You know, it's bad enough that your administration made a mistake, but the fact that they underhandedly tried to shuffle the consequences off on you guys (students) in general is the biggest sign of doucheyness that there is. Rage on dude, because if I were in that position, forget angry, I would be turning green and becoming huge. That kind of info is just as private as a medical record - aside from those who are allowed to see it, it's for your eyes only.
I'm really sorry this had to happen to you. Unfortunately the way the world works, like it or not, people judge the hell out of each other, and this is just providing fodder.
And just when I was starting to find peace with this situation, the thread gets bumped back up
😉
I definitely agree with your sentiment, Arc, especially the Hulk coming alive! It's weird, but I feel like it's been a pervasive thing this week. On my current rotation, I work with three other students. We've all discussed this issue ad nauseum. We get together with everyone on the rotation (about 25 students total) once a week for didactics. Nobody mentioned a thing this past week about the email. Not sure if it's becoming a little taboo to discuss, but it certainly crossed my mind a few times throughout the afternoon.
I think this whole issue strikes a note in many of us about the modern paradigm of medical education. The A,B,C system has been replaced by the Honors, High Pass, Pass system. They are one and the same, and are only used to differentiate people from those who have done well and those who have done
really well. I would argue that the system is unnecessary. Some of the top business schools in the country such as Stanford and Harvard have largely eliminated those systems because they acknowledge that if you're good enough to get into the school, then you don't need to be consistently competitive with each other. There needs to be a cooperative environment, as 90% of medical specialties require a team environment that thrives when everyone is jiving together.
By third and fourth year, I strongly believe that the Honors, High Pass (Excellent), and Pass system are even more flawed. I don't know a single person who isn't busting his or her butt right now in their clinical rotations.
EVERYONE is trying their best for the patient and for themselves. With that said, what seems to make the difference in making that cut from HP to Honors is not necessarily a better skill set or knowledge base, but more of a strong personality and an ability to do or say the right thing at the right time. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE third year and it's great to be out of the lecture hall and into the hospitals. What I don't like about third year is the fact that I feel like I'm always being graded, and there is an unspoken, unacknowledged competition with peers to make that next cut from HP to Honors.
As for this ranking list email, there hasn't been a single word from the administration this past week. They are largely trying to let it blow over. The rumor is that they are tracking who has emailed that list around. I'm not even sure that's possible, but what do I know? I'm basically willing to just let it go, as I lack the time and energy right now to really make a big stink about it. Ultimately, that list never should've existed in the first place.
