Failed a Class

[peds2010]

Well, I ended up failing a class by a few points and I'm worried about residency prospects, applications, etc... For those who have failed a class, were you asked about it for your clinical rotations or residency interviews?

[stateofequilibrium]

Can't speak for residency. But for rotations your determining factor is Step 1. How fast you can pass it to secure your spot (and you preferably don't want to take it more than once either!).

[teratos]

I will have to second what SOE said. You really need to make sure you have a decent score on the USMLE.

[stateofequilibrium]

I will have to second what SOE said. You really need to make sure you have a decent score on the USMLE.

Gosh, you sound so reluctant to have to agree with me. ;)

But to the OP, have you ever thought about joining some research as well on campus? I heard research really puts the shine on your application for residency. If anything, say you were trying to study on the beach but half naked Hawaiian Tropic girls kept asking you anatomy questions :twisted:

[sgudoc]

Peds2010, you will be down for alittle while, ashamed and asking Why alot????!!! I know b/c I failed neuro by 2 points and will NEVER forget how sick to my stomach I became and how ashamed I was while experiencing the 1st TRUE academic failure in my lifetime!! I stayed the course, got a B, making the class upand now being a semester behind.. If you truly want to be an MD, you will get to the finish line and you will get there!!! I changed careers from being an elem. teacher to being a Family Medicine resident here on Long Island having faced those academic difficulties as well as C4-C5 neck surgery 2 weeks before the end of my 2nd year right before clinicals. I tell you this b/c I am a TRUe believer that no matter what hurdles you face you can achieve your dreams & goals!!

Having said all that, Go & do the very best on your USMLE steps ( Do as many ?s as possible, its a marathon, not a sprint) & you will sercure a residency as long as you are true to yourself and just be yourself!!

Cheers, Doc Todd/SGUSOM 2005/Family Medicine/South Nassau Communties Hospital

[stateofequilibrium]

I changed careers from being an elem. teacher to being a Family Medicine resident here on Long Island having faced those academic difficulties as well as C4-C5 neck surgery 2 weeks before the end of my 2nd year right before clinicals. I tell you this b/c I am a TRUe believer that no matter what hurdles you face you can achieve your dreams & goals!!


One of my friends has to go through something like that. Only I think it's at the C3 level and the docs are telling him there's a significant chance of death. But it's bothering him so much it's getting hard to live with it.

[sgudoc]

I am sorry to hear about your friend SOE!! It is very painful condition once the disk has herniated.My surgery was my 3rd as I had my 1st L5-S1 in 1990 as I was graduating Undergrad. I was struck by a ford mustang as I was entering a 7-11 store to get coffee w/ my footbal buddy during finals!! Did not know this idiot, he was on acid and tripped out and decided to drive across the parking lot doing 40mph. Good thing I turned around or i would have been swiss chez under the car, instead i was ejected on the hood, held onto the wiper blades and smashed through the store all the way to the slurpy machines! I can laugh and look backon this w/ no ill effects, except it took me over 5 yrs to be able to go back into a 7-11!! Now I am hooked on there coffee again!! True story all captured on the security camaras!! What a night that was!! Please wish your friend the best from me and know our prayers are w/him!!!!

Cheers, DocTodd

[DrShikima]

Well, I ended up failing a class by a few points and I'm worried about residency prospects, applications, etc... For those who have failed a class, were you asked about it for your clinical rotations or residency interviews?

Don't sweat it. Keep the road and don't give up. Persistence is the key to getting to step 1 and beyond!

[Scientific]

For residency, it depends on what field you're going into. If it's primary care, failing one class won't kill your chances. Granted, it may keep you from doing your residency at Hopkins, or some big name instituation, but when it's all said and done, it all depends on WHO YOU KNOW. Now if you're thinking about some highly competitive field (surgery, dermatology, etc), then because we already have one strike against us for being IMG's, a failed class might come back to bite you in the butt. You don't want to give them any other reasons to not choose you. To make up for the failed class, do as many clinicals as you can at hospitals where you want to do your residency, get to know the attendings, and work your butt of to show them you are serious about medicine. Step I is important, Step II as well (especially if you don't do well on Step I), but the main factor is to work on your networking.

[options]

Well, I ended up failing a class by a few points and I'm worried about residency prospects, applications, etc... For those who have failed a class, were you asked about it for your clinical rotations or residency interviews?

You are obviously pretty worried about this but I really doubt this will stop you from getting a decent score on step I or obtaining a residency. Keep your head up.

[stateofequilibrium]

You are obviously pretty worried about this but I really doubt this will stop you from getting a decent score on step I or obtaining a residency. Keep your head up.

Didn't half of you guys fail medical ethics? :twisted:

[DrShikima]

Didn't half of you guys fail medical ethics? :twisted:

that means they're unethical.

[options]

Didn't half of you guys fail medical ethics? :twisted:

Yeah, I think a third to a half failed the course my semester. I didn't fail, thank god, but it was my lowest grade in basic sciences. Good times.

[Ditch Doctor]

To the OP: If it makes you feel better: I failed completely out of an allopathic medical school in the states; I came to AUC and I had *very* average grades at AUC (except I did honor med psych?!); however, I did have above average board scores.

I matched to emergency medicine-- one of the more competitive specialties this year (99.5% matched). I was only asked about my dismissal at one of my interviews, and it was more a curiosity question along the lines of "what happened??" I was told at my most of my interviews that I had a very strong EM LOR and that is why I got an interview.

Take home points: never give up hope, learn from your mistakes and CORRECT them, don't underestimate the value of your performance in your audition elective and board scores cure most, if not all academic deficiencies.

Everybody says "networking"... I'm not a big believer... maybe... I don't know... Networking *might* get you an interview... a spot? Doubt it...

[opnr2k2]

Well, I ended up failing a class by a few points and I'm worried about residency prospects, applications, etc... For those who have failed a class, were you asked about it for your clinical rotations or residency interviews?

The only thing that matters is your STEP 1 score.

[stateofequilibrium]

The only thing that matters is your STEP 1 score.

well, also your Step 2 score, you grades, clinical performance, and personal hygeine!

[ocdauc]

well, also your Step 2 score, you grades, clinical performance, and personal hygeine!


well.....yah...

[Ditch Doctor]

The only thing that matters is your STEP 1 score.

For what it's worth, step 2 is more inportant for EM. Really it depends on the specialty

[TheAlchemist]

opnr2k2 (http://www.valuemd.com/../members/opnr2k2.html)

i think the MAIN thing is your step 1 score, but it seems it is not the only thing. LOR's are very important from what i can gather. as well as brushing your teeth and not stinkin up the joint.

just my 2 rupees

[stateofequilibrium]

The moral of the story? Always brush your teeth.

[MarylandGal]

The moral of the story? Always brush your teeth.

Then a good bit of the student population at AUC is in trouble, b/c too many times during a test, I have caught whiffs of some stinkiness:-tongue.

[TexSxm]

Basically, no one can tell you the perfect formula for what it takes to get the Residency you want! Study your butt off, do your best on the Steps, stay late and learn all you can on your rotations. Most importantly, KEEP YOUR CHIN UP and BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!

[peds2010]

Thank you all for your advice. Another question for those of you who are done with basic science, do the actual percentages show up on your transcripts at the end of fifth semester (for passed/failed classes). I heard a rumor that optional shelf exam grades also show up at the end...is this true?

Does AUC take the average of the pass and fail grades to calculate the final GPA or just use the repeat grade?

[ds_in_tx]

Thank you all for your advice. Another question for those of you who are done with basic science, do the actual percentages show up on your transcripts at the end of fifth semester (for passed/failed classes). I heard a rumor that optional shelf exam grades also show up at the end...is this true?

Does AUC take the average of the pass and fail grades to calculate the final GPA or just use the repeat grade?

The Official Transcript shows only Pass-Fail-Honors (much to my dismay). All of that other stuff (grade %, shelf scores, class rank, blahblah) is only on the Unofficial Transcript. Lesson: if you are not honoring the class, killing yourself for the 88 is a nearly futile effort which will not be known by anyone except you, the prof, and the registrar. If you want to get into the honor society, your goal should be to just barely get into the top 25% and that's all. Any higher than that (unless you are a super genius or a masochist) is unnecessary.

[TexSxm]

PS.... AUC has such a great honor society, that you can indeed fail a class and still be in it! So for you.... No Worries!

[Scott1981]

PS.... AUC has such a great honor society, that you can indeed fail a class and still be in it! So for you.... No Worries!

are you serious? :shock:

[DrShikima]

are you serious? :shock:

Oh yeah, very serious. There were examples of this when we were still on the island in our earlier semesters.

[Macgyver1]

The new rule for honor society I think is you have to have the same gpa as the previous 3/4 semesters top 25% of students. This way its not a competition between students (still won't help :P ) They take the persons avg. at bottom of 25% and avg that with like the last 3 semesters. Then you get an average you have to have. You have to also have 2 community service activities too be considered.
For the pure academic people who don't want to leave their books, theres now a deans list for those with 87?% average.

[TheAlchemist]

don't you have to pay a fee to have the honor to be in honor society?
just wonderin

[TexSxm]

When we were on the Island... yes there was a fee that you had to pay when you turned in your application! And there is no national affiliation. It is only AUC's honor society. Therefore, the money goes straight to AUC and the T Gold Foundation!!!!!!!!!!!!!