5th semester question

[dimples]

For those who have gone before us, how many students end up having to remediate/repeat 5th semester every semester. I was planning on taking a Kaplan course immediately after 5th ends, but now I wonder if I should wait for grades to come out. For those who have had to remediate/repeat, did you find out when your grades came out, or did you have an indication beforehand that you would need to stay in Miami longer?

[jim]

we had 3 people who got caught cheating on apaper, and i believe they were given no credit and had to repeat. otherwise, soem had to remediate their physical exams, but were able to advance after retaking the test.

[Gator98MD]

Its hard to estimate how many people outright fail 5th semester, but I suspect that the number is low. However, the number of people that have to "remediate" some part of the the semester whether it be the the PE (most common reason) or the write up is much higher. I am sure if you fall in this category you will have some notion of whether you will have to remediate before the conclusion of the semester. usually if you do, it is not a large time commitment. I dont know how that would affect your Kaplan class ultimately though. Just dont be in that group!!! and you wont have to worry. 5th smester is a game of staying under Dr. F's radar. Its better to make no impression with him that a bad one. You are doomed if you make a bad one.

[singer]

Actually last semester many students had to redo their PE and stay an extra week. This cost money to rebook their plane flight with penalties, extend their living arrangements (if they didn't lease where a 3 month lease is required), extend their rental car. Maybe things will be different with the 12 week AICM.

[MitchDC]

They are actually very lucky to only have to stay around one week. If you fail a clerkship, you have to repeart the whole thing.

While the AICM director "objectifies" the grading, 5th semester really is considered a clinical clerkship semester. All ckerkships grades are based on "knowledge of medical science", "knowledge of assigned patients", interpersonal skills, and professionalism. If you fail any one of those, you fail the whole clerkship. He actually does students a favor by keeping them around longer for remediation (***paying NO extra tuition***) and giving them the opportunity to remediate the portion of the course in which they were grossly deficient.

Most of the class will not pass the H&P on the first try (I didn't). The grading is strict because if you don't know how to write an H&P you will look stupid during your clerkships. During Internal Medicine, I had to write an H&P several times per day. The residents and attendings were impressed at how complete and orderly they were - I credit that to the good preparation during AICM. Same goes for the history and physical examination you will try to perfect in AICM - get it down and you will impress those you work with in your clerkships.

I don't know why so many people are scared of Dr. *********. He simply expects you to be professional, respectful, hard working, and willing to learn. Unfortunately, so many students get to AICM thinking they have all the skills they need for Clerkships (or under the impression that they won't learn more in AICM) and that is VERY RARELY the case. But because students are that way -- cocky, arrogant, disrespectful--Dr. ********* occasionally has to set you straight. Humility goes a long way for all of us.

-MitchDC



Actually last semester many students had to redo their PE and stay an extra week. This cost money to rebook their plane flight with penalties, extend their living arrangements (if they didn't lease where a 3 month lease is required), extend their rental car. Maybe things will be different with the 12 week AICM.

[homerbrave]

[quote="MitchDC"]They are actually very lucky to only have to stay around one week. If you fail a clerkship, you have to repeart the whole thing.
While the AICM director "objectifies" the grading, 5th semester really is considered a clinical clerkship semester. All ckerkships grades are based on "knowledge of medical science", "knowledge of assigned patients", interpersonal skills, and professionalism. If you fail any one of those, you fail the whole clerkship. He actually does students a favor by keeping them around longer for remediation (***paying NO extra tuition***) and giving them the opportunity to remediate the portion of the course in which they were grossly deficient.
-MitchDC



Here in the NE region, most people get As or ** on their rotations. You'll have to work really hard at failing to get a C in any rotation. In my experience, what I learned about H&P in 3rd and 4th are more than enough. You can always reference Bate's. [/b][/b]
By the way, during your clinical rotations it would be best to do a H&P the way YOUR attendings tells you and not the 5th semester way. It turns out everyone has a different style. The 5th semester way is definitely not the H&P way the LORD intended as I was instructed!

All the other medical schools don't have a 5th semester run by our illustrious director yet their students seem to do just fine. I have yet to meet one classmate who though 5th semester helped them on Step 1 or in clinical rotations. In my opinion, all the hardships we endured in 5th are designed to satisfy one man's egos. 5th semester is not a waste of time but it can benefit us so much more if it is more focused on modern medicine.

[jim]

People downplay the whole physical exam thing amd think they are good enough in 5th, but when you get further down the road, you will realise that the grading on the PE was quite lax(especially if you didnt get the attending!). yes, we had probabably 2 or 3 dozen who had to stay another week and redoe the exam. but one thing you need to remember, is that down the road, your PEmay mean the difference between finding soemthing important or letting someone die. dont downplay what you learned in 5th. I now compare the US students who are starting clinicals to how I was when I started, and most are quite far behind what I remembered of my average classmate. sure, they catch up, and usaully quite fast, but its always good to start out ahead. it also helps when you figure some people have the "caribbean stereotype" in their minds, and if you show them you knwo your stuff, that can help change minds down the road.

[Dru]

It may seem stupid being picked on to perfect your exam and assessment skills, but they will be your bread and butter for your future. Get used to being thorough, ritualistic, observant, communicative, and detailed. Your correct diagnosis and treatment will depend on it. In our ICU I've seen Rossies go into the room and perform perfect head to toe exams...truly listen and explore WITH the patient about their health...take the time to ask pertinent questions....take the time to discuss the patient and their findings with the RNs. Their performance as docs SHINE. It's the docs that go into the room and do a half-hearted job, come out, order an idiotic treatment, and get called on it by an attending (or even worse, a nurse). Your performance in Miami MUST be perfect. You are not gratifying a professor, IT'S YOUR CAREER AND YOUR PATIENT'S WELFARE.