have no trouble believing that CalTech is harder than med school.

 

[BigRedBeta]

. And the joke among some of these people is the hard part is not med school itself but just getting into said med school.

That's just something pre-meds say 🙂 Don't get your hopes up. It's true few people drop out of US medical schools, but it's still tougher than undergrad.

There are 2 very different sentiments here.

Absolutely, 100%, the most restrictive portion of the process of becoming a physician is getting into medical school. For the roughly 17000 US Allopathic grads each year, there are an absurd number of people who failed at some point along the way. Even if you just limit your scope to the people who have a reasonable chance of becoming a physician, the limiting step is getting accepted. Those who "joke" about the difficult part being getting in are usually (and correctly) talking about it this sense of difficulty, not in comparing the relative academic rigor between undergrad and med school. For the overwhelming majority of people, med school is undoubtedly harder...but you don't not become a doctor because of it. Meanwhile, there are scores of well qualified students who for whatever reason, never gain acceptance.