So, here's the standard sob story:
- Didn't pass Step 1 on the first try. Passed on the second with just a 207.
- Didn't pass Step 2 CK on the first try. Passed on the second with just a 213.
- Passed Step 2 CS on the first try.
- Passed Step 3 on the first try, but only with a 198.
- Less than remarkable grades from an LCME-accredited med school in Puerto Rico.
- Less than remarkable LORs.
Now, here are the unique features:
Not to make excuses, but at least part of the reason my grades and test scores were so low is because both my school and myself spent the better part of two years freaking out over the LCME trying to revoke our accreditation. (They ultimately failed, for the record, but only because my school sued--and won).
But even with accreditation--which we've kept since then--the mere fact that they
tried to revoke it meant our curriculum was thrown into disarray. None of the professors who knew my name even work there anymore. Some actually quit
in the middle of the semester (not that I really blame them). Hence, grades that are substandard, scores that are subpar, and what I can only assume are tepid, generic LORs--which may or may not have my name spelled correctly.
But here's the best part: because I was struggling both academically
and personally, I needed to take a temporary leave of absence--not an "
academic probation" leave of absence, but a "
my world feels like it's falling apart so it's hard to study for the Steps" leave of absence. When I returned after about a year, I was "out of phase" with our school's new academic calendar, which meant that although I was able to finish one semester of clerkships (another student had either dropped out/transferred at the last second) the clerkships for semester after
that had already been assigned--forcing me to take another "leave of absence" until the next cycle opened up.
Since graduating in 2017 I have:
- Dropped close to $20K in applications fees applying to every FM/Psych residency in North America that doesn't publish minimum Step scores--as well as a few IM and Prelim programs.
- Got an "Assistant Physician" license from Missouri (for all the good it does me),
- Got a job in "healthcare" working for $15/hr as a pharmacy technician to at least keep up with the interest on my student loans.
- Got baptized. (I'm kidding; I lost my faith in a just and merciful God during my MS-2 year)
At this point, I'm wondering if I should even bother reapplying in 2021. Even if I saved up another $10K for another round of ERAS applications, after being out of school (and out of practice) for three years, it might be more economical to just light it on fire. But the question is, if I don't reapply, what do I do instead?
(Aside from fake my death to escape my student loans; even if I
did have access to a boat, I'm much taller than most of the unclaimed cadavers in my area, and our local medical examiner has a reputation for being very thorough. Plus, my life insurance doesn't cover suicide, stingy tw@s)
Academia is out, because aside from my "scholarly project" in med school I don't have any research experience. I could go back to grad school, but I don't have the money for a master's degree, and I don't have the experience or "networking" to get into a PhD.
